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Meijer · AI + Frontline Operations

AI-PoweredAssociate Experience

Helping store teams find trusted answers and complete operational tasks without leaving the sales floor.

Role
Senior UX Designer
Platform
Mobile handheld first · responsive web console
Outcomes

35% improvement in task efficiency

45% faster information retrieval

Contribution, Research · Experience strategy · Interaction design · AI experience design · Mobile product design · Design systems · Prototyping · Cross-functional alignment

meijerMyDay

Good afternoon, Vamshi

Electronics · Store 2145 · PM shift

Priority work

Customer waiting · 4 min

Check stock for LG 65-inch OLED TV

Electronics · customer at the TV wall

Recently used apps

Store updates

Tonight’s truck arrives at 8:00 PM. Keep all backroom lanes clear.

Updated 4 minutes ago

Recent activity

Interface recreated for portfolio presentation to protect confidential product information.

Executive summary

One trusted place to ask, decide and act.

Associates were answering customer questions by moving between internal systems while someone waited in front of them. I led the design of a mobile-first assistant that understands store context, answers with a source and a timestamp, previews any action before it changes an operational record, and hands off to a person when the information is not trustworthy.

My role

Senior UX Designer. I owned the end-to-end mobile experience: research synthesis, experience strategy, interaction and AI experience design, the component system behind it, and the prototypes used to align product and engineering.

Team and collaboration

  • Product management · scope, sequencing and rollout
  • Engineering · inventory services, retrieval and handheld platform
  • Store operations · workflow reality and pilot coordination
  • Data and AI · retrieval quality and content grounding
  • Accessibility and content · language, labels and review

Timeline

May 2025 - Present

Challenge

The information existed. The path to it did not fit the moment.

Store associates moved between multiple internal systems while customers waited. The information existed, but finding it required employees to remember which system contained the answer, interpret several results and manually translate information into action.

Opportunity

Create one trusted operational experience that understands an associate's context, provides a clear answer, shows where the information came from and supports the next action without removing human control.

Operational context

  • Associates work standing, walking and one-handed.
  • Bright lighting, background noise and constant interruption.
  • Customers are usually present while the task is happening.
  • Inventory data is frequently incomplete or out of date.
  • Digital confidence varies widely across a store team.
  • A wrong answer costs a sale, a trip to the back room, or trust.

Research findings

Five things that changed the design.

  • 01

    Speed beats completeness

    Associates preferred short, actionable answers over lengthy explanations.

  • 02

    Trust is earned per answer

    Showing the source and freshness of information mattered more than making the AI sound confident.

  • 03

    The question often hides a task

    An inventory question frequently means that the associate needs to reserve, move or verify an item.

  • 04

    Context matters more than personalization

    Store, department, role and shift were more useful than behavioral history.

  • 05

    Failure is part of the experience

    The product's credibility depended on what happened when information was incomplete or conflicting.

Original workflow

Six steps, one waiting customer.

  1. STEP 1

    Customer asks whether an item is in back stock.

  2. STEP 2

    Associate recalls which of several systems holds the answer.

  3. STEP 3

    Associate opens the system and interprets multiple results.

  4. STEP 4

    Associate walks to overstock to verify.

  5. STEP 5

    Associate returns and writes the hold by hand or in a second tool.

  6. STEP 6

    The customer waits through all of it.

Design principles

Rules we could hold each other to.

  • Answer first

    Lead with the answer, then the evidence, then the action.

  • Show the receipts

    Source and freshness appear before anything meaningful can happen.

  • People commit

    The system proposes; the associate confirms.

  • Fail in the open

    Say what is known, what is missing and what to do next.

  • Structure over chat

    Conversation only where the request is genuinely ambiguous.

  • Usable at arm's length

    One hand, bright light, 44px targets, plain language.

Concepts explored

Search, then chat, then something better.

  1. Version 1

    Search-centered experience

    Problem: associates still had to open and interpret multiple results.

  2. Version 2

    Conversational answer

    Problem: unstructured AI responses felt inconsistent and difficult to verify.

  3. Final direction

    Conversational entry with structured answers and actions

    Outcome: associates could ask naturally while receiving predictable, verifiable and actionable results.

Key design decisions

What I decided, and what it cost.

  1. DECISION 1

    Conversation would not be the default

    Decision

    Use structured UI for predictable tasks and conversational input for ambiguous requests.

    Tradeoff

    More reusable component logic was required, but the experience became faster and more predictable.

  2. DECISION 2

    Trust would come from evidence

    Decision

    Show source, freshness and relevant context instead of a numeric confidence score.

    Tradeoff

    The content and system rules required more careful documentation and quality review.

  3. DECISION 3

    AI would propose and people would commit

    Decision

    Preview meaningful actions before changing operational records.

    Tradeoff

    Confirmation added one step, but it increased understanding and accountability.

  4. DECISION 4

    Uncertainty became a designed state

    Decision

    Show what is known, what is missing and the available recovery paths.

