Revision as of 20:21, 11 February 2014

Executive Summary

Market Research

Conducting research on the soda gun was an interesting task because it is not a common consumer product. We visited local restaurants and bar areas to conduct anthropological research, as well as call and email a variety of companies and maintenance corporations.

Product reviews and secondary research were also conducted, which provided us with a variety of information ranging from homemade soda guns to intricate bar set up reviews.

We geared away from surveys and use studies because the soda gun is an uncommon consumer product. Often, users receive waitress or bar tending training before using the product and are instructed on how it functions. Use studies would be difficult to set up because the full system is very difficult to acquire. It is important to note these inconveniences when developing new opportunities. Perhaps our new product could function without the need of training. Perhaps we could condense the system, making it more transportable.

Anthropological Study: Friday Afternoon

Anthropological Study: Saturday Night

Two of our group members walked down to Shadyside on Saturday night to visit bars(Mario's) and restaurants (Steel Cactus) during prime hours. The goal of this study was to observe how bartenders and waiters/ waitresses used the soda gun in a high stress environment.

Unfortunately, because the bartenders and waitresses were very busy, we could not conduct an interview with them. To continue the study, we sat close to the soda guns and made observations on how the employees interacted with the product.

We learned that longer bars have more than one gun attached. Steel Cactus serves Pepsi products, which we could notice through the blue plastic nozzle and handle. When the bar tender utilized the soda gun, he seemed to understand what buttons produced each syrup, even though they weren't labelled with brand names or icons. We assumed this intuitive state of thinking came from experience. We also noticed that only one button was pressed at a time. The bartender would often combine carbonated soda and a juice. To do so, he had to press the carbonated soda button, release it, then press the juice button.

On average, a drink would take 4-5 seconds to pour. Before mixing a drink, the bartender would grab the liquor bottle, walk over to the soda gun, use one hand to release the soda and the other hand to pour the liquor. This maximized the bartender's efficiency so he wasn't standing idle waiting for the glass to fill with soda. It is also important to note that the bartender would walk to the gun. He never fully utilized the extension of the gun. This occurred because the soda gun was re-holstered after every use. We were curious as to why the bartender would walk half way around the bar to utilize the soda gun instead of pulling it towards them. When we leaned closer, we realized the holster multi-functioned as a draining device. Any residue from the soda nozzle would drip into the holster down into a drain. The bartenders walked to the gun to maximize cleanliness, even if it cost them an extra five seconds.

On a busy night, bartenders utilize the soda gun 4-5 times per minute. Assuming busy hours at a bar in Shadyside to be between 11pm and 2am, the soda gun is used roughly 800 times per night. Rapid use and durability are significant factors to consider during design.

Anthropological Study: Soda Fountains

Stakeholder Interviews

Expert Interviews

Product Reviews

Secondary Research

Appendix

List of Interview Questions for the User

What do you like about your soda gun?
What don’t you like about your soda gun?
Has your soda gun ever broken? If so, how?
What parts of the soda gun are tedious?
Have you ever lost a customer because of soda gun malfunction?
Have you ever used the shut off screw?
What’s the most creative way you use the soda gun?
Are there any quick fixes you have applied to the device to make it easier?
How often does the product require maintenance?
How easy is the product to maintain?
How often do you clean the product? How? Issues?
Can you personally maintain or do you need to call for assistance?
Do you know how to adjust the soda ratio?
Can you notice the difference between fountain soda and pre-bottled soda?
Is the gun long enough to reach the full bar?
Are the buttons hard to press?
Are the buttons intuitive?
Do you know how to refill the syrups?
Where is the product from?
What is the lifespan of the product?
Is the product owned or licensed?

List of Interview Questions for Stakeholders and Experts

What part of this product is the most difficult to produce?
What part of this product is the easiest to produce?
Where do you see the most failures in the product?
Where do you see the least amount of failures in the product?
Can you reduce part numbers?
What part of this product is the most difficult to maintain?
What part of this product is the easiest to maintain?
How often are you called in to maintain the product?
What replacement parts are purchased the most?
What parts can be replaced individually? What failures require full system replacement?
What is the lifespan of the product?
Is the system transferable? Is the system worth transferring?

Soda gun opportunity

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Revision as of 20:21, 11 February 2014

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