Blue Bottle Sessions
Extending the Ritual: Exploring Community-Driven Experiences for At-Home Brewers
Project Overview
This conceptual project enhances the at-home brewing ritual by making digital sessions more engaging, personal, and community-driven — bridging solo routines with shared, premium experiences.
My Role
UX Designer
Researcher
Product Strategist
My Responsibilities
Set experiential direction for multi-touchpoint sessions
Designed key interactions, including Participant Profile & Curiosities and Expandable Social Panel
Integrated research insights from at-home brewers
Led iterative unmoderated testing and prototyping
Constraints
4-week timeline
Unmoderated testing with at-home participants
MVP scope focused on core multi-touchpoint features
Ensured visual and interaction consistency with Blue Bottle’s brand
“Customers want more than simply coffee – they are demanding an experience. The same principle applies when a customer visits a cafe. Now more than ever, consumers want an experience that's about more than buying a drink.”
Source: Perfect Daily Grind
Key Challenge
Transactional digital tools fail to address the core human needs of at-home brewers, who face logistical and emotional barriers to a truly connected experience.
Opportunity
Design a hybrid, multi-touchpoint experience that fosters a low-pressure community, delivers premium guidance, and offers lasting value.
Blue Bottle Sessions
A new multi-touchpoint experience designed to transform the at-home brewing ritual into a premium, effortlessly engaging digital event that invites expert storytelling, fosters subtle interaction, and offers delightful, tangible extensions.
Impact
Validated the clarity and value of the Participant Profile & Curiosities feature, with users describing it as uniquely personal, engaging, and easy to complete.
Confirmed the Expandable Social Panel effectively fostered connection, as participants felt present with others and appreciated low-pressure ways to engage.
Demonstrated strong engagement potential for Post-Session Community & On-Demand Access, with users viewing these features as authentic extensions of the session that reinforced community and encouraged continued participation.
A Portfolio of Connection: From At-Home Convenience to Immersive Craftsmanship
Blue Bottle Sessions: Our new live, interactive brewing session, designed to transform a solitary at-home ritual into a collective experience. It serves as a bridge between our existing offerings, creating a deeper sense of community and connection to the brand.
Blue Bottle Classes (Online)
On-demand video library, offering pre-recorded instruction that allows learners to engage with the craft at their own pace
Blue Bottle Classes (In-Person)
Found at select cafes, these classes offer guided brewing experiences with a Blue Bottle expert, providing a hands-on, face-to-face learning opportunity
Blue Bottle Studio
Immersive, hands-on experience, providing a deep dive into the art of coffee
Intimate, expert-led workshops allow guests to fully engage with the craft and receive personalized, real-time guidance
From Transaction to Ritual
Synthesizing insights from at-home brewers and the competitive landscape
User Interviews
Understanding what transforms at-home brewing into a shared, participatory ritual
Exploring the desire for connection to the craft, community, and brand
7 participants interviewed
All participant data anonymized for privacySWOT Analysis
Learning from the experts: how premium brands and digital influencers foster connection and expertise
Exploring the competitive landscape: bridging the gap between brand-led experiences and digital-first content
Research Goals
Goal 1
To uncover shared experiences and brand interactions that feel inherently natural and delightful, rather than merely instructional or transactional.
Goal 2
To develop and refine live, interactive brewing sessions, considering them the primary strategy for deeper engagement.
Goal 3
To reveal opportunities for shared joy and participatory rituals that go beyond just education.
What We Learned from Users: Core Motivations and Needs
The Allure of Shared Expertise and Narrative
Users are drawn to live sessions not just for knowledge, but for the shared joy of learning from a credible expert.
They desire a deeper narrative beyond a simple recipe, seeking to connect with the coffee's story and the expert who tells it.
The promise of exclusive, in-depth knowledge transforms a session from a transaction into a worthwhile event.
