So-called 'smart' objects are invading many areas of our lives. The way these new technologies are integrated often follows the logic of their creator, but still rarely matches the expectations and routines of everyday users. The 'progress' implied by these novel products often pales in comparison with the strides humans have made in other areas of life – our rich, cultural achievements.

The project 'HighTech x HighTouch' investigates this phenomenon in the context of coffee preparation.

Different traditions, needs and solutions 'collide' in this exploration of automation concepts, merging high-tech capabilities with high-touch, sensually satisfying, human interactions. Could 'clever' machines enrich the centuries-old ritual of coffee preparation? Is sensual enjoyment compatible with technology? Can we establish or revive forms of interaction that use new technical possibilities in a really meaningful way - one which leads to real added value for the individual and/or society?

A group of BA and MA students with a background in product and interaction design developed new interaction concepts for coffee preparation, which they tested through prototyping, aiming to propose alternatives for how high-tech can be implemented, in ways that are more enjoyable, sensual and enriching for users.

These seven concepts serve as a catalyst to successfully demonstrate that we need and can demand more from high-tech in the future.

When working or studying hard, taking the time to share a coffee break with others can help you to regain energy. Relaxation, social interaction and the coffee itself are essential parts of what makes these breaks enjoyable.

In truth, the automated coffee machine does not enable this pleasant experience, but hinders it. As it can only produce one coffee at a time, the social group ends up divided, and their conversations are interrupted. The machine demands your full attention, forcing you to face it instead of the people you want to share your break with. When the last coffee is ready, the first person’s coffee is already cold.

Niiir facilitates the relaxation and shared enjoyment every break should provide. It acts as a central hub for the interaction: while you gather around it to talk to one another, your cups communicate with the machine. Coffee flows effortlessly from multiple heads, fulfilling multiple orders at once. When approaching the cups, it nods its head down in an elegant motion; when it comes to rest again, it retracts its beak, tucking it into its chest, where it cleans itself.

Niiir demonstrates how tech can interact with analog artefacts, in order to anticipate users’ needs. Thus users are permitted to continue consciously engaging with the world around them, no longer distracted by (a forced engagement with) technology.

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We unconsciously carry out a variety of tasks on a daily basis, gestures and habits that, with time, become automatic. In the last decades, these analog routines have increasingly merged with digital technologies as a matter of course. As our devices become ‘smarter’, we inevitably adapt to their operating systems, swiping and sliding their touchscreens - whether we like it or not. Manufacturers are quick to integrate these new capabilities, with little consideration for the user experience; the results rarely satisfy our human need to interact with tactile, tangible artefacts.

What if the artefact were to carry out all functions behind the scenes, and the user interaction reduced to the bare minimum? Would the device be better accepted, if the role it plays in our modern world becomes less obtrusive?

Automat attempts to do just that.
It puts the device back in its rightful place, resulting in an ‘smart’ object which looks and feels like a sculpture – simple and pleasing to the eye. This design fully decouples the screen or input option from the object, and instead integrates the interaction into the digital interface we are most familiar with: the smartphone. Its counterpart does not appear to be ‘smart’, it is inconspicuous and modest. The two devices form a discreet partnership, working together under the radar.

Automat functions like a two-way mirror: thanks to near-field communication, the artefact recognizes you, while you barely notice it. Its patterned skin acts as camouflage to the human eye; to its discreet companion, the smartphone, its code can be easily deciphered. While generally self-sufficient, in the case of an issue, Automat will invite you to attend to its needs via a subtle vibration conveyed by the smartphone.

Automat demonstrates how ‘disruptive’ technologies can serve us, improving our everyday lives without causing unnecessary disruption.

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For many people, their morning ritual would not be complete without a steaming cup of coffee. They drag themselves out of bed, and stumble bleary-eyed into the kitchen to prepare the warm, stimulating drink that clears their foggy mind, and sets them up for the day ahead.

But how would it feel to wake up and already have that cup of coffee waiting for you by your bedside?

Rouse is a coffee maker that offers the perfect start to your daily routine, making your morning at home easier and even more pleasant. The smart functionality is discreetly encased within warm, natural materials, allowing it to blend into the calmest of bedroom interiors.

Rouse provides you with the smooth transition and motivation you need to begin a new day. Before going to sleep, simply place your smartphone nearby to set your ‘alarm’. Before you wake, Rouse begins brewing your coffee: the gentle sound of boiling water and wafting aroma gradually rousing you from your slumber. Rouse will always get you out of bed on the right side.

