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Metta Cafe - Bridging Digital and Physical Experiences in Munich
How we transformed a unique Munich venue combining café, bakery and yoga into an engaging digital experience through thoughtful UX design.
Overview
Metta Cafe is a digital transformation project designed to bring a unique Munich venue’s three-fold offering - café, bakery, and yoga studio - into the digital space. The project delivers both a website and mobile app that helps health-conscious customers discover products, book classes, and engage with the venue’s community.
| Role | Details |
|---|---|
| Team | Lukas Lehmann & Beyza Özsel as UX Designers |
| Users | Health-conscious individuals, yoga enthusiasts, dietary-restricted customers |
| Peers | WBS Coding School mentors and fellow students who provided feedback |
| Timeframe | Three sprints: Aug 5-9, Sept 9-13, Sept 30-Oct 4, 2024 |
| Tools Used | Figma, Google Forms (for surveys), Slack (for interviews and usability testing |
Bridging Physical and Digital Experiences
Metta Cafe needed to translate its welcoming physical space into an equally inviting digital experience, making its unique offerings accessible to a broader audience.
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Key Challenges Identified
Limited Online Presence
No dedicated platform for showcasing offerings
Complex Information Structure
Multiple services requiring clear organization
Booking Friction
No online system for yoga classes
Dietary Information Access
Difficulty finding vegan and gluten-free options
What users needed most
The Journey
Transforming Metta Cafe's digital presence through thoughtful design.
Following the Design Thinking Methodology at every step.
Empathize
- Conducted interviews with yoga practitioners and café regulars
- Analyzed pain points in accessing venue information and services
Define
- Created personas including The Health-Conscious Professional and The Yoga Enthusiast
- Mapped user journeys across different services
Ideate
- Integrated booking system for yoga classes
- Dietary filter system for menu items
- Mobile-first design approach for on-the-go access
Prototype & Test
- Created interactive prototypes for both web and mobile
- Conducted usability testing with target user groups
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Key Design Decisions
Critical choices that shaped the digital experience
Unified Experience
Created a seamless connection between the three core offerings - café, bakery, and yoga studio - while maintaining distinct identity for each service.
Accessibility First
Implemented clear dietary labeling and intuitive navigation to ensure all users could easily find relevant information and services.
Mobile Optimization
Developed a responsive design that prioritizes mobile users while maintaining full functionality across all devices.
Core Features Delivered
Essential functionalities that power the digital experience
Integrated calendar for yoga class reservations
Easy identification of vegan and gluten-free options
Visual gallery of bakery items and café offerings
Optimized interface for on-the-go access
Future Vision
Expanding Metta Cafe's Digital Horizons
Event Management
Implementing a comprehensive system for workshop and event bookings.
Loyalty Program
Digital reward system integrating café purchases and class attendance.
Community Features
Building a platform for customer interaction and feedback.
Order Integration
Adding online ordering capabilities for bakery products.
Learnings
Reflections & Insights
Key learnings from designing Metta Cafe's digital experience
What was the biggest challenge in designing for multiple services?
Balancing the distinct needs of each service while maintaining a cohesive user experience proved both challenging and rewarding. It taught us the importance of information architecture in complex systems.
How did user research impact the final design?
User insights led to crucial features like dietary filters and mobile optimization, showing how direct user input shapes better solutions.
What was the most valuable team learning?
Collaborating closely with Beyza taught us the value of diverse perspectives in solving complex design challenges.
How did this project influence your approach to UX design?
This project reinforced the importance of designing for real user needs while balancing business objectives and technical constraints.