Kroger had thousands of hourly employees per store doing everything from stocking shelves to baking, and no good way to track, assign or analyze any of it. Over a three-month engagement, we designed Kroma, an Android app for task and employee management.
Role
Lead UX Designer
Team
1 Proj. mgr, 2 analysts, 1 UI
Timeline
3-month engagement
Platform
Android (in-store)
22
of in-store interviews and observations in Colorado
4
data-driven personas, district manager to associate
8 pg.
of narrative “movie script” to align the org
+1
follow-on contract for Deloitte
The problem
Managers couldn’t see what associates were doing. Associates didn’t know what to do next.
With no task oversight, managers couldn’t analyze performance and associates often finished a job without knowing their next one. The result was an exorbitant number of lost productivity hours, and lost revenue, at a company bringing in over $121 billion a year.
Highlight 01 · Observe firsthand
Four personas, from the corner office to the stocking shelves
For two weeks we shadowed and interviewed dozens of Kroger employees in Colorado stores. The personas captured how each level spends its day, what technology it already uses, and where communication breaks down.
Vanessa, 53
District Manager
“My job is challenging but very rewarding. I get to help others succeed while influencing experiences that directly help our customers.
Tenure31 years
Tech adoptionEarly majority
Tech
Google Pixel 2iPad ProMacBook Air
Apps
WazeTodoistDuolingoFacebookAlphabear
Relationship with tech
A tool with the bonus of a fun toy for down time; can’t live without it.
Jack, 41
Store Manager
“It’s like family here. Everyone is equally important and valued, especially the customers. Everything we do is for them.
Tenure22 years
Tech adoptionLate majority
Tech
Galaxy S7iPad (3rd gen)Roku
Apps
InstagramFacebookMintESPN
Relationship with tech
Daily user, but values face-to-face interactions.
Susan, 38
Department Manager
“I began as an associate and they quickly recognized my leadership abilities and continued promoting me. I now see how involved Kroger is in the neighborhood.
Tenure12 years
Tech adoptionEarly majority
Tech
LG V30Kindle Oasis
Apps
InstagramFacebookSnapchatSpotifyStravaWeddingWire
Relationship with tech
Constantly checking her phone for FOMO.
Marco, 19
Associate
“I need a flexible schedule so I can go to class and this is perfect for that. Everyone has also been really patient with me as I continue to learn and get faster.
Tenure1.5 months
Tech adoptionEarly adopter
Tech
iPhone XNintendo SwitchXbox
Apps
FacebookSnapchatKikWhatsApp
Relationship with tech
Always wants the latest & greatest; considering a CS degree.
Highlight 02 · Tell the story
The vision, written as a movie script
Before drawing a screen, I wrote an 8-page narrative following each persona through a day with Kroma. It gave executives, store staff and engineers the same picture of the future, and became the backbone of our user journeys.
This is the sportswriter in me: a story gets people to agree faster than a requirements doc.
SCENE 1 — TUESDAY, 7:00 AM
ROLES — District Manager & Store Manager
Vanessa sits in the parking lot of store #748, reviewing its performance on her Android tablet. With Kroma, she can analyze it quickly and plan her visit before she meets her friend Jack at the door.
Excerpt from the 8-page Kroma story brief
Highlight 03 · Capture the integrated journey
One journey across personas & every Kroger system
The journey map showed how each persona would use Kroma, alongside virtual assistants and Kroger’s existing in-store technology. It brought together our interviews, market research and full understanding of the problem.
Vanessa, 53
District Manager
01Oversee stores
02Strategic planning
03Data analysis
04Ensure quality standards
05Support store leadership
Pain points
Pulled in multiple directions with myriad responsibilities
Human capital issues, especially underperforming store management
No accessible, consumable data in one convenient place
Trusting others with delegated responsibilities
Jack, 41
Store Manager
01Store oversight
02Data analysis
03Data visualization
04Task delegation
05Strategic planning
Pain points
Turnover and consistently short-handed staff
Little visibility into store and department performance
Conflicting priorities from multiple superiors
Constantly putting out fires instead of planning
Susan, 38
Department Manager
01Task delegation
02Customer needs
03Task prioritization
04Inventory count
05Employee morale
Pain points
Associate attendance and turnover
Little visibility into task progress and completion
Conflicting priorities from multiple superiors
Lack of transparency and control
Marco, 19
Associate
01Understanding expectations
02Task prioritization
03Collaboration
04Task completion
05Gamification
Pain points
Unclear expectations
Conflicting priorities from multiple superiors
Workload vs. hours available
Low employee morale
Rebuilt from the original Deloitte Digital journey map. See the original ↗
Highlight 04 · Design a simple solution with legs
Sketches → wireframes → high fidelity
01
Start simple
I sketched the core screens first, prioritizing simplicity with future iterations in mind: priorities, crew, cases and a running task cue.
02
Work out the flows
Wireframes defined the store dashboard, staff list, product lookup, deliveries and task detail.
03
Bring it to life
Jason, our senior visual designer, turned the wireframes into the final Android visual design.
The work paved the path
We delivered a fully designed Android app grounded in deep knowledge of Kroger’s organization, and it proved successful enough that Deloitte was signed for more work with Kroger, with another team brought in to finish the project.
