A complete UX & UI redesign of a premium fashion e-commerce platform, focused on improving product discovery, personalization, gifting, checkout, and creating a seamless shopping experience from browsing to purchase.
PlatformResponsive Website
& Desktop • Tablet • Mobile
ToolsFigma, AI, Ps, G Forms & Sheets
Year2026
MEET STEFFIE
Designing a Premium Shopping Experience
A complete UX & UI redesign for a premium leather accessories brand, focused on improving product discovery, personalization, gifting, navigation, and checkout while creating a seamless shopping experience across all devices.
Difficult Navigation
Limited Product Discovery
Complex Checkout
Personalization
Better Usability
Higher Conversions
PROJECT STRATEGY
Designing a Premium Shopping Experience
A complete UX & UI redesign focused on transforming Steffie into a premium
e-commerce experience inspired by local craftsmanship, emotional gifting,
and seamless shopping.
BEFORE
Previous Experience
Complex navigation, inconsistent hierarchy, limited product discovery
and no personalization or gifting experience.
AFTER
Redesigned Experience
Premium shopping experience with curated collections,
personalization, gifting and a streamlined checkout flow.
Design Strategy
Rather than simply refreshing the interface, the redesign focused on creating
a stronger emotional connection between customers and the brand.
Inspired by the concept “From Oradea with Love”, the experience
celebrates local craftsmanship while making every purchase feel personal.
The new UX emphasizes intuitive navigation, curated collections,
product personalization, and gifting opportunities to encourage deeper
engagement and increase conversion.
A comprehensive UX audit, competitor analysis and brand review uncovered the key opportunities to transform Steffie into a premium shopping experience.
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Audit 01
Information Architecture
Products lacked a clear category structure.
Collections were missing, making browsing difficult.
Filters were incomplete and not based on product attributes.
Customers had to browse multiple pages to compare products.
Audit 02
Brand Experience
The premium craftsmanship was not reflected online.
The story behind "From Oradea with Love" was missing.
The site architecture wasn't designed for search engines.
Design Strategy
Key Opportunity
The redesign went beyond improving usability. It reimagined Steffie as a premium digital shopping experience inspired by local craftsmanship and the concept "From Oradea with Love". By restructuring the information architecture, introducing personalization and gifting features, and strengthening the brand story, the new experience creates a deeper emotional connection while supporting long-term business growth.
DESIGN PRINCIPLES
From Insights To Experience
The redesign was guided by UX auditing, market research, competitor analysis,
and the ambition to transform Steffie into a premium digital shopping experience
that connects craftsmanship with emotion.
Premium Brand Experience
Strengthened the visual identity.
Highlighted handcrafted quality.
Built emotional product storytelling.
Introduced the concept "From Oradea with Love".
Created a premium digital presence.
Product Discovery
Reorganized the information architecture.
Created meaningful product collections.
Designed advanced product filters.
Simplified navigation across the store.
Improved product discoverability.
Personalization
Introduced product customization.
Created personalized purchasing journeys.
Designed engraving options.
Made products feel unique.
Increased emotional engagement.
Gift Experience
Designed a dedicated gifting journey.
Introduced digital gift cards.
Encouraged meaningful purchases.
Created gift-focused product flows.
Added emotional value beyond the product.
Growth & Discoverability
Built an SEO-first website structure.
Improved organic discoverability.
Optimized category architecture.
Designed scalable content pages.
Supported long-term business growth.
Business Impact Through UX
Product Personalization
Gift Experience
Premium Storytelling
Brand Ambassador Program
SEO-First Structure
Conversion-Focused Checkout
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Learning From Leading Brands
To better understand customer expectations and industry standards, I analyzed leading Romanian leather accessories brands. The goal wasn't to copy competitors, but to identify opportunities that would help Steffie stand out through a stronger brand story, improved usability and a more meaningful shopping experience.
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01
Navigation & Collections
Leading brands organize their products through intuitive navigation and curated collections, making browsing effortless.
