Ocado Technology

Ocado is a global leader in automated warehouse technology specialising in intelligent automation systems that integrate AI and robotics to power smart warehouses with minimal human intervention.

At the core of each Ocado warehouse is a sophisticated fleet of robots navigating a 3D storage grid containing thousands of grocery items. An AI-driven ‘air traffic control’ system orchestrates the movement of these bots, directing them to retrieve containers of products that are then packed into customer orders by robotic arms or human operators.

My role

As a Senior UX Designer at Ocado, I was responsible for designing products and experiences that enable seamless collaboration between humans, robots, and AI. I led the UX for Intelligent Automation initiatives, focusing on software that supports the management of complex robotic hardware within Ocado’s smart warehouse environments. My work focussed on enhancing operational efficiency, safety, and service reliability through data-driven design.

Key responsibilities included:

• Operating as the sole UX designer across multiple fast-paced projects and cross-functional product teams.
• Optimising workflows to enhance safety, efficiency, and scalability to build seamless workflows between robotics, AI, and human
• Designing real-time management tools for automated warehouses to enable proactive issue detection and resolution
• Supporting the development lifecycle through – Discovery, Pre-Alpha, Alpha, Beta and Production stages
• Collaborating with hardware teams to test, validate, and refine new robotic solutions
• Scoping and prioritising research and design tasks in alignment with business objectives and technical readiness
• Conducting field studies, remote user research, interviews, focus groups, usability testing, surveys, A/B testing and web analytics
• Delivering user insights, design documentation, journey mapping and facilitating design sprints and ideation sessions with teams
• Partnering closely with Product Managers to shape initiatives, define roadmaps, and validate requirements

UX projects

Below are some of the UX projects that I have led:

Improving the management of automated warehouses

Designed and built an internal application to monitor the health and service status of Ocado’s automated warehouses, with a task management workflow that enabled Engineering teams to prioritise, track, and resolve issues affecting robotic hardware. The tool significantly improved operational efficiency and safety, while streamlining workflows between Engineering teams.

Methods: Contextual inquiry, Interviews, Focus groups, Workshops, Design Sprint, Service Mapping, User journeys, Personas, User stories, Wireframes, User testing, Web analytics, Design documentation.

View Case Study

Increasing the productivity of human pickers

Improved the Picking application used by human pickers in Ocado’s automated warehouses, enhancing interface clarity and introducing gamification features such as a performance board and points system to increase engagement, motivation and productivity.

Methods: Contextual inquiry, Interviews, Service Mapping, User journeys, User stories, Wireframes, User testing, Web analytics, Design documentation.

Visualising the automated grid system

Designed and built a real-time visualisation of Ocado’s grid-based storage and retrieval system to improve spatial awareness, inventory management, support live decision-making, and increase operational efficiency.

Methods: Contextual inquiry, Interviews, Focus groups, Workshops, User journeys, Personas, User stories, Wireframes, User testing, Web analytics, Design documentation.

Improving the efficiency of freezer picking

Redesigned the Freezer Picking application used in the wearable scanning device for picking orders in extreme cold environments. The application enhanced interface clarity and optimised the routes that pickers take around the freezer improving speed, accuracy and productivity.

Methods: Contextual inquiry, Interviews, Service Mapping, User journeys, User stories, Wireframes, User testing, Web analytics, Design documentation.

Redesigning the Ocado Delivery Driver Device

Designed and built a native Android application to replace a legacy application and device that the Ocado Delivery drivers use to for inventory management and navigation to drops. The new application and device improved usability, reliability, user satisfaction and provided significant annual cost reductions for the business.

Methods: Contextual inquiry, Interviews, Focus groups, Surveys, Service Mapping, User journeys, User stories, Wireframes, User testing, Web analytics, Design documentation.

View Case Study

Research projects

Below are some of the research projects that I have led:

Google Glass Research for Engineering tasks

Led user research and testing to understand the usefulness of the Google Glass device to support Engineers diagnosing and repairing robotics hardware. The research provided the business with insights into the opportunities and limitations in implementing hands-free augmented support.

Methods: Contextual inquiry, Interviews, Service Mapping, User journeys, User testing, Web analytics, Wireframes

Virtual Reality Tele-operation Research for Robotic Arms

Led user research and testing to develop a VR-based teleoperation system using Oculus hardware to provide real-time remote control of robotic arms for to improve safety, issue resolution and hardware testing . The project provided the business with a proof of concept, detailed understanding of the technical challenges and opportunities in implementing a VR-based system in the service.

Methods: User testing, Web analytics, Wireframes

Amazon Alexa Research for Grocery Shopping

Led user research to evaluate the customer experience when ordering groceries using voice interfaces. The research provided insights into the areas where improvements could be made to the conversational flow and understanding to improve usability and trust.

Methods: Competitor analysis, Interviews, User testing