Albertsons Companies

As the Principal Product Designer for the Fulfillment & Merchandising team, I lead the strategic development of scalable and inclusive design systems to enhance the customer and associate experience in grocery and food shopping. My role focuses on equipping design, product, and engineering partners with the tools to move efficiently and confidently by continuously expanding our fulfillment design systems. I collaborate with teams to create high-quality, user-friendly solutions, work closely with developers to streamline the transition from static designs to code, and leverage storytelling to present compelling design rationale to stakeholders. By establishing a shared design language that aligns with our brand, I build influence across the organization to shape the future of our products. I prioritize universal design and inclusivity, combining aesthetic excellence with systems thinking to simplify experiences through a library of common patterns and components. Additionally, I document system principles and guidelines, create Figma libraries, and train designers and partners to ensure effective use of the design system.

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Case Study: Redesigning Fulfillment Platform & Creating Our Internal Design System

Overview

As Principal Product Designer for the Fulfillment & Merchandising team, I led the strategic evolution of design systems to improve the customer and associate experience in grocery and food shopping. My mission was to equip design, product, and engineering teams with scalable, inclusive tools to build high-quality solutions efficiently and confidently.

Challenges
    • Fragmented Design System: Existing design assets lacked consistency, leading to inefficiencies and misalignment across teams.
    • Complex User Needs: Grocery fulfillment involved diverse user groups, including customers, associates, and product teams, each with unique requirements.
    • Limited Scalability: Design components weren’t built for growth, creating challenges as the business expanded.

Approach
1. System Scalability and Inclusivity
I redesigned and continuously expanded the fulfillment design systems with scalability and inclusivity at the forefront. By integrating universal design principles, I ensured the system accommodated a wide range of users, including those with accessibility needs.
    
2. Collaboration with Cross-Functional Teams
Working closely with developers, I streamlined the transition from static design deliverables to production-ready code, reducing friction and ensuring alignment.
    
3. Shared Design Language
To unify the brand across platforms, I established a shared design language. This included defining design principles, aligning with the brand’s aesthetic, and integrating systems thinking to maintain consistency.
   

4. Component Simplification
I conducted a comprehensive inventory of patterns and components, identifying redundancies and merging similar elements to simplify the system.
    
5. Storytelling and Stakeholder Engagement
Using storytelling techniques, I presented design rationales to stakeholders in a compelling way, building buy-in and influencing product direction.
    
6. Documentation and Training
I created detailed documentation of system principles and guidelines, built Figma libraries for design resources, and trained designers and partners to ensure effective use of the system.

Outcomes
    • Improved Efficiency: Teams adopted the streamlined design system, reducing time spent on repetitive tasks and accelerating product delivery.
    • Consistent User Experience: The shared design language ensured a cohesive and branded experience for both customers and associates.
    • Scalability: The system supported the organization’s growth by accommodating new features and products without introducing inconsistencies.
    • Stronger Collaboration: Developers and designers worked more seamlessly, thanks to improved handoff processes and clear guidelines.

Conclusion

By redesigning and expanding the fulfillment design system, I empowered teams to deliver high-quality solutions quickly while improving customer and associate experiences. My focus on scalability, inclusivity, and storytelling fostered alignment across the organization, ensuring the design system remained a valuable tool for future growth.