MINOR PROJECT

╎Gwendalyn Firly Bong / 0374580

╎Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media

╎Application Design

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Instructions

II. Weekly Report

III. Reflection

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I. INSTRUCTIONS

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II. WEEKLY REPORT

Week 1–2: Module Introduction & Team Formation

During the first week, we were first introduced to what this module is about, including the overall structure, expectations, and how the project would be assessed. The briefing helped us understand that this module places strong emphasis on process and research, rather than jumping straight into final outcomes. Through the explanation and confirmation given in class, we gained a clearer understanding of what would be expected from us in the coming weeks.

In Week 2, we were told to form a team to work on this project together. We were encouraged to form a group from different specializations, allowing us to work together with people with different skillsets

Final Group Members:

• Jesslyn Octavia Tjong (ID: 0374562) – UI/UX
• Gwendalyn Firly Bong (ID: 0374580) – UI/UX
• Ummehani Kaderbhai (ID: 0377885) – Graphic Design (GRPH)
• Tristan V. Sleep (ID: 0365120) – Animation (ANIM)
• Wang Yiming (ID: 0379392) – Immersive Media (IMRS)
• Gabriela Natalie Wibowo (ID: 0357130) – Entrepreneurship (ENTR)
• Iman Mikudim (ID: 0338004) – UI/UX

Week 3: Choosing Client & Our First Meeting

After finalising our team, we moved on to selecting a client for this project. We chose CocoKami because it stood out from the others. 

During the same week, Gwendalyn, Tristan, and Jesslyn attended our first meeting with the CocoKami team. During this session, CocoKami talked about their brand background, goals, and purpose, explaining how they focus on creating coconut-based products that support healthier and more sustainable lifestyles.

We were also given the chance to try some of their products. This included cooked coconut meat dipped in gochujang, as well as their coconut water. Tasting the products helped us understand the flavour, texture, and versatility of coconut beyond its usual perception as just a drink. This experience gave us a better foundation before moving into deeper research and ideation.

At the same time, we began our research by going through CocoKami’s social platforms. This helped us get familiar with their current branding, product lineup, and overall direction as a brand.

Week 4: Empathy Stage | Interviews & User Groups

In Week 4, we moved into the Empathy Stage, where the goal was to really understand the users. As a group, we planned and conducted a total of 9 interviews, split across 3 distinct user groups, and each of us focused on a specific audience:

• Health / Food Science–focused users were interviewed by Ummehani and Jesslyn
• Plant-based users were interviewed by Wang Yiming, Gabriela, and Gwendalyn
• Active lifestyle users were interviewed by Iman and Tristan

Each user group was chosen to represent different but overlapping needs, including being health-conscious, caring about sustainability, or having an active daily routine. The interviews focused on daily habits, food and drink choices, perceptions of coconut-based products, and what factors influence trust and purchasing decisions.

Results from these interviews stated that there are overlapping themes, such as strong concern over sugar content, a preference for natural and minimally processed products, and mixed perceptions of coconut as a functional everyday option. These findings became the starting point to sort our data and prepare for synthesis in the upcoming weeks.

Interview videos Google Drive link:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wZ9d8lJzgrX35X16dCYqQbxM4H5Dg2rS

Interview transcripts Google Drive link:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1bR7v_rIOR_smo_au_v6EUHeRZ4Pqeewx

Week 5: Synthesising Interview Findings & Affinity Mapping

In Week 5, our next step was to make sense of the data we had collected. Instead of treating each interview separately, we came together as a group to synthesise our findings and look for patterns across all three user groups.

We started by pulling out critical quotes, behaviours, concerns, and opinions from the interviews and organising them using affinity mapping. This helped us visually group similar themes together. We created separate affinity groupings for:

• Health / Food Science–focused users
• Plant-based users
• Active lifestyle users

Through this process, several shared themes began to stand out. Users cared strongly about taste, followed closely by health and ingredients, while price and accessibility often acted as deciding factors. Coconut was generally viewed positively, but many participants were cautious about packaged coconut products due to concerns around added sugar, preservatives, and misleading health claims.

Week 6: Identifying Insights & Preparing for the Define Stage

In Week 6, we further refined our affinity maps. Rather than just listing problems, we focused on understanding why users felt the way they did.

Key takeaways included:

• Coconut is trusted more in its fresh or natural form than in packaged products
• Users want healthier options, but not at the cost of enjoyment or convenience
• Coconut is rarely seen as a primary functional product, especially for protein or performance
• Students are price-sensitive, even when they care about long-term health

These insights helped us understand that the main challenge was not the product itself, but how coconut-based products are positioned, communicated, and integrated into daily routines.

