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Executive Summary

Market Research and Observations

For this stage of our design project, we conducted four different types of market research and observations including Anthropological Study Observation, Use Study Observation, Expert Interview, and Product Review. Besides, we also posted an Online Survey which served as a back up market research study. The major observations, inspections and conclusions from each study are listed by section below.

Anthropological Study Observations

For this approach of market research, we observed faculties, staffs and students around campus (academic buildings and student housings) to make coffee with coffeemakers located in public kitchens or snack bars. In particular, we did a 2-hour observation around noon and a 2-hour in the afternoon on the sixth floor in the Gates and Hillman Center. In addition, we did a 1-hour observation at the Stever House during an early morning. The key observations are listed underneath.

1. People (mostly students and professors) are easily distracted when using the coffeemaker. They are likely to talk to someone other the phone or around, reading and playing with tablets which could possibly cause safety issues.

2. Oftentimes when there might be a problem with the coffeemaker (or there might not be, like slower dripping of coffee), people tend to just punch around the body of the coffeemaker. This could be harmful for both the users and the coffeemaker.

3. There were a few instances when people are in a hurry of doing something else, they tend to forget to put the coffee container back into place and leave the coffeemaker on which could result in overheating problem or damage to the heater.

4. A coffeemaker placed in a public kitchen could have a shorter lifetime due to lack of cleaning and proper maintenance.

5. It is sometimes the case that a full container of coffee would be wasted as the user might want to remake some hot coffee and dump the cold one made by the previous user. This could be a majority factor of wasting all types of resources.

6. Another minor observation concerned with coffee heating is that some people might want to reheat their coffee with their own coffee mug instead of making a new set of coffee all over again. Oftentime they would just use the microwave. Things could be done on the coffeemaker so that it could possess a feature of reheating a small cup of coffee.

Use Study Observation

Expert Interview

Product Review

Sketches and Descriptions of Design Concepts

Comparison with Competitor Products

Pugh Chart

Gantt Chart for Team Plan

Summary

Team Member Roles

Lucas Neffa -

Andrew Vickory -

Nick Ciesielski -

Yang Wen -

Kaifu Wang -

Appendix

100 Brainstorming Ideas

1. Centrifuge mixing and filtering

2. Automatic on/off switch

3. Coffeemaker with solar cell panel

4. Infrared heating and keeping warm

5. Coffeemaker with electronic gadgets dock

6. Manufactured with recycled materials

7. Distinguish the chamber with color which gives better instruction for user to know where to put coffee beans and where to pour water

8. A handle that is able to control the dripping lever or the valve

9. Heat exchanger rapid cooling

10. Container dock that is compatible with multiple container

11. One button control compact design

12. Unbreakable material for coffee container

13. Change the coffeemaker into a multi-drinks maker

14. Portable coffeemaker with rechargeable battery

15. Exposed major components so that potential problems can be easily identified and fixed

16. A side heating dock to reheat just a cup of coffee

17. A rotating disk which enables the coffeemaker to fill multiple cups of coffee at a time

18. A small digital screen that can replace the daily reminder sticker on the fridge

19. A coffeemaker with multiple chamber/cylinder and coffee outlet in the case when there are a group people who prefer different types of coffee

20. Coffeemaker with a coffee mug hanger on the side

21. A convertible coffeemaker

22. Attach a mechanism on top which could utilize the water vapor coming out

23. An overheating/dry heating signal sound or light

24. Some kind of nozzle that maximize the spread of the smell of coffee as air freshener

25. Automate coffee press

26. Coffee maker to handle making both hot and cold coffee

27. Coffee maker with a supersonic wave cleaner

28. Coffee maker a rotating container which enables better mixing

29. A programmable clock to set on/off time

30. Incorporate two chambers each for making and containing hot and cold coffee.

31. Coffeemaker with a hinge at the top half

32. Soundproofing material to reduce the noise

33. Removable filter and ground coffee container (easy to clean)

34. Adjustable coffee potency

35. Thermal insulation container to keep the coffee warm for longer time

36. Rechargeable battery for travel use

37. Sandglass-shape coffeemaker

38. Coffeemaker built on wall

39. Handhold coffeemaker combining with a cup

40. Clear shell with colorful backlit to indicate on/off or temperature status

41. Sphere coffeemaker with three-layer where water in the outmost layer being boiled and vapor being pressured into the mid layer which contains the ground coffee.

