Designing a Mobile App to Help Security Guards Prevent Theft
Designing a Mobile App to Help Security Guards Prevent Theft
A mobile app designed to assist security guards in verifying purchase slips and detecting unpaid items at retail store exits.
A mobile app designed to assist security guards in verifying purchase slips and detecting unpaid items at retail store exits.
Project overview
Project overview
⚠️ The challenge
Homecenter Sodimac, a Colombian retail chain, faced challenges with receipt validation and theft detection as guards struggled to spot reused receipts and stolen items, causing delays and errors.
Homecenter Sodimac, a Colombian retail chain, faced challenges with receipt validation and theft detection as guards struggled to spot reused receipts and stolen items, causing delays and errors.
💡 Solution
We created a flexible flow where receipts are scanned to prevent reuse, and high-risk items are cross-checked against them. Haptic feedback gave real-time alerts, keeping guards focused off-screen.
We created a flexible flow where receipts are scanned to prevent reuse, and high-risk items are cross-checked against them. Haptic feedback gave real-time alerts, keeping guards focused off-screen.
💥 Impact
This solution has been implemented and is currently in use across all Homecenter stores in Colombia, improving operational efficiency and security nationwide. As of 2021, Homecenter operates 40 stores across 24 cities and municipalities in Colombia.
This solution has been implemented and is currently in use across all Homecenter stores in Colombia, improving operational efficiency and security nationwide. As of 2021, Homecenter operates 40 stores across 24 cities and municipalities in Colombia.
🙋🏼♀️ My role
🙋🏼♀️ My role
As a UX designer, my responsibilities included:
As a UX designer, my responsibilities included:
Planning research and user interviews
Creating user flows and wireframes
Conducting testing and iterating based on feedback
Ensuring a smooth transition from concept to final design
Presenting design updates to stakeholders
Planning research and user interviews
Creating user flows and wireframes
Conducting testing and iterating based on feedback
Ensuring a smooth transition from concept to final design
Presenting design updates to stakeholders
I was one of two designers on this project, working alongside a UI Designer.
I was one of two designers on this project, working alongside a UI Designer.
About the client
About the client
Sodimac is a leading retail chain in Latin America, specializing in home improvement and construction products. Operating as Homecenter in Colombia, it serves both homeowners and professionals, with a strong presence in 7 countries, over 100 stores, and more than 13,000 employees.
Sodimac is a leading retail chain in Latin America, specializing in home improvement and construction products. Operating as Homecenter in Colombia, it serves both homeowners and professionals, with a strong presence in 7 countries, over 100 stores, and more than 13,000 employees.
The design process
The design process
Following a User-Centered Design and Design Thinking approach, we structured the process into five key stages:
Following a User-Centered Design and Design Thinking approach, we structured the process into five key stages:
🔍
Discover
Discover
Conducted interviews with security guards to understand their current workflow and pain points.
Conducted interviews with security guards to understand their current workflow and pain points.
📌
Analyze and define
Analyze and define
Prioritized key features for an MVP, focusing on receipt validation, fraud detection, and ease of use.
Prioritized key features for an MVP, focusing on receipt validation, fraud detection, and ease of use.
✏️
Ideate
Ideate
Designed workflows and wireframes, tested prototypes with guards, and iterated based on findings.
Designed workflows and wireframes, tested prototypes with guards, and iterated based on findings.
🎨
Propose
Propose
Delivered the final UI design and completed the handoff to development after receiving client approval.
Delivered the final UI design and completed the handoff to development after receiving client approval.
🚀
Propose
Propose
Collaborated with developers and conducted design QA reviews, ensuring alignment with approved design.
Collaborated with developers and conducted design QA reviews, ensuring alignment with approved design.
Understanding the challenge
Understanding the challenge
We conducted user and field research, and mapped the security guards' journey to gain a deeper understanding of their receipt validation process, identifying pain points and opportunities for improvement based on their needs.
We conducted user and field research, and mapped the security guards' journey to gain a deeper understanding of their receipt validation process, identifying pain points and opportunities for improvement based on their needs.
Field Research: Guards validating purchase slips and monitoring product exits at the store.
Field Research: Guards validating purchase slips and monitoring product exits at the store.
Field Research: Guards validating purchase slips and monitoring product exits at the store.
User Journey Map: Process security guards follow to validate purchase slips and control product exits. (Visual in Spanish)
User Journey Map: Process security guards follow to validate purchase slips and control product exits. (Visual in Spanish)
🔍 Key insights
🔍 Key insights
Guards Prioritize High-Risk Items for Faster Checks
Guards Prioritize High-Risk Items for Faster Checks
Trained to recognize high-value and frequently stolen products, they focus on these during verification to speed up the process.
Trained to recognize high-value and frequently stolen products, they focus on these during verification to speed up the process.
Speed Over Accuracy During Peak Hours
Speed Over Accuracy During Peak Hours
When the store is busy, guards prioritize key purchase details—total amount and item prices—for a quick mental check rather than a full verification.
