To increase engagement, the app features intuitive, gesture-based interfaces, such as swiping through style recommendations in the "Style Quiz" and "Style Inspo" sections. These micro-interactions create a sense of delight while making navigation feel natural and effortless.
Macy's Mobile Shopping Experience
Reimagining retail's digital touchpoint through gesture-based interfaces, augmented reality features, and a fashion-forward design system that bridges physical and digital shopping experiences.
Role
Lead UX Design Software Engineer: Interaction Design & Marketing Platform Architecture
Platform
Desktop, Tablet, Web, Mobile Enhanced Web, iOS & Android
Timeline
12 Months
The Challenge
Macy's needed to modernize their mobile experience to compete in an increasingly digital retail landscape. The existing app suffered from cluttered interfaces, poor navigation, and a disconnect between online browsing and in-store experiences. Our goal was to create a seamless, intuitive mobile experience that would increase engagement and drive both online and in-store sales.
Core Design Philosophy
The mobile experience is built on a modular design system characterized by clean lines, ample white space, and high-quality product photography using the branded internal STAR design system.
Fashion-Forward Interface
The design aims to present Macy's as a fashion authority, utilizing simple layouts that are consistent across both web, mobile web, and native iOS and Android platforms. Every screen prioritizes product imagery while maintaining brand typography and designs to let products inform, entice, and establish trust.
Gestural Interactions
- The Interaction: Users are presented with a series of outfit photos or product styles. They swipe right if they like the look and left if they don't.
- The Goal: This gamified approach removes the friction of traditional forms or dropdown menus. It allows the app to quickly build a "Style Profile" for the user, which then informs the personalized recommendations they see throughout the rest of the app.
The Style Inspo section (often found within the "Style Hub") functions similarly to a social media feed like Instagram or Pinterest but is optimized for shopping.
- The Interaction: Instead of vertical scrolling through a standard list of products, the interface encourages horizontal swiping through curated "looks" and lifestyle imagery.
- The Experience: When a user finds a look they like in the feed, micro-interactions allow them to tap on "hotspots" in the image to see specific products. This makes the transition from "inspiration" to "shopping bag" feel like a natural extension of browsing rather than a separate search process.
Outcomes & Impact: Macy's App Redesign
The redesigned mobile experience positioned Macy's as a technology-forward retailer while maintaining the approachability the brand is known for. By bridging digital and physical retail experiences, we created a unified ecosystem that serves customers wherever they are in their shopping journey.
The redesign was not merely a facelift; it was a strategic overhaul designed to bridge the gap between digital-native shoppers and Macy’s established retail presence. By moving away from a utility-focused interface toward a clean, fashion-inspired, and personalized experience, the project delivered measurable growth across all key business metrics.
Key Performance Indicators
The launch of the redesigned app drove significant year-over-year (YOY) growth and shifted the way customers interacted with the brand.
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Annual Revenue Growth | +20% YOY Growth following the redesign launch. |
| Personalization Scale | 30M+ customers reached regularly with personalized offers. |
| Brand Perception | 383% increase in brand value, largely attributed to mobile innovation. |
| Conversion Rate | Significant increase in checkout completion through streamlined navigation. |
Strategic Impact Areas
Shift from Utility to Inspiration
By introducing features like the Style Quiz and Style Inspo, the app transitioned from a search-and-buy tool to a discovery platform.
- Gestural Engagement: The swipe-based interface (inspired by social media mental models) lowered the barrier to discovery.
- AI-Powered Personalization: Leveraged data-driven insights to send over 500 million personalized offers, ensuring customers saw products relevant to their specific "Style Profile."
Omnichannel Synergies
One of the most impactful outcomes was the Store Mode redesign, which made the app a companion for physical shopping.
- Frictionless In-Store Experience:Integrated price checks, store maps, and "Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store" (BOPIS) features.
- Increased Foot Traffic: Digital-first discovery directly influenced physical store visits by showing real-time local inventory.
Technological Leadership & Awards
The redesign positioned Macy’s as a leader in FashionTech, validated by industry recognition:
- Silver A’ Design Award: Recognized for excellence in UI/UX and creative innovation.
- C2A Winner: Awarded for outstanding User Experience Design in the retail category.
The redesign successfully re-engaged younger, digital-native demographics without alienating the core customer base. By reducing cognitive load and rewarding users with micro-interactions and personalized delight, Macy's transformed the app from a simple shopping tool into a trusted style companion, ultimately driving higher Lifetime Customer Value (LCV).
The gesture-based navigation and AR features demonstrated Macy's commitment to innovation, while the clean, fashion-forward interface elevated the brand's digital presence to match its physical retail experience.
Key Mobile App Features
The Macy's app serves as a central "key" for customers, offering specialized tools for both remote and in-store use.
- In-Store Mode: When at a physical location, the app shifts to an "in-store mode," providing store maps, price checks via barcode scanning, and notifications for local product availability.
- Augmented Reality: Shoppers can use AR to virtually "try on" beauty products or place furniture in their own rooms to see how it fits.
- Macy's Pay & Wallet: A centralized location within the app to store coupons, gift cards, and loyalty points, enabling a faster, contactless checkout process.
- Personalized Discovery: AI-powered engines provide tailored product recommendations based on individual browsing history and preferences.
Design System & Consistency
We developed a comprehensive design system that ensures consistency across all touchpoints while remaining flexible enough to accommodate Macy's diverse product categories—from high fashion to home goods.
The system includes standardized components, color palettes that align with Macy's brand identity, typography scales optimized for mobile readability, and interaction patterns that feel native to both iOS and Android ecosystems.
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