Bahama Bucks
ROLE
RESULTS
UX Designer
Project Manager
App has allowed for greater engagement for employees returning to the office
Bahama Buck's is a privately held franchise specializing in shaved ice and frozen non-alcoholic beverages.
Headquartered in Lubbock, Texas and founded in 1990, the company started as a single ice shaver stand and has since grown to over 100 stores across multiple states. I worked with them to redesign Ice Box, their resource center for in-store employees, franchisees, and the corporate team.
Bahama Buck's existing employee platform, Ice Box, was facing significant usability issues.
The platform, designed to provide access to sales data, reports, resources, and announcements, had become inefficient and confusing for end users. The system frequently experienced breakdowns, leading to decreased usage and frustration among employees. Despite attempts to modernize the platform for a younger workforce, these efforts resulted in a disjointed "Frankenstein" tool that failed to meet the needs of its primary users, particularly the Avalanche Crew (everyday store employees).
Focus was shifted from franchise owners to the Avalanche Crew, who were the primary users needing daily access to operational resources and documents.
I began by defining detailed personas and user stories for three key groups: Franchisees, Avalanche Crew (including different permission levels from Rookies to General Managers), and Corporate users. The design approach emphasized maintaining Bahama Buck's vibrant brand aesthetic while incorporating gamification elements to engage employees. The solution needed to accommodate ever-changing content, improve the connection between store crews and the Support Center, and include new features like user profiles, digital calendars, and internal notifications.
The redesigned platform aimed to create a more streamlined content management system that would better serve each user group's specific needs.
For Avalanche Crew members, this meant easier access to training materials, playbooks, and gamified content. General Managers would gain better tools for team management, financial analysis, and permission controls. Corporate users would receive improved access to shop information and the ability to make system-wide adjustments. The development team was provided with high-fidelity assets and a design system to ensure consistent implementation of these features while maintaining the brand's colorful aesthetic and improving overall user experience.
