LCBO Next Innovation Lab
LCBO Next is the IT innovation lab of LCBO (The Liquor Control Board of Ontario). I was the UX design intern for the summer of 2019 and worked on multiple projects during the 4 months. I was responsible for all UX and UI work and I led the design process in the team. Above were some of the projects I worked on and since there are multiple projects, I will focus on one of the released projects called “Challenge & Refusal”. It is not the most visually appealing project but I designed it through the design process and was shipped for users.
CHALLENGE & REFUSAL
Role: UX Designer and Researcher
Timeline: 3 weeks
Project Objective
Streamline a system for Ontario’s convenient outlets that can record down any suspicious liquor purchasing activities at the point of sale.
User Research
After meeting with the business and the convenient outlet teams, I got more insights about the users. I also looked at a similar system that is in place at OCSs (Ontario Cannabis Stores) and the cashier system in LCBO retail stores. I identified the main functions and how the current users interact with the system.
User Restrictions (Store Location and Device Access)
Through research, we found most of the convenient stores are located in smaller towns, which means their internet connection and access to technology may not be optimal. Therefore, our team decided to build the system as a PWA (Progressive Web Apps), which can be easily accessed with any device in a browser or saved to the home screen and used offline like a native app.
User Personas
The users wanted to save time and streamline the process of recording down any challenges or refusals when selling liquors in their convenient stores. In the past, the process was using paper, pencil and faxing and now the users could do everything on the app. They are motivated to speed up the process and save paper at the same time.
User Journey
Interaction Design Decisions
Offline Mode
Offline Mode - I added online/offline symbols and de-activated coloured buttons to indicate to the users they are offline and some functions are not available. This can help users avoid confusion and navigate easier.
One Page Form - Following the user journey, the users were most likely to follow a linear pattern when filling out the form. Therefore, I decided to create a one page form where it scrolls automatically to the next section once the one before is selected and only the correlated sections would appear. This would decrease the time and confusion for the users filling out the form.
One Page Form
Colours Choice - At the end of the form, the user has to confirm to submit the form. Using green and red and placing the “submit” button on the right are a few design patterns to help users recognize the meaning of the buttons faster and associate to other stander designs.
Button Colours
Multi-User Selection - While researching, I found out normally there is more than one user per store and having multiple users per account (store) is more desirable and convenient to check the records.
Multi Users
High-fidelity Prototypes: Mobile InVision Prototype
Login
C&R Form
Sidebar
The prototype was tested by different teams and users and through feedback, I modified some user flow and user interactions to create a better user experience. After testing, I worked with the developers and monitored closely to make sure everything was on track and implemented correctly. The app was launched in 50 stores and more in the future. Unfortunately, the internship ended before I could observe more users using the app but “Challenge & Refusal” was a successful project. The team completed the app within the time constraint and the user experience is what I expected from the initial usability testing.
Summary
Working at LCBO Next improved many of my technical and transferable skills. I learned how to communicate with different stakeholders and how to efficiently work with a team. Especially in “Challenge & Refusal”, articulating my design to the headquarter teams were challenging under the time constraint. However, with the team’s support and user research, I was able to simplify and streamline the user process and complete the project in time for release.
