Albertsons NFT Collaboration
A research-led loyalty concept that put customer value ahead of NFT novelty, built into Albertsons’ existing Just for U app.
OVERVIEW
Utility over novelty.
Over five months, Visa and Albertsons Companies turned workshops and customer research into a gamified rewards concept for the Just for U app, and a service blueprint to bring it to market.
MY ROLE
Lead UX Designer · Product Design · Workshop Facilitation
TEAM
Lead Product Designer, Lead UX Designer, UX Product Designers, UX Researcher, Crypto SMEs, Product
TIMELINE
5 months
SKILLS
Product strategy · UX research · Workshop facilitation · Prototyping
TOOLS
THE CHALLENGE
Make NFTs worth it for everyday grocery shoppers
Albertsons came to Visa to discover crypto and NFT concepts that matched what its customers actually wanted, and to shape a go-to-market plan. The risk was building novelty for its own sake: many shoppers were skeptical of NFTs, and a separate crypto experience would add friction to an already successful loyalty program.
Goals
Increase engagement among current customers, especially younger, digitally savvy shoppers
Bring more people into the Just for U (J4U) app
Increase sales through tokenized coupons
Put NFT utility ahead of novelty by building on J4U
MY ROLE
Leading design from discovery to blueprint
As Lead UX Designer, I co-led the design work with a Lead Product Designer, two UX Product Designers, a UX Researcher, crypto subject matter experts, and Product. I helped plan and facilitate the discovery and co-creation workshops with Albertsons and Visa, synthesized research into priorities and insights, and led the concepts, wireframes, prototypes, and service blueprint that became the final proposal.
RESEARCH & PROCESS
Two workshops, two rounds of research
We worked side by side with Albertsons and Visa through a discovery workshop and a co-creation workshop, with two rounds of customer research in between. Each step narrowed what the concept needed to do.
01 · DISCOVERY WORKSHOP
Aligning on goals, boundaries, and success
I co-hosted the discovery workshop, using exercises like Hopes and Fears to define Albertsons’ goals, what to learn about crypto and NFT customers, and what success would look like.
Concerns we designed around
Crypto is seen as an investment, not a way to pay
An NFT has to offer more than a Just for U rewards number
Protect customers and the brand from bad actors
Make it seamless, without forcing a separate wallet
Two of the top five priorities set the direction
Connect physical and digital experiences through NFTs
Loyalty
01 / WORKSHOP
02 / PRIORITIZATION
03 / SYNTHESIS
02 · CUSTOMER RESEARCH
Who would care, and why
We built six crypto and NFT customer profiles. To engage younger, digitally savvy shoppers, we targeted three millennial segments, who already led on crypto spend and wanted the community and exclusivity NFTs could offer. Gen X and Baby Boomers spent more at Albertsons, but would have needed heavy NFT education.
Target customer profiles
Note: Targeting top 55% of spenders
GEN X & BABY BOOMERS
“Tech” Tim
11% of customers
“Fast-Follower” Frances
20% of customers
Who they are
Why they matter
31%
36%
How to target them
OLDER MILLENNIALS
“Crypto-Advocate” Anya
9% of customers
Target
“Digital” Dan
15% of customers
Who they are
Why they matter
24%
42%
How to target them
YOUNGER MILLENNIALS
“Crypto-Future” Paul
2% of customers
Target
“Early Majority” Erin
9% of customers
Target
Who they are
Why they matter
11%
15%
How to target them
Six customer profiles across three generations.
KEY INSIGHTS
Five insights that shaped the concept
Customers have a strong, value-focused “what’s in it for me” mindset
They want a variety of prizes, both low and high value
Skeptics and novices expect Albertsons to provide custody; enthusiasts want self-custody
Customers strongly associate NFTs with collectability and tradability
Many doubt the value of grocery-minted NFT collectibles; some prefer name brands
What we heard from customers
“If you can’t sell it,
it’s not an NFT.
It’s just like a discount card, right?
TiNA, ALBERTSONS CUSTOMER
“It’s a fun idea to cut coupons, to save money, and win a prize.
It would make me download the app.”
JARED, ALBERTSONS CUSTOMER
“If I had to download a crypto wallet, that would be too much.
I thought it would be in the app.
TRACEY, ALBERTSONS CUSTOMER
03 · CO-CREATION WORKSHOP
Designing around three moments
With the insights in hand, we came together with Albertsons and Visa again to ideate on the three moments that would make or break adoption.
AWARENESS
How might we increase program awareness and communicate value in an easy-to-find, intuitive way?
ONBOARDING
How might we improve onboarding, from downloading to setting up the app?
CHECKPOINTS
How might we make points clearly desirable and valuable?
THE SOLUTION
Gamified rewards, tokenized inside Just for U
We tested three concepts, connecting physical and digital, loyalty, and philanthropy, and refined the strongest through three rounds of clickable prototypes: a game inside J4U that turns coupon use into a chance to win prizes, delivered as Albertsons-branded NFTs. NFT language stays optional for novices.
CUSTOMER JOURNEY, WIREFRAMES & PRototype
Round 3 of the clickable prototype: clip deals, check out, get a nudge to play, pick a card, and win an NFT worth 5% off groceries for a year.
SERVICE BLUEPRINT
The people, process, and technology behind the concept, with two custody paths and 13 legal, finance, security, and engineering considerations.
KEY DECISIONS
Four decisions that put value first
Research showed shoppers cared about what they’d get, not the technology behind it. These choices kept the concept grounded in that.
Build on Just for U, not a new app
Integrating into an already successful loyalty platform removed the biggest barrier: a separate download and crypto wallet just to take part.
Lead with rewards, not crypto
Value mattered more than novelty, so the game framed NFTs as prizes and discounts, with a mix of low- and high-value rewards.
Custody for novices, choice for enthusiasts
Skeptics expected Albertsons to hold their NFTs, while enthusiasts wanted self-custody, so the flow let enthusiasts connect their own wallet and offered a simple way to create one for everyone else.
Design the service, not just the screens
Minting, wallet creation, and prize distribution reached far beyond the app, so I led a service blueprint that turned the concept into a plan Albertsons could execute.
IMPACT & OUTCOME
A nine-figure opportunity, and a partnership that continued
$148M–$426M
Forecast incremental spend in the first full year after launch, from NFT enthusiasts and shoppers drawn to gamified discounts
Albertsons was energized by the workshops and the proposal, and the collaboration continued into new opportunities in NFTs, crypto, and potentially the metaverse.
REFLECTIONS
People adopt value, not fads
Shoppers didn’t want NFTs; they wanted to know what was in it for them. Leading with familiar coupons and prizes inside J4U, and keeping the technology in the background, is what made the concept land. New technology earns attention, but people adopt it only when the value is obvious.
Next time
Test prize value early
Perceived value drove every decision, so I’d test which rewards feel worth it before designing the game.
Define pilot metrics up front
J4U sign-ups, coupon redemptions, and repeat play would let the forecast be checked against real results.
Plan for a changing market
NFT sentiment shifts fast, so I’d keep the NFT layer optional and swappable, with the rewards at the core.
