Interview with Gong Cha USA CA

Gong Cha USA CA ("GCUC") interviewed on Wednesday, 12 October.

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?

GCUC : Min Huei Lu and Chris Doan began collaborating in 2020 to develop a cohesive body of work in brand and commercial spatial design. Min Huei Lu Lead Designer, Marketing & Brand at Gong cha USA California Min Huei Lu has worked in visual identity system development for various brand, creative, and design agencies for the past decade. She earned her MFA in Graphic Design from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco in 2019. https://www.linkedin.com/in/minhueilu/ Chris Doan Chief Design & Operating Officer at Vinci Solution Inc Chris started his career in 2009. Before running his own firm, Chris was the lead designer of Semba Vietnam, an international branch of Semba Japan, handled and managed the design and interior construction for Aeon Mall & Takashimaya department store. https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-doan-5ab01b1a5/ http://vincisolution.com/

How did you become a designer?

GCUC : Min Huei Lu I aim to create beautiful brands that speak meaningfully and act responsibly. My approach is strategic and intuitive, helping clients tap into their potential, pinpoint their purpose, and build stronger brand foundations to evolve how they create, communicate, and serve their customers — and the greater good. Chris Doan: From my love of ancient stories & buildings. I love to create the beauty of spaces, especially for F&B, retail stores. In another educational aspect, I will learn more about different cultures, and histories throughout the design.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

GCUC : Design theory into practice Developing the customers' experience for any project requires a combination of capabilities, skills, and talented people from different departments. Gong Cha practices the "Braided" Design model - three elements, including design, business strategy, and technology, all pass through the five stages of the design process: Frame, co-create, prototype, validate, and govern. First, the company reframes the problem, defines the value proposition, and identifies data and technology. Then, skillful people from different departments make decisions to ensure design and business strategy align, deliver value and prioritize the customer experience. All new projects begin with the team. Depending on the subject of the project, Gong cha selects individuals with the recommended skill set from various departments, such as design, engineering, operations, R&D, marketing, business, and project management. The selected individuals are invited to a kick-off meeting to meet the team and begin a collaborative discussion about the project. For example, the design department consists of researchers and people with a background in user experience, industrial design, interior design, interaction and visual, service design, and rapid prototyping designers. The selected team will discuss the project goals, practices to implement, and the user's needs and metrics to meet the project's requirements. Using the project management software known as "Asana", tasks are created, assigned, and observed amongst the team. Team members can view the project's description, progress, and feedback. The software also enables prompt communication within the team, from general questions and concerns to finalizing decisions. With collaborative efforts from diverse departments, they can raise questions or provide insight about customers and franchisees, and together, the team can develop relevant and inspiring solutions.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

GCUC : Initially, the excitement of introducing new designs comes to mind, especially for new ideas. Designers would have unlimited imagination about the aspects to produce high-quality designs such as colors, feelings, themes, and goals. At the same time, designers would remain thoughtful by ensuring the design fits and meets the customers' wants or is informative for new customers.

What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?

GCUC : Bringing humanity and empathy to the brand An essential part of running a design-led company is verifying that the right people with the right skills are in the right places. The first step is to ensure that the lead designer has secured a place in the strategy-setting process and is responsible for advocating the consumers' demands. The lead designer must incorporate the consumer's perspective into crucial decisions, develop goals that benefit the consumers, and lead the company's way of thinking about how these decisions affect consumers' culture. Designers should be involved in product or service development and devising a problem-solving procedure based on customer experience. With this involvement, designers play an active role in connecting multiple functions and extending customer-centric empathy to numerous organizational positions. For example, in the digital domain, designers contribute to customer digital experience prototypes and user A/B testing, improve products based on user feedback, and validate the product. In addition, before a new product is released or a new store opens, designers ensure that the experience is consistent across all customer touchpoints, from product imagery to packaging to social media marketing, web design, e-commerce, and brick-and-mortar storefronts. Improving the brand experience demands empathizing with customers in all areas. Companies need to focus on all customer-related data, such as website traffic, customer satisfaction, customer retention, and understanding the customer's demand and potential issues. The goal is to deepen the relationship between customers and the brand progressively.

What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?

