Case Study: DEI Project
My Role: UX Designer
📌 "This case study presents only 10-20% of the actual work. Due to confidentiality, many details cannot be shared. Some elements have been edited for case study purposes and may not reflect the final designs.
Understanding the Challenge
The Problem
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The existing iMix system was complex, fragmented, and outdated. It suffered from:
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Performance and stability issues due to an increasing business volume.
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Inefficient customer journeys, requiring multiple manual steps to retrieve, purchase, and manage photos.
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Limited cross-platform accessibility, restricting customers and staff to a desktop-only system.
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Lack of integration across customer touchpoints, including the website, mobile app, self-service kiosks, and staff applications (POS & mobile).
The Goal
The project aimed to replace iMix with a seamless, intuitive, and modern digital experience for customers and staff. Specifically, the Customer Website & Mobile App (Batch 2) needed to:
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Enhance customer journeys for photo retrieval, purchase, and sharing.
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Improve UI/UX consistency across website, mobile, kiosk, and staff applications.
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Integrate advanced technology solutions, including facial recognition (FR) and QR-based photo search.
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Optimize staff workflows to reduce manual efforts and increase transaction speed.
Task: My Role & Responsibilities
As a UX Designer for Customer Website & Mobile App (Batch 2) and a collaborative contributor for staff applications, my responsibilities included:
Customer Website & Mobile App (Batch 2)
✔ Redesigning the customer experience for photo discovery, association, and purchase.
✔ Developing intuitive wireframes for seamless navigation across platforms.
✔ Implementing facial recognition (FR) & QR-based retrieval for instant access to photos.
✔ Enhancing personalization with curated galleries and customized product recommendations.
Collaborative Support for Staff Applications
✔ Optimizing Staff POS (Desktop & Mobile) to streamline association, editing, and transaction workflows.
✔ Designing Self-Service Kiosks for fast, guest-friendly, login-free purchases.
✔ Developing Preview Screen Interfaces to allow customers to review and shortlist photos.
Action: UX/UI Design & Implementation Strategy
1️⃣ Research & Discovery: Understanding the Users & Business Needs
🔍 User Research & Pain Point Analysis
The team conducted:
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Site visits & workshops across DEI attractions (e.g., Dubai Aquarium, Ferrari World, Warner Bros, Atlantis Dolphin Bay).
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Interviews with stakeholders, staff, and customers to identify pain points in the existing system.
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Competitor analysis to benchmark best practices in digital imaging platforms.
Key Insights from Discovery Phase
🚨 Customers struggled with retrieving photos, often losing QR codes or forgetting login credentials.
🚨 The photo gallery was cluttered, making it difficult for users to find and purchase photos quickly.
🚨 Staff faced inefficiencies in scanning, editing, and printing orders due to iMix limitations.
🚨 Kiosks lacked intuitive navigation, causing bottlenecks in high-traffic areas
📊 "Market Insight: 78% of users prefer mobile-based photo retrieval—driving the need for seamless app experiences."
📊 "Competitor Benchmarking: How leading imaging platforms optimize user journeys for higher conversions."
📊 "Industry Trend: AI-powered facial recognition is reshaping digital photo discovery."
📊 "Best Practice Analysis: UX strategies that enhance customer engagement in digital imaging."
📊 "E-commerce in Imaging: 65% of customers opt for bundled digital & physical photo products."
🔍 Persona Development
We created customer personas (e.g., Solo Travelers, Families, Tech-Savvy Influencers) and staff personas (e.g., Area Manager, Guest Associate) to map user journeys across:
User Journey Mapping
2️⃣ Wireframing: Creating an Intuitive Experience
✅ Facial Recognition (FR) & QR Search: Users could retrieve photos via QR scanning or face recognition, reducing manual inputs.
✅ Gallery Optimization: Implemented a folder-based structure (My Trips, My Collages, My Uploads) for easy navigation.
✅ Image-Led Shopping: Customers could select a photo first, and the system would suggest suitable digital & physical products.
✅ Product Bundling: Enabled bulk purchases with cross-sell & upsell recommendations.
🖥️ "Designed 200+ wireframes to map out seamless user experiences—here’s a glimpse of 10-15 key screens showcasing core workflows and interactions."
