Inside the strategic shift to implement our new Loyalty programme
How the ambitious delivery of the redesigned Zalando Plus Loyalty programme relied less on structure than the strength and agility of the team.
In a fast-paced sports game, when the opposing team has just changed their defense, and there’s no time to call a timeout and draw up a new play, players can no longer rely on rigid structure. Now, their chances of success come down to how well they read the situation, trust their training and teammates, make quick decisions, and pivot on instinct and shared understanding.
The same applies to a product design team given a tight timeframe to respond to a strategic shift, without applicable processes in place to execute on the new blueprint. Like the sports team, they must draw on their honed agility to improvise and move forward without chaos. Here, perfection becomes the enemy of progress — move fast, then adjust. Processes must be lean and efficient, and to maintain momentum, individual players are empowered to act. Ultimately, clarity of purpose, tight team coordination, and quick thinking win the day.
The Zalando Plus team faced such a challenge when responding to the strategic decision to evolve its Loyalty programme from a subscription-based model to a points-based reward system. This significant shift, driven by extensive customer research, aimed to make customers feel more recognised and appreciated for their engagement with Zalando, allowing them to unlock different benefit levels.
The redesign of the Plus Loyalty programme was one of Zalando’s biggest projects of 2023–2024 with huge strategic impact. Adapting the high-level blueprint, designed by another team in the definition phase, to fit Zalando’s systems under the constraints required large-scale cross-functional collaboration, an agile approach to problem-solving, and some very cool heads!
Comparing the old model with the new one was like the difference between building something over a period of years and building a solution from scratch and delivering at once. “Idowu Adesina and I, together with our lead Esin Isik and brief support from another designer Sophie Nothnick, had to deliver the new customer experience in under eight months,” says Andrea Di Salvo. “This was a feat that had been deemed close to impossible by the original strategy team that had worked in the initial phase of the project. Shout out to our colleagues, Gloria Rupprecht, Tiago Ramos, Vedanti Joshi, Ines Castellano, Christian Vonscheidt, and Jack Murray, who worked intensively on this ideation phase.”
How did the Zalando Plus product design team navigate these challenges together with their cross-functional colleagues?
Idowu Adesina and Andrea Di Salvo, Senior Product Designers, and Otacilio Lacerda, Senior Software Engineer, share the strategies that dynamically arose to steer them towards their common goal.
Problem: New collaborative approach
As Otacilio explains, the collaborative approach was different than usual. “We did not have the bridge of a Product Manager between design and engineering, so it was the first time we had to negotiate direct interaction between us. As such, we did not have any set ways of working, and because of the tight timeline, we didn’t have time to think about it. We noticed during the collaborative process that we would speak different languages regarding certain processes. It required a lot of repetition, clarification, and patience to get on the same page while under the pressure of the constraints.”
One notable communication barrier involved the Zalando Design System (ZDS). “In engineering, we are used to working with designs using the components available at ZDS. However, the Plus design team generally has more creative freedom to experiment outside that system. We had to adapt to that on the fly, which created some confusion at first.”
Strategy: Closer connection
Without a dedicated product person, the cross-functional team had to leverage their strong existing relationship to align as effectively as possible. “I have so much confidence in our engineers,” Idowu reflects. “Over time, we have built the connection to understand how each other works, which only deepened during this project.”
To overcome communication gaps, the team implemented twice-weekly design consultation hours. “Our lead, Esin, took the initiative to bring everyone together and unblock as much as possible, clarifying details, answering questions, addressing concerns, and walking through designs. Despite the ambiguity, opening this regular channel solved a lot, ensuring the success of the project.”
Problem: Constant change
In line with guidance from management, designs needed to be adapted within the fixed deadline, creating additional pressure.
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One example was that the styling of the Plus logo had to be changed multiple times due to branding decisions, requiring multiple updates to key design screens. Meanwhile, on the engineering side, new requests were coming through right up until the last minute. Otacilio says that even at “one or two weeks until the deadline, the designs were still not finalised. Delivering this vision in time required unprecedented flexibility.”
Strategy: Initiative
Andrea notes that to ensure rapid delivery, designers had to work in a bit of a silo. “It might seem counterintuitive, but this protected us from too much interaction with other functions as we needed to quickly develop key parts of the user experience. In retrospect, although at times frustrating, this approach was key in striking a good balance between quality and high output.”
The team also took initiative in prioritisation, defining a minimum viable product for the initial release and delaying other improvements. “We were upfront with our leads about what we could feasibly achieve,” Idowu reflects. “We had to take initiative and identify what were the must-haves and the good-to-haves, and what we could apply post-launch. We recognised that certain things weren’t achievable within the timeframe. We embodied one of Zalando’s founding principles: Act as an owner. Our leads were highly supportive in relaying with top-level management, and facilitating our requested workarounds.”
Problem: Imperfect deliverables
It was never going to be about perfection in this project. However, Idowu says that too much emphasis on speed over seamlessness resulted in some technical and design debts after the initial release. It wasn’t simply a matter of moving fast, then adjusting, but a cycle of moving fast to adjust.
“After the first release to Spain, new UI assets were introduced. We then had to do a lot of back and forth to align outdated elements, which could have been avoided by taking more time to be intentional instead of focusing so much on output.”
Strategy: Deep trust
Amidst the uncertainty, team members put everything they had into actualising their common goal. “One of the biggest successes of this project was the trust we built within our team across all functions — design, engineering, product marketing, content, product management, and customer care,” Idowu adds. “We could rely on each other to step up when needed, and we supported each other to get the job done.”
The deep trust the team cultivated also applied to the process! “Looking back, I see how things were made possible by our willingness to commit ourselves to the goal and stick to it,” says Andrea. “Despite challenges along the way, this attitude made the difference. It worked: we launched on time.”
Otacilio points out that the project also brought the team closer to customers. “Compared to the previous membership model, the new loyalty programme is more interactive. We recently launched raffles and giveaways. I have had the chance to talk to some of the winners, which was a very cool experience. The fast release had the benefit of allowing us to quickly learn from our customers. Though the initial deliverables were not perfect, we succeeded in creating tangible value and connection.”
Plus one to growth
Since the impressive achievement of launching within the planned eight-month timeframe, the Plus team has successfully rolled out the new Loyalty experience in 13 markets. And, as far as the team is concerned, thanks to this intense collaborative experience, there has been growth on all fronts.
“One of our team’s main learnings from this experience was how to address a significant level of complexity,” says Otacilio. “Now, the Plus team has techniques, processes, and approaches in place to tackle such challenges.”
What has been your greatest recent strategic challenge as a cross-functional team? We’d love to hear your reflections in the comments.
Next, check out these five personalisation principles to safeguard the joy of discovery and empower customers.
