“This was not just wireframing. It was platform-level systems thinking applied to marketing, CX, and technical integrations. [Joe’s] work tackled UX, workflow optimization, cross-system data orchestration, and loyalty strategy in one unified experience. Few designers or PMs operate at that level of interconnected complexity.”
Role: Lead UX Designer & Information Architect
Team: PMs, Developers, Marketing Strategists, Customer Support Leaders
Tools: Axure, Visio, Excel, Illustrator, SharePoint, Jira
Outcome: 13+ years live, reduced CSR handle time, increased campaign velocity, sustained loyalty engagement
Design Process
Discover & Define → Frame the Challenge → Design & Deliver
1. Discover & Define
Bare Escentuals needed to replace a fragmented loyalty ecosystem that included disconnected POS systems, a static marketing database, and call center scripts that didn’t align with user history or campaign logic.
Research activities included:
- Reviewing 200+ pages of legacy requirements and insights
- Interviewing store clerks, marketers, and service reps
- Shadowing CSR calls to identify pain points
- Mapping customer journeys across web, store, and phone
2. Frame the Challenge
We identified five key problems:
- Loyalty data was siloed across systems
- CSRs couldn’t see customer history or rewards in real time
- Marketing teams couldn’t target campaigns by behavior or events
- Customers had no easy way to manage or redeem rewards
- Inconsistent experiences were damaging retention and ROI
The challenge was to design a loyalty platform that unified systems, roles, and experiences — and would remain flexible for years to come.
3. Design & Deliver
I designed three interconnected interfaces built on shared logic:
CSR Portal
- Role-aware views and dynamic content
- Prefilled actions, validation, and system sync feedback
- Loyalty snapshot with redemption and update tools
- Reduced call time and improved first-call resolution
Customer Microsite
- Personalized dashboard with rewards, countdowns, and birthday gifts
- “Own Sale Day” — a customer-selected exclusive promo
- Profile completion incentives and loyalty history
Campaign Management Tool
- Visual builder with scheduling, preview, and A/B tools
- Dynamic targeting based on behavior, time, and segmentation
- Clone and launch with no developer intervention
Launch & Iterate
System was delivered in phased rollouts:
- CSR portal launched first, integrated with call center systems
- Campaign builder rolled out to marketing for internal testing
- Customer portal launched alongside in-store and email promotions
Long-term success came from:
- Shared loyalty logic across interfaces
- Scalable data model and UX architecture
- Role-specific flows with flexibility to evolve
Outcomes
- Still operational 13 years later, across multiple brand transitions
- Improved CSR handle time and first-call resolution
- Accelerated campaign launch from weeks to hours
- Increased retention and engagement
- Loyalty logic reused for new regions and channels
Lessons Learned
- Research synthesis builds buy-in and clarity across teams
- CSR empowerment improves user experience and loyalty
- Modular architecture extends product life and scalability
- Marketing autonomy drives faster experimentation
- Unified experience across systems improves brand trust
Planning a platform that lasts?
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