Selfridges Unlocked
Enhancing customer engagement through rewards at the iconic Selfridges stores.
Client
Selfridges
Timeline
Delivery Project
May - Aug 2024
Skills
UX Design, Service Design, Usability Testing. Prototyping
Selfridges Unlocked is a loyalty program designed to enhance customer engagement and reward customers by collecting points (known as “keys”). Customers can earn keys by spending money online and in store, but additionally can earn extra keys by visiting attractions within Selfridges' iconic stores. From restaurants and beauty concierge services to cinemas and even skate experiences, the initiative aimed to make in-store visits more rewarding while strengthening customer loyalty.
High Level Project Overview
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Enhance Customer Engagement: Encourage customers to explore and interact with different areas of the store in exchange for points (also known as engagement keys) awarded to their loyalty account (Selfridges Unlocked).
Seamless Experience: Design and test a smooth journey for customers to collect loyalty “keys" across various in-store touchpoints.
Scalable Solutions: Propose adaptable concepts for future expansions of the loyalty program.
Technology Integration: Incorporate NFC-enabled devices to facilitate effortless interactions and point collection. Validate the technical implementation in conjunction with the experience.
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I was responsible for bridging the gap between discovery insights and implementation. My primary focus included:
UX Research and Fieldwork:
Defined the current user journeys in store at the various engagement points.
Visited Selfridges locations in London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Trafford Exchange to analyse store layouts and customer journeys.
Stakeholder Interviews:
Engaged with site managers to understand operational constraints, user flows, and opportunities for integrating key collection.
Ideation Workshops:
Facilitated a Crazy 8’s workshop to conceptualise the design of NFC-enabled devices for customer interaction.
Prototyping and Testing:
Created and testing interactive prototypes, including devices with NFC functionality, through usability testing with customers and internal teams.
Collaboration and Briefing:
Advising the visual merchandising team with design briefs for the devices and creating collateral materials to support user testing.
Proposing Next Steps:
Delivering recommendations for refining the user experience and scaling the project.
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Prototypes tested and validated for usability, feasibility, and engagement.
Insights gathered from stakeholders informed further research and design recommendations.
Clear proposals delivered for scaling key collection experience across multiple locations.
Check out the full case study below ↓
The Problem Space
“For decades, luxury was synonymous with exclusivity, not rewards. But the game has changed. From private jets to designer bags, the world’s most coveted brands are now building lasting relationships with their elite clientele through meticulously crafted loyalty programs. They’ve cracked the code: it’s not about devaluing their products, it’s about elevating the experience.”
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, foot traffic in physical stores has significantly declined, impacting even renowned destinations like Selfridges in London. To address this challenge and re-engage customers, Selfridges aimed to enhance its loyalty program, Selfridges Unlocked, by introducing a new feature: “visit Selfridges stores and collect engagement keys.” This initiative incentivises loyal customers to explore and interact with various areas within their stores—such as restaurants, the cinema, and even the skate park—by earning points in exchange for their visits. This case study explores the approach of testing this concept and identifying the requirements needed to roll out an experience like this.
The Outcome
Validated concepts and journeys.
Actionable recommendations for implementation.
Prototypes tested and validated for usability and engagement.
Insights gathered from stakeholders informed design and research recommendations.
Clear proposals delivered for scaling the loyalty experience across multiple locations.
Meet the Team
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Nafisah Khan
Senior UX Designer @ Red Badger
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Georgia Cosslett
Delivery Lead @ Red Badger
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Matt Thompson
Tech Lead @ Red Badger
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Robert Hannan
Software Engineer @ Red Badger
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Shreya Awashti
Product Manager @ Selfridges
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David Francis
Business Analyst @ Selfridges
How we worked together
In Person
Though our team was scheduled to come in twice a week, I often would find myself scheduling usability tests in store or in the offices, and this definitely had to be done in person! The flexibility meant I would come in more often when needed.
Hybrid
On certain days, we would hold meetings in either the Selfridges or Red Badger office. There were often remote people, so ensuring everyone could participate in workshops was essential.
Remote
Wednesday to Friday, our team worked from home. We would try to organise most presentations to be on this day, as we found that it was easiest to present from home with less sound issues.
Reviewing Discovery Work &
Understanding The Brief
The project began with a review of the discovery work completed by another Red Badger team. Their research established NFC as the preferred technology for "key collection," eliminating QR codes as a viable option due to technical and experiential limitations. This provided a clear direction for the project's next steps. I was brought onto the delivery team to map all in-store customer journeys, design a proposed journey
integrating the "key collection" moment, validate the NFC interaction, and thoroughly test various aspects of the experience within the store environment.
My role focused on ensuring the proposed solutions were intuitive, seamless, and aligned with both customer expectations and operational requirements.
