The Ask

In 2019, we were approached by Lithe Lashes to redesign their entire e-commerce experience and increase conversion on their platform. Lithe Lashes is a beauty company based in Toronto, with a focus on simplistic and minimal false eyelashes. I was tasked with understanding the shortcomings of the current web experience and the goals of the new redesign. After the goals were established, the team and I created the user experience and visual design to bring to life the vision of the brand and product.

The Research

Through a UX analysis of the web experience, we were able to determine that the experience required more clarity, personalization, and brand awareness. 

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When a user is shopping through a website, providing them with clarity as to what products they are being sold and making it simple for them to purchase a product will increase conversion and sales for the brand. Improving the functionality and ease of use was definitely a high priority for the project. 

In the beauty space, the idea of finding a product that is right for your needs is a common practice. We wanted to take this concept and bring it to the redesign of the e-commerce experience. Users should be able to find the eyelashes best suited for their eye shape, style, and occasion. 

A strong e-commerce brand communicates to the user who they are and why they matter in an effortless way. This is a very important aspect of e-commerce, as it builds an emotional connection with the user. Beauty Brands such as Lush Cosmetics and The Body Shop, are two great examples of brands that have built a name for themselves in the clean beauty and sustainability space. Their audiences trust the brand and align with their values. In conclusion, our aim was to build the brand’s online presence and set it as a leader in the beauty community.

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The Process

To start we wanted to understand the Shopify platform and how we were going to build an experience with the framework Shopify had intended. Every Shopify store comes with a Homepage, About, Product Collection, Product Single, and other minor pages such as the FAQ, Contact etc.  We started wireframing the key screens to understand the brand narrative and customer journey we wanted to build the experience around. 

Although the brand had minimal products we wanted to create an ecosystem that the shopper could browse within through multiple collections, generating interest and engagement with the user. 

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To build a sense of clarity, we wanted to communicate visually and through copy that Lithe was a beauty lifestyle brand, with an emphasis on natural, and cruelty free lashes. This is where the product shots and photography shines, it is crucial in terms of selling the product. We collaborated very closely with the design team at Lithe to ensure we were executing on the same vision and direction for the imagery, as it would be utilized on the social media pages, and promotional material. The photos couldn't have turned out better, and went a long way toward achieving that. It is very clear what the product is and the art direction depicts a soft and feminine touch. The use of the soft beiges, with the serif headings give a simple sophistication to the brand. Having a unique visual language that is consistent through different channels for the brand also creates awareness, and recognition of the brand.

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A personalized shopping is a concept that the team wanted to incorporate to the experience of the website. It allows users to explore various styles and find a product that meets their needs and preferences. Creating a questionnaire helped users filter through style and length preferences to see the product that aligns with their requirements. It also created another interactive element to the shopping experience.

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A custom icon set was created to tailor to the unique brand. We wanted to keep the light and airy feel of the brand and create something that would compliment the typography and colour palette.

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The Results

Through the redesign we were able to increase page visits, time spend on the website and sales of the product. The brand also received recognition from acclaimed industry leaders such as allure beauty.

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