Redesigning M&M’S direct-to-consumer site into a user-centered, brand-powered platform with personalization at the core.
My role:
Hands-on product design director overseeing a team of 2 visual designers, 1 UX designer, and 1 brand designer
Set the vision for the redesigned site as both a brand platform and revenue driver
Led feature requirements workshops to define a new set of features and prioritized them in a backlog
Championed with senior stakeholders the need to conduct discovery research to ensure a strong alignment between product strategy and design
Coordinated with XFN teams (engineering, brand, and other external agencies) to sequence product design and engineering
Initial research, diary studies, stakeholder interviews, and in-store visits expanded the original brief from “gift-giving” to “celebrating relationships.” The key takeaways were:
Users sought a playful, modern space that reflected the brand’s tone without feeling childish
The experience needed to inspire ideas before guiding purchases
The configurator flow was confusing and overwhelming, particularly for first-time users
Store and site experiences felt disconnected, creating friction across customer touchpoints
insights reframed the problem
focusing on key business features first, brand next
I led the redesign of the product configurator to reduce decision fatigue and improve clarity. Early prototypes tested whether users preferred starting with personalization or choosing a container. Insights showed users led with emotion, so I restructured the flow around that mindset and designed it mobile-first for thumb-friendly use.
To make personalization more engaging, I co-developed a user-generated content hub with another designer. I framed it as a way to turn the experience into a creative, community-driven journey, encouraging customers to share and explore designs.
I also co-led the creation of a modular design system to bring M&M’S refreshed identity to life and worked with retail and e-commerce teams to align digital and in-store touchpoints.
new brand resonated with users
I partnered with a UXR to moderate usability sessions with 16 participants across desktop, mobile, and touch devices in the US, Germany, and China. Participants spanned younger millennials, older millennials, and Gen X.
I learned that some of the font choices were harder to read to users, so I worked with the M&M’S foundry Monotype to establish a specific variable for their newly released font that is better suited for the screen and older users. Also, key product details were hidden below the fold, particularly frustrating on desktop, where the layout limited content width. To address this, I elevated critical product information higher on the PDP for better visibility.
Overall, users described the experience as fun, creative, and colorful, and appreciated how friendly and accessible it felt across age groups. Many called out how easy and enjoyable the gifting flow was. As one user put it:
“It was obvious what to do. It was very easy to use and streamlined.” Another noted, “It's extremely inclusive to everybody, that's the first thing that really pops out to me.”
We heard that users wanted clearer visual queues to identify predesigned lentils. In response, we featured them directly on product tiles to drive discovery and reduce clicks.
immediate increase in online orders
+15% increase in conversion rate in the first 2 quarters post launch
+5% increase in average order value in the first month post launch
New brand identity immediately resonating with online users
Stronger alignment between brand, digital, and physical experiences—our physical-to-digital journey mapping directly informed a strategic roadmap for the upcoming redesign of the Times Square flagship store
what i learned
How to make a case for research, even with a tight budget.
I had to pivot our approach to better support engineering, prioritizing IA and wireframes up front, which made us a stronger partner and kept the build on track.