Journey mapping
Identifying key collection points
We initially focused on the mapping of one experience in store, and this was booking and attending an appointment at the Beauty Bar in the flagship store.
We then expanded and mapped out the customer journeys at other areas in store, focusing on the touch points where "key collection" moments could occur, as detailed in the brief set out by Selfridges. These included:
Beauty Bar
Skate Park
Restaurants
Cinema
VIP Lounge
We analysed the existing journeys, identified additional touch points, and pinpointed optimal moments for key collection in each journey.
Understanding the different types of users
When mapping out the journeys, there were a few other things to consider as well:
Does the user have the Selfridges app downloaded?
Does the user have a Selfridges account?
Is the user logged in to their account if they have one?
Are they opted in to Selfridges Unlocked?
What did we find out?
It was important to keep in mind for this experience that there would be a couple of different scenarios we need to design and test for, especially considering if customers were joining from the app, browser, if they were already signed up to the loyalty program, etc. Other things we found out were:
Cinema: Already had its own loyalty program, requiring integration into the broader journey.
Restaurants: Consistently busy during peak times, with managers emphasising the need to avoid any additional queues or areas that could cause hold ups.
Skate Park: Frequented by repeat customers, presenting an opportunity to reward loyalty and drive engagement.
Usability Testing: Initial Rounds
Positive feedback from the team regarding testing↓
Our first few rounds of usability testing aimed to evaluate the NFC interaction and device design. Key activities included:
Testing if users intuitively understood NFC functionality.
Prototyping in Figma and testing various device shapes and experiences within our office environment.
Testing NFC interactions across Android and iPhone devices.
Gathering feedback on ease of use and perceived value.
What did we find out?
Handmade prototypes with NFC stickers attached along with scenarios were created where participants were asked to “check in” to earn points to a loyalty program and collected a key. With minimal guidance, some participants struggled to understand the concept and felt embarrassed, highlighting the need for a self-explanatory and intuitive experience.
There were several iterations and variatons of the physical prototype, app journey, collatoral provided, and scenarios given to test participants. As there were so many pieces of the puzzle to understand how everything worked together.
Figma prototype I created for one of the usability tests
Spec Development
Using learnings from usability tests, we passed over information learned from usability testing to the Visual Merchandising team for them to create the next round of refined prototypes for testing.
Researching the Selfridges Stores
I conducted an in-depth analysis of how customers move through the store, focusing on key engagement points the business wanted to introduce to the loyalty scheme - like restaurants, cafes, and the cinema. I also worked closely with site managers to better understand operational constraints, current user flows, and opportunities to integrate the loyalty scheme. This collaborative approach helped uncover valuable insights to design a more seamless and engaging in-store experience.
4 Store visits across the UK
London
Birmingham
Manchester Trafford
Manchester Exchange Square
Findings from store visits
The journeys within the restaurants showed consistent patterns, but implementing the loyalty scheme across various locations presented unique challenges. Many of the restaurants were concessions, which meant that any changes—such as introducing tablescapes or collateral on restaurant or bar tables—required additional approval from third-party partners. This added an extra layer of complexity to the rollout.
Site managers widely agreed that the ideal "key collection moment" should occur at the end of the meal, during bill payment. Placing this interaction at the hosting or check-in station risked creating queues and disrupting the dining experience, as advised by stakeholders during site visits.
At the skate park, a high volume of repeat customers presented an exciting opportunity to encourage continued engagement. Managers suggested that offering points for attending skate sessions could act as a strong incentive for these loyal patrons to return more frequently.
Usability Testing: Round 2
The second round of usability testing was a more structured approach. We tested the end-to-end experience with a 3D printed lock that had the NFC hidden. Key steps included:
Designing a table setup with collateral to explain the experience to participants.
Recruited real Selfridges customers to participate who dined at a Selfridges restaurant as part of the usability test, incentivised with a gift card and complimentary meal.
Trained waitstaff to guide participants through the process.
Findings:
Out of five participants, one failed to collect a key because the waitress incorrectly instructed them to open their phone camera instead of tapping. This emphasised the importance of staff training and clear communication to ensure a seamless experience.
Dealing with hurdles:
We collaborated with the VM team to develop refined prototypes for this round of testing. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, they were unable to deliver within the required timeframe. Undeterred, we took the initiative to produce a 3D-printed lock ourselves and proceeded with testing as planned!
More details about this round of usability testing:
What did we test?
We gave 5 participants the opportunity to dine at the Brasserie of Light at the Selfridges Flagship store in Oxford street.
We engaged with 3 servers who were working during the testing time to assist customers in collecting a key using a prototype (3D printed lock) that contained an NFC sticker.
We provided a 1 pager with the task information to each participant but wanted to get transparent feedback, so we did not provide too much context to see if customers understood what the test was about.
