rewards network
earn page redesign

What made Rewards Network unique was it’s strong partnerships with world renown dining programs that circled back to the merchants on their program. Marketing to diners and restaurant owners was a challenge, which brought in the opportunity to revamp the earn page on the marketing website.

  • the challenge

    Design an experience that would build trust with our users and allow them to sign up to earn rewards through multiple dining programs with confidence.

  • the solution

    Reorganize the current earn page using elements and engineering methods already in place.

  • my roles

    UX/UI
    Marketing
    Product Design
    Research
    User testing
    Stakeholder interviews
    UX workshops

the design process

  • Together with the Director of UX and the marketing team we developed the project scope and business goals of the new earn page experience.

  • My research included competitive analysis, reviewing user data through various testing methods, and intaking user analytics through Hotjar.

  • We analyzed the data infostructure with the engineering team and proposed a scalable solution. I lead workshops with the marketing and development to define the user needs and design the UX.

  • We used Sketch to create high fidelity mocks to test our new layout. We collected feedback from the marketing teams to ensure we were meeting the business goals.

  • Based on the user testing results, project goals, and high value features, I created and delivered high fidelity mockups and design systems of the final design of the new earn page. I collaborated with the Director of UX, marketing, and engineering teams to deliver the design assets and specifications. We conducted QA sessions to verify that the implementation matched the design and met the user expectations.

  1. discover and define

What was the problem?
Users were dropping off before they signed up with a program resulting in low retention and high bounce rates.

What was the project scope?
A defined landing page for consumers with step by step directions informing and encouraging users to sign up with one of our dining partners.

Who were the stakeholders?
Product and sales teams

Who were the end users?
Diners

What was the hypothesis?
The current process was lacking in information, confusing our users, and driving down our new member sign ups.

The challenge was that the reward programs were only accessible on the individual websites of each dining partner, which created a disconnect between the Rewards Network website and the sign up process. This often resulted in the user abandoning the sign up process completely.

The current page to sign up for rewards

  • our goal

    Reorganize the current page by using the existing foundation as much as possible. We collaborated with the development team to determine the feasibility, time, effort, and value of the potential changes.

  • Tell a story

    • Use information we already have

    • Showcase relationships

    • Diner testimonials

    • Display sign up opportunity sooner

    • Increase retention through emotion

  • mvp

    • Dining member sign up

    • Select partner/reward

    • Restaurant search 



We used surveys, interviews, and walked through the current system with users to gain insight on how they were feeling. We extracted key words from their feedback to highlight their pain points.

2. research

The main goal was to focus on getting the sign ups. We knew that there were missed opportunities on the current page, starting with not having a clear call to action to sign up for anything. The explainer video did gain some traction, but it left the users hanging with no instructions on how to sign up following the video.

After collaborating with the marketing team and getting feedback from users we had these goals in mind:

  • Direct the focus on the why and how with a step by step process.

  • Prioritize information that is most important to generate member sign ups

  • Tell a story to keep the user engaged and excited about the reward possibilities.

Quotes from the testing field:

“I am not sure what I am signing up for”

“Why am I being taken away from the Rewards Network site?”

“Why can’t I sign up for Rewards Network?”

interview findings

In collaboration with the marketing team we used an empathy map to understand the user’s thoughts, feelings, actions, and pain points around the current earn page experience. This helped us to identify their motivations and expectations for joining the program. Based on this, we came up with a plan to design and develop a user-friendly and attractive sign up page that would address their concerns and increase their engagement.

feature prioritization

I performed a comprehensive content audit to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the existing website.

  • I reviewed how this specific page related to the partner pages and how we can make that a more seamless experience.

  • Identified any gaps, redundancies, errors or outdated information that needed to be addressed.

HOTJAR HEATMAPS
Based on user patterns and tendencies, I was able to gather insight on where the flow can be improved. It became obvious where users were having issues and where we can accomplish quick wins.

USER FEEDBACK
I tested the page with internal users to gather information on how the current page was perceived. This allowed us to pinpoint confusing areas, how we can improved it while proving to our stakeholders what can be gained from a redesign. 

Hotjar heatmaps helped to uncover our users clicking on the promotional video, 
but then not following through with signing up with a reward program.
A snapshot of how I broke down the current site.
Initial layout

3. architecture and ux

Based on the results of my user testing interviews and content audit, I created initial wireframes for the page redesign. These wireframes addressed the key factors that would enhance the user experience and motivate them to join the dining program.

Key factors for user experience and conversion included:

  • Simple and intuitive step by step process for sign up.

  • Engaging and inspiring content that showcased benefits and features of dining program.

  • Direct and prominent call to action to sign up for dining program on every page.

  • Diner testimonials proving the value of being on the program.

  • Reward program partnerships explained.

  • FAQ section and checklist.


4. Deliver: simple and clean design

We wanted to create a smooth transition to the partners included on the program, instilling confidence in our users when they were ready to join. This design told a story, starting with a simple three step process get to the end goal - the sign up.

Big win, small undertaking
Using what we already had in place, we were able to reorganize the page with minimal development and design efforts.
Clear Results
Increased new member sign up, less hand holding from customer service agents. We saw a 30% increase in new member sign ups 6 weeks after launch and reduced bounce rates by 10%.
Scalability
Leveraging imagery and development efforts already in place gave us flexibility and scalability for future efforts.

5. feature enhancement: member sign up flow

Problem: User navigates away from Rewards Network website to the desired partner page to sign up.
Result: User does not sign up.
Improvement: Initiate the member sign up on the RN site.

Use Case 1
I am a diner signing up for a program with a reward and partner in mind.

  1. User clicks sign up on button on home page > taken to sign up form > fills out basic info.

  2. User chooses reward type and partner.

  3. User can now browse restaurants as a member of that reward program.

Use Case 2
I am a diner signing up for the program and I do not know what reward
and partner I want to sign up with. Alternatively, the user can still browse restaurants without choosing a specific partner because there can be multiple partners under one type of reward.

Flow: User signs up and chooses reward and partner

  • project summary

    There were many pain points that were solved by keeping the sign up process simple. Taking stock of what we already had in place helped to clear the path to a better organized page, which resulted in a quicker turn around by the development and design teams. Working together with the marketing, development, and the graphic design teams we were able to design a process that worked for everyone.

    We accomplished this by:

    • Working closely with the marketing and development teams to define the objectives, scope, and requirements of the sign up page.

    • Exploring the technical feasibility and limitations of the sign up page design and functionality.

    • Conducting user research and interviews to understand the motivations, expectations, and challenges of the potential members who would sign up for the service.

  • Design principles

    • Responsive design was used to ensure that the sign up page was accessible and user-friendly on different devices and screen sizes.

    • Clear, consistent and intuitive navigation and layout that helped our users understand the steps and information required to sign up for the service.

    • Fast and easy sign up process with minimal input fields

    • Visual appeal and branding that enhanced the sign up page’s look and feel and conveyed the value proposition of the service.

    • Feedback and confirmation messages that reassured our users that their sign up was successful and encouraged them to explore the service further.