How can voice-controlled smart coffee machines transform daily coffee rituals and help a top coffee brand excel in the booming smart appliance market?

Problem. Lavazza, a leading global coffee company operating in more than 140 countries, is introducing a groundbreaking coffee machine, the Lavazza Voicy, integrated with Amazon’s Alexa. Our task was to design a comprehensive voice-first experience for the new Voicy, using the power of voice assistance to enhance the Lavazza experience and position the Voicy as the cornerstone of the smart kitchen.

Approach. Our human-centered design and agile approach combined research, interaction design, and technology expertise. The multidisciplinary design team worked in close collaboration with Lavazza’s marketing and R&D stakeholders, the NTT DATA IoT unit, and Amazon experts.

Solution. We enabled the product strategy by integrating the voice interface with the companion app’s functionalities and Lavazza’s customer care services. I led the user experience design that seamlessly integrates over 11 voice-activated features, including personalized coffee brewing, descaling process management, and customer care. This establishes a comprehensive service-product system that offers a multifaceted user experience through voice, physical, and digital interfaces.

Impact. Voicy was launched in 2020 in Italy, UK, and Spain, and the product strategy is still in place.

 Please note that this project is under a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). All facts, insights, and opinions presented in this portfolio are solely my own and do not represent or reflect the views, positions, or strategies of any other organisation or entity. The information shared here is for demonstrative purposes only and adheres to the confidentiality terms of the NDA.
 I’ve joined this project as part of Tangity. Tangity, formerly Digital Entity, is an award-winning international design firm, part of NTT DATA Group, with operations in Europe, Latin America and Japan. Since the launch of the new brand in 2020, Tangity has focused on strengthening its end-to-end capabilities and international presence, creating a global network of over 450 design professionals.

My responsibilities

Led operations of the multidisciplinary design team, ensuring seamless coordination across all stages from initial research and concept development to final design delivery
Developed and implemented research and co-design activities, meticulously analysing outcomes to guide and refine design processes.
Led design decision-making processes, facilitating co-design and review sessions with key stakeholders to align visions and objectives.
Educated partners in design methodologies, enhancing their understanding of our team’s strategic approach and fostering collaborative relationships.
Collaborated closely with Lavazza’s R&D and NTT DATA’s Innovation teams to efficiently manage and execute the design backlog.
This required a large number of coffee breaks…

Activities

  • Product scoping and project management
  • Aline product strategy and user experience
  • Project scoping and planning
  • Service Design
  • Service journey, concept design, wireframes
  • Ecosystem mapping
  • Design research
  • Ecosystem and touchpoints analysis
  • Workshop delivering
  • UX design
  • Voice Interface Design
  • Ideation and concepting
  • Backlog creation
  • Delivery
  • Agile team support and user flows
  • Hand-over to development team

Project Details

Project highlights

Launched in 2020 and available in four countries

In 2020, Lavazza Voicy launched in four countries, marking Lavazza’s pioneering entry into the smart appliance market with global reach

First IoT coffee machine powered by Alexa

Lavazza Voicy integrates IoT with Alexa, offering an intuitive, voice-controlled coffee experience and easy access to the customer service

Internationally recognised award-winning product

Garnering prestigious awards like Red Dot and IF Design, and a high rating on TechRadar, Voicy stands out for its innovative design and user-centric approach

Design highlights

Building a comprehensive multi-touchpoint IoT ecosystem

 

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Physical control interface of Voicy
The Voicy coffee machine features a user-friendly physical interface, offering direct control and delivering alert information.

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Integration with Alexa voice assistant
At the heart of our design is voice interaction. Through Alexa, users can seamlessly interact with Voicy using voice commands, in addition to accessing standard Alexa skills.

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Companion mobile app
The companion mobile app, designed by K+, a third-party design agency, in close collaboration with our design team, provides additional services and enhances the voice interaction experience.

Designing Voicy’s user journey

 

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Image above: An example of the Voicy User Journey Board, courtesy Tangity

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Prioritising voice interaction
Enabling voice access to over 11 features, including personalised coffee brewing, descaling process management, and customer care

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Creating a holistic user experience
Seamlessly integrating three interfaces – the Voice interface, Physical interface, and Companion app.

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Service-product system design
Facilitating a smooth connection with customer care and third-party services like Amazon delivery.

Team and stakeholders

This project’s success is attributable to the combined efforts of multiple teams and key stakeholders. I extend my sincere thanks to Lavazza’s team, our central stakeholders, for their crucial insights and leadership. The contributions of my fellow design team members were indispensable. Their creative solutions and impactful designs made this project truly exceptional. In this regard, I am especially grateful to Paola, Giovanni, and Martina for their leadership in navigating the complexities of humanising each voice interaction. The Innovation & Advanced Technologies (I&AT) Team’s forward-thinking approach significantly advanced our technological capabilities, enabling us to deliver the entire backlog on time. Furthermore, the Alexa Solution Provider team provided timely advice crucial for building effective Alexa skills. Together, these teams fostered a collaborative environment that allowed the project to be delivered on schedule and to the highest standard of quality.

Design Team

Milan and Rome, Italy, (IT) • 5 team members
Lead Content Designer
Lead Service Designer and researcher
Service and UX Designer
Sr. Content Designer
Sr. Content Designer

Development | Innovation and Advanced Technologies Team

 Italy, (IT) • 3 team members
Lead Machine Learning Engineer
Sr. Machine Learning Engineer
Machine Learning Engineer

Stakeholders | R&D Team

Tutin, Italy, (IT) • 3 team members
R&D Manager
R&D Project Lead
Voicy Project Manager

Support | Alexa Solution Provider team

 Italy, (IT) • 2 team members
Sr. Alexa Engineer
R&D Manager
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