Partnering for success
The problem: Target Plus Marketplace is used by external Partners who are our third party sellers on the Target+ app. These Partners range from large, well known brands to small businesses, and everything in between. Target Plus Marketplace is also used by internal Target Team Members, who wanted a way for Partners to quickly get help for their questions and find the answers they needed during their crucial onboarding period. Although Target has two design systems, the external-facing Nicollet design and the internal Canvas design, neither system offered components for designers nor for engineers to implement chatbots.
The solution: I worked to amalgamate the existing designs from disparate chatbot implementations and styles from both design systems (Canvas and Nicollet). I then created a consistent look and feel that could bridge the delta between internal and external audiences, as Target Plus Marketplace is a mixed-audience with both Team Members and external Partners.
I networked and partnered with both the Canvas and Nicollet design system teams to determine how we might include these components in the broader design system pattern libraries. I then advocated to my front-end engineers and worked with them to create reusable components that could more easily transfer to Canvas design for broader implementation.
Our Users
Our users for Canvas and Target Plus included internal Target enterprise Team Members and external B2B Partners who sell their goods and wares on Target Plus Marketplace.
Timeline
I started this project by consulting with technical and business subject matter experts to understand the in-house chatbot technology and business needs. I consulted by reviewing, editing, and rewriting the scripts, prompts, and keywords to be programmed into the chatbot. The UX content strategy phase was about two weeks time, and design was completed in four weeks. This was followed by close collaboration with front end engineering and the Canvas team to implement the new components in a manner that would be successful for inclusion in the Canvas design system.
My Role
I was the lead product designer on this project and completed every aspect of the design, from UX discovery to content strategy, to user experience and visual design. I collaborated with lead architects, senior and lead front-end engineers, product managers, and other stakeholders. I was able to complete this project in a timely manner, while supporting engineering in their endeavor to create new design system components.
