COSTCO
Transforming Costco’s mobile navigation into a seamless extension of the warehouse experience
Redesigned the app’s navigation and information architecture to surface high-value member actions and unlock more homepage engagement, resulting in $35M incremental revenue and a 2.8 → 4.7 star app rating within six months.
TEAM
Sharon Jia, Michael Benning, Joanna Tsai, Ainsley Ramirez, Naumita Perez
TIMELINE
1 year
MY ROLE
Information Architecture, Interaction Design, Usability Testing
PROBLEM SPACE
Costco’s mobile app was failing to match the quality of its in-warehouse experience.
Costco members love the store and its brand, but they resent the app. Costco’s in-warehouse experience is trusted and beloved, but the mobile app struggled to meet modern digital standards. Members reported confusing navigation, inconsistent experiences across services, and difficulty finding key actions.
SOLUTION
I led the redesign of the navigation and information architecture to restructure it around how members actually think.
We partnered with Costco to improve navigation clarity, personalization, and design consistency across the mobile app. My role focused on restructuring the navigation and information architecture to make key actions easier to find while freeing up space for content and engagement. We aimed to surface high-value actions, reduce navigation friction, improve access to the digital membership card, and increase screen space for campaigns and discovery.
To validate the new structure, I ran the redesign through a 45-member card sort and a 53-member tree test, achieving 91–98% task success on core "me" tasks like payments, returns, and membership card lookup. I A/B tested three header concepts against the live homepage, nearly doubling the screen space available for content and campaigns (40% → 69% on landing, sustained at 77% after scrolling) — performance on par with or ahead of competitors like Lowe's and Target. Two rounds of usability testing further validated the design, with 8/8 participants successfully finding deals through the new navigation.
INSIGHT
Research revealed fragmented navigation made key actions difficult to find, so we redesigned the system to prioritize high-value behaviors.
Research showed members struggled to find key actions. Testing with 1,200+ members across 350 sessions revealed that high-value actions — Shop, Cart, Inbox, and the Digital Membership Card — were difficult to locate due to crowded navigation and hidden menus. The navigation system was simplified to surface high-value actions and reduce visual clutter. To address this, we restructured the navigation around the most frequent and high-value member behaviors. The Inbox was surfaced in the header to drive conversions, Shop was moved to the tab bar for faster access, and Cart was added to persistent navigation. We also introduced horizontal navigation to improve discoverability. These changes ensured key actions were visible and accessible within one tap.
FINAL DESIGN
Key solutions
SOLUTION 1
Reduced navigation to allow +29% more real estate for content on the homepage
We redesigned the header and navigation hierarchy to reduce visual clutter and prioritize campaigns, promotions, and product discovery. This increased usable screen real estate from 40% to 69%, resulting in higher engagement with campaigns on the homepage.
SOLUTION 2
Surfaced high‑value actions such as inbox, shop, and cart for easier wayfinding
The Inbox was surfaced in the header due to its highest conversion rates. The Shop was moved to the tab bar, replacing Savings, while the Cart was also moved to the tab bar, replacing the menu. In addition, horizontal scrolling navigation was introduced to improve discoverability across key sections.
SOLUTION 3
Relocated the digital membership card, allowing 94% of 1200+ users to locate it in usability testing
The digital membership card was moved to the Account section to support more predictable way-finding. This change also enabled seamless membership scanning at store entry, preventing unauthorized card sharing and reducing potential revenue loss from shared memberships.
IMPACT
The redesigned membership experience enabled in-store scanning, improving security and supporting revenue protection.
We repositioned the digital membership card within the Account section to create more predictable way-finding and ensure reliable access during in-store entry. This redesign enabled Costco to implement seamless membership scanning at warehouse entrances, reducing friction at checkout while improving enforcement of membership rules. By making membership verification more consistent, Costco was better able to address issues such as family sharing and unauthorized card usage, which had previously contributed to revenue leakage. The improved flow strengthened operational control while maintaining a fast, frictionless member experience at entry.
IMPACT
