Creative Director | Brand, Campaign,
Senior UX/UI Designer & Visual Identity Design Expert
Case Study:
Shopify Replatform
MY ROLE:
UX UI design lead from research to final launch page & asset delivery
QUALITY ASSURANCE:
Nusrat Bintun + team
PRODUCT MANAGEMENT:
Michelle Kennedy, Wendy Liao
ENGINEER DEVELOPMENT:
Nick Artymiak
SITE OPERATIONS:
Roma Desai
Led the complete replatforming of tarte.com from SFRA to Shopify - including the UX/UI strategy, creative direction, & full redesign of every page. Most notably: homepage, navigation, PDPs, cart, checkout, account pages, content pages & mobile experiences. Created and maintained Design System. Check it out at tarte.com!
01
Our Challenge
Tarte Cosmetics sought to modernize its eCommerce experience while migrating from a legacy platform to Shopify. The goal was to improve site performance, enhance brand storytelling, and increase conversions—all while supporting ongoing daily revenue-driving initiatives.
With only three months prior to launch, we set out to replatform and redesign our website to achieve a cleaner, more competitive aesthetic that aligns with our brand vision. As the sole designer on the project, I took on the challenge while the rest of the team focused on daily operations. Working within the limitations of Shopify templates, I aimed to create a fresh user-friendly experience that would stand out in our industry. The result is a modern and visually appealing website that better reflects our commitment to excellence.
Challenges:
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Migrate a complex, high-traffic eCommerce site to Shopify without disrupting ongoing sales.
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Update the brand’s digital aesthetic to feel fresh, modern, and appealing to Tarte’s target demographic.
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Maintain the performance of daily revenue-driving campaigns during the replatform.
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Improve the UX/UI for key customer journeys, including browsing, product discovery, and checkout.
02
My Approach
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Discovery & Research
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Conducted heuristic audits of the legacy site to identify pain points in navigation, checkout, and product discovery.
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Analyzed analytics and heatmap data (conversion rates, drop-offs, session behavior) to prioritize redesign efforts.
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Collaborated with marketing, product, and engineering teams to align on business goals and technical constraints.
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UX Design & Wireframing
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Created low, mid and high-fidelity wireframes for all primary flows: homepage, product pages, category navigation, and checkout.
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Focused on clear information hierarchy, product storytelling, and frictionless interactions for both new and returning customers while reducing friction in CVR to drive the customer to checkout more efficiently.
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UI & Brand Redesign
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Developed a refreshed visual language with updated typography, color palette, and imagery, reflecting a modern, luxury, and aspirational aesthetic via simplicity.
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Integrated brand assets with Shopify capabilities, including modular components and responsive layouts for mobile and desktop.
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Prototyping & Collaboration
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Built interactive prototypes in Figma to validate flows and gather stakeholder feedback.
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Worked closely with developers to ensure pixel-perfect implementation and responsive performance.
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Balanced ongoing campaign needs, ensuring marketing assets and promotional content remained live during the transition.
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Accessibility & Optimization
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Ensured WCAG-compliant ADA design, including color contrast, focus states, and semantic HTML structure.
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Optimized interactions for speed and conversion, including micro-interactions and checkout flow enhancements.
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OLD SITE
NEW SITE
03
Outcome & Impact
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Successful Shopify launch with zero downtime on sales-critical pages.
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Improved site usability and navigation, leading to measurable increases in engagement and conversion metrics: reducing site speed by 57% and increasing conversion rate by 64%.
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Analyzed user behavior using heatmaps and session recordings to identify areas for UX improvement, resulting in a 37% increase in user engagement
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Elevated Tarte’s digital brand identity, creating a more cohesive, modern, and aspirational aesthetic.
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Set the foundation for ongoing UX improvements, scalable components, and marketing integrations.
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Drove tarte.com to record-breaking revenue in 2023-2025 with engaging campaigns and enhanced UX, achieving 67% average YOY growth
04
Maintaining the Design System
Maintaining a design system in figma is essential for ensuring cohesion across our new site. I regularly update components and styles to reflect our brand's evolving needs while keeping everything organized for easy access. By promoting consistent usage of elements, I help streamline the design process and enhance collaboration among team members.