Week 7: Define Stage – Narrowing the Problem

In Week 7, we moved into the Define Stage. After synthesising all our interview findings, the goal was to create problem statements for our research. As a group, we revisited our affinity maps and insights and started asking ourselves tougher questions:

• What is the real issue users are facing?
• What is CocoKami actually able to solve?
• And what direction feels meaningful rather than forced?

From this process, we developed several problem statements and “How Might We” questions, focusing on themes such as:

• Making coconut-based products more relevant for everyday use
• Balancing health, taste, and affordability for young adults
• Improving trust and transparency around coconut-based products
• Positioning coconut as more than just a drink or occasional ingredient

This stage helped us realise that our project was not just about creating something new, but about making our direction make sense.

Week 8: Ideation Stage – Crazy 8s & Direction Exploration

In Week 8, we moved into the Ideation Stage. Using the Crazy 8 method, each team member brainstormed ideas individually before sharing and discussing them as a group.

Some of our ideas:

• Coconut-based protein bars and energy gels 
• Functional drinks for hydration and recovery
• Snacks, desserts, and café-style products
• Campus activations, pop-ups, and digital engagement ideas

Instead of choosing ideas based purely on creativity, we constantly referred back to our research and problem statements. We asked ourselves whether each idea:

• Solved a real user need
• Aligned with CocoKami’s existing brand and products
• Felt realistic for young adults in terms of price and accessibility

By the end of this week, we began leaning toward new product development as a potential direction, while still keeping our options open and acknowledging that the idea needed stronger reasoning and structure.

Week 9: First Presentation & Feedback

In Week 9, we had our first presentation. Despite only Jesslyn and Gwendalyn being able to attend and showcase the presentation, the team participated in summarising all the work done so far.

The main feedback we received was that our aim and goal needed stronger alignment. While our research was solid, the reasoning that connected our findings to our proposed direction was not clear. We were told to go back to our executive summary and ensure that everything we presented clearly supported our overall intent.

After the presentation, we also received feedback from Ms Yule, which helped to further clarify things. Referring back to the brief, she highlighted that the core of the project is about imagining new possibilities that encourage people to embrace coconuts and its byproducts in daily life.

She acknowledged that introducing a new product was a good direction. However, she emphasised that if we chose to move forward with new product development, the focus should not be on perfecting the recipe or taste. Instead, what mattered most was the completeness of our storytelling and design.

This included clearly explaining:

• Why we chose a specific product type (e.g. why a protein bar?)
• How it complements CocoKami’s existing product line
• Where the product would realistically be sold
• How the product would look and feel
• What kind of nutritional profile should it aim for (without needing real scientific accuracy)

The feedback made it clear that our next step was to strengthen the logic and narrative behind our concept, ensuring that every decision could be traced back to our research and insights.

Minor Project | Progress Slides by jesslyn tjong

Week 10: Revising & Refining the Direction Based on Feedback

In Week 10, our focus shifted to refining our ideas based on the feedback from the first presentation. After reviewing both the in-class comments and Ms Yule’s email, we realised the main issue wasn’t a lack of ideas, but the lack of clarity in how our research supported the direction we wanted to take.

We then returned to our problem statements, insights, and early concepts to reassess which directions genuinely reflected our research findings and CocoKami’s brand values. We evaluated each idea and asked whether it could be justified through user needs, rather than just creativity or personal preference. This helped us narrow our focus and discard concepts that felt less grounded or harder to explain with confidence.

During this stage, we put extra effort into strengthening our narrative structure. Instead of treating research, insights, and concepts as separate elements, we worked on connecting them into a cohesive storyline — clarifying why a new product direction made sense, how it addressed user concerns around health, trust, and everyday relevance, and how it could realistically fit within CocoKami’s current ecosystem.

By the end of Week 10, we had a clearer and more focused direction to build on. Even though the concept was still developing, the reasoning behind it felt stronger and more defensible, giving us a solid foundation to move into the prototyping phase in the weeks ahead.

Week 11: First Digital Prototype & Internal Testing

In Week 11, we started developing our first digital prototype to turn our refined concept into something more concrete. The goal wasn’t to create a final product yet, but to visualise how it could look, feel, and function in a real context.