The Task:
The task outlined in a document provided to each participant:
“Please sit down and order your meal as you normally would. After your meal, your task is to get a point (otherwise known as a “key”) added to your Selfridges Unlocked account.
If you do not understand any part of the task, please ask. your server for more information.
Please note, if you unable to succeed in this task, this means we need to improve our experience. Nothing you say is wrong, and we appreciate all of your insights regarding the Unlocked experience.”
Research Questions
Are participants able to successfully collect a key?
Do customers understand what it means to collect a key and how it fits in with Selfridges Unlocked?
Does the technical implementation work?
Does the server understand how to help the customer?
Does each element of the experience work in combination?
Research Question Results
After that round of usability testing, I was heading off to another project, so I put forward some ideas and next steps for another designer to pick up.
Are customers able to successfully collect a key?
One task fail
One participant failed in the task of collecting a key, as they were prompted to sign in and not brought back to the key collection journey.
Participant struggles
The participant that failed was instructed by the server to open their phone camera even though the server was briefed prior on how to assist customers.
The participant managed to still open the web journey, however, after sign in, they were brought to the incorrect page.
During the post-meal interview, the participant was able to successfully collect a key when they tried again.
Four participants were successful in collecting a key
All 5 of the participants said the part where they tap their phone to collect a key was seamless and easy.
Does the server understand how to help the customer ?
Two of the 3 servers had no issues assisting customers with collecting keys.
Each server was briefed prior to the test. The servers were given a demonstration, and then asked to collect a key on their respective phones to ensure they understood how the process worked
One server did not fully understand the process and asked a customer to open their camera on their phone to scan when interacting with the prototype during testing.
Does the technical implementation work?
Overall, yes but there was still 1 task fail which we need to account for.
4 of 5 participants had no issues.
The plan for rollout was to only have an in app experience (no web journey), so would need to test again.
Do customers understand what it means to collect a key and how it fits in with Selfridges Unlocked?
The answer is, overall no!
2 participants were unfamiliar with Selfridges Unlocked. They understood that they were getting a “point” awarded to their account, but they did not understand what the benefits of points AKA keys were.
One server felt the customer had no idea what was going on, though they were still able to collect a key.
3 participants are Unlocked members and have the app. They felt that though they are an Unlocked member, they do not understand what rewards they are getting from being a member.
During the post-test interview, one participant explained they felt deterred from shopping at Selfridges because the lack of clarity of tiers in the loyalty system, and what the benefits were.
Three participants loved the lock and the novelty of the experience.
One participant felt that the process for collecting a key should be fun the first time around, however, if they have to continuously ask the server to collect a key, it might become annoying.
Does each element of the process work in combination?
Yes, however there are things we can improve to ensure the experience is better.
Keeping the journey the same would mean that
We need to ensure the servers are trained with how the process works and how to explain Unlocked to customers.
We need to ensure customers understand what is happening when collecting a key, but also the Unlocked scheme as a whole.
We need to ensure that the journey is correct if a customer needs to sign in!
Other insights
We need to come up with a plan for when the tech doesn’t work (Crowdstrike was not that long ago and taught us a lot)!
We need to provide relevant information.
Customers are struggling to Understand what “Unlocked” is, what keys are, along with collecting keys in store.
A few customers complained that they don’t understand the benefits in each tier when it comes to the loyalty program as a whole.
We need to provide more context the first time a customer engages with this service.
For the Unlocked overall team:
We need to review the language of the loyalty scheme and what the benefits are. There was negative feedback on the benefits of the scheme, as well as the customer comprehension of the language used to describe various parts of the offering.
How might we and next steps?
After the final round of usability testing, I transitioned to a new project at Red Badger. To ensure a smooth handover, I outlined key ideas and next steps for another designer to build upon.
I framed future research opportunities as “How might we” questions, encouraging an open and exploratory approach to uncovering new insights. This provided a structured yet flexible way to guide the next phase of research and iteration.
The soft launch took place on February 5, 2025, after my departure from Red Badger. Recently, my former team shared exciting updates on the launch’s success and the roadmap for future rollouts!
How might we enable customers to collect a key?
Create a few variations of the device
Engage with the Creative Team so they are engaged and aware of customer feedback from usability testing regarding the device (themed devices, Selfridges branding, etc)
Test a version where we secure an NFC or QR code to each table for customer to check themselves in
There have been a few flagged issues with this, the drawbacks are:
We would need additional approvals from each restaurant
Managers from Manchester flagged that customers might try to steal the NFC’s to check in every day
If it is a QR code, there are ways to take photo of this and rig the system so customers can check in, even if they aren’t in store visiting.
How might we provide the customer with the right information?
Provide a “table tent”, small item, or leaflet that provides information about Selfridges Unlocked as a whole, while also prompting the customer to ask their server to “collect a key” for visiting.
