Sub Zero, Wolf, and Cove

From 2015 to 2019, I was the UX Architect assigned to work with Sub Zero on a multi-stage, multi-year project redesigning their website while moving it to the Sitecore platform. My technical background and familiarity with multiple CMS systems gave me a leg up on the process. This allowed me to approach the design assignment with Sitecore's component architecture and limitations in mind. The project was broken into two major phases. In phase one, the redesign would focus on consumer-facing pages and functionality. In phase two, the redesign would focus on those pages and functionality that are more commonly used by distributors, contractors, and service people. During that time, we also launched their new dishwasher brand, Cove.

To accommodate the two-phased approach, I created a detailed sitemap of both the end-state IA and the intermediate IA. This would act as both a signpost and flexible source of truth through the expected and unexpected twists and turns common with a long life cycle project. I also took the initiative and ran the design process using Lean and Agile methods. This enabled ongoing participation from the very involved client team and more parallel work from the development team throughout the project.

Clickable wireframes were built to express the IA in a way that allowed all involved to experience the new IA and not just study it via diagram or spreadsheet. As creative comps were created, they were incorporated into the wireframe such that the "wireframe" was maintained as the source of truth for all to refer to. Those same clickable "wireframe" comps were then used in one-on-one moderated usability testing in each phase. Those tests were each conducted over 3 days, and findings and recommendations from each day were implemented in my clickable comp for validation testing the following day. This iterative testing approach is much more efficient and effective, allowing for finding more areas for improvement and greater confidence that proposed solutions will be effective.

As an artifact of the project, here is the wireframe of the product comparison feature (above), the associated creative comp with functional descriptions, and a screenshot of the feature from their site today (below).