Taher Badshah - A Product Designer

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MAUI, a leading distributor in the UAE specializing in beachwear and lifestyle products, needed a modern, conversion-focused website to reinforce its market position. The goal was to create an intuitive online platform that not only showcased its exclusive brand partnerships but also built credibility, simplified the user journey for retailers and suppliers, and drove business inquiries through effective lead generation.

Website Design & Brand Exapansion

13+

Brand Pages Designed

SEO

Project Awarded

13+

Brand Pages Designed

SEO

Project Awarded

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Establish Context & Goals

Understanding the Need

MAUI, a leading beachwear & lifestyle distributor in the UAE, sought to establish a strong digital presence that would:

Enhance brand visibility for globally recognized products.
Streamline retailer inquiries and improve lead generation.
Showcase MAUI as a trusted, modern, and scalable distribution partner.

Stakeholder Alignment & Project Scope

We initiated discussions with MAUI’s leadership and marketing team to define:
✅ Core business objectives – Increasing retailer partnerships and driving inquiries.
✅ Scope – A scalable website that allows for easy expansion of brand pages over time.

✅ Success Metrics:

Increase in retailer inquiries via website.
Higher engagement with brand pages.
Smooth navigation & brand discovery experience.

From these discussions, we created a project brief summarizing:
📌 The problem statement – A lack of structured brand storytelling and retailer-focused content.
📌 The target audience – Retailers and suppliers looking for reliable product sourcing.
📌 The desired outcomes – A seamless, visually engaging, and conversion-driven website.

Research & Discovery

To ensure a user-centric approach, we conducted research on two key fronts:

1. User Research – Understanding Retailers' Needs

We analyzed the behavior of MAUI’s target audience (retailers & suppliers) to uncover:
🎯 Pain Points:

Hard to find reliable, exclusive distributors for premium beachwear brands.
Lack of clear product information and pricing accessibility.
Poor website experience on competitor sites, making brand discovery difficult.

🎯 Key Needs:

Easy access to brand portfolios & product catalogs.
Fast inquiry process without excessive back-and-forth.
A modern, trust-building experience to ensure product authenticity.

To ensure a user-centric approach, we conducted research on two key fronts:

1. User Research – Understanding Retailers' Needs

We analyzed the behavior of MAUI’s target audience (retailers & suppliers) to uncover:
🎯 Pain Points:

Hard to find reliable, exclusive distributors for premium beachwear brands.
Lack of clear product information and pricing accessibility.
Poor website experience on competitor sites, making brand discovery difficult.

🎯 Key Needs:

Easy access to brand portfolios & product catalogs.
Fast inquiry process without excessive back-and-forth.
A modern, trust-building experience to ensure product authenticity.

To ensure a user-centric approach, we conducted research on two key fronts:

1. User Research – Understanding Retailers' Needs

We analyzed the behavior of MAUI’s target audience (retailers & suppliers) to uncover:
🎯 Pain Points:

Hard to find reliable, exclusive distributors for premium beachwear brands.
Lack of clear product information and pricing accessibility.
Poor website experience on competitor sites, making brand discovery difficult.

🎯 Key Needs:

Easy access to brand portfolios & product catalogs.
Fast inquiry process without excessive back-and-forth.
A modern, trust-building experience to ensure product authenticity.

2. Market & Competitive Analysis

We analyzed other distribution platforms to identify gaps and opportunities:
🔍 Most distributor websites lacked:

Clear brand segmentation & structured product display.
Mobile-first, modern design for easy browsing.
Strong lead capture mechanisms to convert interest into action.

🔍 What we aimed to do differently:
✅ Modernize the user experience while keeping it simple & intuitive.
✅ Structured brand pages with engaging storytelling, not just product dumping.
✅ Integrated lead-generation strategies – CTAs, WhatsApp chat, catalog downloads.

2. Market & Competitive Analysis

We analyzed other distribution platforms to identify gaps and opportunities:
🔍 Most distributor websites lacked:

Clear brand segmentation & structured product display.
Mobile-first, modern design for easy browsing.
Strong lead capture mechanisms to convert interest into action.

2. Market & Competitive Analysis

We analyzed other distribution platforms to identify gaps and opportunities:
🔍 Most distributor websites lacked:

Clear brand segmentation & structured product display.
Mobile-first, modern design for easy browsing.
Strong lead capture mechanisms to convert interest into action.

