1-1. Descrption of my assignment

A multinational brand has reached out to you to conduct a study on how people drink coffee. ☕️ 
The head of the brand knows she wants to expand their coffee product line, but she's not sure how just yet. A creative agency is hiring you to do some preliminary research, which they hope will make it clear which direction they should pursue.

1-2. Research Methodologies

It is based on the Double Diamond Design Thinking Process.
First, Discover-Research phase.I conducted Secondary research first to better understand the Japanese coffee market.
First of all, I conducted macro-environmental analysis and competitive analysis. Then I done field observations and user interviews as primary research. After that, as the Define-Synthesis phase, I did Affinity Diagrams, Personas and Journey Maps to find insights.

Double Diamond Design Thinking Process

Stage 1 Doing the right things

Discover - Research Phase

• Rip the Brief
• Conduct Research
  - Primary Research (Field observation, User Interview)
  - Secondary Research (Macro Analysis, competitive Analysis)

Define - Synthesis Phase

• Build Themes & Clusters and Find Insights (Affinity Diagram, Personas, Customer Journey Map)
  and Deduce Opportunity Areas
• Key Findings and Next Steps

1-3. Secondary Research

It is based on the Double Diamond Design Thinking Process.
First, Discover-Research phase.I conducted Secondary research first to better understand the Japanese coffee market.
First of all, I conducted macro-environmental analysis and competitive analysis. Then I done field observations and user interviews as primary research. After that, as the Define-Synthesis phase, I did Affinity Diagrams, Personas and Journey Maps to find insights.

Macro Analysis (Japan Coffee trends)

How much coffee do Japanese drink per person in a week?

The average amount of coffee consumed per person in a week is 11.5 cups.
Amount of Regular coffee is reversing instant coffee in 2020.

" Basic Survey on Coffee Demand Trends" by Japan Coffee Association

Where and How much coffee do Japanese drink in a week?

65% of the coffee is consumed at home.

" Basic Survey on Coffee Demand Trends" by Japan Coffee Association

How many cups of coffee consumed per week by gender and age?

Men over 60 are the most frequent coffee drinkers.

" Basic Survey on Coffee Demand Trends" by Japan Coffee Association

PEST Analysis

This is the PEST Analysis. The follwing factors are particularly noticeable.
-Rising transportation costs from overseas as Economical ones
-Encouraging people to work from home and refrain from going out as Social ones
-Cotroling carbon dioxide emissions due to the SDGs as Social ones

Competitive Analysis (Business Model Canvas)

 I did 7 competitive analysis of coffee-related companies according to the situations in which they drink.

• Nestle (Home and Office) : Coffee, Food. and Pets food manufacturer
• AJINOMOTO AGF (Home): Coffee manufacturer
• Starbucks Coffee Japan (Shop): Coffee Shop
• Komeda Coffee (Shop): Coffee shop
• Seven Eleven (Take out): Convenience store
• Suntory (Takeout and Office): beverage manufacturer
• Lavazza (Home and Shop): Coffee manufacturer

SWOT Analysis

 I did 7 competitive analysis of coffee-related companies according to the situations in which they drink.

1-4. Primary Research

Field observation

The Coffee Shop founded by a British-Japanese couple

• Great place for conversation
• Customer check instagram account of this coffee shop

There were many regulars and was a great place for conversation.
I found that they use social network services (Instagram) to check the information of coffee shops.

The Old fashioned Coffee Shop

Located in a residential area, this coffee shop allows smoking, which is rare in Japan.Many people were reading.

• A place to read books
• Variety of food menu
• Smoking Permits

Supermarket

I confirmed the type of coffee sold. Coffee consumption at home is becoming more and more common, and 2-liter bottles of coffee started to go on sale.

User Interview

The primary goal was to know what the users think, their needs and concerns, and what insights they have about the current services.
As per the information of the target audiences, I created a persona to base my decisions on.

2-1. Build Themes & Clusters and Find Insights

Affinity Diagram

Based on my research, observation, and interviews, I conducted an affinity diagram.

The content has been synthesized into the following items

• When do people drink coffee
• What are the benefits of coffee or coffee shop
• How do people drink coffee
• Why do people drink coffee or buy it
• Where and with whom do people drink coffee
• What kind of coffee do people drink coffee
• When and why did people start drinking coffee
• What do people dislike about coffee or coffee shops
• What brands do people prefer
• How much coffee do people drink

Personas

Based on the information I got about how people drink, I created three personas.

Journey Map & Opportunity Areas

I created a journey map inspired by the third persona YUI who frequently goes to coffee shops.

2-2. Key Findings & Next Steps (HMW questions)

Key Findings

Coffee drinkers enjoy the taste and aroma

The more authentic the taste and aroma, the more people like it.Basically, most people drink it without adding anything.They add milk if they want a mellower taste, such as in winter, and sugar if they are tired from work and can't think straight.

Many people in Japan drink coffee when they are at home or at work.

Many people work from home and drink coffee at home more often.Some people drink coffee many times throughout the day as a substitute for water, while others drink coffee only once a day.People drink coffee to relax and change their mind when they take a break, but they do not stop working and drink it while working at their desks.

People who drink coffee multiple times a day are concerned about the cost and the convenience.

People who drink multiple times a day drink more instant coffee.Those who drink instant coffee multiple times a day drink a lot of instant coffee, even though they like regular coffee and are dissatisfied with the taste of instant coffee.

People who drink coffee few times a day or a week want to drink authentic regular coffee to enjoy its taste and aroma

People who drink coffee only once a day or a few times a week drink real regular coffee.Most people don't like their coffee to get cold, so some people drink it in thermo mugs.Many people are changes in their physical condition caused by takin concerned about the g a lot of caffeine.Few people use coffee makers because they make too much coffee compared to the amount they drink, and because they are difficult to maintain.

People want to drink coffee while working in the office or carry coffee to different places.

If you put coffee in a water bottle, it will oxidize and become bad, so People have to buy it.People want to carry their coffee with them in the office.Women are less likely to buy a canned coffee with my uncle's imagePeople can't finish their coffee during breaks.Even though plastic bottles are reusable waste, the problem is that they cause waste 

Coffee shopis the third place

People who go to coffee shops enjoy not only drinking coffee but also the atmosphere of the store and the communication in the store.With more and more people working from home, more and more people want to refresh themselves in a familiar place that is not at home.

Next Steps and HMW Questions

• Gather more participants (number of interviewees, rural area, various age range)
• sales promotion of decaffeinated coffee with authentic taste and aroma
• Advertising campaigns and communication strategies centered on television, social network services, and promotions (people are not going to go where they don't know what they want to get).
• How might we keep the coffee from oxidizing when it is filled with coffee?
• How might we help coffee drinkers avoid feeling the mtallic feel of a thermomag?
• How might we help people get into coffee shops they don't know?