Dame Products

Due to advertising restrictions, Dame faced the daunting challenge of converting untargeted traffic into customers. My approach included a comprehensive site audit, an iterative redesign, and data-driven optimizations. These efforts culminated in a 73% conversion rate increase year-over-year and 400% revenue growth over two years

Role

UX/UI Designer & Front-End Developer

Duration

3 Years, 2019-2022

Tools + Skills

Conversion Rate Optimization, Shopify Plus, Sketch, Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, HTML/CSS, Javascript, Shopify Liquid

Team

Graphic Designer (2019), E-Commerce Director (2019-2020), Marketing Director (2020-2022)

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The Challenge

Dame needed to boost its conversion rates to turn visitors into customers and drive revenue growth. With no option for targeted ads, they needed to make the most of their existing audience.

Without addressing these challenges, Dame risked losing potential customers. Recognizing the urgency of the upcoming holiday season, Dame began a CRO facelift in October 2019.

The Problem

How could Dame streamline the user journey to maximize conversions?

Ongoing Solutions

Over the next 3.5 years, I led key initiatives to improve Dame’s conversion rate, including:

UX Audit

Identified quick wins and strategic improvements

Iterative Redesign

Ongoing improvements with a rapid phase one

Brand Identity

Refined brand visuals for a cohesive experience

Product Quiz

Created a personalized quiz to aid decisions

Identifying Obstacles

I conducted a site audit to identify and prioritize improvements within a short timeline. The audit revealed several key issues:

Unclear Hierarchy

Inconsistent headings and poor visual flow hindered navigation, leading to missed content.

Difficult Decisions

Product benefits weren’t clearly conveyed, causing hesitation and lower conversions.

Inconsistent Colors

Colors were appealing but didn’t aid usability, making it difficult for users to learn the system.

High Cognitive Load

Poor placement and excess information made it difficult for users to quickly find key details.

Quick Wins for High Impact

To maximize holiday revenue, we approached the redesign in phases. The first phase focused on the most critical touchpoints in the user journey: the Product Listing Page (PLP), Product Detail Page (PDP), and homepage. This phase was designed and built
within six weeks to prepare for Black Friday.

Improving Product Selection

The following changes were made to the PLP in phase one:

New Filters: Added filters for type and purpose to help users simplify their options for faster decision-making.
Reduced Clutter: Removed bright buttons to create a cleaner, more focused browsing experience. This reduced distractions, helping users focus on the products.
More Items Per Row: Adjusted the layout to display four items per row, enabling easier browsing and product comparison.

A More Persuasive Product Page

The following changes were made to the PDP in phase one:

Simplified Visuals: Developed guidelines for cohesive colors across all products while removing irrelevant graphics for an aesthetic and minimalist design.
Reorganized Layout: Prioritized important content to reduce the need for excessive scrolling, making it accessible.
Enhanced Image Engagement: Relocated lifestyle images to the image carousel after heatmap analysis. Placing high-engagement images in prominent positions increases interaction.

Refining Further

An Evolving System

After completing high-priority optimizations, I turned my attention to enhancing sitewide cohesiveness. I developed a scalable design system that ensured visual and functional consistency across all pages, improving navigation and reinforcing a trustworthy
brand image.

Dame's style guide — Most recent version of the guidelines

iPhone showing mobile menu — Updated Mobile Menu

iPhone showing part of the homepage — Homepage Proof Slider

iPhone showing question screen of quiz — Current PDP

iPhone showing email screen of quiz — Scrolled Button + Featured Ingredients

Improved Discovery

Since the initial PLP updates, I continued to make improvements, including refining filters, implementing intuitive sort functionality, and enhancing overall page usability to better serve user needs.

View the prototype in Figma.

Data-Driven Design

After deploying the updates, I used analytics, heatmaps, and A/B testing to fine-tune the storefront.

These data insights guided me in refining the site’s future iterations to better meet users’ needs.

Using Comparative Data

A competitive audit guided the redesign of the cart drawer, leading to an updated free shipping progress bar and upsells. The free shipping progress bars encouraged them to add more items for an increased average order value. The strategically placed
upsells offered relevant product suggestions to help meet that goal. These changes aimed to reduce cart abandonment and increase conversions by aligning with customer expectations and behaviors.

