Reframing differentiation in a price-driven industry

Reframing differentiation in a price-driven industry

Making industrial hardware solutions approachable, easy to find, and readily available.

Making industrial hardware solutions approachable, easy to find, and readily available.

TimeLINE

Aug - Dec 2025
(14 weeks)

Purpose

Product Roadmap

Class

Service systems

Team

Ashlyn Splide

Rhea Shah

Roger Hong

Role

Design strategy

Researcher

Information design

Tools

Figma

Mid Journey

Miro

Who is Miller?

Miller Industrial is a local, family-owned industrial hardware distributor based in Elk Grove Village, serving businesses within the Chicago Industrial Corridor Since 1928

Primary offerings

Goods,such as motors, lighting, materials, fasteners, plumbing, safety supplies, tools and more.

Local trusted service,such as vending, problem solving, and same-day delivery for local businesses and consumers.

Initial Research Question

How might we create differentiation through process optimization, research backed informed services leveraging existing infrastructure?

Initial Research Question

How might we create differentiation through process optimization, research backed informed services leveraging existing infrastructure?

Initial competitive analysis and system mapping, revealed that Miller’s strongest competitive advantage was not price, but trust, relationships, and staff expertise

Initial competitive analysis and system mapping, revealed that Miller’s strongest competitive advantage was not price, but trust, relationships, and staff expertise

Initial research question

How might Miller turn relationship-based value into a scalable strategic advantage?

Methodology

Methodology

We developed a 7 week research plan to find insights and paint a fuller picture of the problem.

We developed a 7 week research plan to find insights and paint a fuller picture of the problem.

We developed a 7 week research plan to find insights and paint a fuller picture of the problem.

Initial findings

Initial findings

Our research revealed that the barrier to differentiation was not a lack of innovation, but a lack of structure

Our research revealed that the barrier to differentiation was not a lack of innovation, but a lack of structure

The solution

The solution

Insights from concept testing informed the refinement and integration of the final four-system ecosystem

Insights from concept testing informed the refinement and integration of the final four-system ecosystem

Skip to solution

Design synthesis

Design synthesis

How do we decide what to build?

How do we decide what to build?

INTERVIEWS

SENTIMENT ANALYSIS

To build and understand the context and sentiments within the ecosystem

INTERVIEWS

SENTIMENT ANALYSIS

To build and understand the context and sentiments within the ecosystem

PROTOTYPING

KANO ANALYSIS

Ensuring the right features and needs are prioritized and creating a roadmap for development.

PROTOTYPING

KANO ANALYSIS

Ensuring the right features and needs are prioritized and creating a roadmap for development.

SENTIMENT ANALYSIS

PURPOSE SEGMENTATION

Changing the organizational processes and, outcomes while preserving
the essence and value

SENTIMENT ANALYSIS

PURPOSE SEGMENTATION

Changing the organizational processes and, outcomes while preserving
the essence and value

reactive business model

gaps in in-store ux

data scarcity

enabling curiosity

Guide

Roadmapping

Roadmapping

To make the ecosystem real, we defined what could happen now, next, and longer term

To make the ecosystem real, we defined what could happen now, next, and longer term

Key insights

Key insights

Untangling the wires

Untangling the wires

Relationship-driven, not system-supported

gaps in in-store ux

Contextually aware branding and value propositions that meet students where they are; considering different learning styles and accessibility needs making every possible future feel within reach.

Isolated
knowledge

enabling curiosity

A guided onboarding experience powered by the Holland Code assessment, students define their interests and the platform calibrates to them.

Rudimentary data flows

data scarcity

Prescriptive, personalized career roadmaps delivered through immersive LLM-driven interactions — content that evolves with the learner using academic data and recent history.

Fragmented and reactive experiences

Fragmented and reactive experiences

reactive business model

Long-term engagement loops that reinforce goal-setting, gamification, progress tracking, and build constructive habits beyond the platform itself.

Design principles

Design principles

Our synthesis revealed four recurring themes that were limiting Miller’s ability to convert trust into long-term value

Our synthesis revealed four recurring themes that were limiting Miller’s ability to convert trust into long-term value

Capture and operationalize internal expertise

Capture and operationalize internal expertise

Redefine retail from transaction to long-term partnership

Redefine retail from transaction to long-term partnership

Structure and amplify relationship-based trust

Structure and amplify relationship-based trust

driven by findings

reactive business model

gaps in in-store ux

data scarcity

enabling curiosity

Reframing

How do we innovate and differentiate?

How might Miller structure and scale it’s existing strengths to create sustainable differentiation?

How might Miller structure and scale it’s existing strengths to create sustainable differentiation?

With this prioritization in mind, we explored and prototyped ideas while conducting various validation tests.

With this prioritization in mind, we explored and prototyped ideas while conducting various validation tests.

Surveys

Prior to diving into our prototyping, we ran a survey to understand some key solution essentials with the Miller team.

Brainstorming

Value at a Glance

Multiple free brainstorming sessions, including rapid ideation, and a session of body-storming (improving) to see how the system of solutions fit together.

The new navigation allowed stakeholders to view all of Paga's offerings at a glance.

Ideation workshops

Value at a Glance

A workshop with Miller leadership to highlight prioritize areas of focus from our initial research

The new navigation allowed stakeholders to view all of Paga's offerings at a glance.

Concept testing

Concept testing

  • Journey Mapping Workshop

  • Prototyping Testing

  • Survey Feedback Review

Personas

Solution

Connecting all systems and data points, providing analytics and information for staff and leadership.

Connecting all systems and data points, providing analytics and information for staff and leadership.

A relationship-first loyalty ecosystem that strengthens relationships, fuels data, and rewards customers.

A relationship-first loyalty ecosystem that strengthens relationships, fuels data, and rewards customers.

© Faysal Biobaku 2026

Institute of Design

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