BP
An opportunity to increase customer loyalty and get people in stores
project Background
Role
Experience Designer
Timeline
Ten Weeks
teams
Strategy, Client Partnerships, Business Development, XD
Background
In this new business proposition, I led the research and design of an end-to-end experience design project with a two-fold digital solution. This case study focuses on key parts (but not the entirety) of our strategy along with the digital experience solution. I presented the project to Technology and Agency executives and company-wide teams, emphasizing the value of the strategy, research, and design.
The Ask
Help BP craft the future of the customer retail experience, specifically focusing on increasing in-store traffic and loyalty.
How can we leverage the tools in the BP toolkit (and their robust footprint) to develop a stronger relationship with their customers?
Understanding the problem
My team and I conducted various forms of research to inform our strategy and design decisions. The five research items conducted allow us to build a strong strategy and concept that would allow our digital experience to be user-centric and valuable to our audiences.
audience
76%
Visit c-stores one or more times a week.
After conducting desk research and user surveys, we established our audiences. We found that our main audiences for these digital solutions would be both Gen-Z and Millenial, with a focus on Gen-Z. Gen Z is more likely to visit convenience stores than other generations.
*Below are statistics based off user surveys I conducted to give insight on how Gen-Z interact with C-stores
49%
Said they go to C-Stores with their friends
92%
Said they enjoy the experience at a c-store.
User Interviews
We conducted 15 surveys and 25 interviews on both Gen-Z and Millenial individuals. Interviews spanned about 20 minutes and interviewees were asked a series of questions related to convenience stores, BP specific, and the UX of loyalty programs they enjoy. The questions were developed after visiting multiple convenience stores to gather observations of the in store experience, and how it relates to mobile experiences.
outcomes
From our research and anaylzing the qualitative insights we had recieved, we workshops and did some light affinity mapping to land on three common themes.
Community
Often times, Gen-Z is going to these stores with their friends
Rewards
Rewards on these applications can be minimal, and doesn’t offer a lot of incentive to be a return customer
Convenience
Gen-Z is often going to c-stores due to familiarity
Research
In-store visit
Our ethnographic observation provided valuable qualitative insights about BP, helping define problem spaces across our cross-functional teams. Being on-site allowed me to focus on the mobile user experience of the application. Through direct interactions with customers, I observed how people pay for gas at the pump and redeem rewards in-store. This firsthand experience enabled me to identify gaps and pain points in the digital experience, which informed our subsequent user interviews and helped align our developing strategy with key areas of opportunity.
Personas and Journeys
While both Brad (Millenials) and Diana (Gen-Z) are our audiences for this project, this overall solution focuses on Gen-Z (Diana) as our primary audience, and Millenials (Brad) as our secondary audience.
outcomes
Personas
The personas and journey maps provide crucial insights into user needs, pain points, and behaviors, allowing me to design wireframes that directly address user goals and create a more intuitive, user-centered experience in the upcoming design phase.
Objectives
How can we create an engaging, cohesive experience that enhances the in-store and digital experience
Through all the research we conducted and creating comprehensive personas and journey maps, we came up with some objectives.
Create a collaborative experience that would get users on the app and in store, and stay loyal to BP
Rewards on these applications can be minimal, and doesn’t offer a lot of incentive to be a return customer
Create cohesive solutions that would work with all functionalities to increase engagement and a streamlined user journey
Insight to concept
Gas stations have been labeled liminal spaces... “A place somewhere between point A and B.”
“Liminal spaces can best be described as going through a change or going from place to place—from one thing to the next...it’s the space between what is and what will
happen next.”
| Forbes 2022
“It has a positive connotation that relieves my stress. Like, okay, I have a break, I have a pause and get what I need to get before getting to my next destination.”
Since Gen-Z is so occupied in their fast paced lifestyles, the concept of “While we’re here” (at BP) we can capitalize on the idea of a paused moment. This overall strategy allows us to prioritize features and key concepts in our ideation that will allow users to dive into this concept of a paused moment. How can we make the digital experience align with customers in store experience in order for it to feel like a paused moment?
So what is gen-z seeking?
Gen Z is preoccupied by Their Fast-Paced Lifestyle: With a lifestyle dictated by technology, work, and school, Gen Z has little time and place to slow down into a moment for themselves.
A pause from their fast-paced lifestyles.
