Kingfisher 2016–2020 Lead Product Designer

Store Operations Platform

Redesigning the colleague experience across Location Management, EPOS, and device-agnostic roaming profiles—improving operational efficiency while prioritising accessibility and wellbeing.

↓ 34%
Click & Collect Errors
600+
Stores Deployed
0
Reported Headaches (Dark Mode)
Image B&Q logo, 2 location management screens and an example from an EPOS till screen
Store Operations Suite - Location Management, EPOS, Roaming Profiles across devices
The Challenge

Operational chaos on the shop floor

Business Problem

B&Q and Castorama stores were struggling with inventory accuracy and order fulfilment. The existing systems were disconnected, leading to:

  • High click & collect error rates as online orders couldn't be located in-store
  • Stock shown as "available" on website but physically missing from shelves
  • Colleagues wasting time searching for misplaced inventory
  • Legacy EPOS systems causing checkout delays and training overhead

User Problem

Store colleagues were the forgotten users. They worked long shifts on their feet, often in challenging lighting conditions, using tools designed decades ago:

  • Bright screens causing eye strain and headaches during long shifts
  • No preference persistence—settings reset when switching devices
  • Small text impossible to read in warehouse lighting
  • Different interfaces for different tasks, constant context-switching
My Role

Designing for the warehouse floor

I led the UX design for the Store Operations suite, working closely with store colleagues, operations teams, and engineering to understand the real challenges of working in a retail environment.

  • User Research

    Spent time in stores across the UK and France, shadowing colleagues and understanding the physical reality of their work environment.

  • Location Management UX

    Designed the new location management system for stock allocation, bin locations, and inventory tracking.

  • EPOS Redesign

    Reimagined the point-of-sale experience to reduce transaction time and training requirements.

  • Roaming Profiles

    Architected a cross-application preference system that followed colleagues between devices and applications.

Process

From shop floor to solution

Contextual Research

You can't design for the warehouse from a desk. I spent weeks in stores—early morning stock takes, busy Saturday shifts, late-night inventory counts. This revealed problems no specification document could capture.

A screen showing a representation of a UI audit, comparing all instances of a component
Field Research - Store visits, colleague shadowing, environment analysis

Location Management System

The core of the project was a new location management system. Every product needed a clear "home"—a specific bay, shelf, and bin location that both systems and humans could rely on.

A screen showing a representation of a UI audit, comparing all instances of a component
Location Management UI - Bay navigation, bin assignment, stock movement flows

The system allowed colleagues to quickly locate stock, move it between locations, and flag discrepancies. Critically, it fed real-time data back to the website, so online availability became accurate.

EPOS Till Design

The existing EPOS system required extensive training and still caused errors. We designed the new implementation around the most common transactions, reducing cognitive load and making the happy path obvious.

A screen showing a representations from various screens of the EPOS till solution
EPOS Interface - Transaction flow, product lookup, payment processing

Accessibility & Theming

Beyond dark mode, we built comprehensive accessibility features: adjustable font sizes (including an "extra large" option for warehouse use), high contrast modes, and reduced motion options.

Outcomes

Impact across the business

The Store Operations platform rolled out across 600+ stores in the UK and France. The impact was measurable across both operational metrics and colleague satisfaction.

Business Impact

  • -34% Click & Collect errors

    Accurate location data meant orders could actually be found and fulfilled.

  • 600+ Stores deployed

    Rolled out across B&Q UK and Castorama France.

  • -20% Training time for EPOS

    Simplified interface reduced new colleague onboarding time.

User Impact

  • 0 Headache complaints

    Dark mode eliminated the eye strain that had been causing daily discomfort.

  • +28 NPS improvement

    Colleague satisfaction with tools increased significantly.

  • 100% Preference persistence

    Settings followed colleagues across every device and application.

Reflections

What I learned

  • Context is everything

    Designing from an office would have missed the headache problem entirely. Time in the actual environment revealed what users had stopped complaining about.

  • Accessibility is operational efficiency

    Features like dark mode and large text weren't just "nice to have"—they directly improved task completion speed and reduced errors.

  • Internal users deserve great UX

    Colleagues use these tools 8+ hours a day. Investing in their experience has compound returns in efficiency, accuracy, and retention.