Rewards
hub
Designing a brand new Rewards Hub where customers can redeem points for rewards as part of the new loyalty scheme. A 0‑1 loyalty experience crafted in five months as Lead Product Designer.
Overview/TL;DR
I led the end-to-end design of ASOS’s new app-only Rewards Hub, delivering it in just five months. When points as currency was ruled out, I worked with stakeholders to reframe the problem, ran user research, and prototyped new mechanics. I defined the hybrid model of milestone progress plus a bingo-card style Vault, creating an experience that feels playful and exclusive rather than transactional, and one that drives loyalty, engagement, and brand value.
Context
ASOS was launching ASOS.World, a new loyalty programme designed to reward customers with exclusive perks such as early sale access, members-only offers, and invitations to real-world events. The rollout was phased, with the second phase introducing the ability for members to earn points through shopping and high-value actions, such as opting into marketing communications, leaving product reviews, and referring friends. These points could then be redeemed for exclusive rewards.
Starting point
What we knew
-
The Rewards Hub would be app-only, helping drive app downloads.
-
Launch landing pages and ASOS.World branding were already defined.
-
Loyalty members would be split into four tiers based on total spend.
-
Points would be grandfathered, meaning:
-
Customer spend would be tracked from the start of the year.
-
Members would receive an initial points balance above zero at launch.
-
What does success look like?
1
A dynamic and engaging destination that encourages customers to return regularly, check their points progress, and explore new rewards.
Driving ongoing app engagement.
2
A seamless blend of products and experiences that showcases the best of ASOS.
Strengthening overall brand perception.
3
A rewards experience that feels exclusive, generous, and valued by customers.
Helps reduce churn and build long-term loyalty.
Process
Product vision & strategic focus
What we know
Initial feature ideas
Product vision & strategic focus
Visioning Workshop: Facilitated sessions to define vision, knowns/unknowns, early ideas
Insight- It was unanimous that we wanted Rewards Hub to be a playful and engaging experience incorporating gamification, personalisation and a sense of exclusivity and generosity.
A place where loyalty members could come to browse rewards on offer.
User Research: Competitor reviews, user surveys to pinpoint motivations and preferences
Filtering preferences
Types of rewards
Social proofing
Filtering preferences
Insight
The research uncovered two standout themes that shaped the final direction:
-
Personalisation and variety drive engagement
Users responded positively to experiences that felt tailored and offered a range of reward options. This made the journey feel more enjoyable, relevant, and worth returning for. -
Clarity builds confidence
Clear communication around reward access, time limits, and progress helped users feel informed and in control. This increased trust and reduced friction.
Feature Breakdown: Jobs-to-be-Done + MoSCoW to map MVP scope
There were a lot of questions at this point as business objectives and parameters were very ambiguous. I spent the next couple of weeks focusing on defining opportunity areas, pushing for clarity on all reward categories, reward types & values. I needed to figure out the proposed hierarchy, navigation options and identify ways to include gamification; if appropriate.
How Might We...
- enable a user to spend in the rewards hub but also direct them back into the shopping funnel?
- motivate users to login to the app and rewards hub frequently?
- promote certain rewards without directing away from all available rewards?
In order to break down the value proposition into features and understand technical feasibility, I facilitated a feature breakdown workshop with my PM and Engineering Lead, using a Jobs To be Done framework.
Based on business requirements, user research and the feature breakdown, using a MOSCOW format, I was able to determine what was necessary for the MVP, and what would be nice to have.
Must have
-
Visible points balance that's easily accessible
-
Pending points - how many are pending and when they will be available for spending
-
Points range filtering - ability to view rewards by points value
-
Reward detail PLP
-
Reward detail PDP
Should have
-
Points history - ability to see how and what I've earned my points on
-
Limited time only tag for rewards with time restrictions
-
Countdown timer for rewards that are due to expire
-
Ability to save rewards to a wishlist
-
Status badges on rewards in wishlist with ability to redeem rewards directly through the wishlist
-
Would have
-
Set points balance notification - notifies user when they have reached required points balance for saved reward
-
Reward redemption history
Define and align goal definition
Getting clear and non conflicting information about key rewards hub details from my key stakeholders was proving very challenging. In order to get clarity and accountability, I facilitated a workshop with my key stakeholders and PM in order to get alignment on the rewards hub goals, and a card sorting exercise to begin defining the optimal user touch points and product hierarchy.
Wireframing userflows and Prototype test
Following the cardsorting exercise I was able to wireframe 3 userflows which all matched stakeholder requirements, which I put through Usertesting as prototype tests in order to determine if users would understand the rewards hub hierarchy and find the navigation intuitive.
