Adairs

Background

Adairs, a leading homeware retailer, partnered with us to conduct experimentation on their existing website. The goal was to identify potential pain points and opportunities for improvement. Insights from these experiments revealed areas of friction, particularly in the cart and checkout flows, as well as the overall site navigation.

Building on the success and findings of the experimentation program, Adairs decided to undertake a total website redesign to align with their premium brand positioning and provide a seamless, user-friendly experience across all devices.

Here’s the before:

EXPERIMENTATION

The experimentation program focused on improving key areas of the website. We tested structural changes to product pages, homepage layouts, and navigation menus, identifying opportunities to enhance user engagement and streamline shopping.

As the number of impactful structural changes grew, it became clear that a more comprehensive solution was needed.

This led to a conversation about a complete website redesign, building on the experimentation insights to create a user-friendly, cohesive, and premium online experience.

Here are our top two experiments of many:

CONVERSION STRATEGY

Building on insights from our experimentation program, we carried key learnings into the website redesign.

• Every design decision prioritised the end user, from simplifying navigation to streamlining membership sign-ups for an intuitive and engaging experience.
• Leveraging experimentation findings, we challenged the brief with a bold second concept, pushing Adairs’ boundaries while maintaining alignment with their brand and business objectives.
• User testing validated our design ideas, uncovering subtle friction points and highlighting opportunities to refine the experience for maximum impact.
• Thoughtful experimentation continued throughout the process, allowing us to test and optimise the user experience and conversion performance strategies for a design that genuinely delivered results.

Design Process

The design process began with a detailed review of Adairs’ brand guidelines and visual brief so that we fully understood their aspirations. Based on this, we developed two distinct design concepts:

• One concept closely followed their brand guidelines, ensuring it aligned with their established identity.
• The second concept challenged the brief, incorporating bold typography, alternative layouts, and fresh approaches to colours and fonts, offering an innovative perspective.

Using these concepts, we employed design thinking to establish a clear visual hierarchy that balanced aesthetics and functionality. The designs ensured seamless navigation, easily guiding users through key flows like product discovery, Cart, and Checkout.

To validate these concepts, we conducted user testing with actual participants, focusing on:

• How the designs influenced purchasing decisions.
• The usability of critical flows such as Cart and Checkout.
• User perceptions of Adairs’ brand through the visual designs.

Feedback from testing informed iterative refinements, blending user insights with innovation to achieve a final concept that was practical, functional, and visually engaging.

Using this research, we designed responsive visual designs optimised for mobile, desktop, and tablet breakpoints. Flows such as Linen Lovers Membership, Order Tracking, FAQs, and Help pages were designed for clarity and simplicity to meet user needs intuitively.

To enhance Adairs’ brand personality, we included subtle design details like refined colour palettes and elegant micro-interactions, delivering a polished and premium look. Particular emphasis was placed on the Cart and Checkout pages to optimise their usability, reduce friction, and improve conversions.

For a smooth transition to development, we provided:

• Fully polished design files, including responsive designs, interactive prototypes, and detailed UI guidelines specifying exact colours, states, and components.
• InVision links and working files from Figma, allowing developers to work directly with the designs.

We conducted a half-day workshop with Adairs’ team and their developers to walk through the designs for alignment on design decisions and to clarify any details needed for implementation. This collaborative approach ensured the final product adhered closely to the vision and goals established throughout the project.

Results

The Adairs website redesign was a resounding success. We delivered a visually stunning and highly functional website that elevated the brand's online presence. By optimising critical conversion paths like the Cart and Checkout, we improved user experience and boosted sales.

Additionally, we equipped Adairs with the necessary tools and resources for a seamless transition to the new website and to maintain its high standards in the long term.

If you're looking for website design support that blends creativity with data-driven decision-making or need user testing and optimisation assistance, let’s chat about how we can help.