When the store is busy, guards prioritize key purchase details—total amount and item prices—for a quick mental check rather than a full verification.
Multitasking Leads to Verification Errors
Multitasking Leads to Verification Errors
Guards handle slip validation, theft monitoring, customer observation, and radio communication, increasing error risks during manual verification.
Guards handle slip validation, theft monitoring, customer observation, and radio communication, increasing error risks during manual verification.
Defining the design requirements
Defining the design requirements
We translated user insights into design requirements and functionalities, collaborating with the client to prioritize those that delivered the most value for users and the business, ensuring an efficient MVP launch. The focus was on:
We translated user insights into design requirements and functionalities, collaborating with the client to prioritize those that delivered the most value for users and the business, ensuring an efficient MVP launch. The focus was on:
Implementing an efficient, structured validation process
Using color coding and interactive feedback (vibration, sound) to highlight issues
Displaying only essential information for quick decision-making
Implementing an efficient, structured validation process
Using color coding and interactive feedback (vibration, sound) to highlight issues
Displaying only essential information for quick decision-making
Prioritization Matrix
Categorizing features based on priority for the MVP: must-have, should-have, and nice-to-have. (Visual in Spanish)
Prioritization Matrix
Categorizing features based on user needs throughout the app workflow. (Visual in Spanish)
Prioritization Matrix
Categorizing features based on priority for the MVP: must-have, should-have, and nice-to-have. (Visual in Spanish)
Categorizing features based on user needs throughout the app workflow. (Visual in Spanish)
Categorizing features based on priority for the MVP: must-have, should-have, and nice-to-have. (Visual in Spanish)
Categorizing features based on user needs throughout the app workflow. (Visual in Spanish)
The solution
The solution
We designed a user flow that leverages guards’ training, allowing them to focus on high-risk items without slowing down operations. At the same time providing flexibility for busy hours, as guards can choose to verify only slips, skipping products, when necessary.
We designed a user flow that leverages guards’ training, allowing them to focus on high-risk items without slowing down operations. At the same time providing flexibility for busy hours, as guards can choose to verify only slips, skipping products, when necessary.
Step 1
Multitasking Leads to Verification Errors
Guards scan the purchase slip
The app verifies the slip’s date and code
If invalid, the app provides color-coded feedback
Guards scan the purchase slip
The app verifies the slip’s date and code
If invalid, the app provides color-coded feedback
Step 2
Product verification
Guards scan high-risk items to confirm if they were purchased
The app checks agains scanned receipt
If the product wasn’t paid for, an alert is triggered
Guards scan high-risk items to confirm if they were purchased
The app checks agains scanned receipt
If the product wasn’t paid for, an alert is triggered
User flow: Navigation flow security guards follow to validate purchase slips and control product exits. (Visual in Spanish)
User flow: Navigation flow security guards follow to validate purchase slips and control product exits. (Visual in Spanish)
User flow: Navigation flow security guards follow to validate purchase slips and control product exits. (Visual in Spanish)
✏️ Wireframing and user testing
✏️ Wireframing and user testing
To ensure usability, we tested wireframes using a paper prototype with guards. Key findings included:
To ensure usability, we tested wireframes using a paper prototype with guards. Key findings included:
Haptic feedback is essential
Haptic feedback is essential
Reduces reliance on reading and allows guards to stay alert.
Reduces reliance on reading and allows guards to stay alert.
Displaying product prices aids validation
Displaying product prices aids validation
Enables quick mental calculations for further validation.
Enables quick mental calculations for further validation.
An onboarding walkthrough is necessary
An onboarding walkthrough is necessary
Helps new guards quickly understand the tool.
Helps new guards quickly understand the tool.
Low-fidelity designs were created to validate the initial flow and were later used to build a paper prototype for user testing. (Visual in Spanish)
UI designs
UI designs
The UI designs were developed based on feedback from paper prototype sessions with guards and refined through additional client validations. Once approved, they were handed off to the development team for implementation, with design QAs conducted until launch.
The UI designs were developed based on feedback from paper prototype sessions with guards and refined through additional client validations. Once approved, they were handed off to the development team for implementation, with design QAs conducted until launch.
💡️ Project take aways
💡️ Project take aways
Physical and digital interactions must work together. Haptics, sound, and color were crucial in reducing cognitive load
Physical and digital interactions must work together. Haptics, sound, and color were crucial in reducing cognitive load
User testing validated assumptions and informed critical design decisions, making the app truly user-centered
User testing validated assumptions and informed critical design decisions, making the app truly user-centered
UXUI Design・User research・User testing
UXUI Design・User research・User testing
2019
2019
Scroll right to explore user journey map: 👉🏻
Scroll right to explore all wireframes 👉🏻
Low-fidelity designs were created to validate the initial flow and were later used to build a paper prototype for user testing. (Visual in Spanish)
This outlines the process security guards follow to validate purchase slips and control product exits. (Visual in Spanish)