We are delighted to be involved in the journey of the ambitious German espresso machine startup MARO.
Spring of Things created the industrial design and participated in the UI development of their award-winning coffee maker Model 1, as well as contributed to the brand identity development of the startup.
Project goals
An espresso machine that:
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Has an outstanding performance resulting in great reproducibility
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Digitalizes the process of espresso brewing
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Offers great user experience for both beginners and experts
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Facilitates learning that helps beginners become experts
Aesthetics
The geometric forms of Model 1 and its clean design aim to give the machine a pragmatic and friendly feel, that can be accepted by beginner coffee enthusiasts. HIMACS solid surface materials for the body, a milled aluminum cup tray and a stainless steel drip tray ensure easy maintenance and product longevity. Line patterns on the cup tray and drip tray seek to radiate playfulness, creativity and artistry.
Usability
The machine is designed to be operated only from the front so it can be used easily regardless of the space at disposal. The HMI includes six touch buttons and a 7” touch screen, which allows great flexibility and gives the opportunity to make the machine suitable for beginner coffee enthusiasts, as well as for professional baristas.
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Extracting the best possible taste out of your beans
Learning how different settings reflect on the taste
Saving profiles to achieve
the same taste again and again
Save the best extraction profiles to your favourites.
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3
2
1
Repeat steps 1-8 until espresso tastes amazing.
The machine tells you
how to improve the taste.
Give feedback to
the machine how it tastes.
Taste the shot.
Brew.
Set extraction parameters.
Tamp coffee.
Grind coffee.
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Fix portafilter.
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1
User interface
The user interface of Model 1 is one of its biggest advantages.
It has three different modes to choose from, depending on the level of the user.
The Explorer Mode offers a clean and straightforward interface, while the Expert Mode
gives full access to all extraction settings. In order to get you from a beginner to an expert in espresso brewing, the machine offers a built-in Brew Companion that helps you understand how different extraction parameters reflect on the taste of the espresso.
Branding and graphic design
Spring of Things has been actively involved in the development of the user interface of the machine by designing the soft key icons, creating graphics and animations, as well as rendering help with the UX design.
We also took part in the creation of the MARO brand by developing the MARO logo and the Model 1 logotype.
