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Sashank Mullapudi

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Sashank Mullapudi

PlayQR

Transforming Wait Times into Data Insights via Kiosk UX (Tata 1MG)

Timeline

6 months

Roles

Designer | Researcher | Team Leader

Designer | Researcher | Team Leader

Designer | Researcher | Team Leader

Industry

Consumer Experience |

Healthcare | Game Design

Consumer Experience |

Healthcare | Game Design

Consumer Experience |

Healthcare | Game Design

Introduction

The Challenge: Tata 1MG's vision was to disrupt the Indian healthcare market by becoming an omnichannel retailer—serving all healthcare needs "under one roof." The project's goal was to transition the brand from its online identity to a superior physical and service experience that reinforced trust and convenience.


My Role: I served as an off-site assistant on the 10+ member team for the initial strategic design and store concept phases. I then initiated, designed, and led the resulting digital product intervention—the PlayQR Gamified Kiosk—from concept to in-store testing.

The initial exploratory phase defined the strategic foundation by focusing on the core problems in Indian healthcare retail, setting the stage for technology integration.

The Challenge: Tata 1MG's vision was to disrupt the Indian healthcare market by becoming an omnichannel retailer—serving all healthcare needs "under one roof." The project's goal was to transition the brand from its online identity to a superior physical and service experience that reinforced trust and convenience.


My Role: I served as an off-site assistant on the 10+ member team for the initial strategic design and store concept phases. I then initiated, designed, and led the resulting digital product intervention—the PlayQR Gamified Kiosk—from concept to in-store testing.

The initial exploratory phase defined the strategic foundation by focusing on the core problems in Indian healthcare retail, setting the stage for technology integration.

Visual Design Case Study (Phase 4)

Visual Design Case Study (Phase 4)

Pitch Deck to Tata 1mg (Phase 4)

Pitch Deck to Tata 1mg (Phase 4)

(Scroll down to view case study of the whole project)

(Scroll down to view case study of the whole project)

Core Retail Vision:

To create Integrated Spaces and a Patient-Centric Layout using Functional Aesthetics and Accent Colours to deliver a calming, seamless experience.

Research

  • The Problem of Time: Billing-related waiting (16%) and limited store timings (23%) were major pain points.

  • Tiered Needs: Tier-1 cities focused on time and service offerings, while Tier-2 focused on access and availability of medicine.

  • Impulse Opportunity: 30% of browsing customers bought items not on their list, highlighting a massive potential for in-store engagement and sales.

My Contribution: As a core team member, I assisted in structuring the survey methodology, synthesizing key findings (especially the tiered consumer needs), and conceptualizing the final retail typologies and space ergonomics. This strategic work identified long wait times and lack of engagement as critical areas for intervention.

The Problem of Time: Billing-related waiting (16%) and limited store timings (23%) were major pain points.

  • Tiered Needs: Tier-1 cities focused on time and service offerings, while Tier-2 focused on access and availability of medicine.

  • Impulse Opportunity: 30% of browsing customers bought items not on their list, highlighting a massive potential for in-store engagement and sales.

My Contribution: As a core team member, I assisted in structuring the survey methodology, synthesizing key findings (especially the tiered consumer needs), and conceptualizing the final retail typologies and space ergonomics. This strategic work identified long wait times and lack of engagement as critical areas for intervention.

PlayQR

The need for a high-impact, self-service engagement tool was clear, particularly in high-footfall, premium markets like the Galleria store, where a shorter transaction time limited staff engagement. I leveraged the pain point of waiting to create an opportunity for data collection and customer delight.

As the Strategy Lead and UX, I was responsible for the entire digital experience, from concept to UI screens.

  • The Concept: Change the customer perception from receiving a discount to earning a discount. "Since discounts are being provided anyway, why not make the customer feel like they have earned them?"

  • The Interaction Flow: A short, touch-enabled experience deployed on a 13-inch Android tablet near the billing counter.

As the Strategy Lead and UX, I was responsible for the entire digital experience, from concept to UI screens.

  • The Concept: Change the customer perception from receiving a discount to earning a discount. "Since discounts are being provided anyway, why not make the customer feel like they have earned them?"

  • The Interaction Flow: A short, touch-enabled experience deployed on a 13-inch Android tablet near the billing counter.

  • The Gamification (Game Narrative): The game celebrates the brand's core identity—online medicine delivery.

    • Visuals: Every screen projects different forms of a capsule being dragged forward by a Tata 1MG truck.

    • Mechanic: An engaging pinball-inspired game where the capsule's landing location determines the freebie, offer, or discount percentage won.


I led a small, focused team of two resources to execute the PlayQR solution:

  • Self (Strategy Lead and UX): Feedback concept, Ideation, Game Design, Application Flow, UI/UX.

  • On-site Lead Consultant (Tata 1MG): Data Insights & Project Lead till execution.

  • Application Developer (IIT Roorkee): Coding, App Development, and Back-end Support.

  • The Gamification (Game Narrative): The game celebrates the brand's core identity—online medicine delivery.

    • Visuals: Every screen projects different forms of a capsule being dragged forward by a Tata 1MG truck.

    • Mechanic: An engaging pinball-inspired game where the capsule's landing location determines the freebie, offer, or discount percentage won.


I led a small, focused team of two resources to execute the PlayQR solution:

  • Self (Strategy Lead and UX): Feedback concept, Ideation, Game Design, Application Flow, UI/UX.

  • On-site Lead Consultant (Tata 1MG): Data Insights & Project Lead till execution.

  • Application Developer (IIT Roorkee): Coding, App Development, and Back-end Support.

Impact

The PlayQR initiative served as a crucial technology layer, successfully linking the new physical store design with valuable digital data capture.

Engagement: The Gamified Kiosk was a massive success, with an average of 38% of consumers who walked into the store engaging with the feedback kiosk.

Business Impact: Selected pilot stores reported an increase in consumer footfall by 1.5x among other business metrics.

Data Quality: The gamified approach overcame potential issues, capturing unique and relevant feedback for the pilot stores. Long-form survey links were sent via SMS to the captured phone numbers, ensuring deep insights without increasing kiosk dwell time.

As a life-long student of design, I’m continuously improving my work. Please look forward to more updates.

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