Shelfie Case Study
Smart Grocery Shopping
Overview
Shelfie is a grocery navigation app that helps shoppers move through stores more efficiently using personalized routing, smart lists, and real-time guidance.
The product combines navigation, personalization, and contextual assistance to reduce search time, missed items, and in-store frustration.
Goals:
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Simplify in-store navigation
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Reduce decision fatigue while shopping
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Improve item discovery and list completion
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Personalize shopping workflows
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Explore opportunities for AI-assisted guidance
Role
Product Designer
Responsibilities
Product strategy, UX research, interaction design, prototyping, and interface design.
Collaborators
Independent thesis project informed by user interviews and usability feedback.
Timeline
18-month MFA thesis
User Problem
Grocery shoppers often struggle to navigate unfamiliar store layouts, locate items efficiently, and keep track of their lists while shopping.
Existing tools focus on list creation or online ordering, but provide limited support for the in-store experience.
Problem to solve
Shoppers struggle to navigate stores efficiently and complete their trips with confidence.
Research Insights
Grocery shoppers rely on memory, incomplete lists, and store assumptions to navigate trips, creating friction, backtracking, and decision fatigue.
1. Navigation breaks down in-store
Unfamiliar store layouts make item discovery slow and inefficient.
2. Lists lack spatial context
Traditional shopping lists do not help users navigate physical store environments.
3. Small decisions add up quickly
Traditional shopping lists do not help users navigate physical store environments.
Competitive Analysis
Existing grocery tools support planning or online ordering, but provide limited support for real-time in-store navigation and decision-making.
Competitor Analysis
1. List & Shopping Apps (AnyList, Notes, etc.)
Strengths
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Simple list organization
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Familiar workflows
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Useful for planning
Limitations
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No in-store navigation
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Manual item searching
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Limited real-time guidance
2. Retailer Apps (Kroger, Walmart, etc.)
Strengths
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Product and pricing information
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Rewards and promotions
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Basic aisle support
Limitations
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Cluttered interfaces
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inconsistent navigation
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Weak in-store guidance
3. Online Grocery Platforms (Instacart, etc.)
Strengths
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Strong recommendations
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Efficient online ordering
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Convenient substitutions
Limitations
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Designing for delivery
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No physical navigation
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Disconnect between planning and shopping
Current Solutions
Key Gap
Existing grocery tools support planning and purchasing, but provide limited support for the in-store shopping experience. Shoppers are still responsible for navigating stores, locating items, and making decisions on their own.
Understanding the Shopping Journey
This journey map highlights where shoppers encounter confusion, delays, and decision fatigue throughout the grocery experience.
Addressing Pain Points
Shelfie reduces in-store friction through navigation, personalization, and real-time shopping support.
Navigation
Unfamiliar store layouts lead to inefficient routes and backtracking.
Memory
Shoppers rely on incomplete lists and memory while navigating stores.
Decision
Product comparisons and substitutions create constant shopping friction.
Designing the Shopping Flow
Each research insight represents a variable in a grocery shopping trip.
Simplifying the Shopping Journey
Store Environment: Use store layout and aisle data to guide navigation.
User Preferences: Personalize shopping through dietary needs, budget, and habits.
Shopping Context: Adapt to trip type, list structure, and time constraints.
Decision State: Reduce uncertainty and simplify choices during the trip.
Guided Output: Translate inputs into clear navigation and actionable
Personas
Efficient Planner
“I know what I need. I want to get it and get out.”
Planning
Browsing
Goals
Finish the trip quickly
Avoid forgotten items and backtracking
Habbits
Builds a list before shopping
Follows a familiar store route
Repeatedly buys familiar staples
Pain Points
Store layout changes
Hard-to-find or moved items
Out-of-stock products disrupt the route
Needs
Optimized store route
Accurate item locations
Fast substitutionst
Shelfie Opportunity
Optimize my trip.
Flexible Shopper
“I know roughly what I need. I'll figure out the rest while I'm there.”
Planning
Browsing
Goals
Get what they need without extensive planning
Adapt as needs come up
Habbits
Starts with a partial or mental list
Remembers items while shopping
Adjusts based on price and availability
Pain Points
Forgotten essentials
Doesn't always know where an item is
Unexpected substitutions
Needs
Low-effort reminders
Flexible item finding
Smart substitutions
Shelfie Opportunity
Help me remember and adapt.
Exploratory Shopper
“I have a few things I need, but I like seeing what I find.”
Planning
Browsing
Goals
Balance necessary shopping with discovery
Find interesting products, deals, and alternatives
Habbits
Browses even when carrying a list
Uses the store as a source of inspiration
Adds unplanned products along the way
Pain Points
Browsing can make trips inefficient
Still forgets staples
Hard-to-find or unavailable products
Needs
Relevant discovery
Product comparisons and deals
Contextual reminders
Shelfie Opportunity
Help me discover without getting lost.
Research revealed three core shopping behaviors: planning, adapting, and exploring. These personas represent flexible shopping modes rather than fixed user types, with behavior shifting based on time, trip purpose, and circumstance. Shelfie was designed to support shoppers across this spectrum.
How Might We?
How might we make grocery shopping faster, clearer, and more intuitive?
Ideation to Design
Shelfie translates research insights into navigation, personalization, and real-time shopping support.
Design Translation
Spatial Clarity
Simplify store layouts into clear, scannable navigation.
Personalization
Adapt lists and recommendations to user preferences and shopping habits.
Route Optimization
Organize shopping routes based on list structure and store layout.
Decision Support
Surface relevant product information and simplified choices in real time.
Guided Shopping
Create a clearer shopping experience through navigation and contextual guidance.
Designing the Navigation System
Shelfie simplifies complex store layouts through visual hierarchy, department zoning, and route guidance.
Department Zoning
Dairy & Frozen
Produce
Meat & Seafood
Bakery, Deli & Services
Aisle-by-Aisle Guidance
Optimized in-store navigation designed to reduce search time and backtracking.
Personalized List Building
Intelligent shopping lists tailored to user preferences and shopping behavior.
In-Aisle Item Finder
Shelf-level guidance helps users quickly locate items in-store.
Designing for Edge Cases
When products are unavailable, Shelfie recommends alternatives and updates the route.
Simplifying List Creation
Simplifying list building through personalization and iteration
Refined
Lists adapt to user preferences and behavior
Smart Mode introduces customizable suggestions
Streamlined layout for faster input
Early
Static list with limited control
No personalization or guidance
Reducing Decision Friction in Search
Faster item selection with filterable results
Refined
Faster add-to-list interactions
Added filters for quick narrowing
Improved visual hierarchy for scanning
Early
Static results with limited hierarchy
High cognitive load when comparing items
Project Impact
Shelfie combines navigation, personalization, and real-time guidance to simplify the in-store shopping experience.
1. Simplicity comes from structure
Clear navigation and organized workflows reduce friction during shopping trips.
2. Guidance should support users
Recommendations work best when they simplify decisions without removing user control.
3. Physical context changes everything
Designing for real-world shopping requires speed, visibility, and spatial awareness.