GCUC : Gong cha has always been committed to building a company with user-centered design as a multi-national brand. Not only does Gong cha focus on selling products and providing excellent service but it’s also actively interested in connecting with its customers. The brand invites customers to actively participate in shaping Gong cha’s tea culture and seeks to build lifelong customer relationships. One of the core values that Gong cha presents is empathy. Empathy is the foundation of design thinking, which allows the brand to understand, connect and relate with customers. This core value has revolutionized the company's product development, franchise business development, talent recruitment, market research, store opening strategy, peer competition and brand building. Future Plan Everything Gong cha creates has a social and environmental impact: from the eco-friendly sugarcane straw to the commercial tea house. The only way to continue living life as we know it today is through sustainability. For this reason, Gong cha has zero emissions objectives and is committed to incorporating circular retail design in the interior design of our commercial establishments. Gong cha is committed to developing sustainability and environmental commitments. In recent years, to respond to the demands of franchisees and consumers, Gong cha is adopting new goals to reduce our social and environmental impact. Architects, designers, and decorators must choose the tools and materials to incorporate the circular economy into interior design. All of this is done to create sustainable commercial establishments operationally and from the moment of their conception and construction. Designing spaces with a circular economy approach is a way of implementing circular economy concepts. A circular economy, in other words, is a system in which products are reused and recycled to prolong their useful lives. A product's circular design encompasses several elements: Durability Longevity Repairability Disassembly Recyclability Gong cha is committed to using recycled construction materials (wood, concrete, steel, facade cladding …). We have also reused interior design elements such as floor and ceiling cladding and lighting. Also, the refrigeration kitchenware and the automatic tea-making areas are recovered thanks to the circular economy and a team of designers who have been in charge of searching and selecting the most sustainable materials for a commercial tea shop. Gong cha only uses recycled and compostable materials and utensils. Going from a linear and conventional business model to a sustainable one with circular retail design requires a team of experts with knowledge and experience in designing sustainable commercial spaces. In this sense, at Gong cha, we are very aware of responsible design and consumption. For this reason, we have a team of experts with the capacity to advise on the search and selection of sustainable materials.

What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?

GCUC : How to measure the success of a designer? Many companies will ask about skills on a designer's resume, such as how many different design software they will use, or what kind of expertise a designer brings to the table such as photography, illustration...but in the creative field, it's more often invisible assets that are hard to describe in words or in form create the most impact. Things like your empathy, your creativity, your big-picture perspective on an issue, your ability to be optimistic in every situation or to your ability to adapt to a case without a plan or structure. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, advertising and marketing are among the fastest-growing job fields in the U.S. while that may seem like good news, it also means there is abundant competition for these roles. Being a designer is challenging — but ultimately rewarding — work. You need to have patience and perseverance because this career path will not be easy or glamorous all the time. Keep reading to see what it’s like to be a designer. The Good There are many perks to being a designer, including good pay, flexibility, and job satisfaction. Additionally, you get to use your creativity, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking to create beautiful designs. You’ll get to exercise your creative muscles and significantly impact your field, whether it’s designing websites, logos, advertisements, or print materials. The Bad Designers often work in isolation, and you can’t always plan how much work you’ll have on your plate. Being a designer can be stressful, especially if you’re trying to meet deadlines. Depending on your design job type, you may have tight deadlines to meet, and you may be working on multiple projects at once. This can be both rewarding and stressful, so it’s essential to have a way to keep your stress in check. The Ugly Being a designer means you have to deal with both the good and the bad of being in a creative profession. This means you might experience rejection, have to face criticism, or have to turn down projects you don’t have time for. Also, you have to deal with the ugly side of design, which is design theft and copyright infringement. Designers face an enormous amount of copyright infringement, and an overwhelming number of designers report copyright infringement. Designers need to be vigilant about protecting their work, and they should know what steps to take if they feel their work is being stolen. Summing up If you’re passionate about design and want to make a difference in the world, then being a designer could be the perfect career. Being a designer means long hours, lots of hard work, and often dealing with rejection and criticism. But it also means using your creative abilities to solve problems and create beautiful things. If you’re willing to put in the effort, you can become a designer and enjoy the many benefits of this rewarding career.

You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?

