Starbucks IMS uplift and UI toolkit design challenge

Starbucks Taking a holistic approach 

Starbucks IMS (Inventory management system) uplift consisted of elevating the present tools, including design updates to two successfully launched in-store mobile monitoring applications. The initial scope of the project included 2 phases. The first being review of high impact pages, redesign of UI components and navigation. These pages are being rebuilt to improve the user experience  and to define where strategic changes to the UI can be made. Phase 2 sees a complete rebuild of the site integrating the react native framework with  improvements to the UI and overall user experience. This to better reflect Starbucks standards helping to match the experience established by its consumer teams and create cohesiveness across the company.

Making a direct Impact

As the primary designer for the team my focus for the project was initially in supporting the developers uplifting the present inventory management system and related mobile applications. I was able to identify gaps and opportunities to improve the department UI design toolkit which would provide greater design cohesiveness across partner digital teams. As project developed and with the assistance of the lead designer I was able to scope where design changes were needed to give the stakeholders a clear understanding of designs impact on the process.

Research, user testing, Interviews, sitemaps, heuristics, task analysis, ideation, wireframes, Iteration, rapid prototyping, modular UI components, documentation, information architecture, and developer support.

Where we started

Defining the users in this case partners who would be using the tool. I wanted to make sure that all decision would help to better their experience. Though the initial phase is limited in what the legacy systems could support it provided a clear foundation for the react rebuild. In order to ensure parity with both the team and the users i completed a number of testing sessions syncing frequently with the team. From this i was able to identify a number of gaps in the present UI toolkit a foundation of work that unites all the partner designers. I brought these opportunities forward to our stakeholders and leads and was supported further expanding the UI toolkit in tandem with our developers.

Defining my scope

The team and their needs consisted of multiple parts in an effort to stay organized I took the timelines and a fair estimation of my time. By documenting where and what I was focused on I was able to be an advocate for the elements that required greater focus and also greater visibility to our stakeholders as to the importance design plays within the agile scrum process. Demonstrating the value of design within a process can be challenging however documentation is a strong step towards transparency. 

Deliberate decisions

In each of the pages and components my approach looked for creating consistency while also being thoughtful about the vision the department was driving towards. In many cases there were multiple iterations with each component as i grappled with ensuring both continuity and usability. With each item I sourced from other designers their current and possible needs in how these elements might impact their work. The entire process was collaborative and inspiring to build a better foundation from which future designers could craft cohesive designs. To this point this has allowed me to design freeform text fields, editable tables, calendar components, search functionality, push notifications, error states, and more. I have learned that as designers having a clear foundation for crafting elegant and highly usable products saves time and allows us to dial in on our customers needs.  

Within the Process

Presently the team is looking at future enhancements to the project and scoping out the react rebuild for phase 2. With the work and observations done over this initial phase much was learned about where improvements should be made. Knowing these improvements strategic value should save the team weeks of sprint time. The fact that the UI components are developed and available should also provide real support for the entire department. 

Starbucks thinks big

Throughout the whole process of uplifting these applications I was a left with the real understanding that the entire department was focused on building a better environment for its partners. In the same vein that Starbucks has worked to build a cohesive vision for it customers, it is taking that same drive and focusing on it's partners. My work is one important step in that direction and I know that my passion for making a good experience better was shared, especially on these products and within these teams.