Crafting a Safe Space for Shared Rituals and Connection
Users crave a supportive, low-pressure environment where they can learn by doing and feel comfortable making mistakes.
They prefer small, intimate group settings that foster genuine connection and authentic interaction over large, impersonal gatherings.
A sense of community is fostered through direct Q&A or subtle, low-friction interactions.
The Ritual of Balance: Bridging Convenience and Delight
The act of brewing coffee is a cherished ritual, but it must be balanced against the need for daily convenience and efficiency.
Sessions must be concise (around 30-45 minutes) to justify the time commitment while still delivering moments of delight.
Extending the Ritual: From Live Session to Lasting Delight
The desire for the experience to endure beyond a single session is strong.
Users want accessible and replayable content, such as session recordings, to continue their learning journey at their own pace.
They are also motivated by tangible takeaways, like coffee samples or branded products, that serve as a lasting, physical reminder of the shared ritual.
Lessons from the Landscape
SWOT analysis focused on user interview insights and competitive context
Bridging the Gap: Moving Beyond Transaction to Emotional Engagement
YouTube creators set a high bar for free, emotionally engaging content.
While users are motivated by insights from a professional barista and the desire to connect with the expert , paid brands risk feeling transactional if they don't match the depth and personal connection of free content.
Cultivating Community: From Isolated Brewing to Shared Rituals
Users expressed a strong preference for small, intimate group settings that foster genuine connection.
The competitive analysis shows a gap in the market for creating a safe, social learning environment in a digital format.
Respecting Time: How Concise Sessions Drive Delight
Pre-recorded sessions deliver short, satisfying content that respects users' time.
Studio-style formats can be too long or inaccessible for everyday integration.
Competing demands for attention reduce user tolerance for long or rigid sessions.
Designing for Memory: The Power of Tangible and Repeatable Elements
Replayable content, particularly from platforms like YouTube, excels with timeless content, but most in-person or one-time formats lack follow-through.
Experiences without repeatable or tangible elements risk being forgotten after the session ends.
Problem Statement
Our at-home brewers, like archetypal users Clara and Ben, often feel a quiet disconnect in their daily coffee practice. While they enjoy the ritual, they're craving something more: a genuine, shared connection that transforms a solo moment into a collective experience. Their current digital tools often feel too transactional, leaving them feeling isolated from the warmth of our brand, the guidance of our trainers, and the sense of community among other enthusiasts.
Persona
“I love learning about coffee, but I wish I could actually brew with someone really knowledgeable and ask them my specific questions in the moment. It would help me truly get it right.”
Clara | The Aspiring Brewer
Premium Learning & Direct Guidance
To gain personalized, in-depth knowledge and direct guidance from a credible expert on specific topics or questions she has about coffee or brewing.
Authentic Engagement
To engage in a learning experience that feels premium and provides truly unique insights she can't easily find for free, ensuring a high return on her invested time.
Safe Interaction
To have a comfortable, low-pressure way to engage with the trainer and subtly acknowledge other participants during a live session, fostering a sense of shared learning without feeling exposed.
"I enjoy my coffee ritual at home, but it's usually a solo thing. It would be cool to casually connect with others doing the same, almost like we're brewing together, especially on days when getting out isn't an option, and have something physical to remember it by."
Ben | The Social Coffee Enthusiast
Connected Ritual
To transform his at-home coffee moments into a more connected, shared ritual with others, even if the interaction is low-key and not face-to-face.
Lasting Value
To have lasting value from the live session, allowing him to revisit content, reinforce learning, and extend the experience beyond the live broadcast.
How Might We (HMW) Question
HOW MIGHT WE
Unveil Blue Bottle Sessions, a new live brewing experience
SO THAT OUR
At-home brewers, seeking deeper connection and shared joy beyond pre-recorded classes
ARE SUPPORTING
Premium, effortlessly engaging digital ritual mirroring our Studio's essence
THROUGH
Inviting expert storytelling, fostering subtle interaction, and offering delightful, tangible extensions?
