Adopting new brand requirements to enhance user engagement and conversions
USER JOURNEY · PRODUCT DESIGN · CROSS-TEAM COLLABORATION
Role
· Product Design Lead
· Coordinated with key stakeholders on strategic positioning of the product into the existing customer journey
· Developed a Figma Design System to transition to the new brand requirements and improve efficiency in creating marketing pages for campaigns
· Performed a detailed UX and Accessibility audit to improve the site’s ADA compliance and performance
Summary
In late 2021, Aeris air purifiers was acquired by iRobot. iRobot planned an official announcement and rollout of the product in early January 2022, which left a very narrow window to rebrand the website and plan for a seamless customer journey.
Goals and Objectives
Integrate the product effectively into the existing customer journey by crafting a strategy to efficiently rebrand the Aeris website to align with iRobot’s brand and business goals.
In the Aeris by iRobot website rebrand project, as the Product Design Lead, I undertook a comprehensive UX and accessibility audit that identified key areas for improvement. This research established the basis for strategically redesigning and integrating a new Figma-based Design System, aligned with the updated brand guidelines. My focus on ADA compliance led to significant design changes, including adjustments in color contrast and codebase improvements to enhance accessibility.
Development involved close collaboration with engineers to integrate and manage changes across both version-controlled and non-version-controlled environments. This phase was crucial in handling the complexities of different staging and production environments.
We meticulously planned the testing and launch process, involving the Aeris European development team. We faced challenges such as violations of the code/content freeze but overcame these through adaptive strategies and teamwork, successfully launching the rebranded site without downtime. The project culminated as we integrated Akamai server caching to boost site performance, highlighting our team’s ability to scale and adapt to project demands effectively.
Results
The successful launch of the rebranded site within a tight deadline over the holiday season resulted in improved site performance and user engagement, increasing conversions and decreasing cart abandonment.
By enhancing the website’s ADA compliance and user experience, we enabled a broader audience to access and navigate the site more effectively, leading to an increase in user engagement and conversions. This transformation aligned with the iRobot’s strategic positioning within the market, strengthening their brand and improving customer satisfaction. The project not only met but exceeded expectations, cementing our reputation as a reliable and innovative design partner.
Key Learnings
Embracing innovation: This project challenged me to develop and refine the Design System using Figma to meet new brand and ADA requirements, which significantly improved user experience with an emphasis on inclusive design principles.
Design thinking: This collaboration required me to adopt and strengthen a clear, non-technical communication style that ensured all stakeholders, including non-designers, were aligned with the project goals.
Collaboration: The successful launch of the redesigned site not only demonstrated our team’s ability to overcome substantial technical and managerial hurdles but also solidified my role as a leader capable of driving significant digital transformations.