Before choosing a new look, write down what customers need to do in your store. Finding a flavour, comparing sizes and understanding a delivery restriction are different design problems. Naming them gives the project a practical starting point.
Bring the catalogue, not just inspiration
Share your product list, variants, collection structure and available photography. Flag incomplete descriptions and any products that need a different page layout. A design made around three neat sample products can fall apart when the full range arrives.
Separate friction from preference
Keep two lists: things customers struggle with, and things your team wants to change visually. Support the first with customer questions, support tickets or observations where available. This helps decide which changes belong in the first release.
Make a list of what must survive
- Existing URLs and the pages they should lead to.
- Subscriptions, reviews and other app-dependent features.
- Shipping, tax and fulfilment requirements.
- Content your team needs to update without a designer.
Agree what “ready” means
Choose the journeys to review before launch: finding a product, selecting a variant, adding it to the cart and reaching checkout. Include a phone in that review. Confirm who supplies content and who approves the final store.
Chef Tanya’s Kitchen is a useful design example: the shop groups colourful product cards into one consistent browsing layout. Your store’s structure should come from your own catalogue and buying decisions.
