Kroger Technology and Digital:
Reports Discovery
summer 2024 // Product experience & design
In a small group, the issues with the current Findlay Market shopping app were identified. It was decided that the app was cluttered and made online and in-person shopping more difficult, rather than easier.
The Objective
To redevelop the “Reports” page within Kroger’s internal Venus application to simplify its navigation and to reflect modern-day users’ needs without changing its structure to damage usability of experienced users.
This required using extensive information architecture and tracking design trends to inform updated design and functionality decisions. Ultimately, the strongest two iterations were presented to stakeholders and users to conduct concept testing and to gather feedback.
Due to a current merger/acquisition, I'm unable to share much of my work, as it involves confidential Kroger data. However, I’d be happy to schedule a virtual or in-person meeting to discuss my involvement in more detail.
Problem Assessment + Information Architecture
This information architecture outlines the original structure of the “Reports” page, identifying key areas for improvement and opportunities to enhance the Kroger user experience. Each page is color-coded for clarity with yellow representing parent pages, blue representing report pages, red highlighting missing links, and pink indicating miscellaneous errors.
Feel free to explore the information architecture in the interactive space below.
Assessment Outcomes
Pain point 1: report/list differentiation
In the current version of the "Reports" page, every list entry is accompanied by an icon, which doesn't differentiate between links that take users directly to a report and those that lead to a parent screen with additional report links. This lack of distinction forces users, especially those unfamiliar with the software, to perform multiple clicks to reach a desired page if they are unaware that the report they are looking for is buried under indistinct subpages. If they make an incorrect selection, they have to restart their search from scratch, which increases user frustration and technology fatigue.
Pain point 2: exit points + navigation
The current Venus application lacks consistent navigation, with “Back” buttons inconsistently applied across parent and report pages. This makes it difficult for users to move between specific landing pages efficiently. Instead, they often have to use the main navigation's "Reports" button, which redirects them back to the "Reports" homepage, disrupting the user’s workflow.
pain point 3: use of screen real estate
Most parent or landing pages within the “Reports” category only utilize a single column, leaving around 75% of the screen empty. Only the actual report display pages make use of more screen space, with some only using half. This inefficient use of real estate adds to the complexity and difficulty of navigating each page effectively.
Benchmarking + Trend Assessment
Iterative Exploration
Final Walkthrough: Concept A
The accordions concept utilizes more of the vertical space to show expansion within each parent page, indicated by a carrot icon, and keeps true to the original format of the “Reports” page. After being shown to stakeholders, this concept was decided to be too confusing to sort through since the screen could only handle a limited number of entries before they roll off the screen.
Final Walkthrough: Concept B
The tabular, or drawers, concept utilized both the vertical and horizontal screen space, dividing each sub-page into a different column as users navigate further into categories. This concept uses carrot icons to indicate the difference between report and parent pages and guides the user to move to the next column. Following stakeholder interactions, this concept ended up being the preferred one due to its use of space and consistency with other Kroger products.