Stakeholder Interviews & Observational Research

To deeply understand the problem space, we created six archetypes based on interviews with internal stakeholders and retail-side employees: P&G Sales, Retail Decision Makers, Store Managers, Retail Staff, Shoppers, and Display Compliance Auditors. Each persona included goals, needs, and pain points, which were also mapped into empathy maps and pain point summaries.
We conducted observational research in-store to validate assumptions and uncover unspoken issues. We visited stores, studied display conditions firsthand, and interviewed retail employees responsible for setup. This method revealed insight into usability gaps, poor setup instructions, and lack of accountability—challenges that weren’t mentioned in stakeholder interviews alone.

Key Findings

• Displays often arrive damaged or incomplete
• Store teams lack time, training, or clear guidance to assemble displays correctly
• Lack of standardization across store types and channels creates confusion
• Display compliance isn’t easily measurable or enforced
• There’s a hunger for sustainability, but a gap in implementation

Workshop in Providence

We led a two-day design thinking workshop in Providence, RI with the P&G team to align around opportunities and reimagine the future of displays. Activities included:

• Archetype Review
• Current-State Blueprinting
• Moments That Matter Identification
• Pain Point Mapping
• Newspaper Headlines (future visioning)
• Crazy 8s (rapid ideation)
• Future-State Blueprinting
• Opportunity Scoring

Principles

From this workshop, we aligned on seven experience principles that guided our solutioning:

• Fast – streamline planning and execution
• Effective – deliver business results
• Durable – withstand transport and in-store handling
• Restockable – support replenishment
• Sustainable – reduce waste
• Measurable – track and optimize performance
• Responsible – benefit all parties involved

We mapped these principles to each stage of the display lifecycle—from planning and production to fulfillment and compliance—surfacing dozens of opportunities to improve the system holistically.

Integrated Solutions

From these insights, we developed three integrated solutions that build on one another to address pain points across the full lifecycle of in-store displays:

• Crowdsourced Auditing (Near-Term)
  
Shoppers and retail employees scan QR codes to verify display setup and earn small incentives. This addresses low compliance, visibility gaps, and inconsistent feedback loops.
• Technology-Informed Tracking (Mid-Term)
  
An end-to-end tracking system using sensors, digital tagging, and a mobile app for store teams and P&G to monitor display location, condition, and performance in real-time. Solves for data blind spots, late setup, and accountability.
• Display-as-a-Service (Long-Term)
  
P&G deploys a team responsible for full lifecycle execution—setup, restocking, takedown—enabling stores to focus on operations. This system ensures consistency, boosts compliance, and creates circular reuse of display materials.

Each solution was designed to address real pain points uncovered in research—from store manager time constraints to shopper dissatisfaction and sales team misalignment—creating a multi-layered, scalable future system.

What I Learned

One of the most impactful parts of this project was conducting observational research in real stores—a first for me. It revealed the operational messiness that often gets overlooked in interviews and showed how critical it is to design not just for users, but for environments and workflows.

What I Would Have Done Differently

If I were to do one thing differently, I’d present the solutions more visually. Including even rough mockups or storytelling artifacts might have helped stakeholders better envision the future-state experience and how it solves their day-to-day problems.
Overall, this was an extremely comprehensive and layered research project, and a great example of how digging deep into people, systems, and real-world friction can uncover creative, meaningful opportunities for change.