Bryan Thomas Sellers

Designer

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Bryan Thomas Sellers

Designer

Home

Critique GPT ↗

Impact Project

About

Let's Jam

Bryan Thomas Sellers

Designer

Home

Critique GPT ↗

Impact Project

About

Let's Jam

Bryan Thomas Sellers

Designer

The Merchant Experience

The Merchant Experience

Revolutionizing the Merchant Onboarding Experience at Shift4

Revolutionizing the Merchant Onboarding Experience at Shift4

As VP of Design at Shift4, I helped a small team spearhead the creation of Launch Control, a groundbreaking onboarding system for SkyTab merchants. By streamlining and coordinating processes across multiple teams, we reduced onboarding time from over a month to less than a week, improving speed by 77%. Additionally, 70-80% of merchants now log into the Lighthouse Business Manager (Shift4’s centralized merchant management platform) within their first week (up from < 3%), and 85% of merchants using the new Launch Control experience have successfully completed required modules. This case study highlights how I set the vision, led cross-functional collaboration, and executed on this transformational initiative.


Challenges


Shift4’s merchant onboarding was a fragmented and time-consuming process. New merchants faced unclear steps after signing a SkyTab deal, with no streamlined communication on what to do next. This resulted in…


• Prolonged onboarding times took over a month for merchants to fully complete the setup process.

• Siloed departments like operations, support, engineering, sales, marketing, and the C-suite operated in isolation, causing inefficiencies and misalignment.


• Missed opportunities for merchants to engage with high-value features like online ordering, gift cards, and loyalty programs during onboarding.

As VP of Design at Shift4, I helped a small team spearhead the creation of Launch Control, a groundbreaking onboarding system for SkyTab merchants. By streamlining and coordinating processes across multiple teams, we reduced onboarding time from over a month to less than a week, improving speed by 77%. Additionally, 70-80% of merchants now log into the Lighthouse Business Manager (Shift4’s centralized merchant management platform) within their first week (up from < 3%), and 85% of merchants using the new Launch Control experience have successfully completed required modules. This case study highlights how I set the vision, led cross-functional collaboration, and executed on this transformational initiative.


Challenges


Shift4’s merchant onboarding was a fragmented and time-consuming process. New merchants faced unclear steps after signing a SkyTab deal, with no streamlined communication on what to do next. This resulted in…


• Prolonged onboarding times took over a month for merchants to fully complete the setup process.

• Siloed departments like operations, support, engineering, sales, marketing, and the C-suite operated in isolation, causing inefficiencies and misalignment.


• Missed opportunities for merchants to engage with high-value features like online ordering, gift cards, and loyalty programs during onboarding.

As VP of Design at Shift4, I helped a small team spearhead the creation of Launch Control, a groundbreaking onboarding system for SkyTab merchants. By streamlining and coordinating processes across multiple teams, we reduced onboarding time from over a month to less than a week, improving speed by 77%. Additionally, 70-80% of merchants now log into the Lighthouse Business Manager (Shift4’s centralized merchant management platform) within their first week (up from < 3%), and 85% of merchants using the new Launch Control experience have successfully completed required modules. This case study highlights how I set the vision, led cross-functional collaboration, and executed on this transformational initiative.


Challenges


Shift4’s merchant onboarding was a fragmented and time-consuming process. New merchants faced unclear steps after signing a SkyTab deal, with no streamlined communication on what to do next. This resulted in…


• Prolonged onboarding times took over a month for merchants to fully complete the setup process.

• Siloed departments like operations, support, engineering, sales, marketing, and the C-suite operated in isolation, causing inefficiencies and misalignment.


• Missed opportunities for merchants to engage with high-value features like online ordering, gift cards, and loyalty programs during onboarding.

My Role


As the design lead, I was responsible for…


Setting a clear vision
Creating an end-to-end onboarding process that reduced time-to-value for merchants while introducing them to key optional features in a seamless way.


Facilitating cross-functional collaboration
Aligning multiple teams through a service blueprint exercise to ensure everyone understood their roles and responsibilities in the merchant journey.


Getting hands-on
Involving myself in every step of the development and execution, from UX design to technical implementation, to ensure the success of Launch Control.

My Role


As the design lead, I was responsible for…


Setting a clear vision
Creating an end-to-end onboarding process that reduced time-to-value for merchants while introducing them to key optional features in a seamless way.