For confidentiality reasons
Active Collaborative Support on:
Staff POS & Mobile App
✅ Automated Association: Allowed bulk QR/RFID scanning to speed up check-ins.
✅ Bulk Editing Features: Staff could edit multiple images/videos at once via an enhanced editor UI.
✅ Simplified Checkout Flow: Integrated digital and cash payment options with an intuitive POS interface.
Self-Service Kiosk
✅ Guest Mode: Allowed users to buy photos without logging in.
✅ Smart Checkout Options: Integrated cash, card, and mobile payments (Alipay, UPI, WeChat).
✅ Delivery Note System: Users could place orders at the kiosk and pick up at a designated counter.
3️⃣ Prototyping, Iteration & Implementation
We created low-fidelity wireframes for initial testing, followed by high-fidelity wireframes with:
🎨 Consistent branding across all touchpoints.
📱 Mobile-first design with intuitive gestures and navigation.
📊 Data-driven decision-making, using insights from UX testing to refine designs.
✅ Multiple design iterations were conducted based on feedback from:
Business stakeholders
to align with DEI’s vision
Technical teams
to ensure feasibility
End-users
to validate usability & accessibility
Results: Tangible Impact on Business & User Experience
Customer Experience Improvements
✅ Faster Photo Retrieval: FR & QR scanning reduced retrieval time by 60%.
✅ Higher Conversions: Image-led shopping & product bundling increased sales by 40%.
✅ Improved Navigation: My Trips & personalized galleries led to a 30% increase in engagement.
✅ Seamless Cross-Platform Experience: Customers could easily switch between web, mobile, kiosk, and staff-assisted purchases.
Staff Efficiency Gains
✅ 50% Faster Transactions: Automated QR/RFID scanning & optimized checkout flows reduced transaction times.
✅ Reduced Errors: Bulk editing & image previews minimized manual mistakes in image association and printing.
✅ Simplified Kiosk UX: Guest mode & intuitive navigation reduced queue times by 45%.
Business & Revenue Impact
📈 Higher Revenue from Digital & Physical Products due to intelligent recommendations & bundling.
📉 Lower Operational Costs by reducing staff dependency on manual image retrieval & sales.
🌍 Scalability for Future Growth, allowing DEI to expand to new geographies & business models.
The results presented here are for illustrative purposes only and do not reflect actual values. Certain details have been modified for case study purposes while maintaining the integrity of the insights.
I learned many important lessons
Process & Project Management
📌 Meticulous Documentation & Change Management – Maintaining detailed documentation, version control, and structured change management was critical to keeping the project aligned and ensuring seamless collaboration.
📌 Aligning Scope, Timelines & Stakeholder Expectations – Setting realistic goals from the outset helped prevent scope creep and ensured all stakeholders were on the same page throughout the project.
Collaboration & Communication
📌 Assertive Communication & Cross-Functional Collaboration – Engaging with product managers, developers, and business teams through clear, assertive communication helped resolve challenges efficiently.
📌 Storytelling for Design Solutions – Leveraging storytelling techniques allowed for more effective communication of design rationale, ensuring stakeholder buy-in and alignment.
Design & Innovation
📌 Benchmarking, Pattern Libraries & Design Systems – Implementing design systems and pattern libraries streamlined workflows, ensuring consistency across platforms while boosting efficiency.
📌 Scaling for Future Innovation – The project laid the groundwork for DEI’s digital transformation, enabling future innovations such as direct-to-consumer (D2C) models and emerging technologies like AR & VR to enhance customer experiences.
Reflections on Growth & Impact
🚀 A Career-Defining Project – This was the biggest and most complex project I’ve worked on, requiring 200+ wireframes, intricate user flows, and high-level decision-making beyond just design execution.
🛠️ From Designer to Consultant – I transitioned from simply following instructions to leading design decisions, implementing new systems for approvals, and driving alignment across teams.
💡 Overcoming Challenges & Owning Mistakes – While the scope was overwhelming, I tackled obstacles head-on, learned from mistakes, and became more confident in my expertise.
🌟 A Truly Transformative Experience – The project was a blend of stress, joy, and growth, deepening my connections with an amazing team of creative and business professionals. The experience was so enriching that my manager noted it was equivalent to gaining 3+ years of experience in a single project.