As a final project for Design Thinking with Professor Stephen Brand, my Learning Group—4square (Group 16)—was tasked with designing a physical product to improve the working lives of a chosen profession. After conducting initial research and in-person interviews with barbers and bartenders, we ultimately selected bartenders due to the variety and complexity of their daily challenges. We visited bars across Wellesley, Brookline, and Boston, uncovering recurring pain points like equipment failures, workflow inefficiencies, and high-pressure multitasking during peak hours.
Design Thinking | Buzzed Pod
Babson College | Fall 2024
Guided by our early insights, we moved into an iterative prototyping phase. We explored a range of ideas and eventually developed three rough prototypes: the Multi-Smoker for cocktail presentation, an Ingredient Dispenser for speed and cleanliness, and our final favorite—the Buzzed Pod. The Buzzed Pod was a compact bartop workstation that streamlined tool access, garnishes, and ticketing into one ergonomic unit. I played a key coordination role throughout—scheduling interviews, managing timelines, and ensuring each design iteration aligned with user feedback and feasibility constraints.
We concluded the project by pitching our prototypes to a simulated panel of retailers and manufacturers. The Buzzed Pod was especially well received for its clear problem-solution fit and potential for real-world application. This experience deepened my skills in user-driven product development, team coordination, and storytelling through design—reinforcing the value of grounding innovation in authentic, frontline insight.
Project Miro Board