Research slide titled 'Updated Cart - Research' summarizing findings from an audit of 39 websites. The slide highlights the inclusion of a progress bar in 60% of carts and the use of a free shipping message like 'You're $X away from free shipping' in 59% of carts. It also notes best practices for cart upsells, such as allowing multiple upsells, showing 3 add-ons in the cart (including high-value and low-value items), and presenting 1.5 upsells at a time. On the right, a mobile screen mockup of a shopping cart displays two products, 'Arousal Serum' and 'Pom - Jade,' with a blue progress bar for free shipping and upsell suggestions. Annotations point out the progress bar, multiple visible add-ons, and the placement of disclaimers below the checkout button to reduce distractions.

Findings from Research

Leveraging Data for Better Ad Performance

Dame relied on partner advertising due to channel limitations. I noticed one podcast accounted for 10% of partner traffic and 75% of podcast traffic. I listened to the ad placement and tailored their landing page copy for a stronger audience connection.

The strategy was so effective that the hosts mentioned it in the next episode, boosting brand affinity. Even after the partnership ended, it generated significant revenue for over a year, showing that UX is about creating content that truly resonates
with users.

An A/B testing analysis comparing a control version and a variation (V1) of a webpage layout for the Dame website. At the top left, analytics data shows conversion rates and performance metrics for the different versions, with graphs highlighting the modeled ecommerce conversion rates over time. The two page designs are shown side by side: the control version features a banner with a woman reclining, product recommendations, and a button reading 'Let’s find your perfect toy.' The variation (V1) has a similar layout but with minor visual adjustments. On the right, a heatmap visualization indicates user engagement levels, with red areas representing higher engagement and green areas indicating lower interaction.

Screenshots of A/B tests

Finding Best Practices

I conducted a thorough competitor analysis to identify best practices and streamline user flows for Aloe Lube’s subscription module.

By incorporating effective features from leading subscription models and optimizing the user experience, the redesign improved functionality and resulted in a 25% increase in subscription signups.

Mobile screen mockups showcasing different product pages and purchasing options for the Dame website. The primary mockup displays the product 'Aloe Lube,' priced at $16.20 with a subscription or one-time purchase option. The page offers an add-on for a textured sleeve and includes a blue 'Add to Cart' button. Other mockups feature variations of similar product pages, highlighting subscription models, savings for subscribing, and product features like 'Tension Relief' and 'Clean Chemical.' Different payment options, product sizes, and promotional offers are visible across the designs, along with buttons for adding items to the cart.

Alu's update next to competitor modules

Personalized Guidance

I collaborated with the customer service and product teams to design a quiz that offered personalized recommendations. This guided experience reduced decision fatigue by simplifying the selection process. As a result, users felt more confident in
their choices, which led to increased engagement and higher conversion rates.

Goals

Increase Sales: Support purchasing decisions with personalized guidance.
Generate Leads: Capture user information by offering the option to email quiz results.

iPhone showing intro screen of quiz — Quiz Intro Panel

iPhone showing final screen of quiz — Quiz Results Panel

Accurate Results

I conducted a thorough competitor analysis to identify best practices and streamline user flows for Aloe Lube’s subscription module.

By incorporating effective features from leading subscription models and optimizing the user experience, the redesign improved functionality and resulted in a 25% increase in subscription signups.

Improving Further

After a year of success, we revisited the quiz with data-driven improvements. Analysis showed a high completion rate, with 95% of users finishing the quiz.

We noticed less than 2% were shopping for someone else, so we reframed “Who are you shopping for?” to “How do you plan to use it?” This change provided more relevant insights and streamlined the user journey.

Takeaways

Data-Driven Design Delivers Results

Leveraging analytics and competitive insight led to a 400% boost in revenue over 2 years.
Personalization Boosts User Confidence

Tailored recommendations not only made product suggestions more relevant but also increased user confidence, driving higher sales and contributing to the 73% conversion rate improvement.
Continuous Iteration is Essential

Ongoing refinements based on user feedback and data analysis helped maintain the site’s alignment with evolving user expectations, supporting sustained growth and further boosting conversions.

It wouldn’t be out of place to describe Lauren as a “unicorn”. Not only does she have the technical and design skills to implement, she has the analytical ability to improve conversion and process. Lauren also works cross-functionally with ease by being a fast, reliable and communicative team player. This combination of soft and hard skills made Lauren an incredibly valuable addition to the Dame team.