Simplifying Customer Retail Choices
How dual mode UX boosted sales and reduced staff dependency
Role: Lead UX Designer
Tools: Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator
Challenge
At John Lewis, shoppers browsing Shark vacuums and wet cleaners were often overwhelmed by the volume of options and complex specs. Inconsistent staff support led to hesitation and lost sales.
The task was to design a self serve touchscreen kiosk that simplifies product decision making and builds confidence for both new and returning shoppers.
Impact
🔼 +25% kiosk engagement time
🛒 +18% sales uplift for featured products
👥 Reduced reliance on staff
✅ Boosted shopper confidence
Discovery & Strategy
I led a discovery workshop with stakeholders to align on business goals and shopper pain points. We built a logic tree to define key product decision drivers:
Corded vs. cordless
Pet hair performance
Budget and price tiers
Two clear user flows emerged:
Guided Mode
For step-by-step product matchingBrowse Mode
For faster, self directed exploration
The product spec data was inconsistent, which complicated filtering logic. I collaborated with developers to restructure the backend, enabling dynamic and accurate filters.
UX Architecture
Flat navigation system for ease and speed
Filter by need (e.g., pets, floor type)
Compare models side-by-side
Explore product cards with key specs and benefits
Benefit driven tags like “Best for Pets” or “Longest Battery” to clarify differences
Design Principles
The experience was grounded in three core UX design principles:
Informative - Give enough detail to decide without overload
Engaging - Scroll, tap, and visuals built user attention
Personable - Tone of voice and microcopy made content relatable
Design Execution
Using Figma, I created high-fidelity wireframes for retail conditions:
Large tap targets for standing users
High contrast UI for visibility under glare
Modular product cards for quick scanning
Clear hierarchy to reduce decision fatigue.
I added visual cues (arrows, sticky nav) to guide behaviour
Testing & Iteration
I conducted usability testing on actual kiosk hardware in-store, observing real customer behaviour.
Key refinements included:
Repositioned CTAs for better visibility
Simplified Guided Mode to reduce steps
Improved visual hierarchy on dense pages
Smoothed screen transitions for better comparison flow
Final Reflection
The dual‑mode flow balanced novice and confident shoppers, making product selection faster and more intuitive. By grounding the design in real in‑store behaviour and using a modular approach, we delivered a scalable retail tool that boosted confidence, reduced friction, and delivered measurable business results.
Next case study
Logic Vapes