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Interactive Reward Experience

Conceptual UX · AR Interface Experience Design · Gamification · 2025 · Food & Beverage / Retail

This project explores how Second Cup can engage Gen Z and millennial customers through an interactive WebAR reward experience. Inspired by the popularity of collectible campaigns and gamified promotions, we designed a limited-edition collaboration that transforms a regular coffee purchase into a playful, shareable moment.

Problem

Coffee purchases have become routine, and younger audiences are looking for more engaging, memorable brand experiences. Traditional promotions often feel transactional and fail to create excitement or long-term loyalty. Second Cup needed a fresh, interactive way to capture attention, drive repeat visits, and stand out in a competitive market.

Solution

We designed a WebAR blind-box reward experience tied to a limited-edition Pop Mart collaboration. Customers scan a QR code on their cup to enter an AR experience where they select one of three virtual cups to reveal a surprise reward. This turns a simple purchase into a moment of discovery, encouraging repeat visits and social sharing.

My Role

Position:

AR Experience Designer

Duration:

2 months

Responsibilities:

User research, Persona development, Experience concept & interaction flow, Interface design for the AR journey, Reward system structure, Visual direction

Research highlights

Target Audience

Gen Z & millennials (18–35)

Social-media active users

Experience-driven consumers

Fans of limited-edition drops and collectibles

Key findings

Younger audiences value experiences over products

Gamification increases engagement and
brand loyalty

AR campaigns generate higher interaction and shareability

Collectibles drive repeat visits

What We Learned

We identified Gen Z and Millennials as our primary audience specifically social and experience-driven consumers who view coffee shops as lifestyle spaces rather than just places to grab a drink. While they enjoy trying new products, many feel disengaged by traditional promotions and repetitive loyalty programs.

Research showed they are more motivated by interactive, shareable experiences that feel playful and culturally relevant. From this, we recognized an opportunity to design an AR activation that blends gamification and collaboration to spark curiosity, increase engagement, and strengthen emotional connection with the brand.

MARKET INSIGHTS

Based on research, Mia represents the experience-driven coffee customer we designed this activation for. Mapping her goals and behaviours highlighted the importance of surprise, exclusivity, and shareable moments. This persona guided us in creating an AR experience that feels playful, relevant, and engaging for younger audiences.

The concept was developed through collaborative brainstorming and market research focused on emerging digital experiences in the food and beverage industry. By exploring trends in AR, gamification, and brand collaborations, we identified an opportunity to reimagine how Second Cup engages younger audiences beyond traditional promotions. The idea centers on creating a playful, interactive experience that blends digital storytelling with in-store engagement. Hence, we are presenting this collaboration with Pop mart:

Conceptualization

We’re launching a limited-edition collaboration with the POP BEAN Coffee Factory series by Pop Mart.

Customers receive a special cup with a scannable QR code.

Scanning the code opens a WebAR blind-box experience where users pick one of three virtual cups, each revealing a different reward.

Value proposition

The experience offers value to both users and the brand. Customers gain an engaging, shareable interaction that feels fun and rewarding, while Second Cup benefits from increased dwell time, stronger brand recall, and deeper emotional connection. The AR layer adds novelty without disrupting the physical retail flow, making it accessible and low-commitment.

Rewards structure

Engagement is reinforced through a rewards system that encourages exploration and return visits. Users unlock digital collectibles and exclusive content through interaction, which can be redeemed for in-store perks or shared on social platforms. This structure turns participation into motivation, driving loyalty through play rather than obligation.

Mockups

High-fidelity mockups and AR prototypes were created to visualize the experience in real-world contexts. These mockups demonstrate how the interface, interactions, and branded elements would appear on mobile devices, ensuring clarity, usability, and visual consistency with Second Cup’s identity.

Collaboration cup:

Blind box: