Uniqlo: Redesigning the eCommerce Site
My Role & Agency
Product Design Director/Creative Director (Contractor at I&CO)
Goals & Challenges
Uniqlo was struggling to meet user expectations for mobile shopping, resulting in missed revenue opportunities in the rapidly expanding eCommerce market. While the Uniqlo site was functional, its user flows were cumbersome, and the layouts and UI components were visually poorly executed. Collaborating with teams across Tokyo, San Francisco, and New York involved navigating cultural differences and overcoming the challenges of indirect communication, often requiring translation. Furthermore, we had to work within a siloed, waterfall process due to the project's limited scope.
solutions & outcomes
Note (Aug 2024): The current website’s homepage, navigation, and search design have changed since my work with Uniqlo in 2016, but much of the rest of the current site continues to reflect my work.
To enhance the mobile shopping experience, I streamlined the purchasing flow by eliminating unnecessary steps, promotions, and distractions, enabling users to complete orders more efficiently. We also refined the details of visual* and UX design, including layout, navigation, sorters, and filters. Our redesign approach was unconventional at the time; rather than starting with the homepage or content-heavy landing pages, we focused on the areas where shoppers search and purchase, prioritizing user-centric design and branded experiences during these critical steps. To foster long-term customer engagement, we developed a new membership app concept that offers personalized and emotional rewards tailored to evolving shopper interests and buying patterns.
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Despite some design quality inconsistencies due to the project's limited scope and waterfall process, our efforts resulted in a 20% increase in online sales within the first month of the March 2017 launch.
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*Aaron Walter explains the importance of aesthetics in his book “Designing for Emotion:” “Aesthetics is more than just window dressing—it influences usability, as the aesthetic-usability principle illustrates.”
DESIGNING FOR Mobile–First shoppers
Our goal for the mobile design was to create the simplest possible experience for mobile shoppers. We removed unnecessary content and steps, used a limited color palette, and added sufficient white space to help users stay focused. By implementing a card design principle and a step-by-step structure, we ensured that users could easily navigate the shopping process and complete checkout quickly.
Integrating Rich Content and Brand Enthusiasm
We infused Uniqlo's rich content and vibrant fan culture into the shopping experience, allowing users to not only browse products but also discover the latest trends, learn about designers, and explore behind-the-scenes stories.
Enhancing Ommi Channel Experience via Membership App
To enhance users' omni channel experience throughout their purchase journey, we developed a concept for a membership app centered around four distinct personas, each informed by research and data:
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Experiential Members: Social media enthusiasts who enjoy discovering, learning about, and sharing their favorite designers, products, and fashion trends.
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Low-Touch Members: Casual shoppers who might browse online or visit stores during lunch breaks but are not committed to completing purchases.
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Frequent Buyers: Individuals who regularly purchase clothing for themselves, their children, and occasionally for other family members.
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Repeat Buyers: Customers who replenish basics seasonally and prioritize a quick and seamless shopping experience.
Our solution was to prioritize ideas for emotional and personalized rewards rather than generic discounts or monetary incentives. We ideated features to connect shoppers' experience from stores and e-commerce sites to social networking and adapted to their evolving lifestyles and preferences.
For more details, please contact me.