Overview

The Macy's Embrace program was created by Macy's IT Department in collaboration with Lanier High School. It offers students a chance to explore different skills like technology, entrepreneurship, business, and marketing. Although I wasn't particularly skilled in entrepreneurship and business, I was excited to join the Macy's technology team.

During the Macy's Embrace program, I conducted surveys and created user personas for research. I also designed wireframes and a storyboard to showcase my team's solutions to stakeholders.

The Problem

Macy's customers face limited options in the review section, which can discourage them from making purchases. Some of the problems our group discovered within the section are:
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Solution

After identifying the issues in the review section of the Macy's app, our group came up with several solution ideas. We presented these ideas to the Macy's technology team, and with their help, we narrowed down our final solutions:
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Reward system
Filters
Photo reviews
Guided review questions
Notifications

Initial Goals

Our group aimed to create an easy and useful experience for users when reading product reviews on the Macy's app. Our primary goal was to understand what users expect from the review section and how they approach it.
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Instead of simply presenting solutions, I urged my group to conduct thorough research and dive deeper into users' needs and desires. This research served as the foundation for our solutions, providing a solid understanding of what users truly wanted.

Research

To validate the effectiveness of our solutions, we conducted a survey consisting of the following questions:
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User Persona & Storyboard

I made a user persona to show how Macy's customers benefit from these solutions. The persona represents a frustrated customer with specific goals while buying a product from Macy's. This persona helps us understand what real customers may experience.

Then, I created a storyboard in Procreate to demonstrate the user flow with the solutions implemented. By including this persona and storyboard in our presentation, we highlight how our solutions benefit both the company and the customers.

Digital Wireframes

I created digital wireframes in Figma to visually represent how the solutions would appear in the Macy's app. I used my previous knowledge in Figma to enhance the quality of my group's presentation.

Takeaways

Utilize our strengths!
At the start of the project, each member brought unique skills in areas such as business, theater, UX design, and marketing. Despite our differences, I encouraged our group to divide our tasks based on our individual interests. For example, one group member, passionate about theater, took charge of bringing our storyboard to life by acting like the user in real time. By using our strengths, we delivered an exciting presentation.

Effective communication
Effective communication played a crucial role in our group's efficiency. We constantly discussed our needs and concerns about the project, ensuring everyone was on the same page. We also found time outside of school to work on the project and rehearse our presentation together. Being able to rely on each other has helped us work seamlessly as a team.