GCUC : There is no questioning the value of a good working relationship in any industry. This is all the more true for designers, who are often seen as volatile and eccentric individuals. To work with a company effectively, a designer must balance their creativity with business acumen and strategic thinking. In most cases, designers thrive on partnerships and collaboration because it allows them to expand their skill set and expose them to new opportunities. As an independent designer operating primarily in isolation, a partnership can be challenging from day one. Still, designers will see even more significant benefits when they learn how to work with other entities successfully. Articulating Design Decisions: Communicate with Stakeholders At the heart of every design decision is a question of communication. The best designers can see the problem entirely and then create a solution that elegantly and efficiently solves it. This requires engaging with stakeholders and conveying the rationale for each design aspect. With this in mind, we can see how different stakeholders will require different levels of communication. A designer who works with engineers or IT specialists will likely want to communicate the design in a technical language. Stakeholders who are more focused on the business side of the design may want to know how the design fits into their marketing strategy. In each case, a designer should focus on communicating their design in a way tailored to their stakeholders' needs. Define the ROI of the design When it comes to design, it can be challenging to define its ROI in a way easily quantified and understood by stakeholders. First, you’ll need to consider the project's importance within the broader context of the organization. Does this project potentially be a game-changer, or is it just a minor improvement? Next, you’ll want to work with your stakeholders to define metrics to measure success. Considering the level of your stakeholders' satisfaction and the time it takes to design and implement their product without additional costs or time overruns when measuring the design's success is crucial. Build confidence within an organization Design can build confidence within an organization in several ways. First, it can inspire creativity and innovation within the organization through its products and design process. Second, it can give employees and stakeholders a visual representation of what they’re trying to accomplish. And finally, design can provide an easy and immediate way for people to give feedback on the product. Design Validation vs. Verification. Design validation and verification are two different things. Design validation is about ensuring the design is going in the right direction, while verification is about having concrete data that backs up your design. Design validation may involve user testing, feedback from stakeholders, and other external awards, press releases or newspapers. Conclusion You’ll always want to work closely with your clients as a designer. This is crucial during the design process, as it will help you navigate changes in the design and ensure that everyone stays on the same page. When designers and companies work together, they create something unique and new. It’s important to remember that this is a two-way street. The designer can significantly benefit from their client’s input and knowledge, and vice versa. Ultimately, it’s in the best interests of both parties to foster a strong working relationship that benefits both parties equally.

What is your day to day look like?

GCUC : The world of design is changing rapidly because it needs to keep up with technology and new trends faster than ever before. So the role of designers has also changed along with it. Today’s designers might code, collaborate with engineers, manage projects, build prototypes from 3D models using laser cutters…the list goes on! So What Does a Day in the Life of a Gong cha Designer Look Like? 8 A.M: Breakfast and check emails for feedback It’s recommended that designers wake up early to get their creative juices flowing and have time to process everything they have learned from the day before. It’s also a good idea to fit in some exercise to help manage stress and make room for clarity of thought. After my morning routine, check emails to see if there are any messages from managers or colleagues that require my attention. The sooner I respond, the more productive my day will be. 9 A.M: Morning design team meeting to understand today's tasks Meet with the design team or manager to understand what needs to focus on for the day. It’s important to stay on top of responsibilities and make sure I’m meeting the specified project deadlines. This is also a great time to ask teams what their feedback is and where they would like to see improvements. 10 A.M: looking for inspiration or create a use case or mood board Grab a notebook and start writing down ideas. A great way to get inspired is to look at other products and see what worked and what didn’t. Another way to get inspired is to create a use case and inspiration mood board. 12 pm: Lunch break and more email responding Try to take a break from the computer and have lunch with colleagues or friends to recharge. 1 pm: Brainstorming session A great way to generate new ideas is by hosting a brainstorming session by inviting design team members, product developers, and clients to attend and share their ideas. 2 pm: Work on the Design of Project 4 pm: Team meeting to provide and receive feedback and plan ahead At the end of your work day, hold a team meeting and provide and receive feedback on how the day went. Did we hit all project goals? Did we learn anything new from colleagues? Did someone solve a problem that I was stuck on? What can be done better tomorrow? This is also a good time to plan ahead for the next week and decide which tasks I need to work on.

How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?

