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Summary
Retail presents a uniquely exciting environment in which to discover service design journeys at the intersection of physical and digital spaces. What role can store employees play in the development of new technological processes? How can we engage with this environment and its people in a meaningful, impactful way? In this community videoconference, we cover approaches from a UX research and strategy lens with REI as a case study, and reflect on the challenges faced in this space.
Key Insights
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Enterprise UX design often faces complex constraints including security regulations, legacy tech, and diverse stakeholder needs.
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Forging new paths by collaborating with infrastructure teams enables remote deployment of prototype builds despite strict PCI compliance.
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Store employees' outdoors passion and expertise are an underutilized asset that can significantly enhance customer experience.
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Inclusive sharing of UX findings across all disciplines fosters organizational knowledge and breaks down silos.
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Physical paper prototypes and in-store workshops are effective for testing employee workflows in environments where device testing is hard.
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Non-design team members, like a QA tester who was a former employee, can offer valuable empathy-driven insights.
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Different REI store layouts require flexible UX solutions and reveal internal political and scheduling challenges.
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Integrating storytelling and humanizing employee users helps gain empathy and alignment within large organizations.
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Service design requires looking beyond digital interfaces to multi-channel and human touch points to create cohesive experiences.
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Soft, or human, skills in communication and leadership are critical for advancing UX work in large, complex enterprises.
Notable Quotes
"The biggest value proposition of REI’s in-store shopping experience is the store employees who are outdoor enthusiasts with deep expertise."
"Failure goes largely unnoticed in under-resourced enterprise teams, so it’s better to be transparent about missteps anyway."
"We could impact the end-to-end customer experience through our most underutilized asset: store employees."
"Every person on your team matters; share findings with anyone who will listen and include even those who don’t want to."
"Physical prototyping situates interaction modalities in the context of the physical environment, breaking free from just digital."
"It almost feels like cheating because your users are showing and telling you what they need."
"The constraints in enterprise teams force creative approaches that can shift product direction toward employee focus."
"Designers need to build storytelling and voice of real people into their design experiences and service journeys."
"UX is exploding as a profession, but educational programs miss connecting tactical design with business thinking."
"Soft skills are the hard skills of leadership in UX; it's about connecting with humans and expressing core values."
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