December 2025
Designing a luxury coffee machine companion app through quick research and end-to-end flow design to create a intuitive brewing experience.
Background
This is a design exercise completed during a product design interview process. The brief was to design a premium mobile companion app for a luxury coffee machine brand in 3 days.
What I was asked to design
- Connect and sync a brand-new machine with a phone
- Check machine status in an elegant interface (water, beans, maintenance)
- Brew now or schedule a brew, including cups, intensity, and saved preferences
- A simple in-app shop for exclusive beans and accessories with a premium checkout flow
RESEARCH
Before jumping into UI, I did a fast research pass to understand what “luxury” typically means in smart appliances and companion apps, and where existing experiences fall short.
Market Context
High-end coffee machines often deliver a premium hardware experience, but many companion apps feel cluttered, outdated, or overly technical. For a luxury experience, users typically expect:
- Easy setup
- Clear machine status
- Simple customization
- Reliable scheduling
Opportunities I carried into the concept
- Simple, calm UI with clear hierarchy
- Time-based recommendations (surface your usual morning drink at the right moment)
- Smart scheduling (including repeats)
- Integrated shop experience that feels premium, not transactional
PRODUCT NAME AND BRAND POSITIONING
For the concept, I named the product NORA.
Nora is derived from Greek and Latin roots meaning “light,” referencing morning light and the start of a day. The direction was meant to feel premium and calm rather than overly technical.
- Evokes the idea of morning light
- Easy to read, pronounce, and design as a minimal logo
- Softer tone that differentiates it from typical “techy” appliance branding
DESIGN OUTCOME
Onboarding
Home / Machine Status / Brew
Browse + Checkout
Lets connect!
Resume
December 2025
Designing a luxury coffee machine companion app through quick research and end-to-end flow design to create a intuitive brewing experience.
Background
This is a design exercise completed during a product design interview process. The brief was to design a premium mobile companion app for a luxury coffee machine brand in 3 days.
What I was asked to design
- Connect and sync a brand-new machine with a phone
- Check machine status in an elegant interface (water, beans, maintenance)
- Brew now or schedule a brew, including cups, intensity, and saved preferences
- A simple in-app shop for exclusive beans and accessories with a premium checkout flow
RESEARCH
Before jumping into UI, I did a fast research pass to understand what “luxury” typically means in smart appliances and companion apps, and where existing experiences fall short.
Market Context
High-end coffee machines often deliver a premium hardware experience, but many companion apps feel cluttered, outdated, or overly technical. For a luxury experience, users typically expect:
- Easy setup
- Clear machine status
- Simple customization
- Reliable scheduling
Opportunities I carried into the concept
- Simple, calm UI with clear hierarchy
- Time-based recommendations (surface your usual morning drink at the right moment)
- Smart scheduling (including repeats)
- Integrated shop experience that feels premium, not transactional
PRODUCT NAME AND BRAND POSITIONING
For the concept, I named the product NORA.
Nora is derived from Greek and Latin roots meaning “light,” referencing morning light and the start of a day. The direction was meant to feel premium and calm rather than overly technical.
- Evokes the idea of morning light
- Easy to read, pronounce, and design as a minimal logo
- Softer tone that differentiates it from typical “techy” appliance branding
DESIGN OUTCOME
Onboarding
Home / Machine Status / Brew
Browse + Checkout
Lets connect!
Resume
December 2025
Designing a luxury coffee machine companion app through quick research and end-to-end flow design to create a intuitive brewing experience.
Background
This is a design exercise completed during a product design interview process. The brief was to design a premium mobile companion app for a luxury coffee machine brand in 3 days.
What I was asked to design
- Connect and sync a brand-new machine with a phone
- Check machine status in an elegant interface (water, beans, maintenance)
- Brew now or schedule a brew, including cups, intensity, and saved preferences
- A simple in-app shop for exclusive beans and accessories with a premium checkout flow
RESEARCH
Before jumping into UI, I did a fast research pass to understand what “luxury” typically means in smart appliances and companion apps, and where existing experiences fall short.
Market Context
High-end coffee machines often deliver a premium hardware experience, but many companion apps feel cluttered, outdated, or overly technical. For a luxury experience, users typically expect:
- Easy setup
- Clear machine status
- Simple customization
- Reliable scheduling
Opportunities I carried into the concept
- Simple, calm UI with clear hierarchy
- Time-based recommendations (surface your usual morning drink at the right moment)
- Smart scheduling (including repeats)
- Integrated shop experience that feels premium, not transactional
PRODUCT NAME AND BRAND POSITIONING
For the concept, I named the product NORA.
Nora is derived from Greek and Latin roots meaning “light,” referencing morning light and the start of a day. The direction was meant to feel premium and calm rather than overly technical.
- Evokes the idea of morning light
- Easy to read, pronounce, and design as a minimal logo
- Softer tone that differentiates it from typical “techy” appliance branding
DESIGN OUTCOME
Onboarding
Home / Machine Status / Brew
Browse + Checkout
Lets connect!
Resume