Costa Express brought together Costa and partners including Pininfarina and Intel to create a next-generation self-service coffee experience. I was approached by project manager Eric Achtmann to join a small specialist team tasked with developing a first-of-its-kind coffee machine that would set a new benchmark for functionality and design.

I helped define the technology, customer experience and sonic branding for the unique machine. My role also involved contributing to the design of the internal surround-audio system, including amplifiers and speakers, within the machine’s complex internal architecture.

The aim was to deliver an immersive audio experience supported by a catalogue of dynamic sound elements designed to enhance the user experience and help attract customers to the machine.

The finished machine went on to receive several trade awards.

Team Marlow

Bringing together specialists from across a range of industries, Team Marlow created an award-winning product in an exceptionally short timeframe and at a fraction of the cost of a comparable commercial development. 

The project’s development model was used by London Business School as part of its teaching programme. LBS also produced a case study based on the Team Marlow approach: Costa Coffee: Project Marlow – Compact Case.