Give the ability to have customers sign up for Selfridges Unlocked for customers that are unfamiliar with the scheme
From the site visits, we must remember any items introduced to San Carlos restaurants would need pre-approval before it’s rolled out, so any designs would need to be send forward to relevant parties ahead of time.
How might we provide the best journey experience according to different scenarios?
What if the tech doesn’t work? Have contingency plan for when the customer isn’t able to collect a point in a way that is easiest for the customer
Maybe this is through a redirect form that they fill out right away and we give them a key manually? Followed by a confirmation email?
Lead the customer down a different path for the first time they are collecting an engagement key to provide more context and ensure they understand what the benefits are upfront.
How might we ensure that customers want to come back to visit the store again and collect keys in the future?
Make it easy
It shouldn't take the customer more than one minute to sign up
It shouldn’t take a customer more than 10 seconds to collect a key
Make it understandable and fun
Ensure there is a “confetti” moment that celebrates earning a key
This additionally explains what a key means and how it benefits them
Explore gamification
Can we gamify this experience and encourage customers to earn keys at other locations or every time they visit a store?
How might we ensure Selfridges Team Members on shift are well informed of Unlocked and how to assist a customer with collecting a key?
Based off site visits and interviews with managers at the various restaurants, we need to provide a 1 pager to key collection points to distribute.
Ask all servers to practice 2-3 times before engaging with customers.
Provide back up for when the tech doesn’t work so too much doesn’t fall on the servers to correct if something doesn’t go right, as they are often busy.
How might we ensure the key collection is as easy for the cinema experience?
User testing was carried out at Brasserie of Light (a restaurant in London). We predict this experience will align closely to the other restaurants, cafe, and champagne bar as the user journeys are the same.
The cinema has several opportunities for customers to collect a key during their journey, but this needs to be tested and validated with staff members there.
How might we ensure the key collection is as easy for the VIP lounge?
When customers attend VIP events in the VIP lounge, they must present their QR code for inspection before entering.
Will the experience be clunky if the customer must then tap their phone to collect a key? This again needs to be tested in the VIP lounge.
Next Steps 1
Engage with Visual Merchandising team to produce more prototypes to test
Engage with Visual Merchandising team to produce a table tent or collateral. The item should provide the right context for new customers, as well as Unlocked members that have never collected a key.
Refine journeys
In app - the first time engagement sees a different screen explaining what is happening and what they earned
In app - ensure the redirect is working if the user signs in
Ensure there is a confetti moment when the key collection is successful, and that the reward is clearly and simply explained
Create a journey for when the NFC fails
Next Steps 2
Once the list in “Next Steps 1” is completed:
Test in Cinema and VIP lounge to validate the journey
Have 1-2 more rounds of testing in a restaurant once more with the refined prototypes from Visual Merchandising, and additionally in the champagne bar + cafe in Manchester to validate the experiences there.
Validate the customer journey for Gran Cafe for takeout.
Engage with each site to brief Team Members on how to assist customers in key collection
Provide a 1 pager with key information for managers to hand out
Ensure the server trials out the process minimum two times to ensure they understand how everything works.
Conclusions & Learnings
The Selfridges Unlocked project was an exciting and ambitious initiative, but it was not without its challenges. One of the most significant hurdles was the fluidity of the project scope. As a massive organisation, Selfridges involved numerous high-level stakeholders, each with varying priorities and changing requirements. This often led to sudden pivots that required the team to quickly adapt to new directives or address unexpected additions to the scope. Navigating these changes demanded resilience and flexibility from everyone involved.
Another key challenge was establishing connections with the right people to gather essential insights. While I initially relied on stakeholder introductions, delays and unresponsiveness from certain individuals hindered progress. Recognising this, I took a proactive approach, personally visiting various store locations and introducing myself to team members. This hands-on method proved highly effective; I found that approaching people directly, with a friendly and open demeanor, resulted in more valuable insights and productive collaborations.
During the project, I also faced situations that tested my ability to advocate for user-centred design principles. For instance, I developed a detailed specification for the NFC-enabled device based on rigorous user research and testing. However, during a meeting I couldn’t attend, another designer proposed ideas that deviated significantly from the research findings. This misstep required me to reiterate and re-present the rationale behind my recommendations. Eventually, the team aligned on a direction informed by user research, ensuring the solution met user needs and expectations.
Another instance of advocacy arose when the team proposed an ideal "key collection moment" based on user testing and stakeholder interviews. Despite our findings, business decisions initially moved forward with an alternate approach. After presenting the research and clearly explaining the user impact, we successfully convinced key stakeholders to reconsider their decision, ultimately prioritising a solution grounded in UX research.
Despite these challenges, the project successfully laid the groundwork for an innovative loyalty program that enhances customer engagement while offering a scalable framework for future growth.