Design Decision
Rebuilt the information architecture and introduced meaningful collections that simplify product discovery.
02
Product Discovery
Customers expect advanced filters and structured product attributes to quickly compare products.
Design Decision
Redesigned filters and product taxonomy based on the way customers search and compare products.
03
Brand Storytelling
Most competitors showcase beautiful products, but very few communicate the story behind the craftsmanship.
Design Decision
Built the shopping experience around the concept "From Oradea with Love" to strengthen emotional connection.
04
Personalization & Gifting
Most online stores focus on selling products rather than helping customers create meaningful gifts.
Design Decision
Designed product personalization, gift cards and a dedicated gifting journey.
05
Customer Loyalty
Few competitors provide structured loyalty experiences that encourage long-term engagement.
Design Decision
Created a Brand Ambassador Program that transforms loyal customers into brand advocates.
06
Steffie Differentiator
The opportunity wasn't simply to redesign an online store, but to create a premium shopping experience built around craftsmanship, personalization and emotional value.
Outcome
A premium digital experience inspired by "From Oradea with Love".
View Competitive Feature Matrix
Feature
Steffie
Musette
Dasha
Bocane
Onocan
Il Passo
Product Personalization
✅
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—
—
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Gift Cards
✅
—
—
—
—
—
Gift Experience
✅
⚠️
—
—
—
—
Brand Storytelling
✅
✅
⚠️
⚠️
⚠️
⚠️
Curated Collections
✅
✅
✅
⚠️
⚠️
✅
Advanced Filters
✅
⚠️
⚠️
—
⚠️
⚠️
SEO-first Architecture
✅
⚠️
⚠️
⚠️
⚠️
⚠️
Brand Ambassador Program
✅
—
—
—
—
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SHOPPER PERSONAS
Who Are We Designing For?
The redesign focused on three primary customer groups with different shopping motivations, purchase behaviors, and expectations from a premium leather accessories brand.
Primary Persona
Ema Popescu
29 • Marketing Specialist
MinimalistProfessionalFashion
Goals
Find elegant everyday accessories.
Invest in timeless leather products.
Match accessories with different outfits.
Pain Points
Too many similar products.
Hard to compare materials.
Limited filtering options.
Primary Persona
Alex Mihailescu
38 • Business Owner
GiftingPremiumPersonalized
Goals
Find meaningful gifts.
Personalize products.
Order quickly with confidence.
Pain Points
Generic gifting options.
No personalization available.
Complicated checkout.
Secondary Persona
Dana Lupu
46 • Architect
BusinessLeatherTimeless
Goals
Purchase premium leather accessories.
Shop efficiently without distractions.
Choose products that last for years.
Pain Points
Poor product information.
Difficult navigation.
Lack of premium presentation.
KEY OUTCOMES
Transforming The Shopping Experience
Every design decision contributed to a more intuitive, emotionally engaging and scalable e-commerce experience.
01
Clear Product Discovery
Reorganized information architecture, curated collections and advanced filters help customers discover products faster and make confident purchasing decisions.
02
Premium Brand Experience
A refined visual identity and the concept
"From Oradea with Love"
strengthen the emotional connection between customers and the brand.
Product Page
Homepage
Checkout
Steffie Experience
A complete UX & UI redesign focused on creating a premium shopping journey—from product discovery to checkout.
03
Meaningful Personalization
Product customization and gifting features transform purchases into memorable experiences while increasing customer engagement.
04
Business Growth Through UX
SEO-first architecture, optimized checkout and a Brand Ambassador Program create a scalable foundation for long-term business growth.
The redesign focused on improving discoverability, simplifying navigation and
creating a premium shopping experience that supports both customer needs and business goals.
01
Shopping Journey
Instead of navigating through a generic product catalog, customers are guided
through a structured shopping journey that encourages exploration,
personalization and confident purchasing.
