Challenge

The core challenge was to design an intuitive and motivating platform that seamlessly captures product data from retail locations through user-friendly missions. The solution needed to balance the business objective of gathering accurate, up-to-date product information with a compelling user experience that encouraged regular engagement and rewarded completion. Additionally, the app had to cater to both routine (category) and ad-hoc (special) missions while making the process transparent, rewarding, and enjoyable through gamification elements.

Immersion

We began by deeply understanding the business goals and potential users. Early collaboration between the product team and clients ensured that the design strategy aligned with these insights. User testing was integral from day one, over 19 users participated in interviews and a focused 7-day testing period to validate assumptions and gather feedback.

What I did:

• Conducted user interviews
• Facilitated collaborative workshops to align on business and user needs
• Developed a design strategy centred on user motivation, gamification, and clarity

Challenges Faced

One challenge was balancing the complexity of mission types with simplicity in the user experience. Initially, we considered a more complex reward system with tiered badges and levels, but early user testing showed it might overwhelm users or distract from core tasks. We decided to focus on straightforward points and monetary rewards instead, which users found more motivating.

User Experience

We began by clearly defining the purpose of each mission type and the key user interactions involved. This abstraction allowed us to focus on what truly mattered, making the process simple, rewarding, and motivating. By documenting every step, from registration and onboarding questions to mission completion and rewards, we ensured no detail was overlooked.
This disciplined approach helped us eliminate distractions and prioritise the core flows, enabling confident progression to design proposals. We rigorously considered all possible user scenarios, including editing answers before submission and managing completed missions, to deliver a smooth, intuitive experience that encourages ongoing engagement.

What I did:

• Defined detailed user flows and edge cases for mission engagement
• Created wireframes to visualise core interactions and feedback loops
• Validated designs through continuous user testing to refine usability and motivation

Visual Design

The visual approach focused on clarity and simplicity; minimising distractions to keep users focused on key actions. The interface guides users effortlessly through missions and rewards, with clean layouts and clear calls to action.

What I did:

• Developed UI components for consistent experience
• Established visual hierarchy emphasising mission completion and gamification feedback
• Ensured accessibility and responsiveness for varied user contexts

Results

We delivered a collaborative platform that motivates retail managers to contribute valuable product data regularly. The gamification features boosted retention and participation rates, turning routine tasks into rewarding and enjoyable experiences. Early user testing confirmed the app’s intuitive nature and reward mechanisms as key engagement drivers. The combination of point-based and monetary incentives encouraged diverse user participation and accurate reporting.
Feedback from users and stakeholders continues to guide feature prioritisation and interface improvements, setting the stage for future growth and expanded capabilities in retail data collaboration.

Lessons learned

This project really showed me how important it is to test early and often with users to make sure designs actually work and don’t get too complicated. I discovered that adding gamification thoughtfully can make boring tasks more fun without losing focus on what matters. Working closely with different teams taught me how key clear communication is to balancing what users want and what the business needs. Overall, this experience helped me get better at designing user-friendly, scalable products in tricky situations.