Driving engagement through digital wallet
Sole product designer @ZÉ EXPRESS Smart Coolers - 2021
Context
Zé Express transforms beverage shopping with smart fridges located in condominiums. Customers unlock the fridge using an app, select their drinks, and let AI handle the checkout after closing the door.
THE CHALLENGE
We needed to address two pressing business problems simultaneously:
1. Tailored Promotions to boost purchase frequency and revenue.
2. Streamlined Refunds to improve user satisfaction by reducing a 60-day processing time.
Research
PROBLEM ANALYSIS
The previous system disconnected payment actions (e.g., wallet, promotions, refunds) from the shopping experience. Users could only manage these in a separate section of the app, leading to frustration and missed opportunities for engagement.
UNDERSTANDING USERS AND COMPETITORS
To frame the problem, I combined insights from two sources:
1.User Feedback: An in-app survey with 587 responses highlighted key pain points:
→ 47% didn’t notice promotions.
→ 71% wanted more payment options.
→ Promotions were the second-most influential factor for purchases.
2.Competitive Benchmarking: Analyzed apps like iFood, Zé Delivery, Starbucks, and Uber:
→ The consistent placement of coupon selection at the checkout stage in delivery apps.
→ Automated selection of coupons or wallets by some companies.
→ The important role of Starbucks cashiers in reminding customers about using their digital wallet in a phygital context.
Strategy & Design Decisions
1. Reframing the Purchase Journey:
The first step was breaking down the existing flow into smaller components to identify friction points. Payment selection was entirely separate from the home screen, so I designed a new flow to embed wallet functionality into the shopping process.
Old Flow:
Users accessed payment features in a separate app section, creating friction and disengagement.
New Flow:
Added wallet to the home screen for easier visibility.
Enabled users to select payment methods (wallet, credit card, or promotions) before unlocking the fridge.
2. Streamlining Refunds with Back-End Integration:
The refund process was a major operational bottleneck, requiring 60 days due to third-party payment processing. I worked closely with engineers and customer support to build:
→ An automated refund system directly linked to the digital wallet, reducing delays to instant refunds.
→ A back-office management tool for customer support to manage refunds efficiently.
Testing & Alignment
USABILITY TESTING
I conducted usability tests with a mix of new and existing customers:
→ New Users: Quickly discovered the wallet and promotions on the home screen.
→ Existing Users: Struggled to notice the change due to familiarity with the old flow.
To address this gap, I pitched an onboarding campaign to the marketing team, focusing on educating users about the updated features. This involved:
→ In-app popups explaining the wallet.
→ Social media campaign announcing new feature.
PERSUASION
Convincing stakeholders to prioritize this onboarding initiative required emphasizing how it aligned with the business goal of increasing feature adoption. I presented data from usability tests and the user survey to secure buy-in.
Results
1. Purchase Frequency Boost
Loyal customers increased purchases to 4x/week, compared to 2x/week for the average user.
2. Revenue Impact
Executed 800+ personalized promotions, driving a 68% increase in revenue.
3. Operational Efficiency
The instant refund system reduced refund-related support tickets by 38%.
4. User Feedback
A post-launch survey for another project revealed that 91% of users preferred wallet credits as rewards, highlighting the potential for deeper wallet integration in future initiatives.
Next Steps
Enhance Wallet Visibility: Conduct new research and A/B tests to refine the purchase flow, making the wallet feature more prominent and intuitive for all users.
Expand Payment Accessibility: Introduce Pix (Brazil’s instant payment system) to cater to users without credit or debit cards, improving inclusivity and accessibility.