Skip SwapCup order programme concept (launched as Skip Zero)
People love their coffee but the waste that is created by take away cups is huge. They end up in landfill or worse in the ocean and in our food chain. Most people are not aware of the environmental impact caused by their daily habits. How could Skip, a food and beverage pre-order app contribute to a better environment without impacting business value and user need?
As lead designer, coffee lover and being passionate about sustainable living, the Skip SwapCup concept was the most exciting project I worked on during my time at Skip. I created the concept, but left the company before the rollout called Skip Zero.
The concept
The SwapCup Order Programme allows people to order their coffees ahead with a discount using a reusable cup through a deposit-return system. No need to wait in line, just swap your dirty cup for a fresh one.
Approach
The idea was to run trial within a small ecosystem of cafes before rolling it out throughout the country. We used one of our existing customers who had 3 major highly ranked coffee bars in Melbourne. With this customer we explored feasibility and viability through interviews and workshops.
We explored cups from different manufacturers. Cost, hygiene, customisation and user experience were the main drivers. We tested these with baristas to see how it would effect their workflow and customers to see how user friendly they were. Through this research we found that customers didn’t mind doing a little extra effort if it was for a good cause. For baristas and venues it was just about getting enough stock.
