After a brief intermission to handle life (like getting fired for a second time!), I’m back on track to complete my UX course. I’m picking things back up with Course 3, which focuses on wireframing. While the course suggests building a pre-set case study, I had something else in mind.

A few months ago, I started working on a design project called Javahunt. Originally, it was meant to be a simple coffee search app that I designed and planned to build. I challenged myself to complete it over Thanksgiving weekend, so naturally, it fell apart. I even created a three-part series about it on TikTok [link here].

When I started thinking about what my first case study should be, I revisited Javahunt with fresh eyes. That’s when I realized it had the potential to become a full-fledged case study—and, hopefully one day, a real app.

Javahunt was originally designed to be a coffee shop finder geared toward remote workers and digital nomads. You could search for coffee shops in your area and filter by things like:

• Wi-Fi

• Outdoor seating

• Outlets

• Wheelchair accessibility

There was also an option to save your favorite spots (with a cute coffee bean instead of the traditional heart). Simple, but functional.

The idea to turn this into a full case study hit me while I was scrolling social media (see, sometimes it is helpful). I kept seeing people on threads and TikTok asking for coffee shop recommendations—mainly in Atlanta, where I live. The suggestions were endless. There are so many coffee shops in Atlanta and the surrounding areas. But the other thing I noticed? People looking to connect with like-minded individuals in real life. So many callouts for friends in Atlanta who want to hang out, co-work, or just grab a coffee. You know, have a real human connection.

The Big Idea

Here’s how I plan to evolve Javahunt:

What if you could still search for coffee shops in your area, but with extended filters like parking, pet-friendly spots, and vegan or vegetarian options? Coffee shop search results would also include reviews, allowing users to see how others rate their experiences. On the flip side, coffee shops could request to be featured and build their own profile or landing page with custom info like menu specials and announcements. This would give them a direct way to connect with the coffee community.

My favorite part, though, is the social component. Think Bumble BFF meets Roasters. Users would be able to set up a profile with basic demographics and fun "get to know you" questions geared toward coffee and remote work. Things like:

• What projects are you working on?

• What’s your favorite drink to order?

• What time of day do you like to work?

If two people favorite each other, they’d be matched and placed into a group chat. They could plan to meet up at one of their shared favorite shops, and remote work wouldn’t feel so lonely anymore.

People wouldn’t just be discovering new coffee shops—they’d be finding new connections. Business partners, creative collaborations, friendships. And for coffee shops, it’s a great way to gain visibility with a highly targeted audience.

Where I Am Now

Right now, I’m basically starting from scratch. I want to do this right from the beginning and really walk through the process.

I started by researching some competitors and realized that while a few coffee-finder apps exist, none are tailored to remote workers. Features like Wi-Fi access, outlets, or seating setups just aren’t prioritized. And there’s definitely no app helping people plan co-working meetups in this way. There’s Meetup, UNBLND, and Lunchclub, but none of those focus on this particular niche.

My next step is to share my user research survey and get real feedback. I might think the social component is genius, but maybe people won’t care about it. That’s fine. This is what research is for. Like I said in another post [link here], I love checking my bias through facts.

So if you’re a coffee shop enthusiast, a remote worker, a student, or just have opinions you want to share, feel free to fill out my survey [link here]. I promise it’ll only take about four minutes.

I plan to finish Course 3 this week and hop right into Course 4, with a goal of completing my full certificate by the end of the month. Now that I'm fully on the job market, it’s time to upskill and finally show off these UX chops I’ve been keeping under wraps.

______________________________________________

P.S. ChatGPT just dropped new image generation, so peep the upgrade in my blog cover images. Also, since posting my survey on social media, I’ve already received insights from 13 people—my goal is to reach at least 50. And yes, my bias got checked early because I completely forgot to include students, who also frequent coffee shops and might want to connect with other students too.