Arteli, a YC-backed startup, is shaking up in-store shopping with AI and machine learning, making category management in retail smarter and smoother. It’s the first of its kind, blending advanced tech with the everyday brick-and-mortar experience.
My first project is designing workflows for Category Managers using our web app, making sure it’s intuitive, efficient, and actually helps them get things done.
ROLE
User Research
Visual Design
Prototyping
User Testing
TIMELINE
Feb '24 - Jun '24
THE CHALLENGE
CATALOG MANAGERS are key to organizing and optimizing product catalogs for the retail stores. They've traditionally relied on manual spreadsheets to handle product info. Since this new product workflow will shake up their current workflows, we needed to really understand how they operate to make the transition as smooth as possible.
What is their current workflow? How do we leverage our AI and machine learning algorithm to optimize their retail ecosystem?
The challenge is to create a workflow that seamlessly incorporates our AI strategies, making it easy and intuitive for category managers to use in their decision-making process.
MY ROLE
I led the design of the catalog workflow experience, working closely with the Product Manager and Engineering team on the end-to-end workflow.
My responsibilities included UX research, visual design, and creating high-fidelity prototypes, all with an iterative approach that incorporated user testing at every phase.
KICKOFF
I knew nothing about what Catalog Managers did so I started by meeting with the Arteli team to understand the existing work that's already been done.
I spent a great deal of time making sense of their operations and existing workflows. This involved a lot of analysis in their data systems and card sorting to fully understand the gaps in their processes and opportunities to design those solutions.
THE DISCOVERY
CATEGORY MANAGERS NEED MORE THAN JUST DATA
Through my discovery work, I uncovered several ways a web-based solution could streamline decision-making for Category Managers.
While product sales data played a big role, it was only one piece of the puzzle. To truly empower Category Managers with a robust workflow, we needed a more holistic solution—one that not only delivered key insights but also anticipated their needs.
This meant focusing on:
Seamless access to KPIs and critical data points
A straightforward, step-by-step workflow
Better tools for managing category change documentation
By addressing these areas, we could create a solution that made their jobs easier and their decisions smarter.
THE VISION
MAKE POWERFUL DECISIONS EASIER
Our vision was to create a web-based app that seamlessly integrated with the workflows Category Managers already relied on—while making them even better. The app would bring all their key data together in one place and elevate it with machine learning insights to make their processes smarter and more efficient.
THE REQUIREMENTS
THINKING BIG, STARTING SMALL
Our research emphasized the importance of designing a practical solution that respected how Category Managers already worked. We knew that to succeed, the app needed to save time and deliver clear, tangible benefits.
To ensure we got it right, we focused on one major retail partner as our primary tester, allowing us to build, test, and refine the app iteratively.
Key features included:
Access to performance data enhanced by machine learning
Tools to review, modify, and implement category plans
A centralized database for all historical category changes
THE FRAMEWORK
STRUCTURE WORKFLOWS FIRST
Before diving into design, we made sure to fully understand the Category Managers' workflows and processes. It turned out to be more challenging than we anticipated since nothing was formally documented. Instead, everything was stored in their memory—they leaned on years of experience and past decisions to guide their future ones.
The first step was to map out their existing workflows and document the key performance indicators they use to assess categories and products for their storefronts.
Since I am a visual learner, I started to map out and rank the most important data-points they use to make retail decisions as the foundation of the workflow for the webapp.
This task analysis map outlines how a Category Manager reviews and makes changes to a specific category across their retail stores.
I used online resources like Mobbin.com to check out how other products design their dashboards and tables.
I went through several design iterations, constantly gathering feedback from end users and business leaders. Since I was the only designer on the project, creating a collaborative environment was especially important to me.
PUTTING MY THOUGHTS ON PAPER
To break down the complicated process of choosing and making category changes, I sketched out workflows on paper. It helped me spot where we could make things easier for Category Managers and find opportunities to bring in some fresh ideas.
CHOOSING BETWEEN DIFFERENT OPTIONS
I started wireframing different ideas to bring the designs to life and get feedback from leadership and users. I realized that hand-drawn sketches didn’t really show how the workflow would function, so I created more structured rough drafts to give users a clearer picture and help them pick the most effective options.
HI - FIDELITY MOCKUPS
Once we aligned and finalized the workflow evaluations, I moved on to creating high-fidelity mockups using Figma. These detailed mockups were great for showcasing the design process to our stakeholders.
PROTOTYPING AND USABILITY TESTING
Getting feedback was a key part of my process, so I made sure to gather insights at every stage. I worked closely with the engineering and leadership teams to discuss requirements, constraints, and possibilities as we developed the designs. We collaborated, tested frequently, and refined the designs step by step.
THE DESIGN
INTRODUCING ARTELI DASHBOARD
The Arteli web app now offers new features that complete the entire workflow cycle. Category Managers can review AI-driven store optimization recommendations, make category-level adjustments across retail stores, and execute plans—all within the app. It streamlines the entire process, from analysis to action.
HELPING CATEGORY MANAGERS MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS
We created a powerful Recommendations Dashboard that displays all AI-driven 'recommendations'. It includes search and filter options, enabling Category Managers to easily find specific recommendations for a particular category or store.
This display kicks off the workflow by letting Category Managers review recommendations and choose which ones to apply to their stores.
STREAMLINED ACCESS TO KEY DATA INSIGHTS
We realized that having key info at-a-glance is crucial for Category Managers when making decisions. Their current process forces them to jump between different resources to get a full picture of their category performance. With this new centralized view, they’ll be able to work more efficiently and make decisions faster.
MAKING DECISIONS JUST GOT EASIER
Staying true to the idea of an efficient workflow without sacrificing strategy, we designed this feature so users don’t have to switch pages to update their storefronts. Instead of manually adjusting each store, it allows for mass changes across all stores, saving time and effort.
CUSTOMIZABLE AND FLEXIBLE WORKSPACE
And lastly, a great feature we built lets Category Managers review all the changes they’ve made and still tweak them if needed, so they can be confident they’re executing the right plan.
THE IMPACT
NEW CATEGORY MANAGEMENT
Since launching the new workflow in the Arteli web app, overall app productivity and category sales have steadily improved.
NEXT STEPS
The released version of the web app has been well received by our customers, but there’s still room for improvement as they use it more and we expand to additional retail businesses. For instance, Category Managers could benefit from more advanced data filtering and the ability to customize their views to better suit their needs.
We laid a solid foundation that allows us to continue building and introducing global-level features. The patterns and designs we created will guide future product updates as we keep striving to improve the experience for Category Managers.
UP NEXT