42. Coffeemaker with a small refrigerator to keep ice

43. Built-in thermometer & hygrometer etc.

44. Automatically lock the lid during process of boiling water & making coffee

45. Pour over method applied to dripping of hot water over grounds

46. Temperature regulation for water being dripped over grounds

47. Pump air through hot water with grounds to mix into water

48. Cooker for taking the used ground coffee and use for baking goods

49. Ink jet technology used to print water over ground coffee and maximize temperature efficiency

50. Mobile app to regulate coffee being turned on or off and regulated

51. Freshness meter displays last time coffee was brewed

52. Card reader on coffee maker to secure identity of person making coffee

53. Soda gun machine but for dispensing coffee

54. Super small portable coffee maker made for cars / truckers

55. Bring hot water down from the sides of the cone instead of middle

56. Series of holes leading to one drip

57. Cream foam printer for printing designs

58. Centrifuge with grounding coffee mechanism to prepare grounds while mixing with water

59. High pressure mist sprayer shaped as a cone / triangle that rotates to reach all radii

60. Coffee paper that gets printed out

61. Slanted surface with extruded fin walls to run hot water over from the top

62. Rectangular slope with ribs and compacting wall to hold ground coffee together and flat

63. Hydroclone to separate ground coffee from hot water

64. Filter straw that sucks up filtered coffee from hot water and ground coffee

65. Perpetual coffee maker

66. Coffee bags similar to tea bags

67. Laser chromatography to detect quality of brewed coffee

68. USB port powered coffee maker

69. Different volume bins to level amount of coffee to water ratio

70. Coffee spray personal use

71. Cyphen water out from ground coffee

72. Microwave the water, have a small microwave system

73. Soundwaves to break up water tension and get water to run through without needed pressure

74. Shifting platform to move apart ground coffee from hot water

75. Membrane filtration system

76. Temperature neutral pressure brewer

77. Honeycomb surface pattern to hold small pockets of ground coffee to run water through

78. Vacuum brewing

79. Rain powered coffee maker

80. Blood regulated coffee maker that detects caffeine levels and goals

81. Coffee maker that detects if you are awake before brewing at a set schedule

82. Run the coffee through hot water as opposed to hot water running through coffee

83. Cars can run on ground coffee byproduct, so use ground coffee byproduct to heat water

84. Wine opener handles to push down and apply pressure on hot water

85. Have water basin on top of ground coffee to provide natural flow through gravity

86. Coffee breathalyzer

87. 3-in-1 roaster, grinder, coffeemaker

88. Double water tank so that water doesn’t need to be heated between po

89. Attach an electric shaker (like one of those making bubble teas) to the coffeemaker

90. Place an ice chamber at the top of the coffeemaker so that the steam could be used to melt the ice to cool the coffee 91. Coffee maker that snap freezes espresso so that coffee can’t break down. frozen coffee can then be added to a glass of water for iced americano.

92. Facial recognition attached to coffee maker that adjusts the concentration of the coffee based on identity.

93. Heating pot / container with automatic cup filler

94. Apply dispenser that works when cup is pushed against it

95. Built in coffee reservoir with water cooler-style spigot

96. Vacuum sealed coffee bean reservoir

97. Turkish coffee maker mechanism that allows coffee to be dropped directly into the water and isolates the coffee from the water when correct concentration has been reached.

98. Stove powered coffee maker

99. Coffee recirculation system

100. Turkish coffee pot that mixes beans and water using bubbles

References

1. Dieter, George E., and Linda C. Schmidt. Engineering Design. 5th Edition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print.

2. Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Coffee Maker, n.d. photograph, viewed 28 January 2014, <http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002EJF8TI/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1>