Case Study: Woolworths
Case Study: Woolworths
Streamlining mobile access to org data across national teams
Streamlining mobile access to org data across national teams
Overview
Overview
Overview
TeamView is an internal tool developed by Woolworths to give employees greater visibility into organisational structure, team membership, and colleague context. Originally designed for desktop, it featured dense layouts and interaction patterns that, while powerful, weren’t optimised for mobile use or touch-based interaction.
As part of Woolworths’ broader digital transformation efforts, the business commissioned a redesign of TeamView for mobile. While there was no single business-critical driver behind the shift, the project was framed as a strategic opportunity with the following objectives:
TeamView is an internal tool developed by Woolworths to give employees greater visibility into organisational structure, team membership, and colleague context. Originally designed for desktop, it featured dense layouts and interaction patterns that, while powerful, weren’t optimised for mobile use or touch-based interaction.
As part of Woolworths’ broader digital transformation efforts, the business commissioned a redesign of TeamView for mobile. While there was no single business-critical driver behind the shift, the project was framed as a strategic opportunity with the following objectives:
Goals
Goals
Increase access for mobile-first or remote-first team members
Enable more fluid, contextual workflows (e.g. prep before meetings, info on the move)
Reimagine the experience for smaller screens rather than simply resize it
Increase access for mobile-first or remote-first team members
Enable more fluid, contextual workflows (e.g. prep before meetings, info on the move)
Reimagine the experience for smaller screens rather than simply resize it
Increase access for mobile-first or remote-first team members
Enable more fluid, contextual workflows (e.g. prep before meetings, info on the move)
Reimagine the experience for smaller screens rather than simply resize it
This wasn't a responsive retrofit. It was an opportunity to rethink what TeamView could and should offer in mobile contexts.
This wasn't a responsive retrofit. It was an opportunity to rethink what TeamView could and should offer in mobile contexts.
Research
Research
Discovery
Discovery
Drawn from the team's existing understanding of how employees interact with TeamView day-to-day, often for organisational clarity.
Drawn from the team's existing understanding of how employees interact with TeamView day-to-day, often for organisational clarity.
Desktop research
Desktop research
Helped frame what a modern, mobile-friendly navigation tool might look like, with inspiration taken from directories, dashboards and search interfaces.
Helped frame what a modern, mobile-friendly navigation tool might look like, with inspiration taken from directories, dashboards and search interfaces.
Stakeholder interviews
Stakeholder interviews
Provided insight into the practical needs of team leads and cross-functional personnel across the business
Provided insight into the practical needs of team leads and cross-functional personnel across the business
Contextual Inquiry
Contextual Inquiry
Drew from the team’s existing understanding of how employees interact with TeamView day-to-day, often for organisational clarity.
Drew from the team’s existing understanding of how employees interact with TeamView day-to-day, often for organisational clarity.
Emerging Themes
Emerging Themes
To make sense of this input, the team ran an informal thematic clustering session. This exercise involved mapping user tasks and needs onto sticky notes and grouping them by goal and intent. Several clusters emerged repeatedly:
To make sense of this input, the team ran an informal thematic clustering session. This exercise involved mapping user tasks and needs onto sticky notes and grouping them by goal and intent. Several clusters emerged repeatedly:
• Looking someone up quickly to send an email or check their role
• Looking someone up quickly to send an email or check their role
• Creating lightweight groupings of people for later reference
• Creating lightweight groupings of people for later reference
• Saving frequently accessed colleagues or collaborators
• Saving frequently accessed colleagues or collaborators
• Finding team or squad-level context (e.g. who’s in the XYZ team?)
• Finding team or squad-level context (e.g. who’s in the XYZ team?)
• Navigating between different types of teams (home vs delivery)
• Navigating between different types of teams (home vs delivery)
• Prepping for meetings with people outside one’s immediate team
• Prepping for meetings with people outside one’s immediate team
Prioritisation & Scope
Prioritisation & Scope
With many ideas on the table, the team ran a series of prioritisation exercises with stakeholders.
Feature voting boards helped align stakeholders on which features were essential to MVP delivery. Voting was done against each user goal (e.g. "Find the right person, fast") using a binary "In/Out" method with space for rationale.
These insights were synthesised into three directional user goals, or “Feature Sets” which later shaped both design concepts and MVP prioritisation:
With many ideas on the table, the team ran a series of prioritisation exercises with stakeholders.
Feature voting boards helped align stakeholders on which features were essential to MVP delivery. Voting was done against each user goal (e.g. "Find the right person, fast") using a binary "In/Out" method with space for rationale.
These insights were synthesised into three directional user goals, or “Feature Sets” which later shaped both design concepts and MVP prioritisation:
Find the right person, fast
Find the right person, fast
Create smoother, more meaningful connections
Create smoother, more meaningful connections
Build a personal, curated network
Build a personal,
curated network
These themes became organising principles, helping the team frame value around user intention, not just feature delivery.
This process led to a refined list of features that would form the core MVP. Features like profile viewing, quick contact, search, and basic grouping were prioritised, while more complex elements (e.g. deep integration or editing history) were marked for future consideration.
These themes became organising principles, helping the team frame value around user intention, not just feature delivery.
This process led to a refined list of features that would form the core MVP. Features like profile viewing, quick contact, search, and basic grouping were prioritised, while more complex elements (e.g. deep integration or editing history) were marked for future consideration.