GCUC : Inspiration comes from clients The question every company keeps asking again, do we really know what our customers want? Gong Cha is committed to creating an experience that people love, solving problems through a user-centered perspective, and discovering opportunities that can delight customers, give customers a top-notch tea tasting experience, and serve lessons. Design thinking enables Gong Cha leaders to think about their products from different angle. A user-centric approach is to deeply understand the decision-making process and market of consumers and convert them into products and services that customers really want. Take the launch of vegan beverages as an example. In market research, we aimed to explore consumers What are the consumption determinants, motivations, and barriers when choosing to buy vegan beverages, and what are the important product attributes? On the surface, the terms vegan and plant-based may appear to be the same, but survey results show that consumers do not look at them in a different way. Consumers tend to see 'plant-based' as a more positive dietary choice, while 'vegetarian' is generally associated with serious commitment, such as for religious reasons, animal rights or environmental conservationism. Simply choosing words carefully in the company's marketing advertisements and changing the dialogue can make the products more delicious. Every service and product design of Gong Cha comes from the observation of customers.

How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?

GCUC : Data-driven design Gong Cha is constantly learning from past products, designs, and services. Design is a continuous improvement by listening to consumer feedback, testing prototypes, and improving. The core of success is that good design can be physical, digital, environmental, service, and commercial. Although excellent products and services can bring obvious business benefits, consumer expectations are rapidly rising because of the advent of the digital age. As a result, only the best design can stand out in the market. How can companies continue to introduce better design? How do you measure the business value brought by design? How does an enterprise conduct design management? What design actions should business leaders take to enhance business value? The leadership of the Gong Cha organization takes all design decisions related to the brand, such as a brand image or store design. Design can be as rigorously measured and standardized as time, cost, drink ingredients, and recipes. Combining physical products, digital products, and services provides companies with new opportunities for a range of brand experiences. For example, Gong Cha is not just about brewing fresh tea every four hours. Instead, guests can adjust the sweetness and ice cubes according to their preferences (the service elements). Customers can also browse the menu online, order through the web, and follow social media for new product announcements (digital elements) to remind customers of the brand and encourage customers to order again.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

GCUC : 01: Identity what you’re trying to achieve 02: Know your tools and collaborators 03: Plan the big picture first 04: Create a workflow checklist 05: Set timers and work in sprints 06: Look for small wins and efficiencies With the ever-changing demands of clients, jobs, and projects, designers often find themselves jumping from one task to another with little breathing room in between. As a designer, time management is absolutely critical. Creative work is fluid, and it can feel like there are endless inputs and outputs that need to be managed. Designers need to juggle multiple tasks and deadlines at the same time. In this fast-paced world where technology advances at an alarming pace and the demand for design services continues to grow, designers today must find creative ways of managing their time so they can be more productive. At the start of every project, it’s important to identify the project goals and set the intention for what company trying to achieve. Take a moment to write down three things: What problem are company trying to solve? Why does it matter? And what is the desired outcome? This will help design stay focused and remind them of the ultimate goal. The more designer know about the tools and software they’re using, the easier it is to work quickly and efficiently. Similarly, the people designer work with can impact the amount of time it takes them to do their job. When designer planning a project, think about the big picture first. What are the components that go into the project? What do they look like? What do they include? How do they work together? What are the different stages of the project? By spending some time mapping out the big picture, designer can eliminate the distractions of smaller details and get the important stuff done. After defining the big picture, designer can think about the different steps and stages they go through and create a checklist for each one. Workflow checklists can help designer stay focused on the important tasks at hand and keep them from getting distracted by unimportant details. It’s often better to work in small chunks over a longer timeframe. Set timers for each task, and try to get through as much as they can in each time block. Designers are busy people, and it can be challenging to find time to create new things in a world that demands our attention at every turn. To stay on track, it’s important to manage creative workflow and approach design.

What is your biggest design work?

