Grind Coffee
An order-ahead and rewards app for people who care about coffee.
iOS
Android
Website
Grind Coffee
An order-ahead and rewards app for people who care about coffee.
iOS
Android
Website
I translated London’s hottest coffee brand into a mobile app that boosted in-store revenue, retention, and loyalty. It’s used daily to order thousands of coffees.
Contributions
Research
Wireframing
Prototyping
Full UI/UX Redesign
Project type
App design + updates
Role
Design Lead
Industry
Food & Beverage, Retail
Dates
2020-2023
Problem
The client had massive success with their cafés and subscriptions but no mobile app. We identified four big opportunities.
Problem
The client had massive success with their cafés and subscriptions but no mobile app. We identified four big opportunities.
Increase in-store revenue
By enabling quick order-ahead and real-time cafe discovery to drive foot traffic and speed up service.
Increase in-store revenue
By enabling quick order-ahead and real-time cafe discovery to drive foot traffic and speed up service.
Boost retention
By rewarding repeat visits and purchases with an easy-to-track loyalty system built into the app.
Boost retention
By rewarding repeat visits and purchases with an easy-to-track loyalty system built into the app.
Deepen loyalty among top customers
By providing real rewards, deals and exclusive offers for using the app.
Deepen loyalty among top customers
By providing real rewards, deals and exclusive offers for using the app.
Grow subscriptions
Provide a simple way to sign up for coffee deliveries and manage them.
Grow subscriptions
Provide a simple way to sign up for coffee deliveries and manage them.
Approach
I used customer interviews and competitor research to prioritise user stories and needs.
Approach
I used customer interviews and competitor research to prioritise user stories and needs.
Order the right thing
As a health-conscious customer, I want to find drinks that match my dietary preferences.
Use my rewards
As a loyal customer, I want to check my points balance so I know how close I am to a reward.
Get coffee, fast
As a commuter, I want to order ahead so I can avoid waiting in line.
Approach
I used this to design an intuitive and simple app structure.
Approach
I used this to design an intuitive and simple app structure.
Deep dive
The iconic Grind brand needed to be translated to mobile with care and taste.
Deep dive
The iconic Grind brand needed to be translated to mobile with care and taste.
Colours
An expanded palette was created based on the iconic Grind pink.
Colours
An expanded palette was created based on the iconic Grind pink.
Typography
We use a combination of Argent as a large title font, and Apercu for UI text.
Typography
We use a combination of Argent as a large title font, and Apercu for UI text.
Elements
Introduced products with physicality, and custom vector iconography.
Elements
Introduced products with physicality, and custom vector iconography.
Deep dive
The order starts by selecting a location, so I made it easy to find the Grind you want.
Deep dive
The order starts by selecting a location, so I made it easy to find the Grind you want.
We get location permission and sort by distance, and also show the locations on a map. Tapping into a location shows a rich detail page.
Deep dive
The coffee ordering system needed to be simple yet extremely powerful.
Deep dive
The coffee ordering system needed to be simple yet extremely powerful.
We based the categories on jobs-to-be-done shortcuts.
Because we knew what customers wanted to get out of their orders, we could give them shortcuts that supported their motivations such as “Healthy eating”. This was supported by a standard taxonomy of food / drinks categories for minimal friction.
We based the categories on jobs-to-be-done shortcuts.
Because we knew what customers wanted to get out of their orders, we could give them shortcuts that supported their motivations such as “Healthy eating”. This was supported by a standard taxonomy of food / drinks categories for minimal friction.
Order location is important so was made very prominent.
I included distance as that is one of the strongest signals if you are ordering at the right location, and included the number of items in the cart.
Order location is important so was made very prominent.
I included distance as that is one of the strongest signals if you are ordering at the right location, and included the number of items in the cart.
I added rich customisation so users can get their exact order.
Every item on the menu could be edited by size, preparation and ingredients, so the app customers were first-class citizens.
I added rich customisation so users can get their exact order.
Every item on the menu could be edited by size, preparation and ingredients, so the app customers were first-class citizens.
Deep dive
Rewarding loyal customers is key. The challenge was to make these rewards tangible and simple to claim.
Deep dive
Rewarding loyal customers is key. The challenge was to make these rewards tangible and simple to claim.
I decided to show not just the number of points, but progress towards the next free drink.
This is because it was important to make the points feel as tangible as possible, and encourage the customer to use their rewards! To reduce friction, I also included shortcuts to quickly access the rewards cards and use points in store without selecting a reward in app.
I decided to show not just the number of points, but progress towards the next free drink.
This is because it was important to make the points feel as tangible as possible, and encourage the customer to use their rewards! To reduce friction, I also included shortcuts to quickly access the rewards cards and use points in store without selecting a reward in app.
When redeeming, the user could order ahead, or just turn up IRL and show the voucher screen.
I made the membership cards and in-person vouchers feel physical and slick, and included both the membership number and a QR code for flexibility and fall-backs for the barista.
When redeeming, the user could order ahead, or just turn up IRL and show the voucher screen.
I made the membership cards and in-person vouchers feel physical and slick, and included both the membership number and a QR code for flexibility and fall-backs for the barista.
Impact
We launched a fully featured cross-platform app that is considered best-in-class.
Impact
We launched a fully featured cross-platform app that is considered best-in-class.
The Grind app is used daily to order thousands of coffees at Grind locations in London and beyond.
26.9K
Daily sessions
10s of thousands of coffees ordered each day.
Daily sessions
10s of thousands of coffees ordered each day.
90K
Rewards redeemed in the app
Loyal customers were rewarded with thousands of free coffees, deepening their loyalty to the brand.
Rewards redeemed in the app
Loyal customers were rewarded with thousands of free coffees, deepening their loyalty to the brand.
10.1K
Monthly coffee subscriptions managed
Full integration with the Grind Shopify account, allowing full control of orders.
Monthly coffee subscriptions managed
Full integration with the Grind Shopify account, allowing full control of orders.
I also redesigned key pages of the Grind website.
This included the product detail page, landing pages, and the subscription flow.
I also redesigned key pages of the Grind website.
This included the product detail page, landing pages, and the subscription flow.
Jonny did a fantastic job in bringing the feel of Grind into a beautiful & accessible app that is used by tens of thousands of brits.
Invaluable in every step from the product crafting process to the finishing touches of the final product, Jonny was incredibly reliable in ensuring that both Grind & the users loved the app and was specifically requested for many projects after.
A pleasure to work with as always!
Shane Reid
Founder, IVO Digital
& Head of Tech @ GRIND
Jonny did a fantastic job in bringing the feel of Grind into a beautiful & accessible app that is used by tens of thousands of brits.
Invaluable in every step from the product crafting process to the finishing touches of the final product, Jonny was incredibly reliable in ensuring that both Grind & the users loved the app and was specifically requested for many projects after.
A pleasure to work with as always!