How Starbucks designed its new iconic cup and big comfy chair

Since taking over the coffee chain in 2024, Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol has been on a mission to go “back to Starbucks” and rekindle the feeling of warmth inside the coffee giant. That’s led to new store designs, new employee training, new uniforms, new menu items, and new staffing—which have helped the company break out of a two-year sales rut.  But as part of this deep strategic exploration, Niccol made two specific asks for Starbucks’s cross-discipline design team that are...