COFE+ Robot
Mobile app design - Red Dot Design Award
Timeline & Context
Sep - Dec 2024
Client: Shanghai Hi-Dolphin Robot Technology
Team
Penghao Zhu
Xinyue Guo
My Role
User Research
In-depth competitive analysis
UIUX Design
User Testing
Tools
Figma
FigJam
Google Form
Photoshop
Background
What is the client's Goal?
Our first thought
What is the problem?
Robotic coffee experiences are often efficient but lack personality and emotional connection. Most coffee apps focus on ordering speed and convenience, but rarely build brand loyalty or deliver a memorable, engaging user journey.
Final result & design
The overall UI is minimal, visually harmonious, and comfortable to read, emphasizing clarity and brand consistency.
Quick access features allow users to place orders, track status, and reorder favorites with minimal steps.
Live robot animations and a branded assistant create an interactive, memorable coffee experience unique to COFE+.
The app integrates an AI assistant that provides quick ordering, personalized recommendations, and real-time guidance—making the coffee experience smarter, smoother, and more efficient.
User research
What we researched on?
How other coffee brands design their apps, focusing on their features, user flows, and overall experience❓
What do users want?
We send out survey, and received 200+ responses. Results showed 78% prioritized time-saving, 67% found robot-made coffee interesting, and 86% drank 1-2 cups daily, with 43% drinking 3+ cups. Additionally, 73% valued a pre-order app to avoid peak-hour queues.
User Interview
Iteration
How might we create a coffee experience that feels more engaging, more connected, and more efficient?
"How might we design a clear visualization for the waiting process throughout ordering, waiting, and pick-up?"
The COFE+ Process Bar Widget & Reorder Page
COFE+ Process Bar Widget: Focused on solving the lack of visibility during coffee-making, we designed a robotic-themed progress bar to provide real-time updates and clearly display waiting times in a simple, intuitive way.
Order Page: Created an order page where users can easily view order details and pick-up codes. Added interactive animations to boost engagement and enhance the overall experience.
"How might we design a simple way to enable quick ordering or easily reordering process?"
Simple Order Process & Reorder Process
Simple Ordering Process: Designed a clear ordering flow that highlights the coffee robot's personalization features, allowing users to customize their coffee preferences. Added a pick-up time customization option to save users time and ensure the coffee is served at the perfect temperature when they arrive.
Reorder Process: Created an Order History page and a Favorites page, enabling users to save and quickly reorder their favorite drinks, improving efficiency and user satisfaction.
"How might we design a engaging interactions with the app and COFE+ robot to enhance user experience?"
COFE+ IP & AI Order Recommendation
COFE+ Robot IP: Developed a distinctive IP character for the coffee robot, giving it a unique identity. This robot engages with users in the app, offering tips and order assistance through AI, adding fun and intelligence to the experience.
User Testing
Conclusion
We conducted 2 rounds of user testing with 12 participants each, including young students and workers. After iterating on homepage readability, order status clarity, and favorites layout, the overall task success rate increased from 83.3% to 96.7%, and average satisfaction scores improved across all key screens.
Impact
Conclusion
COFE+ won the Gold Prize at the Red Dot Award 2023. The final product achieved a 96.7% task success rate in user testing, demonstrating outstanding usability and innovation.
"Wow, the new Cofe+ app looks amazing! I love the idea of having a robot assist with coffee orders — it’s so cool and futuristic, but also super practical. The design feels really user-friendly, and I can easily see myself using this daily!"
Client: Shanghai Hi-Dolphin Robot Technology
Client
Takeaways
User Needs Drive Every Decision
Simplicity, Impact, and Collaboration Matter
Penghao Zhu