Facilitating cross-functional collaboration
Aligning multiple teams through a service blueprint exercise to ensure everyone understood their roles and responsibilities in the merchant journey.


Getting hands-on
Involving myself in every step of the development and execution, from UX design to technical implementation, to ensure the success of Launch Control.

My Role


As the design lead, I was responsible for…


Setting a clear vision
Creating an end-to-end onboarding process that reduced time-to-value for merchants while introducing them to key optional features in a seamless way.


Facilitating cross-functional collaboration
Aligning multiple teams through a service blueprint exercise to ensure everyone understood their roles and responsibilities in the merchant journey.


Getting hands-on
Involving myself in every step of the development and execution, from UX design to technical implementation, to ensure the success of Launch Control.

My Role


As the design lead, I was responsible for…


Setting a clear vision
Creating an end-to-end onboarding process that reduced time-to-value for merchants while introducing them to key optional features in a seamless way.


Facilitating cross-functional collaboration
Aligning multiple teams through a service blueprint exercise to ensure everyone understood their roles and responsibilities in the merchant journey.


Getting hands-on
Involving myself in every step of the development and execution, from UX design to technical implementation, to ensure the success of Launch Control.

Service Blueprinting for Cross-Team Alignment


A critical step in transforming the onboarding process was leading a service blueprint exercise. This allowed us to…


Map out the merchant journey
From the moment a new deal was signed, we mapped every touchpoint and interaction between the merchant and Shift4, identifying key areas where handoffs and communication needed improvement.


Coordinate across departments
By involving stakeholders from operations, support, customer service, engineering, product, sales, marketing, and the C-suite, we created a unified understanding of the onboarding process and assigned clear ownership for each step.


Enhance communication with merchants
We established clear, coordinated communication strategies to inform merchants of the next steps as soon as a deal was signed, reducing confusion and delays.

Service Blueprinting for Cross-Team Alignment


A critical step in transforming the onboarding process was leading a service blueprint exercise. This allowed us to…


Map out the merchant journey
From the moment a new deal was signed, we mapped every touchpoint and interaction between the merchant and Shift4, identifying key areas where handoffs and communication needed improvement.


Coordinate across departments
By involving stakeholders from operations, support, customer service, engineering, product, sales, marketing, and the C-suite, we created a unified understanding of the onboarding process and assigned clear ownership for each step.


Enhance communication with merchants
We established clear, coordinated communication strategies to inform merchants of the next steps as soon as a deal was signed, reducing confusion and delays.

Service Blueprinting for Cross-Team Alignment


A critical step in transforming the onboarding process was leading a service blueprint exercise. This allowed us to…


Map out the merchant journey
From the moment a new deal was signed, we mapped every touchpoint and interaction between the merchant and Shift4, identifying key areas where handoffs and communication needed improvement.


Coordinate across departments
By involving stakeholders from operations, support, customer service, engineering, product, sales, marketing, and the C-suite, we created a unified understanding of the onboarding process and assigned clear ownership for each step.


Enhance communication with merchants
We established clear, coordinated communication strategies to inform merchants of the next steps as soon as a deal was signed, reducing confusion and delays.

Service Blueprinting for Cross-Team Alignment


A critical step in transforming the onboarding process was leading a service blueprint exercise. This allowed us to…


Map out the merchant journey
From the moment a new deal was signed, we mapped every touchpoint and interaction between the merchant and Shift4, identifying key areas where handoffs and communication needed improvement.


Coordinate across departments
By involving stakeholders from operations, support, customer service, engineering, product, sales, marketing, and the C-suite, we created a unified understanding of the onboarding process and assigned clear ownership for each step.


Enhance communication with merchants
We established clear, coordinated communication strategies to inform merchants of the next steps as soon as a deal was signed, reducing confusion and delays.

Setting the Vision


From the service blueprint, I developed the vision for Launch Control—a card-based, interactive system that guides merchants through the onboarding process with ease. The system was designed to…

Streamline essential tasks
Merchants were guided through key steps such as uploading menus, configuring POS systems, and activating online ordering.


Introduce optional features
At strategic moments, merchants were prompted to activate high-value features such as loyalty programs, kiosks, and gift cards, helping drive additional revenue.


Enhance engagement
The system incentivized completion through features like a scratch-off experience, where merchants could unlock tips or rewards as they completed tasks.



