DISGO REWARDS
Location-based cashback and rewards mobile app
Verizon
SUMMARY
I led the research and design of a mobile rewards app that addressed an opportunity in the loyalty and rewards space. Market research revealed that mobile users were unaware of nearby cashback locations, missing potential savings during everyday errands.
I collaborated with product, engineering, and marketing teams to design an app that notified users of cashback opportunities and provided turn-by-turn navigation to participating retail locations. The solution gamified the rewards experience while helping users maximize savings without going out of their way.
Working within tight constraints, our cross-functional team moved quickly to research, design, and develop a functional product in just 3 months.
My Role: Lead Designer responsible for research and design, working closely with Product Manager, subject matter experts, Engineering Lead, and visual designer.
THE PROBLEM
Mobile users were missing cashback opportunities because they lacked awareness of participating retailers along their routes. Existing rewards programs were fragmented across multiple apps and required users to actively search for deals, creating friction in the savings process.
Core challenges
- •Users unaware of nearby cashback locations during errands
- •Fragmented rewards programs requiring multiple apps
- •Time-consuming deal searching that deterred participation
- •No integration between location-based services and rewards programs
- •Lack of gamification to encourage ongoing engagement
The opportunity: create a seamless way for users to discover and earn rewards during routine travel without disrupting their planned routes.
CUSTOMER JOURNEY
Working with our marketing lead, I captured customer feedback around the cashback value proposition. Testing revealed that users enjoyed the concept of generating cashback for purchases at sponsored locations, particularly when it felt like a game.
I mapped the user journey from route planning through reward redemption, identifying key moments where location-based rewards could add value without creating friction. The journey needed to work for both planned trips and spontaneous discovery.
I translated insights into jobs-to-be-done that guided design decisions:
Time-Starved Parent: When I'm running errands, I want to see which stores offer rewards along my route to maximize savings without going out of my way.
Budget-Minded Student: When I need to shop for essentials, I want to quickly find the best deals nearby to save money without spending time searching.
"Yes absolutely, it encourages exploration and gives rewards back for completing certain tasks, almost like a game"
DESIGN APPROACH
To align the team and reduce scope creep, I created a Lean Canvas outlining product goals, risks, and key requirements. This maintained focus and guided decision-making throughout the MVP phase.
I mentored a junior designer to create personas based on previous research, keeping the team aligned to user needs and goals. The core design challenge: integrate game theory into a driving rewards app while maintaining the primary utility of navigation and savings.
Design principles
- •"Time to market is critical for success. Design and engineering must work in parallel."
- •"We need to research and validate the customer value proposition quickly."
DESIGN EVOLUTION
I sketched user flows for turn-by-turn navigation while designing gamification elements into the rewards system. The evolution focused on balancing utility with engagement.
Core features developed
- •Location search and routing with integrated cashback discovery
- •In-app rewards game that tracked earnings and unlocked prizes
- •Turn-by-turn navigation to participating merchants
- •Rewards dashboard for tracking progress and redemption
Design challenges addressed
- •Integrating rewards discovery without disrupting navigation flow
- •Creating engaging gamification that didn't distract from driving safety
- •Balancing merchant visibility with user experience
- •Designing for quick decision-making during active travel
MEASURING SUCCESS
Our measurement strategy focused on user engagement with location-based rewards and conversion rates from discovery to purchase. We planned to track route completion, merchant visits, and reward redemption patterns.
Success metrics
- •User adoption of route suggestions with reward opportunities
- •Conversion from notification to merchant visit
- •Cashback redemption rates and user retention
- •Time spent in-app and frequency of use
Customer feedback during testing showed strong interest in the gamified rewards approach and location-based discovery features.
tECHNICAL FOUNDATION
I partnered with product and engineering leads to deliver detailed interaction flows and functional prototypes, ensuring smooth transition from design to development. The technical solution required integration of mapping services, merchant APIs, and rewards tracking systems.
The architecture needed to handle real-time location tracking, route optimization with merchant data, and secure transaction processing for cashback rewards. I actively participated in sprint refinement and planning, providing ongoing support to engineers during development.
IMPACT
Although the project was discontinued before Alpha launch due to budget reductions and business strategy shifts, the design process provided valuable insights for location-based rewards applications.
Custom outcomes
- •Validated user desire for seamless cashback discovery during routine errands
- •Demonstrated strong engagement with gamified rewards experiences
- •Confirmed demand for integrated navigation and commerce discovery
- •Reduced friction in finding and accessing nearby deals and discounts
- •Enhanced user control over spending decisions through location-based savings
Business outcomes
- •Validated market opportunity for location-based cashback rewards platform
- •Established rapid 3-month MVP development process for consumer mobile apps
- •Created reusable design framework for gamified rewards experiences
- •Built cross-functional collaboration methodology for fast-moving projects
- •Developed scalable technical architecture for location-commerce integration
The complete user experience framework for location-based rewards and proven approach to balancing utility with engagement in mobile apps informed future location-based and rewards initiatives, demonstrating how strategic design thinking can quickly validate market opportunities while building foundations for consumer-facing reward systems.