    Tradeoff

    More states had to be designed and tested, but the product could fail safely.

  5. DECISION 5

    Patterns would scale beyond one assistant

    Decision

    Create reusable answer, action, confidence, recovery and escalation components.

    Tradeoff

    The initial release required more design-system coordination, but future workflows could reuse the foundation.

Mobile-first final experience

The product, running. Try it.

Designed at 390 × 844 and built as a working prototype. Ask the inventory question, review the reservation before it happens, confirm it, then undo it. The exception on the home screen opens the conflicting-inventory path.

meijerMyDay

Good afternoon, Vamshi

Electronics · Store 2145 · PM shift

Priority work

Customer waiting · 4 min

Check stock for LG 65-inch OLED TV

Electronics · customer at the TV wall

Recently used apps

Store updates

Tonight’s truck arrives at 8:00 PM. Keep all backroom lanes clear.

Updated 4 minutes ago

Recent activity

meijerMyDay

Good afternoon, Vamshi

Electronics · Store 2145 · PM shift

Priority work

Customer waiting · 4 min

Check stock for LG 65-inch OLED TV

Electronics · customer at the TV wall

Recently used apps

Store updates

Tonight’s truck arrives at 8:00 PM. Keep all backroom lanes clear.

Updated 4 minutes ago

Recent activity

Interface recreated for portfolio presentation to protect confidential product information.

Every screen

  • meijerMyDay

    Good afternoon, Vamshi

    Electronics · Store 2145 · PM shift

    Priority work

    Customer waiting · 4 min

    Check stock for LG 65-inch OLED TV

    Electronics · customer at the TV wall

    Recently used apps

    Store updates

    Tonight’s truck arrives at 8:00 PM. Keep all backroom lanes clear.

    Updated 4 minutes ago

    Recent activity

    01 · Associate home

    Shift, priority work and exceptions above the fold.

  • meijerMyDay

    Assistant

    Ask naturally. I’ll return products, prices, availability and the next action.

    What can I help you find for the customer?

    Current context

    Store 2145 · Sales floor · PM shift

    Try asking

    02 · Contextual entry

    Shows what the assistant already knows before asking for more.

  • Inventory result

    Inventory result

    LG 65-inch OLED evo AI television

    LG 65-inch OLED evo AI TV

    Model OLED evo AI

    SKU 4471902

    In stock

    3 units available

    Overstock · Aisle B12

    Store inventoryUpdated 2 minutes ago

    Matches the latest physical count.

    03 · Structured answer

    Answer, evidence, then the action, not a paragraph.

  • Review reservation

    Review reservation

    Review what will change before confirming.

    LG 65-inch OLED evo AI TVQuantity 1 · Electronics counter
    Hold duration4 hours
    Customer contactText to ••• ••• 4192
    Responsible associateVamshi · A-4471

    WHAT WILL HAPPEN

    11 unit will move to reserved inventory
    2The customer will receive a pickup text
    3A pickup reminder will be added to your tasks

    BEFORE YOU CONFIRM

    • • Reservation expires automatically.
    • • Inventory can be released early.
    • • The action is recorded in activity history.

    04 · Action preview

    Exactly what will change, before anything changes.

  • Reservation confirmed

    Reservation confirmed

    1 TV is reserved

    The item is being held at the Electronics counter until 7:40 PM.

    Confirmation R-88214
    Customer text deliveredSent to ••• ••• 4192
    2 units remainOverstock · Aisle B12
    Expires at 7:40 PMElectronics counter

    05 · Success and recovery

    Confirmation, expiry, inventory state and an undo.

  • Inventory needs verification

    Inventory needs verification

    We found conflicting inventory counts

    Check the item before promising availability.
    Store inventory3 units · updated 2 minutes ago
    Physical count1 unit · counted 6 days ago
    Recent movement2 units picked but not scanned out

    The store system may be higher than the physical count.

    PHYSICAL CHECK

    1Go to aisle B12
    2Scan the shelf or item barcode
    3Enter the quantity found
    4Update or escalate the result

    06 · Low confidence

    Known, missing, why they conflict, four ways forward.

  • Ask department lead

    Ask department lead

    DRDana R.Electronics Lead · AvailableAvailable

    ATTACHED AUTOMATICALLY

    Customer request65-inch TV in back stock
    Product and locationLG 65-inch OLED TV · Store 2145 · Electronics
    Conflicting countsStore 3 · Physical 1 · 2 unscanned picks
    Actions attemptedChecked record · Scanned shelf B12-04
    Associate locationElectronics counter

    07 · Human escalation

    Context attached automatically; the associate adds intent.

  • meijerMyDay

    Tasks

    Review your work, reservations and requests.

    • LG TV reservation

      R-88214 · expires 7:40 PM

      Active

      You · 3:40 PM · Store inventory

    08 · Task history

    Traceable actions with owner, time and source system.

  • Display & accessibility

    Display & accessibility

    System accessibility preferences are respected first. These options only change this app.