Setting the Vision


From the service blueprint, I developed the vision for Launch Control—a card-based, interactive system that guides merchants through the onboarding process with ease. The system was designed to…

Streamline essential tasks
Merchants were guided through key steps such as uploading menus, configuring POS systems, and activating online ordering.


Introduce optional features
At strategic moments, merchants were prompted to activate high-value features such as loyalty programs, kiosks, and gift cards, helping drive additional revenue.


Enhance engagement
The system incentivized completion through features like a scratch-off experience, where merchants could unlock tips or rewards as they completed tasks.



Setting the Vision


From the service blueprint, I developed the vision for Launch Control—a card-based, interactive system that guides merchants through the onboarding process with ease. The system was designed to…

Streamline essential tasks
Merchants were guided through key steps such as uploading menus, configuring POS systems, and activating online ordering.


Introduce optional features
At strategic moments, merchants were prompted to activate high-value features such as loyalty programs, kiosks, and gift cards, helping drive additional revenue.


Enhance engagement
The system incentivized completion through features like a scratch-off experience, where merchants could unlock tips or rewards as they completed tasks.



Setting the Vision


From the service blueprint, I developed the vision for Launch Control—a card-based, interactive system that guides merchants through the onboarding process with ease. The system was designed to…

Streamline essential tasks
Merchants were guided through key steps such as uploading menus, configuring POS systems, and activating online ordering.


Introduce optional features
At strategic moments, merchants were prompted to activate high-value features such as loyalty programs, kiosks, and gift cards, helping drive additional revenue.


Enhance engagement
The system incentivized completion through features like a scratch-off experience, where merchants could unlock tips or rewards as they completed tasks.



Hands-On Leadership and Collaboration

Throughout the project, I ensured I was deeply involved in both strategic and tactical aspects…

Collaboration with engineering
I worked closely with the engineering team to ensure the technical integration of Launch Control was smooth and scalable across different merchant profiles.


User research and testing
I helped launch our very first user interviews and usability testing, gathering insights from merchants and iterating on the product design to better meet their needs.


Active involvement in execution
From design reviews to technical sprints, I was hands-on in ensuring the vision was implemented effectively, addressing any roadblocks along the way.



Hands-On Leadership and Collaboration

Throughout the project, I ensured I was deeply involved in both strategic and tactical aspects…

Collaboration with engineering
I worked closely with the engineering team to ensure the technical integration of Launch Control was smooth and scalable across different merchant profiles.


User research and testing
I helped launch our very first user interviews and usability testing, gathering insights from merchants and iterating on the product design to better meet their needs.


Active involvement in execution
From design reviews to technical sprints, I was hands-on in ensuring the vision was implemented effectively, addressing any roadblocks along the way.



Hands-On Leadership and Collaboration

Throughout the project, I ensured I was deeply involved in both strategic and tactical aspects…

Collaboration with engineering
I worked closely with the engineering team to ensure the technical integration of Launch Control was smooth and scalable across different merchant profiles.


User research and testing
I helped launch our very first user interviews and usability testing, gathering insights from merchants and iterating on the product design to better meet their needs.


Active involvement in execution
From design reviews to technical sprints, I was hands-on in ensuring the vision was implemented effectively, addressing any roadblocks along the way.



Hands-On Leadership and Collaboration

Throughout the project, I ensured I was deeply involved in both strategic and tactical aspects…

Collaboration with engineering
I worked closely with the engineering team to ensure the technical integration of Launch Control was smooth and scalable across different merchant profiles.


User research and testing
I helped launch our very first user interviews and usability testing, gathering insights from merchants and iterating on the product design to better meet their needs.


Active involvement in execution
From design reviews to technical sprints, I was hands-on in ensuring the vision was implemented effectively, addressing any roadblocks along the way.



Driving Engagement and Results

The impact of Launch Control was immediate and transformative…

Onboarding time reduced by 77%

What once took over a month was now completed in less than a week, enabling merchants to go live faster and start generating revenue.


Increased early engagement 70-80%

Merchants were logging into LBM within their first week (compared to < 3% before Launch Control), a significant leap in engagement.


High feature adoption 85%

Merchants who used the new Launch Control completed the Online Ordering module, helping drive early adoption of key features.



Driving Engagement and Results

The impact of Launch Control was immediate and transformative…

Onboarding time reduced by 77%

What once took over a month was now completed in less than a week, enabling merchants to go live faster and start generating revenue.


Increased early engagement 70-80%

Merchants were logging into LBM within their first week (compared to < 3% before Launch Control), a significant leap in engagement.