We're not just offering a live class; we're extending the ritual, turning a quiet moment of brewing into a shared experience of craft, connection, and care.
Design Strategy
Our design strategy is to thoughtfully extend the brewing ritual, shifting it from a solitary act to a connected experience. We aim to create a low-friction, high-delight digital space that reflects the same care and intentionality as our in-person offerings.
Bringing the Strategy to Life
These features translate our design strategy into action–guiding users through a calm, personal, and community-driven brewing experience that mirrors the care and intentionality of Blue Bottle’s in-cafe rituals.
Participant Profile & Curiosities
Short, reflective onboarding that builds a simple attendee profile
Optional Ask the Brewer prompt for submitting a question at sign-up
Social Panel
Lightweight, non-video social layer showing attendee names, avatars, and ritual responses
Trainers can spotlight a participant to personalize guidance and foster shared presence
Post-Session Community & On-Demand Access
Intimate Brew Kitchen space for sharing progress and connecting post-session
On-demand recordings and downloadable guides extend the ritual beyond the live experience
The Flow of a Session
Participant-centered task flows that shape each phase of the Blue Bottle Sessions experience, from curiosity to connection to continued exploration.
Task Flow 1 - Participant Profile & Curiosities
What
Signing up for a session, Clara creates a profile, choosing a screen name and avatar. She then uses a "Coffee Ritual Builder" to curate her coffee vibe. Following this, she engages with the guided "Ask the Brewer" prompt.
Why
This process addresses Clara's need for personalized, in-depth guidance. It reduces friction in data collection, ensuring the trainer receives high-quality information for a tailored session.
Task Flow 2 - Social Panel (Passive Participant Experience)
What
During the live session, Clara views a non-video, non-voice feed displaying other attendees' profiles, including screen names, avatars, and "Coffee Ritual Builder" responses. The trainer highlights selected profiles, acknowledging submitted questions, creating a dynamic visual connection.
Why
This feature is the core of the live experience, fulfilling Ben's need for a gentle sense of community and shared ritual. It allows Clara to engage comfortably without feeling exposed. The design provides engagement without the logistical overhead of video chats.
Task Flow 3 - Post-Session Community & On-Demand Access
What
After the session, Clara and Ben access the "Blue Bottle Brew Kitchen," a dedicated digital space. Here, they can share brewing progress, ask questions, interact with others, and access on-demand session recordings and downloadable content (e.g., brewing guides or tasting notes).
Why
This ensures a high return on Clara's invested time by allowing her to revisit techniques and receive ongoing support. For Ben, it provides a repeatable, social element that extends the sense of community beyond the live session and offers flexibility.
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
Ask a Brewer
Live Session - Social Panel
Brew Kitchen
High-Fidelity Wireframes
Participant Profile & Curiosities
A reflective, guided onboarding flow that helps users share their brewing habits and curiosities before joining a session.
Features
Crafted the flow as a series of calming, tactile moments inspired by Blue Bottle’s in-store bag storytelling
Included Ask the Brewer, an optional question prompt to reduce social pressure and encourage quieter participants
Built with future personalization in mind, allowing trainers to tailor tone, pacing, or examples based on user curiosities
Social Panel
A lightweight, non-video interaction layer designed to create presence and connection during live sessions.
Features
Introduced a non-video, non-voice format to remove pressure and accessibility concerns tied to being on camera
Focused on subtle social cues–avatars, display names, ritual snippets–to foster connection without demanding interaction
Added a trainer spotlight interaction so instructors can highlight participant questions or rituals and create shared moments of attention
Post-Session Community & On-Demand Access
A dedicated space that keeps the ritual going with community touchpoints and helpful follow-up resources.
