UNION LA — Refining the online shopping journey, integrating editorial storytelling, and modernizing the site’s aesthetic without losing its cultural essence.
My Role
Art Direction
UX Design
Visual design
Industry
Fashion
Streetwear
E-Commerce
Year
2021
Client
UNION LA is a streetwear retailer known for curating high-quality apparel from both emerging and established designers.
The Brief
As the lead designer, I spearheaded a complete refresh of the brand’s online presence, focusing on elevating the UX while maintaining its authentic identity. This redesign aimed to modernize the site’s aesthetic, refining the online shopping experience, and seamlessly integrate editorial storytelling to reinforce UNION LA’s cultural impact.
Concepting
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Art Direction
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UX UI Design
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Visual Design
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Concepting | Art Direction | UX UI Design | Visual Design |
Challenges
Preserving Brand Identity – Ensuring that the redesign retained UNION LA’s unique aesthetic while making the site more functional.
Enhancing the Mobile Experience – With the current experience relying on hover interactions, key details such as prices and clothing details were hidden on mobile. Mobile users needed a more seamless and engaging experience.
Improving Product Search & Discoverability – Users struggled to navigate the site; product details only appeared on hover and therefore inaccessible on mobile, resulting in missed sales opportunities.
Bridging Content and Commerce – UNION LA’s editorial and cultural storytelling needed to be more deeply integrated into the shopping experience.
Approach
Defining a Cohesive Digital Experience
To establish a cohesive digital experience, I developed a visual language that allowed the products to stand out while maintaining UNION LA’s distinctive identity. The visual framework emphasized bold typography, immersive imagery, and an editorial-driven aesthetic to strengthen the brand’s connection with its audience.
To ensure consistency across the website, I created a component-based design system that streamlined the design process and maintained brand coherence across all touchpoints. This approach enabled seamless scalability while keeping the user interface clean and intuitive.
UX & IA Enhancements
To address key usability issues, I first conducted a deep analysis of navigation and product discovery pain points. Through competitive research and usability testing, I identified key friction areas that hindered the shopping experience. Based on these insights, I redesigned the site architecture, streamlining categories and implementing an advanced filtering system to improve product discoverability, resulting in a more seamless and intuitive browsing experience.
To further elevate the shopping experience, I overhauled both the Product Listing Pages (PLP) and Product Detail Pages (PDP). On the PLPs, I introduced better visual hierarchy, pricing visibility, and filtering tools to allow users to scan and sort efficiently. On the PDPs, I designed an immersive experience with larger imagery, clearer product information, and an improved “Add to Cart” journey—boosting clarity and encouraging conversions.
Mobile-First Optimization
Recognizing the growing dominance of mobile traffic, I designed a responsive mobile experience that prioritized intuitive touch interactions. To improve usability, I developed a sticky quick-access menu, enabling effortless navigation and checkout.
Before – Key product details like price and description were hidden behind hover interactions, making mobile browsing feel incomplete and unclear.
After - Improved UX experience. No more hidden content; pricing, product names, and availability are now front and centre.
Editorial & Brand Storytelling Integration
To strengthen UNION LA’s cultural influence, I designed a shop-the-story feature that connects editorial content directly to shoppable products, creating a more immersive and engaging shopping experience.
Conclusion
The UNION LA website redesign successfully bridged the gap between commerce and culture, maintaining the brand’s unique identity while offering a superior digital shopping experience. Through strategic UX improvements, visual storytelling, and a mobile-first approach, UNION LA reinforced its reputation as a leader in streetwear retail.
Key Learnings
This was actually my first contract role, and it taught me a lot. I learned how to work independently, communicate clearly with stakeholders, and move fast without sacrificing craft. One big takeaway: designing for authenticity matters just as much as usability. I also learned that mobile context is everything, especially when transitioning away from desktop-first design patterns like hover interactions. Redesigning UNION LA's mobile experience taught me how to think beyond breakpoints and focus on behaviour. Lastly, building a scalable, flexible design system helped future-proof the platform, allowing for consistent brand expression across evolving campaigns and content.
Thank U, next
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Thank U, next 〰️