Creating a frictionless experience for “retail and connected stores”
Project aim
For clients : Provide a solution that can fit their brand (white label) and is a cost effective way to reduce queues and improve customer experience. A solution which can rival more costly alternatives such as Amazon Go brick and mortar stores.
For users : An easy frictionless experience for checkouts, without the pains of modern checkouts.
My role
I was responsible for the production of all visual assets on this project. I was involved from the infancy of the project, more often than not being the only creator of visual communication, from the prototype phase to a fully designed pilots launched in multiple stores (for Shell, and eventually YO! Sushi).
Other talented UI designers also intermittently worked in this project to create the brand language and illustrations. I used feedback from senior directors, client and stakeholders to create a white label design language that applied across numerous deliverables that spanned UI design and animations for tablet and mobile, UX research and testing, motion editing for client pitches and retail environment design for the stores.
Project team and stakeholders included : 1 Product owner, 2 Service designers, 1 scrum master/project manager, team of developers.
This page gives a short overview.
Full case study coming soon.
Snapshot of my responsibilities
UX Design and testing
- Guerilla testing
- Situational user testing
Visual Design testing
- UI design and animation for tablet and mobile
- Retail signage and environment design
- Print material for pitches and clients
- Video editing and motion graphics
- Prototyping microinteractions and illustrated animations
- Mock ups and 3D prototypes
Production
- Design reviews with developers
- Constant testing with users
Challenges and approach
We’re all too familiar with the frustrating experience of going to a checkout today and hearing “Unexpected items in the bagging area”. This is not only frustrating for the customer, but also as the store owner, who is managing the fast forming queue and sorting the inventory which relies on manual laborious work.
IBM’s invention gives customers the fastest way to checkout and empowers retailers to manage the in-store experience and supply chain. The long-term vision of this is to reduce waste globally and empower more ethical consumerism worldwide.
We created an accelerator phase of testing in a Shell Holloway Road store in London, and then eventually a Shell Thorley in East England. We also implemented a test phase with a YO! sushi store at St Pauls in London.
This tech works via the interaction of a live kiosk stand, instant recognition of items (through the latest RFID tech) and an app.
The main challenge for this was to redesign the experience in a way which is utilizing the mental modals of how people pay for items today (oyster, tap and pay) and combining this with unfamiliar ways of checking out (just dropping on a kiosk table shelf to detect the items). We had to rigorously test the visual communication throughout – from animation, signage to UI, all of which was produced by myself with creative guidance from stakeholders.
Our main question for the first phase was :
Does the concept work with real users in a real retail environment?
Our second question in the next phase was :
How do we integrate the technology further, and make the design better for both the user and store owner?
Design trials
Designs and animations
I was reponsible for the overall visual deliverables, which included microinteractions and animation as well as white label design and UI kit. Other talented UI designers also intermittently worked in this project to create the brand language and illustrations due to the collaborative efforts involved in delivering to tight deadlines.
Rollout and Impact
The invention was showcased globally and got coverage from BBC world, BBC click, The Evening Standard and various other media outlets.
We also got a chance to test out the product in a busy YO! Sushi store (as well as designing other concepts such as project mapped menus, interactive screens and ordering systems) for YO! Sushi.