GCUC : Tea room interior design Gong cha invites customers, store managers, tea makers, account managers, designers, and interior designers to develop prototypes for a better tea house interior design. The project's objective is to speed up the tea maker's workflow by streamlining operations and shortening customer waiting time. Gong Cha uses lighting and visual cues to guide customers to the brightest by starting at the ordering counter. Customers can browse the marketing materials and tv menus while in a queue. After the customers have ordered their meals, the pick-up counter is usually located at the end of the ordering station, allowing customers to walk by tables and chairs. This efficient approach lets customers decide where to sit and enjoy their drinks when waiting for their order. Another favorite design of Gong cha would be the location of the trash cans. In general, trash cans are installed near the store entrance. This method allows customers immediate disposal upon leaving the vicinity. However, Gong cha developed hidden trash cans that satisfy the store's aesthetics, the tea maker's workflow and the customers' flow. The individuals of Gong cha agreed that having a trash can embedded in a dedicated space such as the pick-up counter provides efficient space and operations. With this method, customers can take their order and consume immediately, if desired, by disposing of the wrappings of bamboo straws during pick-up. At the same time, tea baristas can take advantage of the nearby trash can that requires disposal during operations, such as used tea leaves or empty containers. Overall, this hidden feature benefits both the customers and tea makers. The Teahouse Journey to Sustainability with Circular Design As sustainability efforts evolve, it’s essential for Gong cha to assess their progress and set new goals and timelines to keep going. This not only allows Gong cha to show their customers they’re headed in the right direction, but it also provides a tangible opportunity for employees to see how their efforts are making a difference. Gong cha, one of the multinational tea brands, has announced its tea-specific environmental goals, which include cutting down on its carbon footprint, increasing its use of recycled and renewable materials, and encouraging customers to bring their own reusable mugs and bags to reduce single-use items. By focusing on these three unique examples of circular design, Gong cha has created an experience that is not only sustainable but also comfortable and accessible for guests. Whether vegan and plant-based tea options or reusable packaging, each space feature is designed to be accessible and welcoming to all.

Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?

GCUC : When designing products and services that appeal to a global audience, things get tricky quickly. After all, what works in one market may not work in another. The needs of people from different cultures and backgrounds vary noticeably. Even seemingly universal concepts can have different meanings depending on the local culture and habits. Managing these design challenges effectively is a must for any company that wants to succeed in the global marketplace. Being an international brand is no easy feat. It requires global brands to localize their growth strategy, where the real challenge begins. Gong cha must adapt our products to local needs and customs to operate in different markets while maintaining a unified brand image across all locations. This can be tricky because every country has its cultural norms, means of communication, and methods of expression. We must navigate these unique circumstances while staying true to Gong cha's brand identity and maintaining a single overarching brand message.

Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?

GCUC : Create an organization that supports creative ideas Creating an environment that supports creativity and nurturing top design talent within Gong cha Enterprise is another important aspect of building a successful brand. Retaining good design talent is not just about bonuses or career advancement. Projects, environments that support innovation, and the right to speak at conferences with different departments. The design has touched many facets of business: beverage formulation, design research, market research, human-computer interaction, interior design, consumer psychology, behavior economics, ultimately influencing design strategy, and the development of innovative business models. For most companies, T-hybrid designers work cross-functionally while retaining their empathy for consumers and the depth of their thinking about products. Employees who can influence consumers through their work.

What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?

GCUC : Social Responsibility in Design The designer's goal is to provide users with an unparalleled user experience. Dedicated to detail, meticulous attention to every detail and every interaction experience to create an actual, physical, emotionally positive experience that the product brings to the user. Design acts as a medium between the mind and the physical world. Social responsibility in design is the designer's respect and concern for the individual and the well-being of people. Good design is design committed to the greater good of humanity. Ethical and social responsibility in design is essential. Cultural responsibility in design involves considering the contexts, histories, languages, customs, cognitions, habits, behaviors, and characteristics unique to a particular group. For example, concepts and visual languages ​​may be derived from a specific culture but may have different connotations in another culture. So good design must consider the cultural context so that the ideas expressed cannot be misunderstood. Design thinking is the art of combining technology and culture, dedicated to integrating knowledge of nature, society, and humanities into the ability to solve design problems. Design plays a central role in creating a sustainable civilization from material dimensions such as product design, architecture, industrial design, regional planning, and immaterial dimensions such as conceptual design, communication design, and brand design. From this, a holistic worldview is generated.

What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?

GCUC : When the designs are officially recognized, there are feelings of exhilaration and success. The designs undergo a long process, starting from planning to revisions to prototypes, a lot of effort, thought, and love goes into the design. When seeing the official product launched and made available for the customers, Gong cha can't help but feel proud of this achievement and delighted to share for all to enjoy.

Gong Cha USA CA Profile