User Testing Insights
-
User testing revealed tab nav + My Account as strongest, with homepage and icon confusion
-
Recommendations (prefer tabs/My Account, remove gift icon, add notification dots)
Based on the usertesting insights, I refined the userflow
You'd think at this point, with everything defined and tested as such, that it'd be plain sailing from this point, but you'd be mistaken.... Enter changing business requirements!
The Pivot
Why?
A management review revealed that allowing point redemption would generate £5M of liability. We needed to pivot away from points‑as‑currency and create a different meaning for points.
Distributing points that can be redeemed against another purchase in the future creates a "liability" on the balance sheet
As a business, we are not comfortable taking on a £5M liability in Y1 as it impacts our financial position and creates a "one way door" for the business meaning in order to remove the liability, we would have to wind down the scheme or change the proposition
What are the implications on the customer experience?
Parameters
-
Baseline Proposition: The ability to reward customers is a program non-negotiable to drive incrementally and to incentivise customer engagement
-
Rewards Mechanism: Points can not be exchanged for items, experiences, vouchers etc.
-
Maintain Agency: Customers need to have choice in "selecting" their reward
-
Focus on amplifying our fashion first position: Leverage our product depth and breadth as a lever to differentiate our rewards experience relative to our competitors
So what does this actually mean?
This meant the entire product vision had to shift. I had originally designed a journey where users could earn points and choose how to spend them - whether by redeeming smaller rewards more frequently or saving up for something bigger. They would be able to browse all available rewards at any time, giving them the flexibility and autonomy to decide how and when to use their points.
If users were no longer allowed to spend their points on rewards, it raised a fundamental question: what was the value of giving them points at all, and what purpose would a Rewards Hub serve if it couldn’t offer any rewards?
What did I do? WORKSHOP IT!
The message about the change of product direction had been delivered by our key marketing stakeholders, who had initially come to us with solutions rather than clarity and context. It was essential that we were able to frame the new business problem in a product context.
I organised a Pivot Workshop™️ with all key stakeholders and every designer, PM and engineer connected to the wider Loyalty Product Design Team.
The goals of the workshop:
-
Give everyone a complete understanding of the new business problem and the new restrictions.
-
Make sure everyone has a good understanding of the product vision.
-
Frame the new business problem in a product context.
-
Begin ideation, for further exploration and validation ASAP
We began by revisiting the original vision for the loyalty product and conducting a deep dive into the core problem, with a particular focus on understanding what “liability on the balance sheet” truly meant in this context.
Next, in order to effectively reframe the problem, we needed a clear understanding of all the parameters and constraints, so we could explore solutions within those boundaries.
To begin reframing the problem, we brainstormed a series of ‘How Might We’ questions and grouped them into related themes to help surface and clarify the core opportunity areas.
This process ultimately enabled us to distil three core hypotheses, each of which we used as a springboard for collectively brainstorming targeted solution ideas.
Business Need vs. User Needs
Transaction
Users are not permitted to spend points, as doing so would attribute monetary value to them. However, there are no restrictions on allowing users to exchange points to unlock rewards.
Customer Delight
Since the rewards concept was entirely new, customers were likely to feel delighted simply by being recognised and rewarded for their loyalty, rather than disappointed by the absence of a fully developed rewards shop experience.
Value
If the rewards proposition were significantly scaled down and all rewards offered were of equal value, the experience would shift from feeling like a dynamic rewards shop to more of a static rewards vault.
Balance Sheet Liability
If rewards were not assigned any monetary value and points held no direct or parallel value, then the meaning of points could be redefined entirely - shifting the model from rewards being "bought" to simply being accessed.
Defining the Solution
My PM, Alex, and I cleared our calendars for the next few days to focus fully on the challenge. Together, we brainstormed six different mechanics to balance business safety with user delight.
OPTION 1
Points contribute towards tier progression. Rewards are linked to tier progression. As a user reaches a new tier, they are able to choose a reward.
OPTION 2
Rewards are independent of tier progression. Instead purchases (and high value actions) contribute towards your reward progress, which is split into 'Reward Milestones'. Every time a user reaches a new milestone they are able to unlock a reward.
OPTION 3
Rewards are earned by completing challenges, such as leaving five reviews or purchasing specific products. Upon completing a challenge, users gain access to select a reward. The more complex the challenge, the greater the value of the rewards available. The mechanic is similar to a digital stamp card, where consistent engagement unlocks higher-value perks.
OPTION 4
Customers are introduced to the idea of a new ASOS Rewards Hub, but no specific details are shared about how to access it - creating a sense of intrigue and exclusivity. Behind the scenes, we track customer behaviour, and once certain thresholds are met, access is unlocked. Eligible customers are notified that they’ve been specially selected to enter the ASOS Vault, where they can choose a reward. The more a customer spends, the more frequently they gain access, reinforcing a sense of privilege and encouraging ongoing engagement.
