Alqimia

Innovative 'lock-and-key' product solutions for a traditional European coffee brand

Delta enjoyed an enviable brand loyalty in their home country of Portugal – however, the rise in café culture and the proliferation of capsule based machines put increasing pressure on Delta to innovate. In a response to declining traditional ground coffee sales, the Portuguese-brand sought to re-establish itself within consumer homes through a unique, fully automatic product solution that used patented capsule technology.

  • Services
    • User Insights
    • Design Thinking
    • Conceptual Design
    • Industrial Design
    • Mechanism Design
    • Prototyping
    • Product visualisation
    • Mechanical Engineering
    • Electrical Engineering
    • Contract Manufacture
  • Technologies
    • Detachable water tank
    • LED function buttons
    • Automatic Capsule Removal
  • Client
    • Nabeiro Group
    • Launched 2011

Our team initiated a comprehensive consumer insight and research stage, where we sought to understand the key pain points, moments of delight and drinking habits of consumers across Portugal, the UK and the rest of Europe. Our product solution had to be sympathetic to the cultural and social aspects of coffee drinking, while remaining the centre-piece and adding a sense of theatre to the process.

Designworks used a blend of mechanical and electrical engineering expertise to develop a machine that used the unique Delta coffee capsule, and also addressed the consumer needs addressed in the research stage. The technologically advanced design was encased in a stylised form, individual to the Delta brand, in order to help it stand out from the competition in the retail environment as well as the home.

User Centered Design

Figuring out the problems your customers face before they are even aware of them.

The Result

Delta now have a flagship coffee machine that has created the foundation for future design and development, with the range expanding on the key design features developed by Designworks. The brand has increased its presence within consumer homes and has a strong presence in the emerging coffee capsule market – consumers now see Delta as a coffee brand that delivers the complete process, and not just the consumable.