THEMIS - BEVERAGE DISPENSING
Designed and manufactured a new take on the classic outdoor Adirondack chair that provided a functional and aesthetic upgrade to my client's outdoor space in Mobile, AL.
Role - PRODUCT DESIGN
Year - AUGUST - NOVEMBER 2021
Client - Perlick
OVERVIEW
HOW CAN I REDESIGN A BEVERAGE DISPENSER TO MEETS THE NEEDS OF ALL USERS?
The Themis is still built upon the idea of unique, structured, elegance in the way its subtle, rounded forms blend seamlessly and elegantly in all environments, especially bar corners. It continues to take inspiration from the natural and the unnatural in terms of the contrast between geometric forms and organic forms made with sheet metal. The Themis includes a 1, 4, and 8 tap model.
Solution
My Approach
Research
Design
Evaluate
Market Research
User Interviews
Personas
Sketches
Hand Renderings
Model Making
Form Development
User Testing
Customization
Presentation
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02
03
Timeline
August - November 2021
Tools
Hand Sketching/Rendering
Adobe Illustrator
Model Making
Fusion 360
Keyshot
Client
Perlick is a beverage dispensing company that prides itself on quality, innovation, and service.
a new family of beverage tower designs to set Perlick apart from their competitors
improve user experience
customization, perceived or actual
What does the client need?
The top shroud is curved, which allows each tap to be equidistant from the bartender.
The base curving away from the bartender helps to prevent the bartender from accidentally breaking glasses on it, which is a common occurrence.
RESEARCH
Research consisted of talking to users, mainly bartenders, finding current trends in various environments, and connecting information to form achievable goals for the project.
User Interviews
I visited local restaurants and bars to figure out what bartenders and owners had to say about the beverage dispenser they were currently using.
What do you look for when purchasing a beverage dispenser for your restaurants?
What is the biggest issue you face with your current beverage dispenser?
Question
Most Common Answers
What is the most important feature of a beverage dispenser, in your opinion?
Breaking Glasses Takes Up Too Much Space Ugly Size Blocks View of Patrons
Ability to Place Glasses on Top ROI Functions Properly
Ease of Use Room for More Than One Person
Style Has Enough Taps
Must help prevent glasses from breaking.
Must be able to fit in the "dead space" created by the corner.
Modularity and Customization
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02
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From this research, I was able to find three main goals for the beverage dispensing family:
Personas
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tired from constant movement
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focused on maintaining excellent service
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wants a beverage tower that accommodates different pouring angles
Sarah - Bartender
Keith - Owner
Joe - Customer
biggest issue: breaking glasses on the tower
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focused on creating a nice customer experience
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doesn't want to sacrifice ROI (Return on Investment) or efficiency
biggest issue: beverage tower cannot take up too much space
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enjoys going to bars and restaurants to watch sports with friends
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wants an inviting environment and efficient, friendly staff
biggest issue: fast service and a good time
DESIGN
Ideation
Full-Size Study Model
Curved top shroud places taps equidistant from bartender
Base(s) come from behind to allow room for pouring without hitting glass against it
Semi-circular top shroud adds interest
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02
01
Initial Design
Curved top shroud places taps equidistant from bartender.
Water tap for customer use.
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04
Base curves away from pouring area.
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03
Unattractive base-top connection.
04
It is important to make full-size models in order to better understand if the concept is a viable solution.
Base-top connection needs work.
Rectangular shape for top shroud is unattractive and boxy.
Extra space needed between taps
Form Development
initial base
too geometric
rounded base into square form creates awkward transition
semi-circle melds with base curvature
01
02
03
EVALUATION & ITERATION
User Testing
I had 4 bartenders and 4 industrial design students critique my design before my final presentation. Here is a selection of their comments:
Customization
One of my goals for this project was to provide perceived customization. This allows companies to choose from a group of designs so that they can choose what best fits their environment.
After much research, I landed on a process called electrochemical coloring.
This process immerses material in a hot chromic-sulphuric acid solution followed by a cathodic hardening treatment in another acid solution, in which a passive film is created. The controlled thickening of this film produces light-interference effects, which are then perceived as colors. The thickness of the film corresponds to a range of color effects, from bronze, gold, and red to purple, blue, and green. This means that depending on the lighting in the environment, the perceived color of Themis family pieces can change, creating an interesting and exciting effect.
FINAL PRODUCT
Here are the key features of the 4 and 1 tap:
Base blends into top shroud seamlessly.
Single tap replaces water tap on back of top shorud and allow
Base curves away from the bartender to prevent glasses from breaking while pouring.
Single tap replaces water tap from previous versions and allows environmental flexibility.
The full family consists of an 8-tap, 4-tap, and 1-tap, allowing Perlick's customers to grow with the family as their need grows.
A hidden feature of the Themis is that it is designed to fit into the corners of the bar, which is often considered "dead space".
FUTURE STEPS
However, if I were to continue working on Themis, there would be a few changes I would make:
01
Research whether the tap height of the Themis is too low for the tallest of glasses and whether this is a concern that needs to be addressed.
Research more into how bartenders hold the glass when using the beverage dispenser.
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03
How would the drip tray work? Would it go on either side of the base or bases to allow the bartender to set a glass there while the foam settles without creating a mess, or is it not necessary?
