Client:
QUIKTRIP
Year:
2022 - 2023
Role:
Industrial Design, UI/UX Design
At QuikTrip stores, where convenience meets choice, the QTea machine reinvents the tea experience. Designed for a fast-paced environment, it lets users craft their ideal drink—from sweetness level to flavor—all with a few taps.
My role spanned research, industrial design, and UI/UX development, ensuring the machine could deliver a seamless interaction for tea lovers while keeping in time to the rhythm of QuikTrip’s bustling stores.
Designing QTea began with understanding the QuikTrip customer.
Through site visits and observation, we unraveled the habits of hurried commuters, leisurely sippers, and everyone in between. From the need for a clean, straightforward interface to accommodating diverse customization options, every decision was rooted in the quirks and expectations of these users.
The QTea machine’s physical form conveys approachability and sophistication through purposeful geometry and material selection. Its design balances clean, modern lines with subtle curves, making it feel inviting without compromising on professionalism.
Dual-Station Layout: The dual dispensing stations flank a central ice dispenser, maintaining a compact footprint while accommodating high user throughput.
Visual Hierarchy: The transparent brew basket window celebrates the “fresh brewed” tea story, visually reinforcing QuikTrip’s commitment to quality.
Durable Finishes: High-traffic environments demanded finishes that resisted scratches and stains while maintaining a polished, premium look.
The physical design anticipates user needs at every touchpoint:
Cup Placement Guides: Subtle perforated patterns and chamfered surfaces direct attention toward the pour zone, reducing hesitation for first-time users.
Lighting Integration: LED accents highlight active stations and guide users through each step of their interaction
The QTea machine had to align with QuikTrip’s aesthetic while addressing practical constraints.
Compact Adaptability: The machine was designed to fit varying store layouts, ensuring functionality in both spacious and constrained spaces.
Accessible Design: Interaction elements were designed with accessibility at the forefront, ensuring that fresh-brewed tea could be enjoyed by all QuikTrip shoppers.
Durability Under Pressure: From brew baskets to dispensers, every component was tested to endure heavy use without sacrificing user satisfaction.
Not just a consumer-facing design.
Maintenance was an essential consideration for high-traffic environments:
Easy Cleaning: The brew baskets and dispensing areas were designed for swift cleaning, minimizing downtime.
Modular Components: Key elements, such as the transparent panels, were made replaceable, ensuring a long lifecycle with minimal disruption
Tea is as much about the ritual as it is about the result, and the QTea’s digital interface was built to reflect this philosophy.
Effortless Navigation: The interface breaks the process into simple, digestible steps, starting with drink selection and moving through customization options like sweetness levels and add-ins.
Dynamic Feedback: Interactive elements such as sliding scales, animated spouts, and live progress bars provide users with instant, satisfying responses to their actions.
Visual Hierarchy: High-priority elements, like “hero flavors,” were made larger and more prominent to guide users intuitively, while additional options were easy to discover but unobtrusive.
Service Screen Integration: A hidden maintenance interface allowed operators to quickly access diagnostics and manage service tasks, ensuring the machine remained operational during high-traffic times
The QTea machine transformed how QuikTrip delivers tea, making it a customizable, interactive highlight of the beverage lineup:
For Customers: A personalized experience that feels fun, fast, and effortless.
For Operators: Streamlined servicing and robust materials ensure long-term performance.
For the Brand: A machine that reflects QuikTrip’s commitment to innovation and quality.
The QTea project showed how thoughtful design, informed by real-world insights, can take a simple concept and infuse it with personality, precision, and purpose.