System Design
De-coding Coffee Ecosystem
Building a Comprehensive Coffee Ecosystem that Informs, Connects and Empowers Coffee Producers and Enthusiasts.
Research, illustration, Brainstorming, Ideation, Wireframe, Visual design, Prototyping
8 weeks
“Coffee is second most-consumed drink worldwide, right after water”
2.25 billion cups
Coffee Consumption daily in 2024
461.2 billion
Market Value in 2024
Growing up in Coorg, I saw how coffee farmers work tirelessly all year for just one harvest. Despite their hard work farmers are unaware of the true value of their coffee in the global market, They rely on unreliable sources and misinformation for updates. They often sell at unfairly low prices to middlemen.
On the other hand:
Consumers worldwide pay high prices for coffee in cafés and supermarkets.
Farmers receive only a fraction of this money.
This gap between farmer earnings and consumer costs, combined with the lack of reliable information and fair trade channels, inspired me to start this project.
Coffee Varieties
Coffee beans are classified into two types
Understanding the System
I used mind mapping to explore the coffee supply chain, breaking down its complexities across agriculture, the food industry, and trade and to better understand the system in a larger overview.
The mind map summarizes the coffee supply chain, highlighting key categories like processing, distribution, and agriculture, along with subdomains such as retail and packaging.
It emphasizes sustainability, cultural influences, and ethical considerations while illustrating the interconnectedness of stakeholders from cultivation to consumption.
Understanding the Coffee Process
The process map illustrates the journey of coffee from farm to cup, clarifying the various roles and interactions throughout the entire supply chain.
It highlights the key processes involved in this journey, providing a clear understanding of how coffee is cultivated, harvested, processed, and ultimately delivered to consumers.
breaking down the process
Understanding value chain
Farmers work all year but earn the least in the coffee chain despite being vital. I aim to understand how coffee's value grows and what factors drive it.
Major Stakeholders
Understanding stakeholders through stakeholder mapping involves identifying and analyzing the individuals or groups that impact or are impacted by a project. This process helps prioritize their needs and expectations, ensuring effective communication and engagement throughout the project's lifecycle.
Importance vs. Impact Map
After analyzing the stakeholder map to identify the primary stakeholders, I created an importance and impact map to pinpoint the most crucial stakeholders in the chain.
Primary Research
One-on-One Interview (interview took place in Coorg)
Why Coorg?
Coorg is one of the largest coffee-producing regions in India, making it an ideal place for in-depth interviews with key stakeholders in the coffee supply chain. The region's reputation for high-quality coffee also makes it a focal point for understanding the dynamics of premium coffee production.
Farmers
(Certified Estate Owners & Small Cap Estate Owners)
Limited Knowledge – Farmers lack adequate information about soil health, climate conditions, pest control, and other critical factors influencing coffee production.
Global Market Awareness Gap – Farmers are unaware of current trends in the coffee industry, including pricing, demand, and global market dynamics.
Value Misunderstanding – Farmers often do not have accurate information about the true value of the coffee they produce, leading to undervaluation and lower profits.
Retailers & Roasters
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Insights
Profit Margins – Roasters generally operate on lower profit margins, but those who also act as retailers can achieve higher profitability through vertical integration.
Sourcing Issues – Roasters prefer buying coffee from brokers instead of directly from farmers due to concerns about quality consistency.
High Operational Costs – The cost of maintaining and servicing roasting machinery is high, posing a financial challenge for roasters.
Survey of end consumers
The survey was conducted to understand consumer preferences and behaviors related to coffee consumption. It aims to identify key factors influencing purchasing decisions, such as preferred coffee types, buying locations, and awareness of sourcing. This information will help improve the coffee value chain and enhance the overall consumer experience.
pERSONA
Empathy Map
Thinks
Says
Feels
Dose
pERSONA
Empathy Map
Thinks
Says
Feels
Dose
Actionable Insights & Challenges to Address
(I have applied the how might we method to frame the problem statement.)
How might we Empower farmers with real-time, accurate market information.
How might we simplify selling so farmers can earn fair prices directly.
How might we create transparency by building a platform without unnecessary middlemen.
How might we foster a learning community where farmers share knowledge and grow together.
How might we give consumers access to genuine, traceable, and fairly priced coffee that also supports farmer livelihoods.
Coffee farmers lack reliable access to global price updates, effective farming knowledge, and fair trade opportunities.
This forces them to rely on middlemen, outdated methods, and unverified sources. Resulting in low earnings despite their year-long effort.
On the other side, consumers struggle to find authentic, affordable and ethically sourced coffee.
Brainstorming & Ideation
Solution structure
Style Guide
User Interface
As I began translating the solution into design, I realized that solving this problem meant designing not just one, but two interconnected platforms .
One for the farmer (Brew Mate) and one for the consumer (Brew Mart).
Why Two Platforms?
Coffee farming and coffee consumption are two ends of the same journey, but they require very different experiences.
Farmers need information, tools to sell, and access to a community.
Consumers need discovery, convenience, and assurance of quality. Instead of forcing both experiences into one cluttered app.
I created two focused products that complement each other:
Brew Mate is built for farmers : to inform, empower, and enable them to sell their coffee directly, with complete control.
Brew Mart is built for consumers: to buy traceable, high-quality coffee while supporting the people who grow it.
Why those Names
Brew Mate: The word "mate" suggests a companion, someone who helps, supports, and guides.
This app is designed to be just that for farmers: a reliable partner in their coffee journey.
Brew Mart: A simple, intuitive name that signals what it is, a marketplace for everything coffee. It's where the consumer side of the experience comes to life, closing the loop between grower and drinker.
Prototype
Prototype
