Sam’s Club Digital Product & Design Systems
Establishing digital product strategy and developing Blue Steel—a comprehensive design system for Sam's Club associates that scaled across the enterprise.Director of UX → Executive Director of UX
The partnership covered a diverse array of programs—from the "One" Associate App (My Club) and design systems, to AI-assisted Exit Technology to Digital Consumer Re-brand, Way-finding & Curbside, AI Strategy, Supply Chain systems, Shrink Prevention, Walmart Living Design system integration, and in-Club spatial design.
One App Strategy & Design Framework
One Experience is designed to empower Associates with world-class tools to deliver the best membership experience. The interaction model was built around four core goals:1) Make the Associate the center of the experience
The experience should reflect Associate role and goals.
2) Create easy connections between tasks and apps
Provide easy access to information and tools that acts on snapshots. Facilitate recovery of task interrupts.
3) Surface the most important metrics and tasks
Give context to progress and accomplishment. Present snapshots of information that make it easy to act on what needs to be done today.
4) Build for today, and build to last
Make it scalable, accounting for tools today, and training for tomorrow. Help the Associate know what to expect.
2) Create easy connections between tasks and apps
Provide easy access to information and tools that acts on snapshots. Facilitate recovery of task interrupts.
3) Surface the most important metrics and tasks
Give context to progress and accomplishment. Present snapshots of information that make it easy to act on what needs to be done today.
4) Build for today, and build to last
Make it scalable, accounting for tools today, and training for tomorrow. Help the Associate know what to expect.
Setting a Foundation with Qualitative Research
Research was the bridge between Sam's Club's business objectives and the tools needed for the daily work of the Associates.
Research was the bridge between Sam's Club's business objectives and the tools needed for the daily work of the Associates.
From the research, it was clear there were a range of actors in the Sam's ecosystem motivated by similar needs and constraints. Designing for the archetypes enabled greater empathy for users.
Research synthesis inspired concepts that offer solutions to problems at hand and embody opportunity areas. Forty-seven concepts were generated in 12 areas. Some are now reality; others populate an innovation backlog for future iterations.
The Journey Map provided a tool to orchestrate the entire retail experience.
Mapping the multi-faceted experience across physical and digital touch-points along the customer journey provides focus and highlights areas for opportunity and synergy in the experience.Application Map Provides Clarity
We created an application map that provided a comprehensive view of all the software and systems in play. Grouping the systems by functional and organizational use allowed both teams to view areas of attention and redundancy and give direction to the areas for further discovery and design.Omni-Channel / Multi-platform App Strategy
The platform strategy addressed the diverse needs of associates across different roles and contexts—from Club Managers viewing club-wide metrics to Floor Associates accessing their daily tasks, training, and schedules.Personalized views showing current location, today's schedule, in-progress training, club metrics, and actionable tasks—all surfaced based on role and responsibilities.
Integrated access to PlanIt, Club Pickup, Inventory Management, Safety Reports, and other specialized tools through a unified interface with consistent patterns.
One App
Empower Associates to deliver the best member experience with world-class digital tools.This doesn't just mean tasks. Based on research and what we heard from Associates, including KPI (or metrics)—no matter the Associate's level—will be essential as well.
Blue Steel Design Language System
Blue Steel serves as the foundational design language for Sam's Club's internal productivity tools and enterprise applications. The system provides consistent, accessible, and efficient interfaces that empower associates to deliver exceptional customer experiences.The design system includes comprehensive component libraries with color variations, chip states, toggle behaviors, typography specifications, and detailed documentation enabling rapid development while maintaining brand consistency across all digital touchpoints.
Key Outcomes
Blue Steel created consistency across all associate-facing tools, reducing cognitive load and training time for new employees.
47 concepts generated from field research in 8 clubs, with persona-driven design enabling greater empathy and better-adapted tools.
7-year strategic relationship spanning multiple initiatives from One App to Supply Chain, Exit Technology, and beyond.
© Marcus Piña 2026