Exploration
Exploration
Concept Exploration
Concept Exploration
From these themes, the team developed three distinct concept directions.
Each concept had corresponding wireframe flows, exploring how the same features might behave or be surfaced differently depending on context. These weren’t mutually exclusive. Instead, they helped test how value shifted depending on the framing of the experience:
From these themes, the team developed three distinct concept directions.
Each concept had corresponding wireframe flows, exploring how the same features might behave or be surfaced differently depending on context. These weren’t mutually exclusive. Instead, they helped test how value shifted depending on the framing of the experience:
Meeting Companion
Meeting Companion
A context-aware interface designed for quick access to colleague info before or during meetings.
A context-aware interface designed for quick access to colleague info before or during meetings.
Team Manager
Team Manager
A utility-focused tool for team leads to manage team membership and reporting data.
A utility-focused tool for team leads to manage team membership and reporting data.
TeamView Network
TeamView Network
A personal memory system allowing users to save, group, and revisit key people.
A personal memory system allowing users to save, group, and revisit key people.
Design
Design
Hi-Fidelity Designs
Hi-Fidelity Designs
Hi-fidelity prototypes were developed around three core functional areas:
Hi-fidelity prototypes were developed around three core functional areas:
Search
Including filters, recent results, and fuzzy matching.
Search
Including filters, recent results, and fuzzy matching.
Profile View
Showcasing role, team, and contact details
Profile View
Showcasing role, team, and contact details
My Network
Allowing users to save and group key colleagues
My Network
Allowing users to save and group key colleagues
Prototyping
Prototyping
The prototypes incorporated consistent mobile patterns and a stripped-back visual hierarchy suited for on-the-go usage.
The prototypes incorporated consistent mobile patterns and a stripped-back visual hierarchy suited for on-the-go usage.
Testing
Testing
User Testing & Validation
User Testing & Validation
User testing was conducted using Maze with a focus on validating task flows and perceived value.
User testing was conducted using Maze with a focus on validating task flows and perceived value.
Key Testing goals
Key Testing goals
• Can users find and contact a specific person?
• Can users find and contact a specific person?
• Can users navigate to and understand profile context?
• Can users navigate to and understand profile context?
• Can users create and manage groups?
• Can users create and manage groups?
• Finding team or squad-level context (e.g. who’s in the XYZ team?)
• Finding team or squad-level context (e.g. who’s in the XYZ team?)
Findings
Findings
Success dropped significantly when asked to complete multi-step actions (e.g coping a managers email or identifying team reporting lines)
Despite this, participants consistently demonstrated a clear mental model of TeamView was meant to do: search, explore structure and access profiles
Participants could generally locate individuals using name or surname, but success dropped significantly when asked to complete multi-step actions (e.g coping a managers email or identifying team reporting lines)
Despite this, participants consistently demonstrated a clear mental model of TeamView was meant to do: search, explore structure and access profiles
Desk-based users said they’d default to the desktop version unless mobile offered a clearly superior interaction
Takeaway: usage intent is contextual, not habitual.
The app solves for moments, not daily rituals.
Desk-based users said they’d default to the desktop version unless mobile offered a clearly superior interaction
Takeaway: usage intent is contextual, not habitual.
The app solves for moments, not daily rituals.
Overall design received a positive average rating of 4.4/5, with repeated praise for simplicity, clear visual hierarchy, and alignment with existing Woolworths applications.
Several participants compared it favourably to the existing org platform (SuccessFactors), citing better clarity and more intuitive org structure view.
Overall design received a positive average rating of 4.4/5, with repeated praise for simplicity, clear visual hierarchy, and alignment with existing Woolworths applications.
Several participants compared it favourably to the existing org platform (SuccessFactors), citing better clarity and more intuitive org structure view.
100%
100%
Task completion for
core use cases (Search, save profile, group creation)
Task completion for
core use cases (Search, save profile, group creation)
7s
7s
Average time for task completion
Average time for task completion
4.4/5
4.4/5
User rating for visual task clarity
User rating for visual task clarity
Reflections
Reflections
This project highlighted the importance of not just translating a desktop experience to mobile, but deeply reconsidering how and when people interact with information on the go.
This project highlighted the importance of not just translating a desktop experience to mobile, but deeply reconsidering how and when people interact with information on the go.
What started as a tech-driven prompt to "make it work on mobile" became an exercise in user journey reframing, modular design thinking, and lean, testable delivery planning. While the output was a functional MVP prototype, the process uncovered a framework for expanding the platform’s value in mobile-native ways.
What started as a tech-driven prompt to "make it work on mobile" became an exercise in user journey reframing, modular design thinking, and lean, testable delivery planning. While the output was a functional MVP prototype, the process uncovered a framework for expanding the platform’s value in mobile-native ways.
Artefacts like feature sets, prioritisation boards, and concept explorations gave stakeholders a common language to debate value without defaulting to "feature parity." Meanwhile, real user testing helped highlight where intended utility and actual value aligned, as well as where further iteration was needed.
Artefacts like feature sets, prioritisation boards, and concept explorations gave stakeholders a common language to debate value without defaulting to "feature parity." Meanwhile, real user testing helped highlight where intended utility and actual value aligned, as well as where further iteration was needed.
Next Steps
Further usability testing, gradual rollout to field teams, and aligning with long-term mobile infrastructure planning.
Further usability testing, gradual rollout to field teams, and aligning with long-term mobile infrastructure planning.