Rewards & Loyalty Program

About Berify

Berify is a blockchain authentication and engagement tool for brands to connect with their consumers.

Role

Solo designer responsible for designing an app Rewards & Loyalty workflow.

Project Task

Design the Rewards & Loyalty workflow for app users to earn points and redeem for prizes by interacting with Berified products.

Client
Berify

Year
2023-2024

Platforms
App

Team
1 Designer

Objective

The primary business objective of the Berify Rewards project was to boost user engagement on our app by implementing a rewards and loyalty program. This program motivates customers of Berify partner brands through gamified interactions with their Berify-tagged products. 

By encouraging participation in the rewards program, we aim to boost app sign-ups and retain existing users. Furthermore, the rewards program is advantageous to Berify's partner brands by enhancing engagement, increasing brand loyalty, and driving higher revenue.

Impact & Results

Design Process

I started the design process by categorizing our user groups into two main categories:

  1. Berify’s Partner Brands: These are Berify clients who will manage and create their reward systems through Berify.

  2. Berify App Users (Partner Brands’ Customers): These are the customers of our partner brands who will use the brands' reward programs via the Berify app.

I. Berify’s Partner Brands

Initially, I focused on understanding our partner brands' needs and expectations for a rewards and loyalty program. I categorized the brands into three groups with the following objectives:

  • Brands Without Reward Programs: These brands are interested in creating a rewards program through Berify’s platform (75% of brands).

  • Brands Looking to Replace Existing Reward Programs: These brands want to switch from their current reward systems to Berify’s program (15% of brands).

  • Brands with Existing Reward Programs: These brands want to integrate their current rewards programs into Berify’s new system (10% of brands).

I discovered that most brands with existing rewards use third-party apps for their programs. Brands without rewards are also familiar with these third-party solutions, with the top three being:

  1. LoyaltyLion

  2. Yotpo

  3. Klaviyo

A common factor among these top options is their compatibility with our partner brands' e-commerce platforms.

I derived our first requirement based on these findings.

Berify’s rewards program must be compatible with popular e-commerce platforms.

To refine this requirement further, I gathered information on the e-commerce platforms used by our partner brands and found the following distribution:

  1. Shopify

  2. WooCommerce

  3. Other (Magento, Wix)

Shopify users represented a significant majority, with 90% of brands using this platform.

After discussing these insights with Berify stakeholders, we refined our initial requirement to align with our release timeline and launch dates. 

Berify’s rewards program must be compatible with popular e-commerce platforms.

Berify’s rewards program must be compatible with Shopify.

II. Berify App Users

I researched user expectations and motivators for reward program participants and compiled feedback to identify the key elements of a successful rewards program:

  • Ease of Use: The interface should be intuitive, allowing users to navigate without confusion.

  • Clear Reward Tracking: Users should have access to their points balance, reward history, and redemption history.

  • Easy Redemption Process: The redemption process should be simple and frictionless, with minimal steps and clear prize options.

  • Effective Communication: There should be clear information on how points are earned and how they can be used to redeem prizes.

In comparing our rewards program with other popular ones, I identified several design challenges to address for a seamless and intuitive experience:

  • Customization for Partner Brands: Each Berify partner brand has its own unique program with specific reward rules, guidelines, and prize offerings, making it necessary to accommodate various configurations.

  • Eligibility of Products: Not all Berify-tagged products may qualify for earning points. For instance, a brand might want to include rewards for hoodies but exclude socks. The design must clearly communicate which products are eligible for points and which are not.

Rewards Beta Release

We launched the initial iteration of our rewards system within a rigid 3-week timeline, from concept to launch, to meet a strict business deadline. We planned our initial release as a Beta version, with the goal of quickly introducing the feature to partner clients and their customers.

This approach allowed us to test the feature beyond our internal environment and collect valuable feedback. Additionally, this Beta phase provided our development team with an opportunity to further explore integration capabilities with Shopify.

Despite the compressed timeline, I ensured that our first design iteration met the essential specifications, including:

  • Access to the rewards page

  • A list of brand reward programs available to users

  • A points history/log

  • Brand identification 

  • A display of reward opportunities for redemption

  • Reward redemption process (spend x points to redeem y reward)

  • A display of earn-eligible products within each brand’s reward program

  • A list of earn rules for each earn-eligible product

User Testing & Feedback Gathering

Following the Beta release, I collaborated with our brand manager and sales team to onboard partner brands onto the rewards program. We also held feedback review sessions with these brands to identify any requirements gaps. Additionally, I conducted usability testing with app users to pinpoint friction points affecting their experience.

I consolidated user feedback from app users and partner clients to identify the major design gaps that are necessary to include in our next optimized iteration.

Optimizing Designs

After multiple rounds of feedback and user testing, I obtained a deeper understanding of user needs and friction points, which I used to improve the designs for our next iteration.

Enhanced Brand Identity through Customization

Allowing our partner brands to customize their rewards program display on the app was crucial for building trust and security with their customers. By offering customizable banner space and logo displays, brands can easily upload promotional materials and logos, reinforcing their presence on the app and adding a visual appeal to their reward program.

Incentivizing Rewards Usage

Both customers and partner brands were concerned about the lack of motivation for users to return to the rewards pages beyond redeeming rewards or checking points history. When our Shopify connect feature was released shortly after the Rewards Beta, I took the opportunity to integrate it into the rewards workflow for our second iteration.

This integration allows partner brands to showcase and preview Shopify products directly in their rewards program and establish brand legitimacy. Customers can browse products and see items they can use their rewards on, encouraging them to earn more points for desired items.

Additionally, I added a section displaying the brand’s current promotions directly beneath the rewards. This feature streamlines the rewards workflow, making it easier for customers to revisit rewards and access active promos.

Design-Developer Handoff

Design handoff is a crucial phase in advancing our next iteration of the Rewards & Loyalty program. One challenge I encountered with this process was coordinating with an international team and navigating language barriers. To overcome this, I made sure to prepare a variety of documents and materials to clearly communicate the designs and workflows during handoff meetings. These materials included:

  • Prototypes

  • Flowcharts

  • Annotations and proper documentation

Working closely with an international team as the only designer provided me the unique opportunity to further develop my collaboration skills and refine my guidelines for seamless design-developer handoff. 

  1. Conduct Kickoff Meeting

    Understand technical constraints and requirements.

  2. Feasibility Check

    Confirm that design ideas and requirements align with technical limitations and the project timeline.

  3. Conduct Handoff Meetings

    Present the designs using prototypes, flowcharts and documents with detailed design annotations.

  4. Testing and Collaboration

    QA test alongside our QA team and conduct design comparisons to identify any discrepancies with the wireframes to ensure alignment with the final design and workflows.