SHOWCASED PROJECT: Online printing for Staples.com
I was in charge of leading a team of 6 UI and UX designs for the biggest project for the company over a 3 year period consisting of multiple designs iterations. The business value for this new staples online printing solution was at $47 million with 900k orders per year and 12k visits per day. Opportunity for growth through traffic and conversion improvement. By redesigning this platform we could supersede an old third-party service saving the business $2 million per year. The goal was to hit 24% conversion witch was hit within a few months of release increasing overall conversion +10%.
HOMEPAGE OPTIMIZATION
Optimization of Staples Printing Services Homepage
MY ROLE
Working closely with multiple teams, including product and marketing, I was involved from the very beginning of the project. Given the high exit rate of over 25%, it was critical to understand the underlying causes. This involved a thorough analysis of user data, conducting user tests, performing competitive research, and adhering to best practices for e-commerce. I presented my findings through several presentations to key stakeholders.
The project was released in phases with different designers contributing along the way, but I maintained a strong oversight of the project's lifecycle to ensure consistency and alignment with our goals.​
HIGH LEVEL TIMELINE
1 year with 3 phases
MAKE OF THE TEAM
1 Product Designer Lead (Me)
2 other Product Designers
3+ Developers
2 Marketing Managers
Product Manager
3 Marchant Mangers
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KEY GOAL
23% Exit Rate
OBJECTIVE
The homepage had an exit rate of 25%, with a goal to reduce it by 5%. To achieve this, we focused on enhancing the user experience by identifying pain points and addressing the shortcomings of the current design. By refining the homepage to better engage users and guide them seamlessly through the funnel, we aimed to improve retention and drive deeper interactions.
RESEARCH AND DISCOVERY
Working closely with the analytics team, I analysed data from Google Analytics to break down user behaviour and identify key drop-off points.
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The next phase involved conducting user interviews and a series of usability tests to gain deeper insights into how users were interacting with the homepage. A comprehensive audit revealed several critical areas for improvement:​
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Enhancing Product Imagery: The existing product images lacked context in terms of use case and scale. To improve clarity, we introduced lifestyle images that resonated with users, ensuring that key details—such as the relative size of print products (e.g., business cards vs. postcards)—were prominently showcased (see video 1 & 2).
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Strengthening Value Propositions: Users needed a clearer understanding of the breadth of services offered. We refined the messaging to highlight key value propositions and make the offering more compelling (see video 3).
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Fixing Poor Interactions: Certain design elements, such as the autoplay carousel, negatively impacted the user experience. We optimised these interactions to provide a more seamless browsing experience (see video 4).
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Encouraging Deeper Engagement: Data showed that nearly half of users did not scroll beyond the first quarter of the page, with only 9% reaching the bottom (see graphic 1). We restructured content and visual hierarchy to encourage greater scroll depth and drive users further into the page.
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User Testing Analysis
DESIGN PART 1: SKETCHING AND UX WIRES
I collaborated closely with the Marketing team to ensure the project’s goals were fully aligned. Together, we identified cross-departmental challenges and presented our findings to senior management.
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Following extensive research, competitive analysis, and a deep dive into homepage best practices, I began the initial round of sketching, translating insights into actionable design concepts.
DESIGN PART 2:
UI AND MULTI PHASES
This homepage optimisation involved multiple teams and tasks, including:
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Conducting several photoshoots to refresh all imagery.
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Updating product listings and copy to provide clearer context on the breadth of services and products available.
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Ensuring the page met AA compliance by adhering to WCAG accessibility standards.
Due to the complexity of these updates, the project was rolled out in three phases. At each stage, UI mockups were developed, and I played a key role in providing direction and feedback to other designers involved in the project.
RESULTS
With each phase of the release, it was rewarding to see measurable improvements in the data. Once the homepage was fully live, we observed a noticeable reduction in bounce rate and a +2% increase in conversion, resulting in an annual revenue boost of $2 million.
TITLE OF THE CALLOUT BLOCK
BEFORE
AFTER
