The Challenge
Willow & Flint, an established high-end furniture retailer, was losing market share to competitors with superior digital experiences. Their mobile presence was a basic responsive site that failed to capture the luxury brand essence or deliver the seamless shopping their affluent customers expected.
Research & Discovery
I interviewed 15 existing customers and 10 potential users, aged 32–65 with household incomes above $150K, to understand how discerning buyers actually shop for furniture.
Key pain points discovered
- Difficulty visualizing large pieces in their actual living spaces
- Lack of detailed product and craftsmanship information
- Cumbersome checkout for high-value purchases
- No way to save and share collections with family or designers
- Limited access to interior design consultation
Personas developed
“Sophisticated Sarah”
- 42 · Interior design enthusiast
- $200K+ household income
- Values quality, craftsmanship, unique pieces
- Researches thoroughly before buying
- Often collaborates with designers
“Busy Executive”
- 38 · C-suite executive
- $300K+ household income
- Values efficiency and premium service
- Limited time to shop
- Relies on expert recommendations
Design Process
Information architecture
I structured the app around three core journeys: Discovery & Exploration (browse by room, style, or designer), Product Deep-Dive (detailed views with AR), and Purchase & Service (checkout with white-glove delivery).
Low-fi wireframes
Hi-fi screensKey wireframe decisions
- Bottom tab navigation for easy thumb access
- Expandable product sections to reduce cognitive load
- Persistent mini-cart for high-value purchase security
- AR “Try in Your Space” surfaced prominently in product views
Three Hard Problems
Showcasing a $15,000 table on a 6-inch screen
Problem — large furniture is impossible to judge at phone scale.
- Progressive loading: thumb → detail → lifestyle shots
- 360° product spin and deep zoom on craftsmanship
- AR placement in the user’s actual room, with scale references
Building trust for high-value mobile purchases
Problem — users hesitate to buy $5K+ items in an app.
- Certifications, awards, and verified-purchase reviews up front
- “Talk to Expert” connecting users to design consultants
- Financing, layaway, and real-time delivery tracking
Personalization without overwhelming choice
Problem — a 5,000+ item catalog buried the right pieces.
- Onboarding quiz capturing style, room priorities, and budget
- ML recommendations and “Complete the Look” suggestions
- Designer-curated collections and a personal showroom to save favorites
Prototyping & Testing
Three rounds of usability testing with 24 participants across both personas drove rapid iteration.
- Round 1 — moved the AR feature to a more prominent spot; cut checkout from 5 steps to 3; simplified filtering to 6 categories
- Round 2 — onboarding completion rose from 34% to 78%; task time dropped 23%; satisfaction reached 4.6/5
- Final validation — 94% task completion, NPS of 8.2, zero critical usability issues
Sign in
Discover
Product detail
CheckoutResults & Impact
Six months after launch, the app reshaped Willow & Flint’s mobile business:
Key Learnings
- Premium mobile demands attention to micro-interactions — luxury customers notice every detail
- AR meaningfully boosts purchase confidence for furniture, but only with careful UX integration
- Trust features — transparency and expert access — are decisive for high-value commerce
- Personalization has to feel curated, not algorithmic, to fit a luxury brand
The solution worked because it resolved the core tension between digital convenience and premium experience — enhancing the luxury journey rather than flattening it. Every decision was validated with real luxury furniture customers.