Features
Designed the Brew Kitchen as a small, cozy community space–avoiding large, impersonal forum dynamics
Included on-demand session access and downloadable content to support ongoing learning and ritual reinforcement
Ensured it felt like a natural extension of the live session rather than a separate product surface users had to learn
Usability Testing Sessions
Goal 1
Evaluate the clarity and effectiveness of the "Participant Profile & Curiosities" feature.
Goal 2
Assess the usability and perceived value of the "Social Panel" feature.
Goal 3
Measure how the "Post-Session Community & On-Demand Access" feature increases user engagement.
Unmoderated Testing
Our usability test aims to evaluate if the new features seamlessly guide users through the entire journey, from effortless pre-session engagement to a connected live experience and a valuable, lasting post-session community.
Participants
5 participants
All participant data anonymized for privacyMaze Usability Testing
5 Tasks (prototype test, opinion scale, simple input)
Positive Highlights
"Yes, I think that would be very helpful. It could also help the brewer understand students’ needs beforehand and tailor their lessons to the specific questions asked. Some students might feel embarrassed to ask questions in front of others so this feature could encourage them to speak up more comfortably."
Goal 1 Met
Users found the profile flow uniquely personal and intuitive, praising how it encouraged reflection and deepened their connection to their own brewing ritual.
Goal 2 Met
Participants felt meaningfully connected during the session, nothing that the subtle social cues and question submission feature created a comfortable, low-pressure sense of presence.
Goal 3 Met
Users viewed the community and on-demand features as authentic, valuable extensions of the live session that strengthened ongoing engagement and reinforced a sense of community.
Design Recommendation Prioritization
4 Prioritized Revisions
Add Open-Ended Profile Input
Prioritize Personal Questions
Improve Edit Discoverability
Add Post-Submission Feedback*
* Not based on usability testingFull Prioritization Matrix
Notable Learning
"I found myself wondering, ‘Where do I type in my personal question?’ That option only appeared after I clicked through the other steps."
Prioritize Personal Questions
Challenge
Users struggled to find where to type their own question, leading to confusion about whether prompts were required and making the submission flow feel less intuitive.
Solution
Moved the personal question input field to the top of the flow and separated it from optional prompts, allowing users to type immediately or use suggestions only if needed–creating a clearer, more intuitive, and user-driven experience.
Prioritized Revisions
Coffee Ritual Builder - Open-Ended Input
Ask a Brewer - Review Your Question
Ask a Brewer - Post-Submission Feedback
Blue Bottle Sessions
Lessons Learned
Overall Strategic Impact
Designing this feature deepened my understanding of how UX can shape emotionally resonant rituals, not just functional interactions. Extending Blue Bottle’s in-cafe intentionality into a digital, at-home moment taught me to design experiences that feel shared, grounding, and human–even without live video or high-touch interactions.
Proudest Moment: Seeing how the experience wove together multiple touchpoints–profile creation, live engagement, post-session community–to create a journey that users described as personal, calming, and connected. This reinforced the strategic power of designing for both emotional value and brand integrity.
What Went Well
Early research surfaced user’s desire for connection, safety, and reflection, which directly shaped the interaction patterns that later tested well–especially the reflective profile flow and low-pressure social panel.
Leaning into Blue Bottle’s brand rituals helped the design feel instantly familiar and premium for users, even in early prototype form.
Despite a niche audience and a holiday testing window, usability testing yielded clear, consistent insights and validated that the core experience was intuitive, discoverable, and meaningful.
Next Steps
Recruitment challenges highlighted the need for earlier, more targeted sourcing–especially when working with specialized audiences like premium home brewers.
Prototype fidelity limited some interactions, signaling that future rounds should include more flexible inputs and clearer indicators for editing or interacting with content.
A few participants felt overwhelmed by denser screens, showing an opportunity to explore alternative layouts and lighter cognitive load earlier in the design cycle.
All product images, logos, and trademarks belong to their respective owners and are used here for illustrative, non-commercial portfolio purposes. Some visuals and text in this case study were generated or assisted by AI tools; all design decisions and insights are my own.