We Play Circular - Decathlon Back
In 2023, Decathlon launched the "We Play Circular" subscription service in Belgium and the Netherlands, enabling flexible sports equipment rentals.
To expand this service to the UK in 2024, Decathlon needed a web-based system to streamline the rental process for in-store employees, store managers, and top management.
About Decathlon
Decathlon is the world's largest sporting goods retailer, operating 1,750 stores in 70 countries with over 108,000 employees.
Committed to sustainability and innovation, Decathlon focuses on eco-design and circular economy practices to reduce CO2 emissions and promote sustainable living.
Project Context
In 2023, Decathlon introduced the "We Play Circular" subscription service in Belgium and the Netherlands.
This service allows customers to rent sports equipment flexibly, supporting Decathlon’s sustainability goals by encouraging the reuse and refurbishment of gear.
Expanding this service to the UK in 2024 is a strategic move to further Decathlon’s commitment to sustainable practices.
Target Audience
In-Store Employees: Need an efficient system to manage rental transactions and assist customers with gear check-out and return.
Store Managers: Require tools to oversee inventory, handle returns, and manage repairs.
VP of Retail: Needs access to aggregated data to monitor the program’s performance and sustainability impact across all UK branches.
Personas
Barbara Martin Coppola
As the new CEO of Decathlon, Barbara Martin Coppola is spearheading the company’s shift towards sustainability.
Her vision emphasizes eco-design innovations, circular economy practices, and reducing CO2 emissions.
Barbara’s leadership is crucial in driving Decathlon’s commitment to making sports accessible while promoting sustainable living.
Bryan Tanaka:
In-store employee is on the front lines, interacting directly with customers.
He need a user-friendly system to facilitate rental transactions, manage gear check-out/check-in, and provide seamless customer service.
The system should streamline his workflow, allowing him to efficiently handle rentals and returns.
Amy Singh
Store manager oversee the operational aspects of the rental program.
She require a system that helps manage inventory, track returned gear, and coordinate repairs.
This includes real-time inventory updates, alerts for damaged items, and tools for organizing repairs and refurbishments.
Eric Mazillier
The VP of Retail needs comprehensive, aggregated data to monitor the rental program’s performance and sustainability impact across all UK branches.
The system should provide insights into key metrics, such as rental rates, inventory turnover, and CO2 savings, enabling informed strategic decisions to drive the program’s success.
Initial Research
I began by thoroughly analyzing Decathlon’s Vitamin Design System to ensure our designs would align with their brand and UI standards.
This involved studying their color schemes, typography, component libraries, and interaction patterns to maintain a cohesive user experience.
I also conducted in-depth research into the workflows of in-store employees, store managers, and the VP of Retail. This included reviewing staff, and observing in-store processes.
This research provided valuable insights into the specific needs and challenges faced by each user group, ensuring our design would effectively meet their requirements and enhance overall efficiency.
I began the ideation phase with rough sketches on paper. These initial sketches helped visualize key user interactions and system requirements.
By mapping out user workflows, I identified critical touchpoints and functionalities needed for each persona. This process was essential for refining ideas and ensuring that the system would meet the diverse needs of its users effectively.
Sketches and Ideation
Design - In-store Employee
Bryan Tanaka store emplpye home page has essential tools for efficient rental transactions and improved customer interactions:
Recent Orders: A summary of recent orders, providing order details and customer information for quick reference.
Deals of the Week: Highlights special promotions on rental items, aiding in upselling and enhancing customer satisfaction.
Bestsellers Items: Displays popular rental items to anticipate demand trends and optimize inventory management.
Customer Search: Enables quick access to customer profiles by ID or order barcode scanning, facilitating personalized service and efficient query resolution.
After entering customer ID, the next screen presents:
Customer Profile: Detailed information about the customer, including contact details, rental history, and preferences.
Subscription Package Status: Status of the customer's subscription package, including current plan details and renewal dates.
Items for Pickup and Placement: A list of items ready for customer pickup or return, along with their designated placement in the store.
Add-ons Items: Additional items available for rent or purchase, tailored to complement the customer's current selections or interests.
Upon accessing the customer's profile, there are two tabs available:
Pickup Orders: Displays a list of items ready for customer pickup.
Return Tab: Initiates the return process, facilitating the efficient return of rented items.
Design - Store Manager
Manager Dashboard:
Overview:
Order Status Overview: Provides a snapshot of current order statuses, including arrivals, items ready for collection, and returns to the warehouse.
Average Handling Time: Tracks the average time taken to process orders, ensuring efficient operations.
Upgraded Subscriptions: Monitors subscriptions that have been upgraded, facilitating upselling opportunities and revenue growth.
Customer Insights:
Customer Satisfaction: Measures customer satisfaction levels to ensure high-quality service delivery.
