Easy Rewards

A new loyalty program where it’s faster to earn, easier to redeem, and more personalized to customers — built to address customer pain points head on.

New Program Overview

Staples reimagined its loyalty program to retain and grow its most valuable omni-shoppers (small business, teacher, consumer) while unlocking long-term, cross-channel returns for the Staples brand/enterprise. It is a free points-based program that allows customers to earn points on all their purchases, on their favorite/most shopped categories, through mass and targeted promotions, as well as non-purchase related activities such as (but not limited to) recycling, etc.  Members can then use points in several ways – dollars off purchases and donations.

 

Market Research

Multiple comprehensive studies confirmed that this program design has widespread appeal and is likely to influence purchase behavior positively: 76% appeal, 94% likelihood of enrollment, and 59% positive impact on purchases.

My Role & Responsibilities

Led discovery efforts

by monitoring user interviews, competitive analysis, and reviewing business goals to define core problems and opportunities for the loyalty program.

Defined experience strategy

by mapping user journeys and identifying key touch-points to drive engagement and retention.

Facilitated ideation workshops

with cross-functional teams (Product, Marketing, Engineering, and Creative) to brainstorm solutions aligned with user needs and business KPIs.

Created wireframes and prototypes

to explore multiple concepts, validating early ideas through usability testing with target users.

Collaborated closely

with product managers and data analysts to prioritize features based on impact, feasibility, and technical constraints.

Led design reviews

and iterated on feedback from stakeholders, ensuring alignment across design, engineering, and executive teams.

Delivered high-fidelity UI designs

and a design spec ready for development, incorporating accessibility and scalability for future enhancements.

Partnered with engineering

through implementation, conducting QA and design audits to ensure pixel-perfect delivery and smooth user experience.

Defined success metrics

with PM and data team, and supported post-launch tracking and iteration based on user feedback and behavioral data.

Design Process

Team Setup

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Branding

Supervised a third-party agency in developing the brand identity for Easy Rewards, ensuring alignment with the overarching vision and strategy. Throughout the process, concepts were presented to stakeholders for review, iterated based on their feedback, and finalized assets were distributed across the organization for implementation.

Design Style Guide

Supervised and regularly contributed to the development of a dedicated design style guide, as a subset of the broader Staples Design System, to support the new loyalty program, with a focus on the app experience.

Sign in/up screens

Designed and helped develop a seamless unified login for multiple Staples platforms, enhancing security and reducing friction, which led to a 90% login success rate.

A clean and clear sign-up process is essential for creating a seamless user experience. By streamlining account creation with intuitive design, minimal steps, and clear instructions, we reduced friction and improved user engagement. A well-structured sign-up flow enhances accessibility, builds trust, and increases conversion rates by making it easy for users to get started. With features like autofill and error validation, we ensured a fast, hassle-free registration process that encourages users to complete their onboarding and start enjoying the app’s benefits immediately.

Easy Rewards Onboarding

Designed intuitive onboarding screens to seamlessly guide users through the app setup process, ensuring a smooth and engaging first-time experience. The onboarding flow helped drive user adoption and retention by simplifying key actions and highlighting core benefits, contributing to overall engagement and conversion rates.

The flow and design were continuously refined based on user feedback to enhance usability and overall experience.

Additional strategic measures were implemented to seamlessly transition existing users into the program, ensuring they get to enjoy their rewards without any friction.

Easy Rewards Dashboard

The core product with a centralized hub for all Easy Rewards offerings, including earned points, points history, program details, bonus point categories, and related incentives such as recycling rewards and in-store coupons.

Easy Rewards User Journey

The app map for a loyalty program outlines a clear and intuitive structure to guide users through their rewards journey. Each section is interconnected to support seamless navigation, allowing users to move fluidly from checking their balance to redeeming rewards or exploring new earning opportunities, all designed to drive engagement and repeat usage.

Store mode

The app features an in-store mode designed for seamless access to essential information and offers, even in areas with limited internet connectivity. This ensures users can quickly connect, view their rewards information, and access exclusive deals without disruption, enhancing convenience and the overall shopping experience.

ADA compliance

Our app is fully ADA-compliant, ensuring accessibility for all users, including those with disabilities. We have implemented ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) tagging to enhance screen reader compatibility and provide clear navigation cues. Our design follows WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) best practices, offering keyboard-friendly interactions, high-contrast visuals, and intuitive layouts. By prioritizing accessibility, we create an inclusive digital experience that meets legal standards and empowers all users to engage seamlessly with our platform.

Landing page

An educational landing page to support our new loyalty program app, designed to engage and inform users about its exclusive benefits. This page provides a seamless introduction to the program, outlining key features, rewards, and enrollment details. With a user-friendly design, compelling visuals, and clear calls to action, we aim to drive sign-ups and enhance customer engagement. Optimized for both desktop and mobile, the landing page ensures a smooth experience for all visitors, making it easier than ever to join and enjoy the rewards of our loyalty program.

The Impact

The Staples Easy Rewards loyalty program has achieved remarkable success. Within its first year, the app enrolled over 20 million members, including 5 million new customers. With 12 million active members generating $2–3 billion in spending, the program contributed $64 million in incremental revenue. Additionally, over 65% of members find the program valuable.

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Key Learnings

Simple, intuitive experiences drive adoption

Users engaged more with clear value propositions and minimal friction during sign-up and onboarding.

Cross-functional alignment is critical

Early misalignment on program logic and back-end capabilities highlighted the importance of continuous collaboration with product, engineering, marketing, and legal.

User feedback is gold post-launch

Observing real user behavior and collecting qualitative insights helped prioritize impactful improvements.

Education and internal enablement are key

Success depended not only on users understanding the program, but also on internal teams being equipped to support and promote it.

Data must be paired with context

Metrics alone didn’t reveal the full picture—combining analytics with user interviews gave deeper insight into engagement patterns.