OPTION 5
Customers are informed that spending a certain amount earns them a token, which acts as a gateway into a game-based experience. Each token gives them a chance to play and potentially win a reward. This mechanic introduces an element of anticipation and excitement, creating a sense of gamified value exchange. Rather than a guaranteed outcome, the reward is chance-based, which taps into behavioural triggers such as variable rewards.
Next Steps
Each of the five rewards concepts was scored against key business requirements for the new Loyalty scheme, including metrics such as visit frequency, average order value, emotional connection, and campaignability.
Option 5 was eliminated as it would have taken more engineering resource than was available
The remaining 4 options were then developed into a concept and tested with both users and key stakeholders to evaluate desirability, clarity, feasibility, and alignment with business goals.
Insights
Option 2 and Option 4 stood out as the strongest concepts.
Option 2 offered the best balance of user motivation and business adaptability, while Option 4 delivered a highly personalised and gamified experience that users loved.
Option 3 was creative and engaging, but would require more resources to maintain.
Option 1 was the weakest, with limited user motivation and little strategic value, despite being simple to manage.
INTRODUCING OPTION 6
Since Options 2 and 4 scored highest across both user and business feedback, we identified an opportunity to combine the strongest elements of each into a broader, more impactful rewards concept - one that could be launched in phased stages to allow for gradual rollout and iteration.
-
Core mechanic: separate tier and points, milestone progress + completed “bingo card” = Vault access
-
Benefit: avoids financial liability + enhances delight via progression
Turning restrictions into advantages
Creative
A fresh, imaginative experience that feels more like storytelling than standard UX. With room to incorporate animation, loyalty now feels exciting, expressive and anything but transactional.
Gamification
Challenges, milestones and unlockable rewards turn loyalty into a game, boosting repeat visits and deeper engagement.
Not another storefront
Moves away from traditional PLP-style layouts to create a playful, interactive interface that feels fun, dynamic and brand-right.
Since the navigation points had already been tested and validated, I focused this iteration of the Rewards Hub on the end-to-end experience - from progressing through the milestone tracker, reaching a new points threshold, unlocking access to the Rewards Vault, and exploring how rewards are presented within it.
Enter hub → Milestone reached → Vault unlock → Animation → Interact → Reward carousel → Time-limited selection
The user enters the Rewards Hub and sees they’ve earned new points, progressing them through the tracker to a reward milestone. As a result, the Vault is now unlocked, and they are presented with the opportunity to interact by choosing to enter.
Once the user chooses to enter the Vault, an animation inspired by ASOS’s ‘white noise’ branding dissolves to reveal a mystery parcel. This moment has been designed as a fully interactive experience, where the user is prompted to ‘tear open’ the parcel to reveal the hidden reward inside. The interaction draws inspiration from the Pokémon app, aiming to evoke a sense of play, anticipation and delight.
Once the mystery parcel is torn open, a small curated carousel of rewards is revealed. Unlike the standard ASOS carousel component, this version has been intentionally redesigned to exclude pricing and points information. Since users are no longer spending points, the omission reinforces the shift away from transactional value and keeps the focus on the delight of unlocking a reward.
Access to the Vault is time-limited, with a seven-day window to select a reward. This creates a sense of exclusivity and urgency, reinforcing the idea that access is special and earned. Once the time expires, the Vault closes and will only reopen when the user reaches their next points milestone.
Insights and Learnings
This project reinforced the value of research-led collaboration and bold pivots. Validating navigation early freed us to explore a more emotionally engaging design that prioritised delight through progression and surprise. The animated Vault revealed how narrative and motion can elevate a loyalty experience beyond function. Learning to deliver in stages allowed us to balance ambition with real-world constraints and deliver meaningful value quickly. Ultimately, moving away from transactional design helped us craft something much more memorable, one that invites customers to play, return, and stay loyal.
Sucess metrics
Deliver experiences and touchpoints that inspire ASOS.WORLD members to return more often, supporting the target of achieving a +10% uplift in monthly visits compared to non-members.
Increase engagement
Expand reach and awareness to encourage sign-ups, with the aim of onboarding 50% of the UK customer base (2.8 million customers) into the programme.
Grow membership
Next steps
The focus now is on turning momentum into measurable impact - driving a +10% uplift in monthly visits from ASOS.WORLD members versus non-members, while growing the programme to reach 50% of the UK customer base (2.8m customers). This means doubling down on high-impact retention tactics, optimising member journeys, and scaling acquisition campaigns to convert more customers into loyal, engaged members.