Data is updated in real time on the homepage, giving customers an at-a-glance look at how busy the café is and what’s popular right now. This feature creates a space for the café to provide recommendations, allows people to make more informed decisions before arriving, and grounds the virtual app space with the café.

Reading through user reviews of Philz’ app and doing user interviews revealed that people have a limit for the amount of recommendations served to them through an app. The Philz app was meant to replicate personal connection between customer and barista, but the amount of featured drinks in a side-scrolling format felt too pushy and too unlike an in-person experience.

For Café Redux, I wanted to explore other ways to create a connection between a digital customer and the café, while creating a new opportunity to leverage information available on an app. The menu and ordering format is straightforward and familiar, leaning on the visual design to establish the café’s branding (and vibes, of course). In contrast, the real-time updates on the café‘s physical space creates a sense of community and provides space for Café Redux to connect with the customer past the ordering screen.