Bridging the language barrier between deaf baristas and their hearing customers
The Sign Language Coffee Bar is the first coffee bar in the Netherlands where you can order your coffee in sign language. The company doesn’t only provide a great experience and awareness around deafness, they also creates many jobs for a group of people who normally have more difficulty finding work.
For all their (fixed & pop-up) locations, I’ve created a tool which bridges the language barrier between the deaf baristas and their hearing customers.
For all their (fixed & pop-up) locations, I’ve created a tool which bridges the language barrier between the deaf baristas and their hearing customers.
Onsite touchscreens
The Sign Language Coffee Bar has many (35+) fixed as wel as (+- 6 weekly) pop-up locations. On all different sites, the touch screen attracts the user attention with large typography describing it’s function: learning how to order in Sign Language. The user can than scroll down (or tap) to scroll through different categories and select their preferred coffee, tea, cold drink or snack. A video will pop-up and immediately teaches the user how to order their product, in Sign Language!
Once the customers chose their preferred coffee, we offer them other products that might go well well with their choice. If it they don’t want anything else, we offer them the instructions to thank the barista or say bye.
Mobile variant
At one of the pop-up locations, we introduced a convenient innovation: the baristas began serving customers directly at their tables. To streamline the ordering process, we implemented a QR code system. Now, customers can simply scan the QR code with their smartphones to access the menu right from their table. This allows them to familiarise themselves with the coffee bar's offerings at their own pace and seamlessly place their orders when the barista's are ready to take them.
Different locations, different variants
Often, the coffee bar 'pops up' at single-day events. On other occasions, it settles in for longer stints, such as the establishment situated in The Police Department in The Hague. For these more extended stays, we saw the opportunity to offer a personalised touch: introducing a branded variant of our screen. This tailored version retains the same functionality while incorporating a custom logo, brand colours and product offerings.