S-Kaupat
2024 | SERVICE DESIGN, UX/UI DESIGN

Overview

Designing solutions on how customers could be guided towards making planet-centric choices when buying groceries online. Our client was S-Kaupat, an online store for groceries operated by SOK, the largest retailing cooperative organisation in Finland.

Our solutions were an enhanced product categorization, new metrics, an icon/badge for planet-centric products and ideas on how to better market planet-centric options by using recipes and monetary incentives.

Client

SOK, S-Kaupat

Client

SOK, S-Kaupat

My role

Service Designer, UX/UI Designer

My role

Service Designer, UX/UI Designer

My role

Service Designer,

UX/UI Designer

Tools

Figma

Tools

Figma

Final designs

As our final solutions to the design challenge we created several ways on how to help customers of S-Kaupat in making more sustainable choices. These solutions were:

updating the product categories
creating a badge displayed next to sustainable products
developing metrics on how to assess which products are planet-centric
mockups on how to promote planetary recipes and alternative products
propositions on how to update the loyalty program.

Here is a closer look on the updated categories that I designed:

As our final solutions to the design challenge we created several ways on how to help customers of S-Kaupat in making more sustainable choices. These solutions were:

updating the product categories
creating a badge displayed next to sustainable products
developing metrics on how to assess which products are planet-centric
mockups on how to promote planetary recipes and alternative products
propositions on how to update the loyalty program.

Here is a closer look on the updated categories that I designed:

Screenshot showing current not so planet-centric product categories of S-Kaupat online store

Current view of the product categorization

Screenshot showing revised product categories of S-Kaupat online store

One of my category suggestions where more sustainable plant-based options are shown more prominently

The process

Our challenge was to provide solutions on how customers could be guided towards making planet-centric choices when buying groceries online. This assignment was a part of my digital design studies. Our course was most likely the first planet-centric Design Thinking course in Finland and the project consisted of service design and UX/UI design approaches.

The planet-centric point of view was important to keep in mind so the impacts of the project were examined in each stage.

Interviews

During the explore stage four people were interviewed. These participants were people who have ordered groceries through online services.

The interviews showed that many people have difficulties in making planet-centric choices while ordering groceries online. Usually the prices or lack of information are what matters the most.

Screenshots of different online grocery stores

Research

During the explore stage and as a part of our research we conducted benchmarking with different services that deliver groceries through an app or a website. We also paid attention on how these services make planet-centric choices.

Additionally as the monetary incentives became an important angle we benchmarked different loyalty programs.

Screenshots of the S-Kaupat online store

Customer journey mapping

In service design it is always crucial to get to know how the process currently works. This was conducted by testing the S-Kaupat ordering process and documenting it.

Key insights

We found that for many customers the price of the product means more than how sustainable the product is. Many grocery stores in Finland have loyalty programs which could be utilized to reward customers if they make planet-centric/sustainable choices.

Many customers order groceries online as they are often too busy to go shopping themselves. Especially busy customers do not have the time or the energy to compare different products so the sustainability of the products should be presented at a glance. This also helps to market these products more and increase sales.

Takeaways

In my opinion, service design methods should take the planet into consideration every time. This can be done by assessing the non-human stakeholders such as the environment.

This project really defined to me what a successful service design project can be and how service designers can have a huge impact on the environment. If a project like this is taken further the impact of the solutions should be measured and if possible shared with other companies in the field.

In my opinion, service design methods should take the planet into consideration every time. This can be done by assessing the non-human stakeholders such as the environment.

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