Homepage
→
Collections
→
Product Discovery
→
Product Page
→
Personalization
→
Gift Experience
→
Checkout
02
UX Improvements
The redesign introduced new customer journeys, clearer navigation and
premium storytelling while solving the usability issues of the previous store.
Before
After
Products displayed without structure
Collection-based navigation
No clear product categories
Organized categories & filtering
Generic shopping experience
Premium branded experience
No personalization
Product customization
No gifting flow
Dedicated Gifts section
Minimal brand storytelling
"From Oradea with Love" narrative
No loyalty ecosystem
Ambassador Program
Basic checkout experience
Optimized purchase flow
03
Key UX Decisions
Every major design decision contributed to improving discoverability,
increasing engagement and creating a more memorable shopping experience.
✓ Collection-first navigation
✓ Advanced product filters
✓ Product personalization
✓ Dedicated Gifts experience
✓ "From Oradea with Love" storytelling
✓ Inspiration section replacing a standard blog
✓ Brand Ambassador Program
✓ SEO-first information architecture
✓ Conversion-focused checkout
UX STRATEGY
Design Decisions That Transformed The Experience
The redesign focused on improving discoverability, simplifying navigation and
creating a premium shopping experience that supports both customer needs and business goals.
01
Shopping Journey
Instead of navigating through a generic product catalog, customers are guided
through a structured shopping journey that encourages exploration,
personalization and confident purchasing.
Homepage
→
Collections
→
Product Discovery
→
Product Page
→
Personalization
→
Gift Experience
→
Checkout
02
UX Improvements
The redesign introduced new customer journeys, clearer navigation and
premium storytelling while solving the usability issues of the previous store.
Before
After
Products displayed without structure
Collection-based navigation
No clear product categories
Organized categories & filtering
Generic shopping experience
Premium branded experience
No personalization
Product customization
No gifting flow
Dedicated Gifts section
Minimal brand storytelling
"From Oradea with Love" narrative
No loyalty ecosystem
Ambassador Program
Basic checkout experience
Optimized purchase flow
03
Key UX Decisions
Every major design decision contributed to improving discoverability,
increasing engagement and creating a more memorable shopping experience.
✓ Collection-first navigation
✓ Advanced product filters
✓ Product personalization
✓ Dedicated Gifts experience
✓ "From Oradea with Love" storytelling
✓ Inspiration section replacing a standard blog
✓ Brand Ambassador Program
✓ SEO-first information architecture
✓ Conversion-focused checkout
FROM CONCEPT TO LIVE EXPERIENCE
Designing, Building & Launching
A Premium E-commerce Experience
Steffie is more than a redesigned online store. It is a complete digital product rebuilt around customer experience, storytelling and business growth.
From UX strategy and UI design to WordPress implementation, custom WooCommerce functionality and AI-assisted development, I led the project from concept to production.
LIVE WEBSITE
DISCOVERY
Homepage Experience
The homepage introduces Steffie through editorial storytelling, handcrafted collections and emotional branding inspired by the concept
"From Oradea, with Love."
Every section was redesigned to create a premium first impression while guiding users naturally toward product discovery.
Instead of presenting products in a simple catalog, the shopping experience was reorganized into curated collections that help customers discover products based on lifestyle, occasions and personal style.
Product pages were redesigned to combine premium visuals, detailed specifications, trust elements and a clear purchasing journey. Every product can also be personalized, making each purchase unique.
A dedicated gifting journey helps users discover meaningful presents based on occasions, recipients and personal preferences, creating new opportunities for conversion.
Instead of a traditional blog, the Inspiration section supports the brand through editorial content, styling ideas, leather care tips and SEO-driven storytelling.
This project extended far beyond interface design. I was responsible for designing, building and launching the complete digital experience, combining UX strategy, UI design, WordPress implementation and AI-assisted development.
Steffie is a fully launched e-commerce platform where every interaction—from discovery to checkout—was redesigned, implemented and optimized to create a premium shopping experience.