I developed a case study based on research I conducted for Walmart's self checkout system. It was a semester long project for my intermediate UI/UX course which focused on redesigning the self checkout experience and being able to tell a story through case study writing.
Overview
Walmart is a leading retailer in constantly seeking innovative ways to improve customer experience and operational efficiency. With a variety of ways to shop their goal is to save customers time and money.
Challenge
Walmart is experiencing a trend in shrinkage correlated to self-checkout. Customers are finding the process to be more of a hassle and less user-friendly. The existing self-checkout process at Walmart requires customers to properly scan and weight items, bag them, and navigate through a complex interface leading to frustration, panic, and longer transaction times. As a designer my aim is to streamline the checkout process and provide a more intuitive and engaging experience for customers.
Research and Design process
I first identified the scope of the problem through interviewing potential target demographics and conducting observational research. This involved frequent visits to at least two different Walmart locations and visits to competing stores. Those interviewed were within the age range of 30-70 year olds. Following the interviews, I created empathy and journey maps to begin identifying a specific user group and pain points. A key finding was that customers feel as though they have to be quick at the checkout which leads to error and frustration.
Empathy Map
Creating an empathy map based on customer responses clarified the goal of users though more empathy maps would be needed to provide more concrete findings. This gives a sense of how shoppers are interacting with a system.
Proposed Solution
My idea is somewhat of an all-in-one shopping experience involving carts with a built in touch screen that provides customers with the ability to scan items as they go. Additionally hooks would be placed at the end of the cart as an option for automatic bagging, specifically for reusable bags. This redesign allows for an expedited shopping experience without compromising space. It is primarily designed with those who find themselves with a larger quantity of items to check out but want as minimal contact as possible. The hope is that they wouldn’t feel restricted to a small bagging area though such an option would still be available. By the time customers get to self checkout they are often overwhelmed and ready to leave, therefore this adaption seeks to mitigate such a feeling.
Rough 3D model
Customer feedback
“I don’t have a lot of room to put my bags and feel like it could be easy to lose track of items or forget to scan depending on the quantity of groceries you have.”
- Female Walmart shopper
User Interface Mockup
The interface uses large icons, real-time product information, location of items within the store, and easy navigation menus for customers to scan items and complete their transaction effortlessly. Customers could also access assistance options with employees when issues arise which would send an alert to nearby employees. Having a built in screen eliminates the potential for waiting at self-checkouts and keeps track of your items for you. If an item were not to be scanned it be detected by the sensor when placed in the cart and an error message would appear on the screen until scanning occurs.
1. Customers will be greeted with this page prompting them to start shopping.
2. A brief explanation of the process will then be displayed.
3. From there, customers will be able to begin scanning items and the navigational menu will be visible.
4. Customers will be given two options to complete their purchase at a self-checkout station.
An option to view available checkouts gives customers an idea of where to go before they even reach the checkout area.
Next Steps
To ensure a viable prototype and clarity of navigation, usability testing would need be conducted to identify issues and reframe the problem. Being this a student project, there are several factors with this system that still need to be considered and resolved such as:
- How the carts will be stored and maintained
- How it can be adapted to accommodate those with disabilities
- What steps and/or visuals are unclear?
- How will items be weighed?