Design Prompt
Design a loyalty experience that feels exclusive and aspirational, while still being inclusive enough to invite and guide new customers along the path to long-term engagement.
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Problem
Solution
Discover SSENSE
Shifting user expectations around online shopping and brand interaction.
Customers seek loyalty programs that feel rewarding and aspirational, but many programs fail to balance exclusivity with inclusivity. The challenge is to design a loyalty experience that feels premium and desirable to existing members, while remaining welcoming and accessible to new users.
SSENSE
Project overview
Explore
Research
Test
Analyze
Design
Iterate
Finished Product
Project Role
UX Designer + Researcher
Duration
8 weeks
Location
Vancouver
Tools
Figma
Research
Defining brand’s strengths and challenges using SWOT analysis and exploring how UX could drive value through a focused value proposition lens.
I began by analyzing the brand and business through a SWOT framework to define key parameters. From there, I used a value proposition table to identify where UX and design could add or elevate value before jumping into concepts.
Strength
Targets an audience of growing niche market and demographics.
Weakness
A strong, specific brand image and identity may unintentionally alienate or exclude certain segments of the target audience.
Opportunity
Opportunity to expand services for a broader client base.
Threats
Rising competition as more retailers strengthen their eCommerce presence post-pandemic.
Value Proposition
Customer Segment
Value Proposition
Focus on elevating the shopping experience of SSENSE customers.
UX Role
Establishing the possible solutions to customer's challenges when shopping at SSENSE.
Customer Segment
Determining the customer's experience when shopping at SSENSE.
Discovering SSENSE high potential clientele and their shopping behaviour
After interviewing five regular SSENSE clients who have shopped with the brand in the past 12 months since lockdown, I developed a user persona to represent key behavioral patterns. Harlow Chung embodies the brand’s high-potential clientele, and understanding how she shops (and where she ultimately chooses to spend) provides valuable insights for shaping strategies that strengthen SSENSE’s relationship with its core audience.
Cross-Channel Shopping Habits by Store Count
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Saks 5th Ave.
Holt Renfrew
Barney's New York
The Webster
Neiman Marcus
Hermes
Chanel
Louis Vuitton
Balenciaga
Jean Paul Gaultier
Dior
Prada
Luisa Via Roma
Moda Operandi
Depop
SSENSE
Farfetch
Vestaire Collective
Net-a-Porter
Pechuga Vintage
Department Store
Boutique
Online (web)
Sonia Sun | Stakeholder Interview
We focus on the culture instead of the business. We value our clientele and are invested on establishing our high potential clients. SSENSE is expanding and we want our clientele to grow with us.
What
Senior Manager for
Personal Styling
Where
SSENSE
When
Started in 2015
Why
She is responsible for the client acquisition and development at SSENSE. The team of personal stylists that directly work with SSENSE's top-tier clientele reports to Sonia.
Aligning  the user journey and experience with SSENSE
After interviewing five of SSENSE’s loyal customers, I spoke with a key stakeholder to better understand the brand’s vision and future direction.
A brand directive emerged: SSENSE is actively focused on identifying and retaining high-potential clientele as a core business opportunity; a goal that would guide the UX strategy moving forward.
Insights + Discoveries
1
Shoppers Prioritize Speed + efficiency
luxury shoppers expect seamless experiences that match the pace of their lives.
2
Show the Path to Prestige
Exclusivity feels empowering (not alienating) when users are shown how to earn it.
3
Loyalty Starts w/ Connection
Creating a deeper and more meaningful connection with the user to develop a strong brand loyalty.
Problem Statement
How might we balance exclusivity and accessibility to build long-term loyalty among both VICs and emerging high-potential customers at SSENSE?
Addressing Mi-Opportunities
High-value clients lacked a centralized, personalized way to understand and engage with the VIC program benefits, leading to missed opportunities for deeper loyalty and retention.
Designing a personalized VIC dashboard that showcases program benefits (concierge service, early access, and exclusive events) alongside curated content from personal stylists, all designed to reflect the client’s lifestyle and elevate the VIC experience.
Building the client journey: Transforming the first click to a new connection.
Client Engagement
Client engagement is the first touchpoint with the exclusive experience at SSENSE.
Client Onboarding
Onboarding is an opportunity to extend the brand’s desirability from the very first interaction.
Client Retention
Fostering a long-term loyalty and encouraging clients to shop exclusively and engage deeply with the VIC program.
Lo-fi sketches that follow the brand's identity.
Understanding the customer user flow, I started with few sketches to generate some design ideas that align with the SSENSE brand and image.
Low fidelity wireframe
SSENSE sketch wireframeSSENSE sketch wireframeSSENSE sketch wireframeSSENSE sketch wireframe
Preparing for usability testing with medium fidelity prototype.
Using Figma, I created high fidelity prototype for both web and mobile. Strictly following SSENSE's brand identity through their UI and integrating my design within its parameters.
Client Engagement
VIC program landing page
SSENSE mobile wireframeSSENSE mobile wireframeSSENSE mobile wireframeSSENSE mobile wireframe
Client Onboarding
Personalized Client Dashboard
SSENSE mobile wireframeSSENSE mobile wireframeSSENSE mobile wireframe
Client Retention
Personal Stylist to Client Messenger
SSENSE mobile wireframeSSENSE mobile wireframe
Exploring how users interact with the design
I tested my mobile prototype using Useberry with 10 participants. I've sent also sent the test to the 5 participants that were part of my interview earlier.