Customer Retention: Tracks customer retention rates, indicating the effectiveness of service and product offerings.
Inventory Management:
By-Products Stock: Displays stock levels for different product categories, aiding in inventory management and procurement decisions.
Today’s Orders: Lists orders received for the day, enabling proactive management of stock and resources.
In designing the manager dashboard, we've ensured a user-friendly layout that optimizes efficiency and clarity.
Left Side: This section provides a snapshot of the order status overview and average handling time, empowering managers to stay informed about the operational flow.
Right Side: This section offers insights into customer interactions and overall satisfaction levels, crucial for maintaining strong customer relationships.
Bottom Left: This allows managers to monitor stock availability and make informed decisions regarding inventory management.
Bottom Right: Presents a branch performance overview, offering insights into overall branch performance metrics.
Design - VP of retail
The VP of Retail Dashboard offers comprehensive insights into business performance and sustainability metrics through its key features:
Tabs for View Change: Allows the VP to switch between different views:
Overview: Provides a summary of key metrics.
Predictions: Offers predictive analytics for future trends.
Comparison: Enables comparison of performance metrics over time or between branches.
Total Subscriptions: Displays the total number of subscriptions across the three packages, accompanied by a pie chart illustrating the distribution of subscriptions.
Total Used Credits: Indicates the total number of credits used within subscription packages, offering insight into customer engagement and utilization.
CO2 Emissions Meter: Visualizes CO2 emissions through a meter with needles representing emissions in 2021 and 2024, allowing for easy comparison and tracking of sustainability efforts.
Profits, Revenues, Expenses: Presents financial data related to the We Play Circular program, including profits, revenues, and expenses, providing a comprehensive overview of program performance.
Trending Categories: Identifies trending categories based on customer preferences and rental patterns, aiding in inventory management and strategic decision-making.
Top Popular Branches: Highlights the top-performing branches based on various metrics, facilitating targeted resource allocation and performance optimization.
Equipment Usage Rate: Measures the usage rate of equipment among users, helping to assess demand and optimize inventory levels.
These features collectively empower the VP of Retail to make informed decisions, monitor business performance, and drive sustainability initiatives effectively.
Challenges and Solutions
Design Challenges:
Usability for Different User Types: Adapting the system to meet the diverse needs of in-store employees, store managers, and the VP of Retail posed a significant challenge. Each user group had distinct requirements and workflows that needed to be accommodated.
Integrating Sustainability Metrics: Incorporating sustainability metrics seamlessly into the dashboard without overwhelming users with complex data presented a challenge. It was essential to strike a balance between providing insightful information and maintaining usability.
Consistency with Design System: Ensuring alignment with Decathlon’s Vitamin Design System while maintaining creativity and innovation presented a challenge. Balancing adherence to established design patterns with the need for unique and engaging user experiences required careful consideration.
Solutions:
User-Friendly Navigation: To address usability concerns, we implemented a user-friendly navigation system with intuitive menu structures and clear labels. This ensured that each user group could easily access the features and information relevant to their role.
Clear Data Visualization: To tackle the challenge of integrating sustainability metrics, we employed clear data visualization techniques such as meters, charts, and graphs. This allowed users to quickly grasp key sustainability metrics without being overwhelmed by technical details.
Consistency with Design System: Meticulously adhering to the established design patterns, colour schemes, and typography guidelines of the Vitamin Design System ensured visual consistency across the dashboard. This facilitated smooth navigation and a seamless user experience while maintaining Decathlon’s brand identity.
Outcomes and Reflections
Final Design Presentation:
The final designs for each dashboard showcase a user-centric approach, with emphasis on usability, clarity, and visual appeal.
In-store Employee Dashboard: Empowers employees with intuitive tools for efficient rental transactions and customer interactions.
Store Manager Dashboard: Provides managers with actionable insights to optimize inventory management and operational efficiency.
VP of Retail Dashboard: Offers comprehensive data visualization and analytics to drive strategic decision-making and sustainability initiatives.
Reflections:
Throughout this project, I learned the importance of user research, iterative design, and collaboration in creating effective UX solutions. Feedback from instructors and peers highlighted the significance of user empathy and attention to detail in crafting user interfaces that meet diverse user needs.
Conclusion
Impact:
The design has the potential to significantly enhance Decathlon’s operations and customer experience. It streamlines rental transactions, optimizes inventory management, and provides valuable insights for strategic decision-making, all of which contribute to a more efficient and customer-focused service.
Next Steps:
To further refine the design, the next steps should include conducting user testing, gathering feedback, and making iterative improvements. Additionally, planning for phased implementation will ensure a smooth transition and effective adoption of the new system.
“Good design is as little design as possible”