Rouse demonstrates how the smart home can seamlessly support existing routines, without demanding extra effort from the user.

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Nowadays we can make a coffee at the touch of a button. Automated coffee machines aim to make our lives easier, however they do little to enrich the experience of coffee making. The machine takes charge of every step - leaving the user’s abilities redundant. As we no longer partake in the ritual of our drink’s preparation, we lose the satisfaction that accompanies it.

Intuitive Lever draws on the best qualities of manually operated coffee machines. It empowers the user to influence their coffee preparation, offering them greater leverage than a fully automated machine.

Users can once again take pleasure in exerting control over the process: by pulling the lever to a certain degree, they can precisely determine how their beverage is composed, and take pride in the product of their efforts. While the analog control makes use of our physical abilities, the lever’s technology enhances our natural strength, meaning the tool remains accessible to all: it takes very little effort to make a strong coffee.

The form of the apparatus embodies transparency of function: each component is designed to clearly communicate its purpose and means of operation. Transparent parts provide an awareness of the ingredients contained within, thus any required maintenance is clear to see.

The lever, born of the early industrial era, still proves to be a tactile, intuitive and effective interface for human-machine interaction.

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Coffee consumption on the go increasingly relies on self-service. Starbucks-style chain outlets make us stand in line to order; our workplace cafeteria requires us to operate an automated machine. While this optimizes the process for the organisation who sell the coffee, for the consumer, it becomes ever more tiresome. We spend longer queueing, are under pressure to speed up our order, and know very little about the product they will receive. This amounts to a dissatisfactory user experience, one which falls far short of traditional café service.

Coffee Composer puts the fun back into self-service. This service design concept enriches the interaction for consumers, making the most of what humans do best: the creative and tactile parts of the process. A range of color-coded ‘tokens’ symbolize possible ingredients (such as milk and sugar), offering users greater transparency and autonomy to choose what ends up in their coffee. A glass cup makes it easy for users to comprehend the custom combination of ingredients as they are dispensed.

The selection process begins earlier, meaning queue time is used more effectively, as customers get to pick and stack their preferred elements to create their ideal hot beverage. The automated coffee machine intuitively ‘reads’ their order, converting each token into its corresponding ingredient in consecutive order. The communication between the automated machine and human user becomes more subtle and enjoyable.

Coffee Composer demonstrates that increased automation need not result in a banal and laboured interaction between user and machine - it should instead free us humans up to pursue activities we enjoy.

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It is tempting to view the fully automated coffee machine as a magic black box, one which serves us our favorite beverage at the touch of a button. This convenience comes with a trade off we would prefer to ignore: daily maintenance.

There are many parts which require regular cleaning: bins for used coffee, drip trays, water tanks and brewing units. As these components are enclosed, mold and dirt can easily build up at key points in the mechanism – issues the user often remains unaware of.

Built with the logic of a spacecraft, Soyuz is a coffee machine that drops all unnecessary components. Its inner workings are revealed to the user through an externalized, functional structure. The vertical design allows the user to easily follow the brewing process, as the liquid flows through each phase. The architecture of the machine makes it easy to vary the ingredients directly at their source, such as the volume of water.

With Soyuz, the high-tech components and mechanisms hidden inside an automated coffee machine are now as easy to read as a flow-chart, leading to a more engaging and tangible coffee experience.

The ritual of preparing and drinking coffee has long served an important ceremonial role in many cultures, offering people the opportunity to get together and spend quality time with others.

Meanwhile, today’s coffee spurts out of a fully-automated machine, is consumed on the go from a throwaway cup. Our hectic modern lives divest us of the meaningful ritual, the chance to savour a pure moment.

Bunaa reintroduces the coffee ceremony to today’s culture. Centred on the preparation of this quintessential hot drink, it offers an occasion for people to interact and enjoy the process of making something they can share.

A smart coffee set which blends tradition with modern technology, Bunaa communicates its functions discreetly. The forms of its components are designed to suggest and enable their use: the rounded bases of the vessels invite users to pass them around, for example to enjoy the aroma of freshly roasted beans.

Bunaa’s high-tech components serve to support and guide its users, creating a sensual, neo-analog experience. While the coffee grinder may look just like its low-tech archetype, any manual efforts on the part of the user are electromechanically enhanced. LEDs embedded in the tray glow softly to indicate active elements.

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