Yo-Kai Express
Yo-Kai Express isn't your average meal machine. This innovative platform dishes out fresh, gourmet food with over 30 options, 24 hours a day, and all without human contact. Their secret? A unique cooking technology that whips up hot ramen noodles on-the-spot, like magic. From airports and hotels to hospitals and universities, Yo-Kai Express has popped up in diverse locations, serving over 200,000 meals and counting.
Their mission: to provide delicious, restaurant-quality eats anytime, anywhere, catering to busy schedules and unusual settings. The inspiration? A dash of Japanese and Chinese folklore, where "Yo-Kai" spirits can mysteriously appear at any time, in any place. So next time you're craving a late-night bite, remember, Yo-Kai Express might just have your back (or bowl) waiting.
Problems to solve
To update the design language for a family of food-tech products suitable for North American customers
The design should be able to be applied retroactively to products already shipping, avoiding comprehensive re-engineering
Accommodate the needs of 2 key users: service personnel and end users
Introduce an element of whimsy and character to stand out from the installation environment
Integrate the requirements of engineering and manufacturing partners
Original design (above)
Design updates
Working closely with the international Yo-Kai Express team, Spanner’s in-house industrial designers expedited the generation of mood boards to explore and converge on design concepts that were optimal for a North American customer.
Engineering solutions
Spanner investigated engineering requirements, understood key manufacturing considerations, and identified opportunities for usability enhancements – both for end customers and for service personnel. Daily engagements and constant communication were crucial to maintaining program velocity and alignment with client intent.
Manufacturing considerations
Spanner provided a comprehensive design handoff specification detailing each of the products in the family to enable client engineering and manufacturing partners in East Asia to integrate engineering details and support ramp to mass production.
We're proud to enable the vision to come to fruition and to be a part of their story — and their clients’ stories, too. Learn more at https://www.yokaiexpress.com
Program outcomes
Successful deployment and ramp of new noodles machine design
Establishment of a flexible and scalable design language easily applied to multiple form factors including an autonomous mobile restaurant
Engagement of Spanner for follow-on consumer kitchen device and commercial beverages device (debuted at CES 2024)
Countless thousands of meals served around the clock!
Project team
Yo-Kai Express: Andy Lin, Amanda Tsung
Spanner: Alyssa Kinoshita, Torence Lu
“Working with Andy and Amanda to reinvigorate Yo-Kai Express was both an honor and a thrilling puzzle. We navigated diverse needs to land designs that elevate their brand and streamline production. The market’s response? Music to our ears!”