High feature adoption 85%

Merchants who used the new Launch Control completed the Online Ordering module, helping drive early adoption of key features.



Driving Engagement and Results

The impact of Launch Control was immediate and transformative…

Onboarding time reduced by 77%

What once took over a month was now completed in less than a week, enabling merchants to go live faster and start generating revenue.


Increased early engagement 70-80%

Merchants were logging into LBM within their first week (compared to < 3% before Launch Control), a significant leap in engagement.


High feature adoption 85%

Merchants who used the new Launch Control completed the Online Ordering module, helping drive early adoption of key features.



Driving Engagement and Results

The impact of Launch Control was immediate and transformative…

Onboarding time reduced by 77%

What once took over a month was now completed in less than a week, enabling merchants to go live faster and start generating revenue.


Increased early engagement 70-80%

Merchants were logging into LBM within their first week (compared to < 3% before Launch Control), a significant leap in engagement.


High feature adoption 85%

Merchants who used the new Launch Control completed the Online Ordering module, helping drive early adoption of key features.



Key Takeaways for Future Roles

This project demonstrated my ability to…

Lead cross-functional teams
I successfully brought together multiple departments to align on a unified goal and streamline internal processes.

Set a strategic vision and execute it
I crafted a clear vision for Launch Control, ensuring that both the user experience and business goals were met.

Drive hands-on execution
I actively participated in every phase of the project, from high-level strategy to in-the-weeds problem-solving.


Conclusion


Launch Control revolutionized the SkyTab merchant onboarding process, not only reducing time-to-value for merchants but also increasing engagement and feature adoption. By leading cross-functional collaboration, setting a clear vision, and driving hands-on execution, I was able to deliver a transformative solution that streamlined internal operations and improved the merchant experience. This case study highlights my ability to lead large-scale initiatives, align teams, and execute on innovative solutions that drive meaningful business results.


Key Takeaways for Future Roles

This project demonstrated my ability to…

Lead cross-functional teams
I successfully brought together multiple departments to align on a unified goal and streamline internal processes.

Set a strategic vision and execute it
I crafted a clear vision for Launch Control, ensuring that both the user experience and business goals were met.

Drive hands-on execution
I actively participated in every phase of the project, from high-level strategy to in-the-weeds problem-solving.


Conclusion


Launch Control revolutionized the SkyTab merchant onboarding process, not only reducing time-to-value for merchants but also increasing engagement and feature adoption. By leading cross-functional collaboration, setting a clear vision, and driving hands-on execution, I was able to deliver a transformative solution that streamlined internal operations and improved the merchant experience. This case study highlights my ability to lead large-scale initiatives, align teams, and execute on innovative solutions that drive meaningful business results.


Key Takeaways for Future Roles

This project demonstrated my ability to…

Lead cross-functional teams
I successfully brought together multiple departments to align on a unified goal and streamline internal processes.

Set a strategic vision and execute it
I crafted a clear vision for Launch Control, ensuring that both the user experience and business goals were met.

Drive hands-on execution
I actively participated in every phase of the project, from high-level strategy to in-the-weeds problem-solving.


Conclusion


Launch Control revolutionized the SkyTab merchant onboarding process, not only reducing time-to-value for merchants but also increasing engagement and feature adoption. By leading cross-functional collaboration, setting a clear vision, and driving hands-on execution, I was able to deliver a transformative solution that streamlined internal operations and improved the merchant experience. This case study highlights my ability to lead large-scale initiatives, align teams, and execute on innovative solutions that drive meaningful business results.


Key Takeaways for Future Roles

This project demonstrated my ability to…

Lead cross-functional teams
I successfully brought together multiple departments to align on a unified goal and streamline internal processes.

Set a strategic vision and execute it
I crafted a clear vision for Launch Control, ensuring that both the user experience and business goals were met.

Drive hands-on execution
I actively participated in every phase of the project, from high-level strategy to in-the-weeds problem-solving.


Conclusion


Launch Control revolutionized the SkyTab merchant onboarding process, not only reducing time-to-value for merchants but also increasing engagement and feature adoption. By leading cross-functional collaboration, setting a clear vision, and driving hands-on execution, I was able to deliver a transformative solution that streamlined internal operations and improved the merchant experience. This case study highlights my ability to lead large-scale initiatives, align teams, and execute on innovative solutions that drive meaningful business results.