Starbucks China
Refreshing the rewards program experience
Project timeline
- 3 Months
- Feb - May 2023
My role
- Product design
- Design research
Our team
- Product designer x 4
Starbucks team
- Internal design team
- Business team
Platform
- iOS
Refreshing the rewards program experience
The active participation rate of the rewards program is low compared to its large user base, which is missing the opportunities of fostering greater customer loyalty and increasing sales.
User experience impact
+36% in Rewards Center page engagement
+15% in user satisfaction based on in-app surveys.
Business impact
+12% in sales made through Rewards Center
+5% in active rewards program participation
We conducted research to better understand the mechanism of the rewards program and problem we faced.
Let's start with an example: the North America's Starbucks Rewards program.
The program is quite straight forward: one makes a purchase, earns stars, and redeems those
stars for
food
and
drinks.
The Chinese version is different. Rewards are available exclusively through a tier system, with each tier offering distinct benefits.
Interviews with Stakeholders
We conducted interviews with both the design and business team to find out their priorities and needs.
Interview with existing users
# of participants: 5
Desk research
We analyzed iOS app store reviews and in-app survey results.
1. Low awareness
Users lack awareness regarding the rewards program and its tier system.
2. Confusing tracking/benefits information
Users consistently find it challenging to grasp the information presented in the Rewards center.
How might we help Starbucks users become more aware & understand the benefits of the rewards program?
"become more aware"
Solution 1
Enhance the visibility
By promoting the visibility of rewards-related components, users can learn more about the program and its tier system.
"understand the benefits"
Solution 2
A more intuitive design language
We can employ various design techniques to make the tracking and tier info in the Rewards center more intuitive.
Let's take a closer look at how I crafted these solutions to respond to the specific needs and insights gathered during our research.
After brainstorming, we developed three proposals.
We conducted usability testing and discovered that some users didn't realize the badge from proposal 2 was clickable, preventing them from finding the additional access to the Rewards center.
Between proposals 1 and 3, we found that proposal 3 had better visual hierarchy and readability.
This made proposal 3 our final choice.
Before we begin, we asked ourselves one question:
How can we transform all this information to make it easier to understand?
And we immediately thought of cards.
The card design seems like a mature and familiar solution to present tier information.
Based on the card idea, we redesigned the new progress tracking.
We have also developed 3 proposals for the new Rewards center design, incorporating the new progress bar.
This proposal shows tier & rewards info on the back of the card.
It works exactly like a physical card!
We conducted usability testing and discovered that some users didn't realize the badge from proposal 1 was clickable, preventing them from finding their current benefits.
This particular design is text-heavy. Some users only care about when to get the rewards, so they don't need all that information.
This made proposal 3 our final choice.
By moving the "How to earn stars" section to a more prominent position, the business team is confident that it will help increase sales through the Rewards Center page.
"Working with you guys has been an amazing experience! You truly understand our requirements and delivered outstanding results. The final solution is user-friendly, impactful, and easy to implement."
– Starbucks China iOS team
The redesign of the Starbucks app's rewards program showcased the profound impact of thoughtful design. With modest design efforts, we have generated significant positive outcomes for both the business and user experience.
Achieving similar results through marketing or sales would require greater investment and effort, yet still result in a subpar user experience. By changing the design, we achieved efficiency and cost savings.
Through active collaboration with clients and fellow designers, I've amassed invaluable experience that has enriched my design journey.
Product design + Design research / Web (desktop + mobile) / Contract
Product design + Design research / Web / Contract