We explored aspects such as product format, early visual identity, and how the product would fit within CocoKami’s existing lineup. This included initial decisions about packaging direction, usage scenarios, and where young adults would naturally come across the product — for example, on campus, in convenience stores, or as part of everyday routines.

Alongside building the prototype, we carried out internal testing within the team to spot conceptual and storytelling gaps. We asked ourselves whether the prototype communicated its purpose clearly, whether it aligned with our research insights, and if the narrative felt coherent rather than forced.

This stage helped us pinpoint areas that needed further refinement and reinforced the importance of clarity and consistency before moving into more advanced prototyping and external user testing in the following weeks.

Week 12: Iteration & Prototype Refinement

In Week 12, we worked on refining our initial digital prototype through an iterative design process. Building on what we created in Week 11, the aim was to evaluate how clearly our concept communicated its purpose and whether it still aligned with the insights gathered during earlier research.

We revisited the prototype with our key findings in mind, especially users’ concerns around health perception, ingredient transparency, and everyday practicality. Several elements were adjusted to improve clarity and reduce confusion — including refining the product format and visual hierarchy so the core idea could be understood at a glance without extra explanation.

Instead of adding more features, we focused on simplifying and strengthening the concept. Anything that felt unnecessary or distracting was removed, while elements that supported trust, accessibility, and ease of use were prioritised. We also reconsidered how the product would realistically fit into young adults’ daily routines, ensuring the prototype felt believable within CocoKami’s brand ecosystem.

By the end of Week 12, the concept became more focused and coherent. This iteration stage helped us bridge the gap between an early exploratory prototype and a clearer design direction, setting us up for final refinement and presentation in the weeks ahead.

Week 13: Final Refinement, User Testing & Presentation Prep

In Week 13, our main priority was to finalise the prototype and validate it through targeted user testing, while also starting to prepare presentation materials. Building on the refinements from Week 12, we made sure the prototype communicated the concept clearly, stayed grounded in user insights, and maintained values such as trust, transparency, and everyday practicality.

We ran user testing sessions with participants from our target audience, gathering feedback on usability, visual clarity, product messaging, and perceived value. Users pointed out which parts were instantly clear and which needed small adjustments. Using this feedback, we made targeted refinements, fine-tuning the layout, visual hierarchy, and interactive elements, while keeping the core concept and brand identity consistent.

At the same time, we began creating presentation slides to showcase both the prototype and commercial materials. A key task was translating the refined prototype and multiple commercial posters into visual storytelling. Each poster highlighted different product benefits and perspectives, while staying consistent in branding, messaging, and aesthetics, making it easier for the audience to understand the value proposition from multiple angles.

By the end of Week 13, we had a polished, user-tested prototype, a set of communication materials, and draft presentation slides ready. This stage acted as the bridge between development and presentation, allowing us to deliver a credible, engaging, and well-supported design solution within CocoKami’s brand ecosystem.

Week 14: Final User Feedback & Presentation Preparation

In Week 14, the focus shifted to consolidating insights from the final round of user testing and polishing the prototype into a presentation-ready state. Building on the progress made in Week 13, feedback from participants who interacted with the refined prototype and commercial posters was reviewed closely. Their input covered usability, clarity of messaging, visual appeal, and the overall user experience, helping us identify what resonated with the audience and what still needed slight refinement.

Based on this feedback, we made targeted adjustments to further improve the prototype. Most changes involved fine-tuning the visual hierarchy, interactions, and messaging clarity, while still maintaining the core concept and brand identity. These refinements made the prototype more intuitive and impactful, ensuring that its value could be understood at a glance when presented to stakeholders.

At the same time, we finalized the presentation slides, incorporating prototype visuals, commercial posters, and notable user feedback to create a clear narrative. The presentation was structured to walk through the entire journey—from initial research and early iterations to the final polished concept—highlighting how design decisions were grounded in real insights and continuous testing.

By the end of Week 14, we had a fully polished and user-validated prototype, a complete set of commercial materials, and a finalized presentation ready to deliver. This stage ensured that both the design solution and its accompanying narrative were cohesive, visually compelling, and aligned with user expectations and CocoKami’s brand identity.

Minor PRJ GR 14: Cocokami FInal Presentation by TRISTAN SLEEP

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III. REFLECTION

Through this module, I was able to learn a lot about the design thinking process and how important it is to understand user needs and create a solid product. Working with my groupmates reminded me about the importance of good teamwork and communication, and challenged my own strengths as well. Overall, this module helped me grow in technical and research skills, and also my teamwork abilities.