Direct-to-Consumer Supplement Company
Tru Niagen
ChromaDex Corp. is a science-based organization devoted to improving the way people age. This publicly-traded company partners with leading universities and research institutions worldwide to uncover the full potential of “NAD+” and identify and develop novel, science-based ingredients, led by their direct-to-consumer supplement, Tru Niagen, which focuses on health at the cellular level.
When I began at ChromaDex, they needed a brand architect to transition them from a B2B company to a D2C e-commerce company. As Design Director and Lead UX Designer, I was able to oversee the in-house creative department in developing marketing material, a brand refresh, various campaign launches, art direction for multiple photoshoots, and expansion into global marketplaces. I established long-standing processes to this growing company, particularly with a full website migration to a headless CMS.
• Design Director
• Lead UX/UI Designer
• Brand Designer
• Project Manager
ROLE• Leadership changes
• Rapid global expansion
• Undefined internal processes
• Reactionary marketing tactics
• Restrictions within the supplement space
Key ChallengesThe Problem
With most e-commerce brands, the actual product being sold isn’t the physical object, it is the customer experience. From the moment a user learns about the brand to the point of purchase, that is where the sale happens.
With Tru Niagen, it was a very disjointed and confusing experience. The site experience was very clunky, difficult to update in a timely manner, and lacked essential brand storytelling aspects. We needed to convey the importance of taking the daily supplement and its increased benefits toward healthy aging over time, all while abiding to strict regulatory and legal guidelines.
The Process
Building upon competitor analysis research, e-commerce best practices, and requirement gathering from various departments across every aspect of the business, the Creative Team took the reins with bringing the website redesign initiative to life.
Redesign Goals
01 - Revenue & Conversion
Let’s be real. This is e-comm. Increasing revenue is always the top priority.
Key Stakeholder:
Executive Leadership
Measurable Metrics:
5% goal conversion
02 - Education & Science
Since the product is a bit more complex, the science needs to be explained in the most direct way possible. Pairing key audience segmentation with corresponding product benefits would allow for easier understanding of how the product works.
Key Stakeholder:
Science and Regulatory Department
Measurable Metrics:
Increase time on page, decrease bounce rate, and increase conversion
03 - Customer Service
Based on findings from Full Story data and common requests from the Customer Support team, users are looking for more self-service options.
Key Stakeholder:
Customer Support Team
Measurable Metrics:
Decrease in call center requests
04 - Improve SEO
Develop content specifically for SEO and apply consistent meta data across site.
Key Stakeholder:
Marketing & Paid Media Team
Measurable Metrics:
Keyword Rankings
05 - Headless Content Management System
Rebuild site from the ground up using Contentful to allow for agile edits and content uploads directly from the Marketing team.
Key Stakeholder:
Marketing Department
Measurable Metrics:
Increase site load time, seasonal campaign execution and tracking
Workflow & Project Timeline
Since this initiative was going to be a joint effort across multiple departments, I developed a visual to illustrate the review and approval process. I also put together an executive-level presentation at the beginning of March 2020 to walk through the goals, the workflow, the site restructure, the low-fidelity wireframes, and to switch checkout to a cart flow. Once approved, the Creative Team hit the ground running… and then the world stopped….
UX Design
The Solution
Even with the unexpected shift to remote work in the early days of COVID, the website redesign went live within 5 months of giving that executive presentation. The Creative, Product, and Development teams were able to execute the UX designs and build a headless content management system from the ground up in Contentful. The checkout experience brought the subscription model to the product detail page and allowed for a cart functionality, which did not exist before.
Additional Work
Brand Refresh
After a failed rebrand through an outside agency, the challenge was brought back in-house to the Creative Team. My team and I worked on a new brand positioning statement, developed user personas, and presented a holistic rollout plan to executive leadership. We focused on key areas that our team could bring to life, while also being mindful of day-to-day and seasonal campaign requests which were already in motion.
