The inspiration behind the redesign was drawn from premier fashion media and leading consumer technology products. The goal was to create a clean, simple, and fashion-inspired design that would help differentiate Macy's from its competitors. The result is a website that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also user-friendly, providing a seamless shopping experience for customers.
What sets this redesign apart is its direct response to customer feedback. In 2019, Macy's website underwent a transformation that dramatically improved user engagement. The design team utilized modern responsive web technologies to ensure the website's accessibility across different devices. This approach underscores the brand's commitment to customer satisfaction and its ability to adapt to the evolving digital landscape.
Undertaking such a project was not without its challenges. The team had to create a user-friendly, fashion-inspired design at scale while supporting a variety of business goals for a large and complex traditional organization. Culture transformation was crucial to realize and operationalize the new design. Despite these hurdles, the team's efforts were rewarded with a significant increase in user engagement following the launch of the new design.
Extensive user experience research was performed over the course of the project, including user surveys, user interviews, A/B testing, formal usability lab testing, remote usability testing, and guerrilla-style usability tests conducted at Macy's stores. This rigorous approach to research ensured that the final design was not only visually appealing but also functional and intuitive for users.
The project, which started in October 2018 and finished in October 2019, was a collaborative effort between team members based in San Francisco and New York. The redesign has since garnered recognition in the design industry, winning the Golden A' Website and Web Design Awards in 2020. This accolade is granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.
In conclusion, the redesign of Macy's website is a testament to the power of customer feedback, innovative design, and technology in shaping the future of e-commerce. It serves as a benchmark for other brands seeking to enhance their digital presence and provides a blueprint for combining fashion and technology in a way that is both stylish and user-friendly.
Project Designers: Willy Lai
Image Credits: Images courtesy of Macys.
Project Team Members: Willy Lai
Dave Torres
Agata Krol
Ricky J Li
Hafez Janssens
Philis Liu
Elena Rubtsova
Stephanie Houle
Project Name: Macys Website
Project Client: Willy Lai