A case study deconstructing a YouTube personality’s approach to creating a new tea company, as it relates to human-centered design. Part 1
I explore the question of whether or not involving people necessarily means that your design process is human-centered. Short answer is: no.
I’m a self-proclaimed Tryceratops (an appropriately cute and fitting name that has been given to Try Guy fans across the globe), and if you don’t know who the Try Guys are, no worries. It’s not completely relevant to this post. Just know that they are Youtube personalities/stars, and that one in particular, by the name of Zach Kornfeld, is in the process of starting his own tea company and creating his own teas.
Why am I using Zach as a case study for my curiosities and exploration of human-centered design?
Because I want to! Plain and simple. And if it hasn’t already been said, I’m a huge fan. To prove it, I created fan art the other day (which understandably went unnoticed, hence why I’m shamelessly posting it on here to be seen by the world).
Anyway, I digress. Like I was saying, I will be taking a somewhat closer look at Zach’s approach to creating his teas, as he has shared on his Youtube channel. There could be some behind-scene-stuff that I’m unaware of, and he could be doing more extensive work with it. But hey, I’m just going to take the information I’ve been given, and run with it.
First off, what’s human-centered design?
Put simply, it’s a method of problem-solving, a “process that starts with the people you’re designing and finishes with solutions that are tailor-made for their needs” (CESC Innovation).
To preface, this is in no way a judgement of Zach, his products, or his approach. It’s simply a way to put human-centered design into context by using Zach’s process as an example. Ultimately, just like I’m writing this post, he can choose to create a tea based on his own self-interests, and that’s perfectly fine! I’m sure fans, like myself, will buy what he creates, regardless of the tea blend! Or…is that just me? Alright, enough of all that, let’s jump into his process!
A need (or probably just a want) is established:
In the first installment of “Zach’s tea” 6-part series, Zach reveals that he will be starting his own tea company and creating his own tea blends. In the title of the video itself, it states, “Why I’m Starting A New Company for $500 (and need your help)”. In the video, Zach expresses how he hasn’t been able to find the “right’ kind of tea blend out there that provides him with the energy, minus the jitters. Same with nighttime teas. As a result, he states that he will be making two original blends: one for the daytime (energy-boosting) and one for night (relaxing and soothing). His goal, he proudly announces, is to create the “absolute best, most f#@%ing delicious teas the world has ever seen!” So bold!
- Human-centered? Not quite. Although he defined the need/want, which is creating a tea blend that is balanced and won’t leave you feeling all jittery, it was all based on his own personal experiences. From what I was able to gather from the video, he left out the experiences of other tea consumers in the formulation of his goal. Essentially, he skipped the “inspiration” step of human-centered design. In fact, he even says at the end of the video that he wants to create a tea that hits all of HIS specific needs. But again, that’s his prerogative, and I’m okay with that! (I know, I know. I’m speaking more as a fan, than a designer, but hey, I’m not claiming what’s right or wrong! Just simply making some observations here).
Reaching the public:
Let’s refer back to the title of his video, especially the parenthetical “I need your help” piece. One might ask, well, what kind of “help”? Donations? Unlikely. Feedback and ideas? More likely. Before you even watch the video, you can’t help but notice a comment section FILLED with suggestions for the types of teas he should try, as well as names for his up-and-coming company. That makes sense. In the video, there’s a call-to-action at the end where Zach explicitly states that people watching should tell him what they think, what they want, to “blow up” his Twitter mentions, and to let themselves “be heard”.
- Human-centered? Sure! Some might argue that this should have been done before he established his goals, but hey, at least it’s being done, right? His approach is in some ways unconventional, using social media to help shape his company and the tea he ultimately ends up producing. Personally, I think it’s great that he’s leveraging his platform to give his users a voice in the matter.
Side Note: Research is a crucial step in defining the problem and uncovering opportunities. The research conducted in his video was not used to do that. Nevertheless, props to Zach for not only reaching out to the public, but Subject-Matter-Experts as well, in understanding how to best approach the construction of his company. In the video he speaks with Jason Francis D’Mello, Ph.D, a professor at Loyola Marymount University, about starting a business. Zach also speaks with Steve Schwartz, the CEO/Founder of Art of Tea.
Takeaways from Video 1
Zach’s approach to creating his company and his teas isn’t 100% human-centered, although that may not be his intention anyway. It could just be for his own personal enjoyment, first and foremost, and sharing it with the public is just part of it, regardless of whether they will enjoy it the same way or not. His claim of creating the best tea “the world has ever seen” is pretty bold in it of itself and is completely subjective. But, if he truly wants more people to enjoy his tea, other than his dear Tryceratops, he may need to consider tweaking aspects of his approach, especially when you look at it from a UX or product designer standpoint. Lots of things are on my mind at the moment, not just as a fan, but as a designer! For one, I’m intrigued to see what he does with packaging in the future, and how he’ll address that! It’s awesome that he’s taking his fans along for the ride, so for now, I like where Zach is going with his tea, and am excited for the next couple of installments of his video series!
