Clienteling, Reimagined

Scaling luxury e-commerce: connecting SSENSE with their high-potential clients.

project overview

SSENSE, a fashion eCommerce platform, struggles with inefficient manual tools for client management, raising privacy issues. As the sole product designer, I created a messaging system for SSENSE's stylists to connect with their high potential clients.

Design Opportunity

Stylists struggle to manage communications across various platforms, making it hard to maintain personal connections with their clients and scale effectively.

design prompt

Can we create a messaging system that feels as personal as a direct text, but is built for privacy, discretion, and scalability—true to the SSENSE brand?

project outcome

I designed a chat feature and client profile dashboard, enabling stylists to engage with their clients through seamless communication.

learning

This project gave me the chance to combine my skills in client engagement with UX design, resulting in an impactful and elevated messaging system. It challenged me to scale personalization while maintaining authenticity.

ux research

Interviewing Sonia highlighted a gap between luxury client expectations and the team's operational limits, with outdated systems hindering SSENSE's loyalty program growth.

To kick off my research, I began by interviewing key stakeholders—starting off with Sonia Sun, the manager of SSENSE’s personal styling team and a former colleague. I reached out to her to better understand who the users really were: the high-potential clients her team was targeting and why.

stakeholder

Sonia Sun

SSENSE

Montreal, Canada

Manager, Personal Styling

Challenges

Balancing scalability with exclusivity and discretion.
Lack of digital tools tailored to personal styling outreach at scale.
Addressing privacy issues in digital client information sharing.
Ensuring consistency in client experience across regions

Goals

Grow SSENSE’s high-potential client base nationwide
Maintain personalized, discreet communication that aligns with SSENSE’s luxury brand.
Equip stylists with tools that streamline relationship management while preserving personal touch
Protect client privacy and comply with data security regulations

Influence

Sonia’s insights were crucial in defining the target user group and setting expectations for the messaging system. Her priorities shaped the need for a tool that balances personalization with privacy, enabling scalable yet intimate clienteling.

Things i've heard

“We already know who our most promising clients are—they’re browsing often, buying across categories, and engaging with early access drops. If we can get them to come back just one more time a month, that’s a major win.”

high-potential client

Harlow Chung (29)

Creative Director

Vancouver, Canada

Under-The-Radar Loyalists

Shopping Behaviour

Spends $1,200–$2,500 quarterly on fashion and shops across categories (RTW, footwear, niche accessories). She often visits SSENSE 2–3x/month for new arrivals & inspiration. She uses wishlist and email notifications regularly.

Challenges

Uncertain about VIP status despite frequent purchases
Mass marketing feels impersonal
Feels loyalty is invisible in online shopping
Lacks direct access to a stylist for product inquiries

Goals

Access unique, high-end fashion before the crowd
Receive recommendations that match personal taste
Stay low-profile while still feeling valued

Things I've heard:

“I only reply if I feel like the message is truly for me. I can smell a bulk message instantly.”

“I’m not just buying a shirt—I’m buying a look that speaks to my identity. If a stylist gets that, I’m loyal.”

the problem

Stylists are juggling spreadsheets, emails, and DMs—making it difficult to track conversations, respect boundaries, or scale the experience without losing its human quality.

the solution

I designed a chat feature and client profile dashboard, enabling stylists to engage with their clients through seamless communication.

By addressing this, SSENSE could create a scalable digital touchpoint that builds trust, deepens loyalty, and drives high-value conversions—all without diluting its curated, elevated brand experience.

usability test & iteration

Identifying two key design issues after testing with 3 clients and 2 stylists using HotJar and through Zoom calls.

2/3 of clients (60% success)

Found the interface 'clinical' and almost 'too boring' when asked about the overall impression of the design.

3/5 of participants (60% success)

Described the dashboard as 'overwhelming' or 'difficult to navigate,' when asked to connect and chat with a stylist.

hotjar result

iteration

I cleaned up the UI and removed unnecessary elements to align with SSENSE's identity: clean and straight forward for clients to navigate.

usability test

Removed progress bar to indicate spent amount on the client dashboard.
Opted for a drop down arrow instead to reveal other information on the VIC program.
Pushed the notification bar on the bottom for easy access.

initial design

hotjar result

key iteration

Streamlined all elements strictly following the existing system to create visual identity for the chat box.
Created a VIC program invitation.
Used more dynamic visual assets to engage clients.

project parameters

Designing the messenger involves creating a new user flow that must be integrated seamlessly with the existing UI and design system of SSENSE.

future direction

Testing revealed clients and stylists required different information, causing confusion.

Creating two UI for two different users (client Vs. stylists) calls for two separate research. I decided to keep working with the client interface and have the stylist dashboard as a next feature to conduct deeper research geared as a CRM tool.

future direction

To evaluate the project's impact, I plan to collect KPI data and analyze high-potential client activity to measure improvements in user engagement.

future direction

Elevating SSENSE from a shopping app to a lifestyle hub, engaging the VIC clients between spent and boosting the brand's cultural influence

Imagine logging into SSENSE and seeing not just your wishlist, but a personalized editorial feed that evolves based on how you interact with the platform.

initial design

future direction

A smart dashboard that merges commerce with culture, showcasing fashion, art, music, and events tailored to individual styles. This transforms SSENSE from a shopping app into a lifestyle destination, especially engaging the VIC segment between purchases and enhancing the brand's cultural impact.

reflection & takeaways

Refining my UX skills by integrating luxury retail experience with user-focused digital design.

numbers speak volume

Using data to influence every design decision—especially in e-commerce where numbers are crucial.

Trust the process, trust yourself

Early insights and research are solid ground. It’s okay to pivot, but it’s equally important to move forward confidently and let testing validate or redirect.

Convey complex ideas with clarity

Breaking down concepts into digestible sections and telling the story through iterations helped me communicate complexity clearly.

final thoughts

Innovating luxury digital clienteling.

Designing for SSENSE has deepened my understanding of how luxury brands can innovate in digital clienteling—creating experiences that feel personal, respectful, and elevating.

I look forward to bringing this blend of empathy and strategic thinking to future product challenges.