Long Biao® | Redefining the Culinary Experience

Inspired by the Chinese tradition of sharing dishes in the center of the table, we developed the Long Biao® (Dragon Table). We brought the menu to the physical surface of the table to transform "ordering food" into a collaborative ceremony.

1. Phygital Design (Physical + Digital): I led the industrial design of the 72" furniture, ensuring it could withstand the high-traffic environment of a busy restaurant.

• Materials: Steel structure, wood and polyurethane finish, and a custom-integrated tempered glass screen for multi-touch interaction.

• Hardware: Custom-built hardware designed to recognize gestures and provide immediate feedback to multiple simultaneous users.

2. Inclusive Software Ecosystem: The interface was designed to be "hierarchy-free," allowing everyone from children to seniors to participate.

• Interactive Menu: A visual, tactile menu that allows diners to explore dishes together before ordering.

• Co-Creation Games: Features like "Beast Factory," where players collaborate to build mythological creatures, echoing the symbolic nature of the Chinese dragon.

• Contextual Value: Included a "Coyoacán Gallery" that turned the waiting time into a cultural discovery moment, suggesting nearby landmarks for post-dinner visits.

Born from an interdisciplinary collaboration with Stanford University (ME310), the project followed a rigorous user-centered design cycle:

• Iterative Prototyping: Developed multiple low and high-fidelity prototypes of both the furniture and the touch-interface.

• Service Integration: Coordinated with restaurant staff to ensure the digital ordering system aligned with their operational flow.

• Long-term Sustainability: The systems were designed for durability, requiring minimal maintenance while maintaining high performance in public spaces.

• Longevity: A decade after installation, the systems continue to serve diners, proving the robustness of the original industrial and technological design.

• Innovation Benchmark: Positioned Café Kowloon as a pioneer in the "Phygital" dining space in Mexico, blending traditional hospitality with cutting-edge interaction.

"This project is a testament to my multidisciplinary roots. It demonstrates that I am comfortable managing the complexity of physical manufacturing alongside digital interface design. It proves that I can design for 'intangible' experiences (conversation, joy, sharing) by mastering 'tangible' constraints (hardware, durability, ergonomics)."