One Flow. 60% Faster. The Promo Was There. The Checkout Wasn’t Ready for It.
Done before you sit down. We got it to 2. Because a commuter shouldn't have to think—they had 3 minutes and 5 taps standing between them and their coffee.
Industry
B2C
eCommerce
Mobile
Role
Lead Product Designer
Team
2 Designers • 1 Researcher • 1 PM • 2 Developers
Skills
UX Design • Prototyping • Scalable Design Systems • Rapid Iteration • Moderated Usability Testing • A/B Testing • User Interviews • Data Analysis • Accessibility (WCAG)
Impacts
01 · The 3-Minute Window
A revenue problem. A frustrated commuter. The same root cause.
Tim Hortons’ loyalty program drove 50% of transactions. With 5M+ monthly app users, digital guests spent $354/year vs. $81 for non-digital—4x higher. Every friction point costs measurable revenue.
The user: a commuter ordering at 8:14 am, standing on a platform, phone in one hand, bag in the other. Speed wasn’t just a feature; it was what the user valued most. This highlights the importance of simplicity and quick access, fostering empathy for user priorities.
Business goal
Increase promo adoption to drive repeat orders and higher transaction values. Convert promotional spend into revenue.
User need
Order—including any available promo—before the ride arrives. No detours. No backtracking. No thinking.
02 · Two Pages. Zero Connection.
The promo was there. The moment wasn’t.
Promos lived on the homepage. Checkout lived on the cart page. They’d never been connected. To apply a promo, users had to leave the cart, navigate back, find the promo, apply it, and return to the cart. With 4 or 5+ taps required. While their ride was arriving.
“I just gave up. It wasn’t worth missing my train.”—Participant.
“I didn’t think about discounts until after I’d paid. By then, it felt too late.”—Participant.
03 · Research Methods & Findings
Done before you sit down. Here’s what we measure to drive the next iteration.
Method
What it revealed
5-Second Test
No homepage focal point—user couldn’t identify the CTAs.
Think-Aloud
Emotional frustration surfaced at cart—wrong moment, wrong place across pages.
Moderated Usability Tests (x2)
Without: 8-sec pause, 2 abandoned (15%). With auto-return: 85%→100% completion rate—zero promo abandonment.
A/B Testing
Red label, vertical-card layout, auto-return—validated for faster user decision-making.
Follow-up Interviews
Confirmed: user wanted promos—the flow (before) never gave them the chance.
What delivered
Checkout time: ~60% reduction.
Promo application: 5 → 2 taps.
Auto-return-to-cart interaction.
Scalable design system and consistency.
04 · Design Decisions
