Okka

Get to know the real taste of Turkish coffee

Thanks to the partnership with Arzum, you can now discover the traditional Turkish coffee culture and enjoy the best experience at home, in cafés or restaurants.

In the 16th century, the first coffee grandees arrived in Istanbul. Since then, coffee has been a key historical heritage for understanding Turkish culture. Family gatherings or celebrations with friends were the traditional times to enjoy coffee. Arzum, one of the leading brands in the small domestic appliance (SDA) sector in Turkey, decided to connect tradition and technology to offer coffee lovers a premium device. Therefore, Arzum and Stimulo teamed up to develop an innovative device capable of making traditional Turkish coffee in a simple way.

Requirements

Disruptive design of a premium machine to revolutionize the coffee drinking tradition

Detect opportunities for innovation through immersion in Ottoman culture.

After analysing the different players (brands, technologies, innovations and functionalities) in the market, we found that the vast majority of coffee machines were very similar in terms of functionality, geometries, colours and materials. Considering the great difference between espresso coffee and Turkish coffee, we decided to design a disruptive product with respect to conventional coffee machines, but at the same time with strong roots to the Ottoman culture. That is why we designed a cylindrical chamber where the coffee is prepared and at the same time clearly communicates the new way of making coffee. No capsules, but coffee powder.

The connection to Turkish coffee culture has been enhanced by incorporating a copper ring around this chamber, which has its origins in the traditional vessel (cesve) where coffee has been cooked for generations.

Beyond creating this emotional link, the most decisive and differentiating factor compared to competitors is that the coffee is poured directly into the cup. This is the key to creating a perfect aroma and foam.

process

Ethnography and insights analysis to develop the capsule-free coffee machine

To find out what Turkish coffee lovers were looking for, we delved into the User Centered Design approach, which through a series of interviews allows us to better understand and immerse ourselves in their desires, detect opportunities and come up with the first conceptual proposals.

The research revealed what consumers valued most when drinking Turkish coffee: thick foam, bitter taste and rich aroma. Following these 3 aspects and keeping in mind at all times the traditional method of coffee brewing, we have used an induction heater that perfectly controls the temperature and boils the coffee several times. This process is complemented by a stirrer to achieve a perfect taste, texture and aroma and which simulates the function of the spoon traditionally used to stir the coffee.

The ethnographic design also allowed us to approach users and ask questions about the machine’s operation, highlighting the incorporation of an automatic cleaning process and a clear interface. And so we did… the coffee machine cleans itself automatically at the touch of a button.

The Stimulo team in Guangzhou (China) actively participated with the machine manufacturer in the layout of the internal components, the conceptual design and the accompaniment of Arzum in the prototyping and validation process.

Looking to tradition has allowed us to acquire a deep knowledge of the country’s culture, creating solutions based on habits, expectations and usage problems, which have helped Arzum to produce a machine that is efficient and sustainable in its consumption and maintenance.

Value

We have created OKKA, a new brand for a new market segment.

As the product design project progressed it became clear during the various meetings between Arzum and Stimulo that the Arzum brand needed a new positioning for this new market segment.

The aim was to pivot from a mid-segment to a high-end market. The result was the creation of a new brand to position the product where it deserved to be: the premium market. It was at this point that together with our brand partner Batllegroup we created OKKA, a sub-brand of Arzum that communicates the values of quality and innovation of this revolutionary coffee machine. To give richness of nuances and evoke the Turkish origin, we elaborated a design language (DLS) that brought to life the universe built for the brand and its touch points.

We work both on the industrial design of the coffee machine and its branding and communication with innovative co-creation processes.

learnings

Turkish passion, German reliability and Barcelona design

From our office in China, the Stimulo team worked closely with the German manufacturer based in Shenzhen to optimise the industrialisation. This substantially accelerated the decision making and the project.

Arzum OKKA fuses technology and tradition in its design.

As such, traditional Turkish coffee, the cornerstone of Anatolian hospitality, with all its authenticity, is taken on a global tour thanks to OKKA technology. In addition to its technology and elegant design, OKKA is trusted to serve Turkish coffee “the right way” in more than 40 countries around the world. Continuing its original mission to spread the love for Turkish coffee all over the world.

“We value Stimulo as a strategic partner because of their creativity, knowledge, passion, commitment and genius. Their collaboration in the development of our most innovative product has helped us achieve leadership in a highly competitive market and recognised with several design awards, such as the RedDot Design Award 2014. It has been a great pleasure and experience working with the Stimulo team”.

Murat Kolbaşı, Manager General.

Awards:

  • Red Dot Award
  • Design Plus Award
  • Delta awards
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