    TEXT

    DISPLAY

    VOICEOVER SUPPORT

    Results and completed actions are announced once. Every control has a meaningful label and follows the visual reading order.

    09 · Display & accessibility

    Text size, contrast, motion, haptics, voice, language.

Responsible AI states

What the product does when it is not sure.

  • Never hide uncertainty.
  • Never fabricate unavailable information.
  • Show sources and freshness before meaningful actions.
  • Use structured UI for predictable tasks.
  • Use conversation for ambiguous questions.
  • Require review before high-impact actions.
  • Allow correction and recovery.
  • Keep an activity history.
  • Preserve employee authority.
  • Escalate when the system lacks sufficient information.
  • Explain what the system knows and does not know.
  • Avoid technical AI terminology in associate-facing content.

  • Inventory needs verification

    Inventory needs verification

    We found conflicting inventory counts

    Check the item before promising availability.
    Store inventory3 units · updated 2 minutes ago
    Physical count1 unit · counted 6 days ago
    Recent movement2 units picked but not scanned out

    The store system may be higher than the physical count.

    PHYSICAL CHECK

    1Go to aisle B12
    2Scan the shelf or item barcode
    3Enter the quantity found
    4Update or escalate the result

    Uncertainty as a designed state

  • Ask department lead

    Ask department lead

    DRDana R.Electronics Lead · AvailableAvailable

    ATTACHED AUTOMATICALLY

    Customer request65-inch TV in back stock
    Product and locationLG 65-inch OLED TV · Store 2145 · Electronics
    Conflicting countsStore 3 · Physical 1 · 2 unscanned picks
    Actions attemptedChecked record · Scanned shelf B12-04
    Associate locationElectronics counter

    Structured handoff to a person

Accessibility

WCAG 2.2 AA, built in rather than retrofitted.

  • Structure

    One heading per screen region, in the order they appear on screen.

  • Keyboard

    Every control is reachable and operable with a visible focus ring.

  • Announcements

    Arriving answers and completed actions are announced politely, once.

  • Status

    Every state is carried by an icon and words, never color alone.

  • Targets

    Interactive elements are at least 44 by 44 pixels.

  • Type

    16px minimum body text, with in-app text scaling up to 124 percent.

  • Motion

    Transitions are 150–250ms and are removed under reduced-motion.

  • Language

    Plain operational language; no model or system jargon.

Reusable design system

Patterns that outlive this assistant.

Color tokens

  • Navy#123B69
  • Red#D62828
  • Text#171717
  • Secondary text#5E625F
  • Background#F7F6F2
  • Surface#FFFFFF
  • Border#DDDCD6
  • Success#237A4B
  • Warning#A86400
  • Error#B42318
  • Information#2563A8

Type scale

  • Display32 / 38
  • Page heading28 / 34
  • Section heading22 / 28
  • Card heading18 / 24
  • Body16 / 24
  • Supporting14 / 20
  • Metadata12 / 16

Spacing and interaction

4px base · 16px side margins · 12–16px card padding · 12px radius · 44px minimum target

Every control ships with default, hover, pressed, focused, disabled, loading, success, warning and error states, documented with the accessibility annotation that goes with it.

Pattern anatomy

  • Answer card

    Answer sentence, status pair, structured facts, source and freshness, plain-language reliability note, expandable detail, then actions in priority order.

  • Source and freshness

    Shield icon, named system, relative timestamp. Always above the primary action.

  • Action preview

    What changes, where it changes, who is responsible, expected result, edit, cancel, confirm.

  • Uncertainty

    Plain statement, what is known, what is missing, why the sources conflict, four recovery paths.

  • Escalation

    Auto-attached context, optional note, send, then receipt with owner and response expectation.

Responsive web adaptation

Re-composed for the back office, not stretched.

  • 768px

    Tablet

    Two-column task and result layout; navigation moves to a rail; confirmation stays inside the result column.

  • 1024px

    Small desktop

    Collapsible left navigation with persistent store, department and shift context.

  • 1280px

    Desktop

    Split view: results list on the left, detail and action preview on the right; wider inventory tables.

  • 1440px

    Large desktop

    Same hierarchy at a wider measure; keyboard-first flows with hover states and shortcuts.

Leading the work

How the work was led.

  • Clarifying ownership across the design work so parallel workflows did not diverge.
  • Establishing critique checkpoints tied to decisions rather than to screens.
  • Aligning product, design and engineering on what the assistant would and would not do.
  • Reviewing accessibility and interaction quality as part of definition of done.
  • Documenting reusable decisions so the reasoning outlived any single release.
  • Helping designers apply the same answer, action and recovery patterns across related workflows.
  • Balancing delivery pressure against system-level improvements that pay off later.

Verified outcomes

What changed on the floor.

35%

Improvement in task efficiency

45%

Faster information retrieval

Reflection

What I would carry forward.

The hardest part was not making the assistant answer well. It was deciding what the product should do when it could not. Designing the uncertain and escalation states first changed the architecture of everything else: once failure had a shape, the confident path could stay short.