Case Study
Transforming Purina’s Retail Innovation Center Into an Immersive Pet-Owner Journey
Transforming Purina’s Retail Innovation Center Into an Immersive Pet-Owner Journey
LAB9 is Purina’s flagship innovation space, a forward-looking environment where major retailers explore the future of pet care and how Purina is driving category growth. It is designed to spark inspiration and enable hands-on collaboration, helping retail partners co-create what’s next for the category.
ROLE
CLIENT
TIMELINE
OUTCOME
Lead Experience Designer
UX, Motion, 3D
Nestlé Purina
2022 — 2025
Ongoing Partnership
+53% Retailer Engagements
Year-Over-Year Growth
ROLE
Experience Designer
UX, Motion, Strategy
CLIENT
Nestlé Purina
TIMELINE
2022 — 2025
Ongoing Partnership
OUTCOME
+53% Retailer Engagements
Year-Over-Year Growth
Challenge
Understanding the Gap in Purina’s Retail Innovation Center Experience
The physical experience had stagnated, becoming a presentation-led showroom suffering from dense frameworks and disconnected content. Focused heavily on what Purina wanted to broadcast rather than what retailers needed to discover, the journey left visitors with no clear through-line connecting innovations to real pet owner needs.
My role was to weave a digital nervous system into this physical space. Collaborating with the strategy team, creative directors, and environments designers, I translated high-level insights into a cohesive digital layer. I focused on creating a modular system that moved beyond static displays, resulting in a self-guided, intuitive journey that Purina teams could easily update to adapt to each engagement.
Original innovation center environment was framework-heavy and unclear in purpose.
Challenge
Understanding the Gap in Purina’s Retail Innovation Center Experience
The physical experience had stagnated, becoming a presentation-led showroom suffering from dense frameworks and disconnected content. Focused heavily on what Purina wanted to broadcast rather than what retailers needed to discover, the journey left visitors with no clear through-line connecting innovations to real pet owner needs.
My role was to weave a digital nervous system into this physical space. Collaborating with the strategy team, creative directors, and environments designers, I translated high-level insights into a cohesive digital layer. I focused on creating a modular system that moved beyond static displays, resulting in a self-guided, intuitive journey that Purina teams could easily update to adapt to each engagement.
Original innovation center environment was framework-heavy and unclear in purpose.
Strategy
Synthesizing the Vision
Working with the strategy team, I helped audit the existing content and stakeholder needs. We identified three core pillars from our foundational insights for the new system:
Non-Linear: Moving away from rigid presentations.
Empathy-First: Focusing on the shopper’s mindset, not just the product specs.
Real-Time: Tools that encourage discussion, not just observation.
Strategy
Synthesizing the Vision
Working with the strategy team, I helped audit the existing content and stakeholder needs. We identified three core pillars from our foundational insights for the new system:
Non-Linear: Moving away from rigid presentations.
Empathy-First: Focusing on the shopper’s mindset, not just the product specs.
Real-Time: Tools that encourage discussion, not just observation.
Design Approach
Reframing the Experience Around Pet Owner Journeys
We rebuilt the primary LAB9 Experience around narrative-driven Pet Owner Journeys, shifting the focus from product presentations to real behaviors, motivations, and decision-making. These principles shaped the core of our design approach:
Human-centered storytelling grounded in real pet owner insights.
Modular content paths that retailers can explore in any order.
A flexible CMS system that lets teams effortlessly tailor content to each retailer they meet with.
Design Approach
Reframing the Experience Around Pet Owner Journeys
We rebuilt the primary LAB9 Experience around narrative-driven Pet Owner Journeys, shifting the focus from product presentations to real behaviors, motivations, and decision-making. These principles shaped the core of our design approach:
Human-centered storytelling grounded in real pet owner insights.
Modular content paths that retailers can explore in any order.
A flexible CMS system that lets teams effortlessly tailor content to each retailer they meet with.
UX System Architecture
Building a Story-Led System for a Complex, Ever-Changing Space
LAB9’s stations varied wildly in hardware, layouts, and narrative intent. To unify them, I designed a digital system that flexes to any context—responsive templates, configurable states, and a CMS to adapt to the retailer conversation happening on any given day.
By grounding everything in a consistent story structure, the system translated physical constraints into digital clarity. The result: an experience that feels cohesive across the entire space while still remaining flexible enough to evolve.
UX System Architecture
Building a Story-Led System for a Complex, Ever-Changing Space
LAB9’s stations varied wildly in hardware, layouts, and narrative intent. To unify them, I designed a digital system that flexes to any context—responsive templates, configurable states, and a CMS to adapt to the retailer conversation happening on any given day.
By grounding everything in a consistent story structure, the system translated physical constraints into digital clarity. The result: an experience that feels cohesive across the entire space while still remaining flexible enough to evolve.
Component Toolkit
A modular foundation helped bring the LAB9 brand into the digital environment. I developed a scalable library of components and templates, allowing us to build new screens and narratives quickly while preserving structure and intention.
Component Toolkit
A modular foundation helped bring the LAB9 brand into the digital environment. I developed a scalable library of components and templates, allowing us to build new screens and narratives quickly while preserving structure and intention.
