Debenhams PWA
Using Progressive Web Apps to turn one of the most well known retailers on UK high streets to one of the fastest responsive ecommerce sites on the web. Visit site
UX/UI • ART DIRECTION
THE PROBLEM
With traditional retail struggling to keep pace with online-only sellers like Amazon, Debenhams chose modern Progressive Web App technology to capitalize on rising mobile traffic while also putting them ahead of competing retailers. After the huge success of their mobile PWA, they wanted to roll this out to desktop… something that no other retailer had done before!
Final mockup of the Debenhams desktop PWA.
PHASE 1
Mobile & Tablet
I had an instrumental role in the mobile and tablet designs. My extensive experience in both mobile commerce and the Mobify platform allowed me to effectively art direct Debenhams’ in-house team, resulting in a smooth build and high converting design.
Screenshots from today’s Debenhams tablet and mobile PWA.
The mobile project was a huge success. From a go-to-market perspective the project took a smooth 90 days to launch, and the new PWA delivered a 2x increase in speed. The project was even a finalist in 2018 Retail Week Excellence in Mobile Award.
The Debenhams PWA achieved notoriety in the retail sector with great results.
PHASE 2
Desktop POC
To try and replicate the success of the mobile PWA, Debenhams requested their desktop site run on the same technology. Only problem was that Mobify had never done this before, and neither had any other retailer! So it fell to me and a small team of engineers to develop a proof of concept.
Product browsing on the old desktop site (left) was improved in the POC (right) through larger images and dynamic filtering.
It wasn’t only engineering that would speed up the new desktop site. By careful understanding of the shopping experience I was able to make design improvements that let shoppers search, filter and select products much faster.
Results of the POC showed that users were able to find products and add to cart 40% faster on the new desktop PWA.
POST-LAUNCH
Feature Roadmap
Following a successful POC, my role in the project shifted to developing a ‘product-like’ new feature rollout plan for Debenhams’ new responsive PWA. I presented innovative ideas for new features along with business impacts and expected return on investment.
One of the innovations presented to Debenhams’ executives along with level of effort and expected return on investment.
The desktop PWA launched successfully in April 2019 as the first fully responsive PWA within its sector, and is enjoying exceptional load speeds. Check it out.