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What is Staple Connect? 🖇️
Staples Connect serves as the innovation arm of the Staples brand, providing customers with a comprehensive suite of value in the name of 'reimagining retail'. Their offerings range from coworking, podcasting, and community event spaces to online tools, rewards, and services. The mobile app is a key component, designed to 'connect' schools, professionals, and communities with the resources they need to thrive.
Originally focused on enhancing interactions between teachers, admins, and parents through the Classroom Rewards program,
I worked on ideating and implementing new features, introducing the loyalty program, and proposing exciting new avenues of engagement, such as metaversal and in-store experiences.
Staples Rewards™ Hub
The rewards hub on the Staples Connect mobile app brought Staples Rewards into the app and created a single dashboard to consolidate all reward programs. Classroom Rewards is a donation program that links parents and supporters to local schools and educators, allowing them to earn and give back rewards. Staples Rewards provides cashback, ink and toner recycling, and store bonus rewards, all of which are earned through shopping, recycling, or participating in the loyalty program.
Each sub-program has different reward tiers based on spending totals, and payouts are directly given to the user through individual rewards checks. As the program has several components, the design process prioritized clarity, simplicity, organization, and intuitiveness for both customers and in-store associates to ensure easy use.
Staples Rewards™ Wallet
Customers and store associates were both experiencing confusion when it came to viewing and redeeming their Staples Rewards checks. The project's focus quickly shifted towards finding a more intuitive, organized, and straightforward method for users to access their rewards. Previously, rewards were automatically applied or calculated during checkout, making it difficult for users to find their earnings afterward.
To address these issues, a digital wallet was introduced as the solution. The project evolved to incorporate Staples Rewards into the app in a new and innovative way, increasing visibility and providing greater functionality and usability. The digital wallet creates a space where users have more control and insight into their earnings, making it easier for them to view and redeem their rewards.
Staples Rewards™ Wallet - Future State
Staples Connect™ 2.0
To prepare for a future platform revamp, I took charge of a project to explore potential art directions. The objective was to brainstorm a refreshed UI/UX and visual identity for the entire platform on a single screen. Our approach was based on the idea that a design system could be established using a few screens.
By doing this, we were able to present stakeholders with a variety of options. Initially, the stakeholders requested that we move the platform away from its Classroom Rewards roots and focus on innovation and inclusivity with a strong emphasis on community and forward-thinking. This exercise helped us set the stage for the future direction of the platform.
