Developing virtual bar caffe of the future

Desired outcome

Challenge is focused on developing idea of the virtual bar caffe of the future, that would allow participants from different parts of the world to meet and take part in different activities. Students and researchers should develop thorough description of the virtual bar caffee, which activities should be offered, how the bar caffe would function, etc. Special attention should be on socializing and experience.

Initial Problem Description

Many activities nowadays take place in a virtual world, while the amount of time is limited. To overcome problem with socialising and enabling participants to meet people from different parts of the world, common place in a virtual form should be created.
The teams should focus their solution on identifying needs of the future (in a bar caffee), who the participants would be (defining persona), what services should be provided, what form this bar caffee should take, etc.
This challenge should be for business and private meetings.

Context

At the moment people meet in physical bar caffee, which has several limitations. They need to be present at a specific location, time is limited, travel costs occur, etc.
With this idea of virtual bar caffee we should address these issues. People could meet no matter where they are located at specific moment (for example, from USA and India), all they would need is to connect to the bar caffee and start conversation, socialising and take part in activities/services of the bar caffee.
What should be specially addressed is focus on experience. These meetings should provide additional value to all participants (e.g. special activities that would be remembered).

Connection to cross-cutting areas

General sustainability in terms of producing zero emission (no plane travels), no effect on climate change, etc. Other area is digitalisation, since physical bar caffee would be replaced with a virtual one.

The solution of the virtual bar caffee will replace the physical one and as such provide benefits to the society and economy as a whole.

Input

To start with the solution students and researchers should analyze how the physical bar caffee functions, what interactions take place, which characteristics are essential for 'satisfied' customer, etc.
On this basis idea of the virtual bar caffee should be developed. Team members should define/analyze/identify options how to connect to the virtual caffee, how interactions would take place, which aspects should be considered, how the privacy would be ensured, to investigate what sort of moderation would be required, etc.
These are only basic charaterististics, but team members should provide additional examples/situations and explain, why they added them.

Expectations

The solution should describe as detailed as possible, how the virtual bar caffee would function.
Teams should provide information about all aspects, they consider relevant (as explained in the previous section). Additionally, they should include ICT part - which tools and programmes should be used (existing or stating that a new one should be developed).
Attention should be also on the way, how participants would define 'meeting area' - who will provide services (e.g. they should choose from different avatars), but also how security measures would be implemented. One of the requirements is that all participants feel safe.

Desired Team Profile

There are no restrictions who the members of the team should be. While students of management, economy, internet and communcation technologies (ICT) and sociology are welcome to take part in the challenge, other areas should be also represented to provide unique and innovative ideas, that will provide solid foundation for the virtual bar caffee of the future.

Additional Information

More information about the challenge and situation on the market will be provided to teams, when they will start with solution. Basic knowledge of the area and services provided is welcome, but not required.

For cooperation and developing idea/concept up to three teams will be selected based on their motivation letter and presentation.

Related Keywords

• Electronics, IT and Telecomms
• Social and Economics concerns
• Digitalization