Unified Visual Language Across Varied Displays
Regardless of hardware or screen size, every station shares a consistent UI framework. As users move from a large vertical display to a small landscape tablet, interactions feel familiar and the brand story remains cohesive.
Unified Visual Language Across Varied Displays
Regardless of hardware or screen size, every station shares a consistent UI framework. As users move from a large vertical display to a small landscape tablet, interactions feel familiar and the brand story remains cohesive.
Narrative Framework for Consistent Journeys
A clear, repeatable story structure grounds each screen in the same flow. By aligning every touchpoint to shared phases of interaction, we ensured journeys feel intentional, digestible, and easy to navigate—whether someone is exploring a single station or the entire experience.
Narrative Framework for Consistent Journeys
A clear, repeatable story structure grounds each screen in the same flow. By aligning every touchpoint to shared phases of interaction, we ensured journeys feel intentional, digestible, and easy to navigate—whether someone is exploring a single station or the entire experience.
Exploration
Exploring a Digital Twin Helped Define the Right Purpose
We initially mapped the entire LAB9 environment as a "digital twin" — i.e., complete station flows, deep content models, and a CMS designed to mirror the physical space online. But as stations evolved rapidly, it became clear this level of fidelity wasn’t sustainable or aligned with how stakeholders used the content.
Exploration
Exploring a Digital Twin Helped Define the Right Purpose
We initially mapped the entire LAB9 environment as a "digital twin" — i.e., complete station flows, deep content models, and a CMS designed to mirror the physical space online. But as stations evolved rapidly, it became clear this level of fidelity wasn’t sustainable or aligned with how stakeholders used the content.
From Replication to Intent
We shifted the website to a higher-level overview, focusing on clarity and invitation rather than replication. This pivot gave LAB9 a digital presence that communicates the vision without requiring constant updates.
From Replication to Intent
We shifted the website to a higher-level overview, focusing on clarity and invitation rather than replication. This pivot gave LAB9 a digital presence that communicates the vision without requiring constant updates.
Application
Bringing the System to Life Across Stations
With the architecture in place, we applied the system across every station—pairing modular UI patterns with hardware-specific layouts. Screens, fixtures, and physical environments all followed the same narrative structure and visual language.
Application
Bringing the System to Life Across Stations
With the architecture in place, we applied the system across every station—pairing modular UI patterns with hardware-specific layouts. Screens, fixtures, and physical environments all followed the same narrative structure and visual language.
Unified, Not Uniform
Across the space, the experience remained cohesive while allowing each station to express its unique story. The system proved flexible enough to support rapid iteration and consistent enough to unify the entire environment.
Unified, Not Uniform
Across the space, the experience remained cohesive while allowing each station to express its unique story. The system proved flexible enough to support rapid iteration and consistent enough to unify the entire environment.
Impact & Outcomes
From Presentation Space to
Engagement Engine
The redesigned LAB9 delivered a 53% increase in retailer engagement, stronger repeat visits, and deeper collaboration across teams—positioning the space as a stand-out, industry-leading experience.
Impact & Outcomes
From Presentation Space to
Engagement Engine
The redesigned LAB9 delivered a 53% increase in retailer engagement, stronger repeat visits, and deeper collaboration across teams—positioning the space as a stand-out, industry-leading experience.
0%
0%
increase in retailer engagements
0
0
retailer engagements
0%
0%
real-time personalization
0%
0%
increase in retailer engagements
0
0
retailer engagements
0%
0%
real-time personalization
"
Wow! Love the interactive set-up and customer-focused, innovative thinking. This really inspires creative problem solving to drive digital acceleration.
— Merchandising VP
"
No one does stuff like this.
— Retail Partner
"
You’ve built something unbelievable. LAB9 is pushing the organization forward.
— Client Leadership
"
LAB9 has been instrumental in driving e-commerce growth by allowing us to reframe how we prototype, align and activate digital strategies alongside our retail partners.
— Vice President, Sales & e-Commerce, Purina Nestle
"
Purina’s visionary LAB9 experience is one-of-a-kind and sets Purina apart as the equivalent of (Disney) Imagineers in the CPG industry.
— Principal, Brand Partnerships & Ad Sales
"
Nothing short of transformative.
— Client Leadership
"
I want to live here.
— Retail Partner
"
Wow! Love the interactive set-up and customer-focused, innovative thinking. This really inspires creative problem solving to drive digital acceleration.
— Merchandising VP
"
LAB9 has been instrumental in driving e-commerce growth by allowing us to reframe how we prototype, align and activate digital strategies alongside our retail partners.
— Vice President, Sales & e-Commerce, Purina Nestle
"
Nothing short of transformative.
— Client Leadership
"
No one does stuff like this.
— Retail Partner
"
Purina’s visionary LAB9 experience is one-of-a-kind and sets Purina apart as the equivalent of (Disney) Imagineers in the CPG industry.
— Principal, Brand Partnerships & Ad Sales
"
I want to live here.
— Retail Partner
"
You’ve built something unbelievable. LAB9 is pushing the organization forward.
— Client Leadership