Overview
Barnes & Noble needed a more intuitive, trustworthy, and conversion-focused digital experience that could better support browsing, discovery, loyalty, and cross-channel shopping. The needs went beyond a simple facelift, the entire digital experience needed a core restructuring.
Key Decision & Impact
In addition to fulfilling clearly stated product requirements and scope, I identified an opportunity to support Barnes & Noble’s goal of becoming a trusted book authority. Using a combination of research signals, competitive patterns, and my own judgment, I proposed a dedicated editorial “What to Read” experience. This direction was adopted into final designs and ultimately shipped, helping translate a business objective into a tangible product feature.
Key Contributions
1. Led primary research, including interviews, card sorting, and tree testing
2. Used data-informed decision-making to improve findability, browsing, and conversion opportunities
3. Created IA recommendations for navigation, category structure, and labeling systems
4. Partnered cross-functionally with stakeholders to align UX decisions with business goals
5. Owned UX solutions across audiobooks, wish lists, loyalty, and the company blog
Role
UX/UI Designer, Lead UX Researcher, IA Design
Tools
Figma, Miro, Optimal Sort, Fig Jam. Microsoft Teams
Company & Year
Barnes and Noble | 2023-2024
The Problem
Navigation and labels didn’t match user mental models, limiting discovery
Inconsistent UI and structure weakened trust and usability
The experience did not fully support key business goals
Opportunities
Align structure and labeling with how users browse and think
Strengthen trust through consistency and clarity
Improve discovery to better support conversion, loyalty, and engagement
Research and Discovery
Information Architecture
Defined a scalable site structure with a shallow hierarchy to enable faster navigation (targeting ≤3 clicks to key destinations)
Created a clear catalog and labeling system aligned with user mental models
Established system rules for navigation vs. filtering to reduce complexity
Mapped end-to-end user journeys through wireflows to validate structure and pathways
Design, Iterate, Design, Iterate
Rapidly explored solutions through multiple rounds of low-, mid-, and high-fidelity prototypes
Used design reviews and stakeholder feedback to continuously refine direction
Collaborated closely with the UX team to evaluate options and converge on the strongest solutions
Prioritized speed and clarity—using prototypes to test ideas and drive decisions forward
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