Since my first observation in my chosen lab isn't scheduled until next week, I decided to practice my observation skills by going to a local coffee shop (a Starbucks in particular) and seeing what happens. there. The first thing I immediately noticed, of course, were the elements that make observing difficult: the moderately loud music makes listening to staff conversations slightly difficult, while the high counters make it difficult to see most of of the work area. That music obscures conversations seems to be its goal, or at least one of its goals. It's loud enough that one can hold a relatively private conversation without expecting others to hear exactly what they're saying. But at the same time, it only obscures the conversation, without hiding it entirely, so that the cafe still seems lively when there are people talking. I suspect it also gives an illusion of liveliness even when the cafe is otherwise quiet. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay The counters serve the dual function of storage and barrier demarcation: inside the barriers formed by the counters is the work area, where it would be taboo for a customer to enter. From my seat in the cafe, I can see some of the contents of these counters, and I notice that the items stored are those that seem to spoil the "theme" of the other items, more displayed on higher selves. Visible items stored in the cafe are generally unopened, almost organized, with colorful labels mostly showing the store logo. These are all items used in the creation of the various coffee products made here - coffee beans, teas, bottles of flavored syrup, etc. - and yet none of the items on display are opened. Syrups/coffee bean packets/etc. Those that are actually opened and used are stored lower down, in counters that are hidden from view of most customers. I suspect it's about maintaining an image of cleanliness and sanitation. After all, an open container is exposed to the elements and bacteria, which can cause spoilage. The consumer only sees the carefully organized and sealed ingredients – the true disorganization of the process of creating their drink hidden from them by the high counters. The design of the store itself projects to the consumer a different idea of ​​what is happening than the reality of the process. Let's move on to the process itself. When I observed, three staff members were visibly on duty. The first customer we interacted with was the cashier, although that wasn't his only job. When a customer ordered a drink, the cashier would ask them two key pieces of information: the drink they wanted, followed by their name, before taking their money and handing them their receipt and their luck. They could not take the time to convey this information to other workers, so the cups were used as a medium to convey the message directly to those preparing a drink. The staff member would take a cup of the appropriate size for the drink and write the name of the drink to put in the cup along with the name of the person who ordered it on the cup, before placing it on a counter behind the cashier (between the cashier and other employees). The now transcribed cup is then taken by the other two employees, who get to work actually producing the drink described by the transcription. The machines used.