This was an academic assignment in which I defined the problem of customer assistance in retail settings. Some customers like to be offered help while others prefer to shop independently. Currently retail workers have no way of knowing what type of shopper a customer is without having to ask if they would like help. The Store Assist app solves this problem by making it possible for users to call for assistance when it is needed so that retail employees don’t have to ask.
After compiling my research findings from unstructured interviews, I found that the majority of independent shoppers are in a younger demographic, while the customers who like to be offered help are in an older demographic. For this reason I have created two user personas detailing the types of users who would be using the application.
The mobile version of the app allows users to search for the store they are shopping at, or use their device location. Once the user has located the store within the app they are able to swipe up to call for assistance and the employees will receive a notification on their headsets to let them know someone needs help. The prototype for the mobile app can be viewed here.
Due to the fact that I had such a large target audience, I also needed to design an in store iPad version of the app so that it would be accessible to people without smart phones. The tablet version of the app can be viewed here.
The tablet version of the app was designed with an older demographic in mind, because my research findings show that most users without access to a smart phone are older. The iPad version was designed with larger buttons and text for readability and the application was simplified to make it easy to use for people who are not as technologically inclined.