NICK HEGGESTAD

Using Service Design to create a layered solution to better connect Chicagoans to the Lagunitas brand.

*Mock Project*

The Problem:

How might we educate the Chicago community that Lagunitas is Chicago made so that local drinkers will be more connected to the brand and feel more pride drinking their products?

The Solution:

Seasonal Pop-Up events that connect with Chicago communities through various forms of engagement and education featuring:

• Themes that related to seasonal brews

• Family and Dog Friendly events and activities

• Coasters that encourage attendees to interact, connect and come back

• Advertising that is tailored to different neighborhoods

The Team:

• Chris Butts

• Wenhau Chao

• Nick Heggestad

My Role: 

• UX Designer & Researcher

• Presentation Lead

Tools:

• Sketch (Blueprint, User Journey),

• Pen, Markers and Paper (Coasters, Sketches)

• Beer & Snacks (Pop Up Mockup)

Research:

As a team we visited the Lagunitas Brewery in Chicago and started to explore and see what we could be improved with the lens of service design. 

Research Approach:

• Interviews with Chicago Beer Drinkers, Tourists & Staff Members

• Competitive Analysis, specifically Chicago Breweries

• Lagunitas' history & standing in the beer industry

• Lagunitas' current approach to Chicago marketing & strategy

As a team we were surprised to learn that most of the visitors to the Brewery are tourists. The more we explored this, the more feedback we received that, while Chicago beer drinkers like Lagunitas (their IPA is the best-selling in the nation) they don't really consider it a Chicago beer, nor Lagunitas a Chicago company. This insight continued to impact and steer our research which we continued with additional interviews and surveys. 

User:

The Chicago Beer Drinker

This is Porter:

• 31 Years Old

• Enjoys drinking with friends

• Married, 2 year-old daughter

• Has a Dog named Rufus

• Gregarious personality shines through after a few pints

Design Principles:

How might we educate the Chicago community that Lagunitas is Chicago made so that local drinkers will be more connected to the brand and feel more pride drinking their products?

• Maintain energy and eclecticism of Lagunitas brand while adapting to the culture and community of Chicago

• Introduce/Push Seasonal Varieties

• Maintain unique physical experience of a Lagunitas visit

• Great Service, Great Food, Family Friendly, Dog Friendly

• Sense of Community

beer circus pop up:

For the inaugural Pop Up we decided to stick with an existing (and successful) Lagunitas theme; the circus. We also thought it might be best to use a popular, already existing space and we landed on The Dock at Montrose Harbor, a fun outdoor venue right on the beach that already features live music nightly.  For marketing and design we used some of the existing elements (The Ring Leader Dog, circus tent stripes) and twisted in some citrus elements in order to integrate their Citrusinensis Pale Ale (one of their popular summer varieties) as the Featured Seasonal Brew. Chris drew the Bar Concept drawing while I focused on Ad Materials and started brainstorming marketing ideas.

We also came up with a list of events that could happen at the Pop Up, keeping a focus on our Design Principles.

• A dog park/play area with Lagunitas branded frisbees, and plenty of treats and water

• Different games and activities for families (Ring Toss, Corn Hole, Cotton Candy Machine)

• Live music, with a focus on local bands and musicians; a focus on “local”

• A circus themed bar makeover that is visually striking and alluring

• A Photo Booth Bus, encouraging guests to make (and remember) memories

coasters:

A big part of our design concept was a 6-sided coaster that furthered branding, encouraged interaction between guests, and would serve as a reminder and keepsake from the Pop Up.

Wenhau (who is an avid origami artist) came up with the initial idea of a coaster, and created some 8-sided pieces for us to play with. I thought further about branding and the idea of the puzzle (at which point we switched to a 6-sided coaster), and Chris turned it all into a citrus and circus themed design, both modern and eye-catching.

• The Puzzle: The back of the coasters function as a puzzle that encourages interaction between guests as they look for additional pieces.

• The Trivia: Coasters have different Lagunitas Chicago themed questions that educate guests and again, encourage interaction. Answers are on the back.

• Design: The kaleidoscope tile-style design is fun, modern and incorporates both the citrus and circus theme.

 marketing:

I worked to develop different ways to approach marketing the Pop Up. We decided on traditional poster advertising using themes and images in line with current Lagunitas branding, but also developed a more rogue approach, using the lure of “free beer” to entice people to text in and find out more about the event. We imagined the traditional advertising for common family areas and the wheat paste “bird poop” posters to draw in the young (adult) drinkers. Upon texting in, people would receive details on the pop up as well as a QR Code to receive a free beer at the pop up.

Service Blueprint

To get a better understanding of the different requirements for all channels associated, I put together a Service Blueprint for the Pop Up. This allowed us to avoid presenting a solution that would not realistic in any manner. It also gave allowed us to track the user and make sure their journey was being carefully crafted and cared for.

User journey map

For presentation purposes, I created a User Journey Map that quickly shows the evolution and path of the user throughout the Pop Up concept. Using the Lagunitas “bird poop” logo, and some simple icons, I focused on the 5 E’s (Entice, Enter, Engage, Exit, and Extend). While it doesn’t cover ever detail of the journey, it gives a broad overview of the experience, and how (most importantly) to create continuing users through knowledge, experiences, and confidence and pride in the product.

Future Pop Up Sites

In looking to further connect with the Chicago Beer Drinker, we also put together a few possible locations for future pop ups. We took into account location, type of venue (including indoor/outdoor), and spaces that could easily adapt to different themes and activities.

Conclusion:

As part of our class presentation we invited guests to experience a “mini” Pop Up where we sampled three different Lagunitas beers (including the Citrusinensis Pale Ale), served snacks and encouraged guests to play with and use the coasters. Guests loved being able to interact with the coasters and get a sense for the different varieties that Lagunitas makes in Chicago. The presentation went very well, and we received positive feedback, especially for the coasters.

The goal of this project was to educate Chicago Beer Drinkers, and make them Chicago Proud to drink Lagunitas. I feel the solution takes great steps to both educate and unite users in a fun, innovative way that fits with the existing Lagunitas brand.