testers

5
participants

task 1

Contact
Personal
Stylist

tools

Useberry

Avg. Time

55.8
Seconds

Completed

63%
Successful

Difficulty

50%
Easy
VIC program landing page - Mobile
SSENSE heatmap test resultSSENSE heatmap test resultSSENSE heatmap test resultSSENSE heatmap test resultSSENSE heatmap test result

testers

5
participants

task 2

Find VIC
eligibility

tools

Useberry

Avg. Time

3.55
minutes

Completed

50%
Successful

Difficulty

25%
Hard
VIC program landing page - Mobile
SSENSE heatmap test resultSSENSE heatmap test resultSSENSE heatmap test resultSSENSE heatmap test result
VIC Program requirement and status
While designing the client dashboard, I revisited insights from my user interviews to understand what information clients find valuable on their profiles; particularly their annual spend. I focused on integrating this data in a way that feels approachable and non-intimidating through thoughtful visual design.
Contacting your personal stylist
To streamline communication, clients can easily contact their designated personal stylist by clicking on the stylist’s name, which opens a messenger modal. A clear CTA is also placed in the Stylist’s Picks section of the client dashboard, and real-time message notifications appear at the top of the screen to ensure clients never miss an update.
Strategic learning and key takeaways.
This e-Commerce project showed me how small UX improvements can meaningfully boost conversions. Collaborating across teams and focusing on personalization, accessibility, and scalable systems helped create a user experience that was both effective and future-ready.
Essential Learnings
1
Innovate Within Identity
Explore additional iterations and presentation formats that enhance the user experience while staying true to the SSENSE brand identity.
2
Validate to Refine
More iteration enables deeper usability testing. Due to tight deadlines, I was only able to complete one round. Moving forward, I’d like to incorporate A/B testing and card sorting to validate and refine the program’s information architecture.
3
Track, Test, Tweak
To take this project further, I’d focus on gathering data and key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate the program’s success through measurable ROI.
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Merci
谢谢
Gracias
감사합니다
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ขอบคุณ
Thank you
Merci
谢谢
Gracias
감사합니다
ありがとう
Salamat
ਤੁਹਾਡਾ ਧੰਨਵਾਦ
ขอบคุณ
Thank you
Merci
谢谢
Gracias
감사합니다
ありがとう
Salamat
ਤੁਹਾਡਾ ਧੰਨਵਾਦ
ขอบคุณ
Thank you
Merci
谢谢
Gracias
감사합니다
ありがとう
Salamat
ਤੁਹਾਡਾ ਧੰਨਵਾਦ
ขอบคุณ
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