About The Bettr Group

The Better Group works to empower lives through their social initiatives, including nurturing direct trading relationship with partner farms and their extended communities, running vocational programmes for marginalised women and youth-at-risk, and reducing their carbon footprint by repurposing and recycling materials that go into their coffee operations.

Main modules

We have 4 types of modules, each with a seperate function. Each of the main module makes use of hydraulic gas lifts that is able to extend the cart from 1.5m to 1.8m for operations. It also includes a foldable panel on the roof for branding, and the entire roof together with the legs will be detachable to allow for switching of branding options between modules.

POS module

Includes a POS cash register, a food display, and there will also be a grommet that allows for the storing of extension cords and a security hook for the cash register. Extension of the cart houses a screen for digital menus or seasonal promotions.

Espresso module

Includes space for an expresso machine and a grinder. In a larger event where a larger espresso machine is used, the grinder can be used on the extended countner. In a smaller event where a smaller machine is used, the grinder can be used on the mmainn countertop with the expresso machine and the extended counter cann be used as a serving and condiment area.

Sink module

Includes a sink, a pitcher rinser, space for a drying rack. Coffee cups were used as a reference for the pot size as there is a potential for there to be a system in future where customers could plant their own plants in these cups or bring home a plant.

Serving module

Includes a landing station, a condiment rack and a built-in-bin. This allowed for a more efficient and smoother customer flow where customers could make use of the condiment bar after retrieving their drinks. A holographic fan is also placed on the cart that allows for a unique and attractive visual to share the social message of The Bettr Group. The extension of this module houses a display screen that customers can view while waiting for their drinks. The content displayed includes more information of the Bettr Group as well as their social enterprise efforts. Through these platforms, customers can learn how they are contributing to society by supporting The Bettr Group.

Compact layout (7.8 sqm)

In both the extended and compact layout, there is a triangular movement of people that allows for a more effiecient workflow.

Industry Partner

The Bettr Group

Design solution

Given the task to redesign their retail coffee cart to have a sustainable competitive advantage in the industry while also bringing about transformative societal change in the long run, we decied on several features of the new cart. This was also taking into consideration that the cart needed to be mobile and that it would be handled by the majority women team that The Bettr Group has. 

- Modularity
- Flexible layout
- Light-weight
- Promote sustainability
- Interactive technology

The design of the cart starts of with individual box modules in a closed state. It consists of 3 components which come together to allow the cart to be concealed and secured when not in use, and yet also serves its own separate functions which thus makes the cart more efficiently used.

• (A) Main module

• (B) Branding board/ Merchandising shelves

• (C) Standing table

Branding board / Merchandising Shelf

When unfolded halfway, this acts as a billboard to help to promote the bettr barista brand. And when unfolded even further the shelves can be used to display merchandise such as eco friendly tumblers and packaged coffee which The Bettr Group is currently selling.

The billboard can have a variable of 3 different modes of branding. Posters and the company logo could be on the front side of the board so that when the shelves are unfolded, the colours will be facing down and would not disrupt the merchandising. The tagline "Changing Lives Through Coffee" would be placed at the back as it's colour would not affect merchandising as despite being seen when the shelves are unfolded.

Standing table

These tables serve a dual function as it could be used either as a table for customers to hangout and drink their coffee while chatting with friends. On the other hand, it could also be used as a back working counter and storage space for the baristas.

Extended layout (30 sqm)

Yellow - Barista workflow

Black - Customer workflowc