GOAL.
Redefine the return process for e-tailers in Canada. Build a service and a brand that ensures customer satisfaction, drives savings, and reduces time to resell.
ROLE.
Design Lead, Research Lead, Founding Designer
KEY DELIVERABLES.
User researchWireframesInformation ArchitecturePrototypeAlpha Release
ReturnBear needed to facilitate a dual-sided transaction. For the service to function properly for our end customers we needed to design a service that paired together the 3pls, the retailer, and the customer. We created 4 products to manage the returns/exchanges both on the retailer side as well as our own.
We decided we were dedicated to create a 100% unique experience. Through a broad e-comm audit, concept generation workshops, and more we aligned on a direction for the product we called “Unshopping.” The idea being to make the process of returns familiar by utilizing the e-comm layout and delightful by making it seem to the customer they were receiving free money.
We ran into feasibility constraints and worked closely with the developers to align on a solution we could begin building, alongside testing with users on a compressed timeline and created a library of new patterns to maintain standards for design and development.
Building the ReturnBear brand alongside the product build came with its tradeoffs. We started by conducting a workshop with the broader team to ensure the foundation was strong and ensure a direction that aligned with the team’s mission and values. Based on the strategic direction, we built worlds to draw inspiration from, refactoring our products and services visual strategy, based on our world.
After deciding on our visual strategy, I organized and managed a highly creative team of indivuals playing a specific role in owning the brand i.e. voice, illustration, video and more. With more feet on the ground, we had more bandwidth to bring the new business to life, focusing on sales, marketing, standardizing, hiring, testing and more.
