Nordstrom Rack - iPhone app
Overview
This case study highlights the full lifecycle of a product design engagement - from initial research and stakeholder workshops to wireframes, usability testing, and focus groups - culminating in final deliverables for the client.
Nordstrom approached our team with the goal of launching a mobile app that would notify loyal customers when new merchandise aligned with their style preferences arrived in stores. The challenge was to create an experience that felt personalized, timely, and seamlessly integrated into their existing shopping behavior.
My Role
As part of a cross-functional team that included a strategist, visual designer, lead UX designer (me), and engineer, I played a key role in research, design, and testing:
Co-planned and facilitated stakeholder workshops to define user and business requirements
Created wireframes based on prioritized features and customer journeys
Conducted usability testing with target customers
Designed and led two in-person focus groups to validate design assumptions and uncover unmet needs
Process
I began by developing a detailed research plan to guide the project. The first phase included a stakeholder workshop, where we mapped key customer journeys, defined feature sets, and prioritized functionality through collaborative ranking exercises.
Following the workshop, I synthesized the findings and began iterating on wireframes. After two rounds of internal feedback and refinement, I proposed a hybrid testing approach using paper prototypes to gather early insights.
I led two focus groups, each consisting of 10 users, and guided participants through a series of structured activities. These sessions helped determine screen order preferences, identify usability issues, and reveal customer needs that had not been previously surfaced.
Featured App
The final app launched to strong engagement and was featured in the App Store as one of the Best New Apps the week it went live—validating both the user experience strategy and design execution.