How do you build loyalty when your product lineup is built to change?
Pilot Project isn't your typical brewery. As a craft beverage incubator housing 21+ brands under one roof, their business model is built on constant innovation — new beverages, rotating taps, and a portfolio that's always evolving. That's exciting for craft enthusiasts, but it created a real discovery problem.
With no mobile presence and dozens of brands to keep track of, customers had no easy way to find what was on tap, explore new releases, or stay connected between visits. They needed a digital experience that could turn casual visitors into engaged regulars — one that made discovery feel effortless and kept people coming back.
Four pillars of discovery, gamification, and reward.
What started as a mobile app concept quickly grew into an ongoing design partnership. Through extensive discovery sessions and iterative prototyping, we mapped out the full ecosystem of features Pilot Project needed to bridge the gap between their physical taprooms and a digital community.
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Beverage Discovery & Profiles
Rich beverage profiles with tasting notes, similar drink recommendations, curated playlists, and a "Top Drinks" showcase, making it easy to explore Pilot Project's rotating portfolio.
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QR Check-In & Venue Experience
A frictionless QR code system that lets users check in at taproom locations, unlocking location-specific content and personalised recommendations.
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Gamified Leaderboard & Badges
A progressive leaderboard that evolves with each user's journey, paired with achievement badges that reward exploration.
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Digital Wallet & Rewards
A token-based loyalty engine where users earn redeemable rewards for engaging with the platform.
The first two pillars carry most of the weight on a guest's first visit — they have to make a sprawling, ever-changing menu feel discoverable rather than overwhelming. We designed the beverage profile as the canonical home for everything a curious drinker might want — tasting notes, brand context, similar drinks, community ratings — and built a QR scanner that gets users into that profile in a single tap from a coaster or table tent.
Beverage profile — tasting notes, ratings, and similar drinks in one shareable card
First-run scan prompt — the entire core loop, taught in one screen
A craft beverage discovery platform — not just another brewery app.
Most brewery apps serve a single brand with a static menu. Pilot Project's incubator model demanded something more dynamic — a platform that could showcase dozens of brands, adapt to rotating offerings, and use gamification to drive discovery across an ever-changing portfolio.
The leaderboard turned the rotating menu into something the community could rank together; the wallet turned every check-in and rating into a reason to come back. Together they reframed a logistical headache — "what do you have on tap today?" — as the most engaging thing about the brand.
Top Drinks chart — the rotating menu, ranked by the community each month
"Pop tabs" intro — the loyalty currency framed as a brand element before users earn their first one
We don't sell a single brand. We host a constantly changing community of them. SNACKS gave that model a digital home — and made the chaos feel like the point.Pilot Project Founder