Big companies can learn a lot about customer experience from small businesses. Like André the doughnut seller, for example, who I met in the summer.
At this time of year I find myself reflecting on 2024, including a fantastic summer holiday in Burgau, often referred to as “the Portuguese Santorini”.
It’s a charming fishing village with cobbled streets, whitewashed houses, quirky restaurants, and sandy beaches with crystal-clear waters.
What I didn’t expect was that this little getaway would teach me important lessons about user-centered design (UCD) and customer experience (CX).
Our peaceful visit to the beach was interrupted by the honking of a van’s horn.
I watched as a boy dashed out of the water, sprinted across the sand, and grabbed a wallet from his mum's bag. But that was just the beginning.
A queue formed rapidly, and kept growing, with dozens of sunbathers in swimwear and sunglasses waiting patiently in the 35°C heat.
Intrigued, I approached the van myself. What could possibly have everyone so excited?
But it was simply a guy selling the beloved Portuguese cream-filled doughnuts Bolas de Berlim.
Bolas de Berlim (literally ‘Berlin balls’) hold a special place in Portuguese culture, evoking childhood memories of summer vacations.
Vendors usually walk along the beaches, ringing bells and calling out to attract customers. The convenience of having them delivered right to your beach towel only adds to their appeal.
However, this vendor in Burgau beach, André, had taken the experience to a whole new level while keeping the essence intact.
Traditionally, vendors carry the fresh cream doughnuts in cooler bags, walking for miles until a customer calls out.
It's an exhausting and dangerous job, with vendors often working the entire summer under the scorching 35-40ºC sun.
But André had reimagined the entire experience making it unique and unforgettable.
What did André do differently?
First, he sold the doughnuts from his van, filling them on the spot. This reassured customers they were fresh, reduced the risk of food poisoning, and made them taste better.
This also allowed him to offer a wide variety of flavours – something unusual for Bolas de Berlim. He even does live user testing with potential new flavours he might want to add to the menu.
As a fun twist, he gave out free stamp-tattoos featuring his face – holding a fresh doughnut, of course. Both kids and adults loved this.
The kids were running up and down the beach, proudly showing off their tattoos, feeling very cool. This excitement quickly spread, making other kids want to join in, which naturally led to longer lines, and more sales.
His success was such that he introduced loyalty cards and even started selling his own merchandise, like socks, T-shirts and bags.
All of this without having to walk even a single mile under the torrid sun.
This experience at Burgau reminded me how user-centred principles, when applied thoughtfully – even in traditional contexts – can lead to impactful and lasting results
The key user-centred design and CX principles André demonstrated are as follow.
André transformed the traditional doughnut-selling process by using a stationary van.
This innovation solved his pain points of long, exhausting walks in the heat. It also solved a problem for customers, ensuring the doughnuts were fresh, safe, and high-quality.
By filling doughnuts on the spot, offering a variety of flavours, and adding playful touches like free tattoos and branded merchandise, André made the experience unique and exciting for customers.
As my colleague Kerrie Hughes has explained, these positive emotional feelings have real value. They create strong engagement and loyalty.
André took the time to understand what his customers valued – freshness, variety, and fun.
By catering to these needs, he elevated the experience and built a loyal customer base, proving the power of aligning products and services with user expectations.
André’s story is a reminder that great design isn’t limited to apps, websites, or high-tech products.
It’s about empathy and creativity in solving real-world problems, no matter the context.