Foundational UX & UI Design: Gas & Convenience App

The Challenge: Transforming a Stagnant App into a Loyalty Driver

In 2021, the app was failing as a key driver for customer loyalty. It suffered from an outdated design, a frustrating user experience, and lacked the modern features competitors offered. With a user base of over 60,000 customers, the challenge was to transform the app from a source of friction into an indispensable, loyalty-building tool.

A Three-Year Design Journey in Phases

Phase 1 (2021): Deep Dive into User Research & Strategy

Upon taking ownership, my first priority was to move beyond assumptions and ground our strategy in real-world user needs.

• Problem: The team lacked a deep, qualitative understanding of how customers were actually using (or failing to use) the app in its most critical context: the store.

• My Solution:

  • Partnering with my manager, I conducted extensive in-person interviews with customers in-store.

  • We gathered crucial firsthand feedback on pain points related to checkout, rewards, and in-store navigation.

  • This research directly informed our product roadmap and provided a clear, evidence-based direction for future features.

• Outcome: The insights from these interviews, combined with user personas provided by the company's customer research team, created a set of actionable insights that became the strategic foundation for the app's entire multi-year redesign.

  
  

Phase 2 (Late 2022): New Partnership & an Early "Win Streak"

After a Product Owner joined the team, we focused on delivering immediate value, even with a major tech migration on the horizon.

• The Challenge: How could we deliver high-impact features for users now, without waiting for the upcoming two-year codebase migration to Flutter?

• Our "Win Streak" on the Existing Codebase:

  • We made the strategic decision to rapidly develop and launch V1 of several key features on the app's current codebase.

  • We successfully released the Message Center, Biometric Login (Face ID/Touch ID), and Scan & Pay.

• Outcome: This early success generated significant momentum, proved the value of the new product partnership, and delivered immediate quality-of-life improvements to users.

  
  

Phase 3 (Mid-2022 - Early 2024): Designing the Future During the Tech Migration

With the Flutter migration officially underway, my role shifted from short-term execution to long-term strategic design. I was now responsible for creating the blueprint for the app's future.

• The Challenge: While the engineering team was occupied with the migration, how could I create a fully-realized, user-validated design for the next generation of the app?

• My Foundational Design Work:

  • I began wireframing and prototyping an updated V2 of the app's UI.

  • Key initiatives included designing a modular homepage to support dynamic marketing campaigns and deals.

  • I implemented modern UX patterns like Material Design-based bottom sheets to reduce user navigation and improve task completion.

• Outcome: I produced a comprehensive set of high-fidelity, user-tested designs that served as the direct foundation for the app's modern look and feel post-migration.

The Outcome: Handoff - A Foundation for the Future

Around mid 2024, I transitioned ownership of the product to a new teammate. My foundational V2 design work served as a strategic blueprint for the recently released version of the app.