In summary, by making informed decisions based off valuable data, insights, and a strong strategy we would be able to create a user-centric and strategic approach to the next phase of the project - design development.
Current State
The current state of the BPme app has many areas of opportunity. In relation to our direct ask from BP, there is a wide range of opportunities for engagement in different areas of this application. What will get people on the app, and how can they stay on it while furthering this notion of a paused moment?
wireframes
Based on the research conducted and gaining valuable insights into Gen-Z and Millenials, I began wireframing solutions that would capitalize on every part of the customer journey for Brad and Diana.
Home Page Wires
While wireframing, I made meticulous efforts to connect each feature back to a customer pain point, strategy, or a part of the customer/user journey of Brad and Diana (outlined on the iteration to the right)
Carpool page Wires
The carpooling feature was the key aspect I created in alignment to bp feeling like a paused moment. This journey will allow users to engage on the application before they even get to store, and have points of conversation during their drive that are consumer-related and bp focused.
Future state wires
With the carpool feature being a collaborative experience, I began to ideate customizable features and friend activity. Friend activity is aligned to our solution and push for engagement. Next, the for you feature is a customizable feature for users on the app. With the rise of AI, the integration into the BP app would be incredibly valuable to give users a more personalized experience. Due to time constraints we prioritized merely the carpool feature and loyalty program, and kept this feature in our back pockets for future state iterations.
High fidelities
This solution ensures that we were focusing on the strongest touch-points of Brad and Diana’s customer journey. I created an experience and key features which capitalize on every point of the customer journey, making this a strong, holistic solution for BP users.
Home screen
Diana uses the home page to grab her QR code to scan her items with the cashier in store, allowing her to quickly get points and pay for her items.
Brad on the other hand, is always keeping a close eye on his rewards, waiting until he can redeem his next one.
Why it works
Friends
Diana, and other Gen Z individuals like her, are in need of an experience that encourages human interaction and community while capitalizing on loyalty integrations. She can stay active with her friends while carpooling, and have a short and sweet point of conversation
Why it works
Loyalty program
Diana, and other Gen Z individuals like her, look to be rewarded on in-app and in-store experiences. Having a rewards program is a simple feature that creates engagement and ROI for users. I developed the rewards app to seamlessly weave into other features like the carpooling feature. If you carpool two times, you can receive extra rewards for completing these challenges.
This section focuses on weaving together the most crucial elements and concepts of BP’s current interface while we incorporate our own digital solutions into the forefront of this page and overall interface that rely on recognizing Brad and Diana’s pain points and opportunities.
Users are encouraged to carpool to BP and really anywhere! Because of BP’s commitment to sustainability, this solution focuses on rewarding people for carpooling while making an interactive and fun experience while they are actively together and ultimately ends with leading people into the store.
why it works
Reward programs enhance retail digital experiences by offering savings and incentives, which boost customer loyalty and attract new shoppers. They create a compelling reason for customers to return and engage more frequently. Further, by integrating features like carpooling to impact user rewards, this is a streamlined solution to keep users engaged on all points of the app.
KPIs
Due to this project being a new business deal, these KPIs are hypothetical measurable for success. If this experience was deployed, these are the KPIs I feel would be most valuable.
system usability scale
•Customer facing KPI: allowing this success measurement to be user-centric
•Cost effective: this template is universal across web and mobile, meaning most of the work is done for you!
User Growth rate
When your user growth rate is increasing, you want to know how and why…is it a steady climb because features like the ‘friends’ capabilities allowing for an increasingly steady flow of new users? Or is it peaking at certain times or in response to certain promotions/marketing campaigns BP has been running?
app retention rate
App retention rate is important because it helps you understand how well your app is performing over time. A higher retention rate is generally better because active users are more engaged
Executive Presentation
Upon completion of deliverables, our team convened to present our project findings. We conducted two comprehensive presentations: one company-wide for WONGDOODY, and another for Technology and Agency executives. My primary responsibility was to underscore the critical role of research in this project's success.
The extensive research conducted throughout the project enabled us to make data-driven decisions at every stage of the strategy and experience journey. This meticulous approach ensured that our outcomes were well-informed and aligned with project objectives.
Given the diverse nature of our audiences, I refined my ability to tailor the presentation content, adjusting the level of detail regarding design decisions to ensure clarity and comprehension for all attendees. This experience enhanced my skills in effectively communicating complex information to varied stakeholders, ensuring that every aspect of the project was understood and clear.