wedding registry

Designing a seamless, on-brand registry flow for a leading US retailer.

Overview

A major US retailer was revamping its digital ecosystem and bringing its wedding registry in-house after years on a third-party platform. I joined a cross-functional team tasked with designing and developing the core registry experience—an opportunity to transform what had been a fragmented process into a cohesive, engaging part of the brand’s primary website.

The objective was clear: make registry creation and management easier, more intuitive, and consistent with the brand’s identity, while driving increased signups and engagement.

Role

Product Designer / Front-end Contributor

To understand user needs, we partnered with the onsite team to distribute tailored surveys to real couples using the registry. We also audited competing platforms like Zola, Target, and Bed Bath & Beyond to identify best practices and missed opportunities.

Responsibilities

  • Requirement gathering through remote collaboration
  • Creating and distributing survey questions for onsite feedback
  • Conducting competitive analysis to benchmark features and flows
  • Designing wireframes, prototypes, and style guides
  • Conducting and analyzing usability tests
  • Delivering front-end support with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
  • Ensuring accessibility compliance via WCAG guidelines

Duration

8 weeks.

The Team

Team of 3.

Tools Used

Asp.net, HTML, CSS, Adobe XD, Photoshop, Illustrator

Design Process

1.Discovery & Research
‍To understand user needs, we partnered with the onsite team to distribute tailored surveys to real couples using the registry. We also audited competing platforms like Zola, Target, and Bed Bath & Beyond to identify best practices and missed opportunities.

‍Key Insights:

  • Users wanted clarity and simplicity during what is often a stressful wedding planning period
  • A surprising number of users abandoned registry creation due to confusing forms or needing to jump between platforms
  • Brand trust was crucial—users preferred to manage everything on the main retailer site rather than being redirected elsewhere

2.Wireframes & Prototypes
‍
I created wireframes for the end-to-end experience:

  • Landing Page: A prominent, emotionally engaging entry point from the main navigation
  • Registration Forms: Streamlined to avoid friction, progressively disclosed inputs, clear help text
  • Success Page: Focused on celebrating the milestone while guiding next steps (e.g. sharing, managing, adding items)

We then moved into high-fidelity prototypes that balanced clean visual hierarchy with subtle brand elements, focusing on clarity, warmth, and ease of use.

3.Usability Testing
‍
We tested two rounds of clickable prototypes with representative users—newly engaged couples and those recently married.

What we learned:

  • Users responded positively to the clean, focused design
  • Labels and microcopy helped reduce cognitive load in the forms
  • There was a strong preference for visual progress indicators across steps

Accessibility
‍
Following WCAG guidelines, we ensured:

  • High-contrast color schemes
  • Descriptive alt text for screen readers
  • Logical HTML structure for tabbing and screen reader navigation
  • Clear error handling and focus states

Front-End Implementation‍

Post-approval, I contributed front-end support using ASP.NET, HTML/CSS, and light JavaScript for interactions. This included working with the engineering team to ensure pixel-perfect alignment with the design and smooth integration with the retailer’s backend systems.

The Product

Impact

The redesigned wedding registry module was prominently featured on the retailer’s main site and quickly saw a measurable improvement in user engagement.

  • +5% increase in site traffic to the registry section
  • Streamlined the user journey by eliminating redirects to third-party platforms
  • Improved accessibility, which broadened usability across a wider demographic
  • Created a foundation for continued iteration and future expansion with internal IT teams

Reflection

This project reinforced the importance of reducing friction in user flows—especially during milestone life events like weddings. By simplifying the experience and embedding it within the brand ecosystem, we helped create something more trustworthy, supportive, and user-centered.

It also highlighted the value of hybrid roles—bridging design and development allowed me to contribute not only to the product vision, but to its execution, down to the last detail.

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