I believe it's often better to build on the bright spots, not scrap everything and start over. That requires lots of listening, a dedication to critical thinking and some creative ideas.
With a sketchbook and a stack of post-it notes I define big ideas with small interactions, balance the customer with the business and deliver short term gains with long term strategy.
For two years we tore down and rebuilt the foundation of what every Kohl's customer would see and, hopefully, few would notice. I created a modular e-commerce experience for one of the largest retailers in America.
The work we did is core to the future of Kohl's and a great story of a cross-functional team dedicated to the customer.
After 10 years with Save for Later on the backlog we finally did it. Customers who are on a tight budget can save their products for payday. The business can offer more tailored recommendations. Everybody wins.
I oversaw the initial launch but delivered a way to take Save for Later to the next level by understanding the customer journey, the business context and building a vision.
Nationwide Insurance asked me to lead some of the most talented people I've ever worked with as we redesigned and launched the flagship mobile app. I was the advocate for the customer with 7 development teams, a short budget and very little time.
We launched a beautifully modern experience so customers could pay their bills, file a claim and share their insurance ID cards. And it was modular so the business could easily deliver new value.
There's little hope of staying ahead of 7 development teams with only one designer. I had to think on my feet and see patterns before they were reused.
I used that quick thinking to build a design system. I could spend time with the high value problems and let our developers build other screens without wireframes.
A customer once told us "I shouldn't need a PhD in Kohl's Math to shop here." Customers can stretch their dollar with Kohl's Cash, free shipping and up to 4 offers per order.
We found customers buy more when we show that lowest price but they don't feel the same ownership if they don't have to take an action. Your Price balanced a seamless experience and customer agency to highlight the value of Kohl's, sell more and keep people coming back.
Fast paced, agile development but with a direction. A vision that guides the project to some greater purpose. It's not a contract but a direction that the team, and the stakeholders, can get behind.
After prioritizing and delivering some of the efforts, we can be critical about the vision. What works and what doesn't? More importantly, why?
Building a North Star vision doesn't mean pausing work. It's about consistently moving and discovering the path forward with stakeholders and customers.