The Warehouse Group
Design System
Objective
The Warehouse Group faced significant technical and design debt, resulting in inconsistent and frustrating user experiences across various platforms. Our primary goal was to improve the customer experience by creating a scalable, codified design system of reusable patterns and components. This system would standardise design practices, streamline collaboration, and accelerate the delivery of new features.
Target audience
Internal users
Teams such as marketing, content, product, logistics, and in-store staff who rely on internal software and systems (e.g., checkout systems, inventory management tools).
External users
Customers interacting with The Warehouse Group’s physical stores, mobile apps, and website experiences across multiple brands.
Problem statement
How might we create a scalable, reusable design system that optimises the user experience for both end-users and internal teams, empowers cross-functional collaboration, whilst respecting existing business constraints, silos, and evolving requirements?
Role & Responsibilities
Role
As a lead designer, I served as a core member of the design system team, working closely with cross-functional stakeholders to develop, refine, and implement the system.
Responsibilities
Collaboration and coordination
Acted as a liaison among product teams, marketing, and content teams to ensure alignment with the design system.
Research and workshops
Assisted with user interviews, guerrilla testing, A/B testing, and facilitated workshops to gather requirements and validate assumptions.
System setup and design
Helped define the design and experience principles, from creating a foundational style guide to a comprehensive pattern library and technical specs.
Documentation and governance
Maintained version control in Abstract, documented components, and established governance processes to manage brand divergence and system evolution.
Research
Methodology
User research
Conducted discovery sessions, interviews, and in-store observations to identify pain points with current digital and physical experiences.
A/B testing
Collaborated with product teams to run tests on new components and design variations.
Guerrilla testing
Conducted quick usability tests with real customers and internal staff to capture immediate feedback.
Key findings
Inconsistency
Multiple brands and legacy systems led to fragmented experiences.
Collaboration barriers
Limited cross-team alignment slowed delivery and complicated design updates.
Need for standardisation
Reusable patterns would reduce effort, streamline changes, and create a more cohesive user experience.
Ideation
Workshops
Held sessions with content, product, and marketing teams to brainstorm requirements, discuss potential patterns, and uncover latent needs.
Design principles
Aligned on foundational principles (e.g., consistency, scalability, user-centeredness) to guide pattern creation and decision-making.
Agile sprints
Broke down large initiatives into smaller sprints, enabling iterative exploration and continual feedback loops.
Design
Design challenges
Technical complexities
The existing e-commerce platform had constraints that restricted design freedom and required careful coordination with the development team.
Brand divergence
Multiple brands under The Warehouse Group umbrella meant the design system had to allow for both consistency and brand-specific customisation.
Team growth and alignment
As more designers joined the project, ensuring consistent adoption of design principles became critical.
Solutions
Centralised style guide and pattern library
Developed a unified style guide covering typography, color palettes, and UI elements. Created reusable components to accelerate development and maintain brand consistency.
Governance & version control
Implemented Abstract to manage design versions, review new components, and resolve conflicting patterns. Established a governance model that included regular check-ins, reviews, and a system roadmap for updates.
Inclusive decision-making
Encouraged collaboration and empathy among designers to handle creative differences. Conducted retrospectives and stakeholder reviews to incorporate feedback and maintain shared ownership.
User-testing
Testing methodology
Usability testing and A/B testing
Collected both qualitative and quantitative data to validate and refine new components.
In-store and real-time feedback
Gathered insights from employees and customers using in-store systems to refine workflows and user interactions.
Feedback integration
Continuous iteration
After each testing cycle, used findings to update components, documentation, and best practices.
Stakeholder updates
Communicated results with product owners, developers, and business teams, ensuring alignment and transparency.
Impact
Quantitative results
Reduced time-to-market for design changes by standardising reusable components and patterns.
Accelerated speed of experimentation, enabling quicker iteration cycles and more frequent A/B testing.
Qualitative feedback
Improved collaboration
Internal teams reported fewer blockers and clearer paths to implementation.
Enhanced consistency
Customers provided more consistent feedback across multiple touchpoints, reflecting a cohesive brand experience.
Lessons learned
Contributing to the design system taught me the value of governance and version control for maintaining quality and consistency.
Learned the importance of inclusivity in managing diverse viewpoints, this not only strengthened the final product but also reinforced collaborative culture within the organisation.
Conclusion
The Warehouse Group Design System successfully addressed the organisation’s technical and design debt by introducing standardised, reusable components and a governance model that streamlined collaboration. This project not only enhanced the customer experience across multiple brands but also fostered a shared understanding between design, development, and business teams.
Through agile processes, continuous testing, and inclusive decision-making, we created a robust system that reduced implementation efforts and accelerated innovation. As a UX designer, this project reinforced the impact of a well-documented design system and collaborative partnerships, key elements that continue to shape my approach to solving complex user experience challenges.