The Digital Store Platform had every feature associates needed, but repeated logins, buried actions and missing stock locations slowed down routine tasks.
What I did
Surveyed 15 associates, ran think-aloud sessions on the live app and its official update, and redesigned the core workflows around how often each task happens.
Outcome
A tested prototype built around the four most frequent tasks, with camera lookup for missing tags and an in-store stock map.
The solution
From “where is it?” to one continuous journey.
High-frequency tasks sit on the home screen. Customer, member and stock context follow the associate from lookup to checkout, so nothing gets typed twice.
Home: the four most frequent tasks firstCamera lookup for items with missing tagsStock split by sales floor and stockroomMember and rewards context kept in the bagCheckout ends with quick customer feedback
In-store map that shows exactly where an item is stocked
Research
What associates actually do—and what they asked for.
Most-used tasks
Share of the 15 surveyed associates who use each task.
Price checks and sales
93%
Order and inventory lookup
87%
Most-wanted additions
Each dot is one associate who gave the idea the top rating (5 out of 5).
Camera lookupFor items with missing tags
11/15
In-store mapTo find stock without searching
10/15
Centralised hubOne place for every tool
8/15
“This is not what I asked for.”
Retail feature benchmark
Which in-store tools comparable retailers already gave their staff or shoppers.
Feature
Hollister
Zara
Søstrene Grene
Walmart
RFID inventory
no
yes
no
no
Camera lookup
no
no
yes
no
In-store navigation
no
no
no
yes
Mobile checkout
no
yes
no
yes
Barcode product info
yes
yes
yes
yes
The problem
The friction was hiding between the features.
Original appOriginal DSP and Member Hub
Official updateOfficial update reviewed in the second round
My redesignRedesigned home screen
Think-aloud findings → design response
Two rounds: the live app, then the official update.
Critical
Stock counts gave no location, so associates still searched the floor by hand.
→
Split stockroom and sales-floor quantities; add an in-store map.
High
“No Tag Lookup” looked like ordinary search and was easy to miss.
→
Make camera-based visual lookup a first-class action.
High
Member email was asked for again in both purchase and return flows.
→
Keep member context and surface recently used emails.
Medium
Navigation icons were unclear, crowded and inconsistent.
→
Four labelled destinations and one stable visual system.
Associate journey: tasks, pain points and opportunities
Process
Four options, three navigation rounds, one system.
Design around frequency
Price checks, sales, returns and inventory became the clearest routes. Rarely used settings moved out of prime space.
Carry context through the journey
Member details, prices, rewards and totals stay visible, so associates never rebuild a transaction.
Turn physical search into a digital task
Camera lookup handles missing tags; floor and stockroom counts plus a map cut manual searching.
Make consistency an accessibility feature
A deep navy, neutral surfaces and labelled navigation replaced a bright, fragmented visual language.
How–Now–Wow: ideas sorted by innovation and difficultyNavigation across three tested versions, with associate feedbackFour home-screen directions comparedNavy and neutral pairings checked against WCAG contrast
Results
A clearer system, proven step by step.
15complete survey responses
2think-aloud rounds: live app and official update
4home concepts compared
3navigation versions tested
Where it stands
The redesign is a tested prototype, not a shipped release. Camera lookup and the store map would depend on Hollister’s store systems, and inventory data can still be inaccurate.
← All work
Case study / 02