In 2014, the "Connections" project was part of a larger strategic shift under CEO Hubert Joly’s Renew Blue transformation.
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Strategic Priority: The company identified the "Connected Home" (including internet and mobile connectivity) as a critical growth category to counteract the "commoditization" of electronics.
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Services revenue has been resilient over the last 10 years (ranging from $2.3B to $2.5B). Best Buy continued emphasizing services and the connected/home ecosystem post-Renew Blue under subsequent leadership.
PROBLEM
As UX Manager on the Connections project, I led CX design for a complex initiative hampered by unclear requirements, many stakeholders, and limited resources.
SOLUTION
I managed two designers and collaborated with UX researchers to redesign the experience around a shared in-store screen where employees and customers could go through connectivity setups together, with simplified flows, guides, and consistent omnichannel support.
IMPACT
The work reduced friction in connectivity services across hundreds of stores, boosted service attachment rates, and advanced Best Buy’s Connected Home strategy contributing to the average annual 2.35B in services revenue for the next 10 years.
KEY LEARNINGS
The project highlighted the need for clearer requirements upfront, phased rollouts under constraints, and strong cross-team collaboration to meet diverse user needs.
Joanne Sobelman
Project Manager
"Alex stepped into a very complex project mid-stream, had to learn a new business and manage to a new process simultaneously. I am very pleased to say that Alex challenged the status quo, heard what the business needed and executed the requirements with calm and creativity delivering a superb product and user experience. This project would not have been delivered on time without Alex's efforts and expertise."
Larissa Lowthorp
Product Designer
"Alex is a rare breed of manager. He is involved and engaged in the projects of his team, providing feedback and encouraging dialogue without micromanaging. He is great at bringing the team together to evaluate in-progress work, brainstorming ideas, and facilitating creative thought processes in such a way that ensures all edges of a project are accounted for and the best solution is arrived at. He easily stepped beyond the role of simply 'manager' and into the role of mentor."
Jesse Loudon
Program Manager
“During our project together, I came to value Alex as an expert in user experience & design along with an individual who got things done. Alex was a down-to-earth colleague who often found creative ways to appease multiple parties with his solutions.”