User Personas & Journey Mapping

Using research insights, we developed user personas & journey maps to visualize:
📌 How retailers interact with distributor websites.
📌 Key moments where they decide to make an inquiry.
📌 Pain points that needed fixing (e.g., complex navigation, poor mobile UI).

Define Strategy & Requirements

Define Strategy &

Requirements

Synthesizing Insights & Prioritizing Features

Using stakeholder input and research findings, we refined our approach:

🎯 Primary Focus Areas:
✅ Homepage as a credibility anchor – Immediately building trust & showcasing MAUI’s role.
✅ Brand-specific pages – Each page designed for storytelling + product discovery + lead conversion.
✅ Retailer-friendly UX – Fast navigation, clear product segmentation, and inquiry CTAs.

Feature Prioritization & Product Roadmap

📍 Immediate Priorities (MVP):
✔ Homepage with trust-building brand positioning.
✔ Individual brand pages (starting with Sun Bum) with structured product storytelling.
✔ Seamless inquiry forms & WhatsApp chat integration.

📍 Future Enhancements:
✔ Expanded brand portfolio section for easy discovery.
✔ Interactive product showcase (e.g., shoppable lookbooks).
✔ Personalized recommendations based on retailer preferences.

Outcome: A clear roadmap that balances business goals, user needs, and scalability—ensuring the website grows with MAUI’s expanding brand portfolio.

Ideation & Conceptual Exploration

With clear goals and a defined strategy, we moved into the ideation phase, focusing on designing a website that is modern, conversion-driven, and scalable for future brand expansions.

Due to time constraints, we opted to skip low-fidelity wireframing and instead directly conceptualized the structure and flow, ensuring that the design aligned with MAUI’s business objectives.

Key Considerations During Ideation:

✅ Building Trust Immediately – The homepage needed to establish credibility upfront, showcasing MAUI’s role as a leading distributor.

✅ Brand-First Approach – Each brand page should tell a compelling story rather than being a generic product listing.

✅ Seamless User Flow – Retailers and suppliers should be able to explore brands effortlessly and inquire in minimal steps.

✅ Lead-Generation Focused – Strong CTAs, inquiry forms, and WhatsApp integration for direct engagement.

Prototyping & Testing

Once we had a structured framework, we translated the wireframes into interactive prototypes, using Figma for collaboration and real-time feedback.

Prototype Validation Goals

✅ Ensure intuitive navigation – Users should quickly understand where to go and how to inquire.
✅ Test brand page engagement – Each page should effectively communicate the brand’s value proposition while keeping the user interested.
✅ Refine the inquiry process – Minimize friction to encourage more retailer submissions.

Usability Testing & Feedback Loops

To validate our assumptions, we conducted internal usability tests, focusing on:
📍 Retailer Navigation – Could users easily find brands and access product details?
📍 Inquiry Process – Was the “Work With Us” form straightforward and fast to complete?
📍 Brand Differentiation – Did each brand page provide a unique but consistent experience?

Key Iterations After Testing:
🔹 Adjusted CTA placements to appear earlier in the user journey.
🔹 Improved brand page scannability – Users wanted faster access to key information.
🔹 Refined mobile responsiveness – Ensured all elements adapted smoothly for mobile users.

With these refinements, the prototypes evolved into high-fidelity mockups, ready for final stakeholder review before development.

Once we had a structured framework, we translated the wireframes into interactive prototypes, using Figma for collaboration and real-time feedback.

Prototype Validation Goals

Usability Testing & Feedback Loops

With these refinements, the prototypes evolved into high-fidelity mockups, ready for final stakeholder review before development.

Once we had a structured framework, we translated the wireframes into interactive prototypes, using Figma for collaboration and real-time feedback.

Prototype Validation Goals

Usability Testing & Feedback Loops

With these refinements, the prototypes evolved into high-fidelity mockups, ready for final stakeholder review before development.

Design System & Detailed Specs

To maintain consistency and efficiency, we established a design system that streamlined UI elements, ensuring a unified experience across all pages.

Key Design System Elements:

🎨 Color Palette: A mix of warm coastal tones and professional dark accents for a premium yet inviting feel.
🔠 Typography: Modern, easy-to-read fonts with varied sizes for hierarchy and scannability.
📐 Component Library: Buttons, cards, and inquiry forms following a consistent design language for future scalability.

Finalized Design Assets for Development:
✔ Homepage UI Kit – Header, hero sections, testimonials, and inquiry modules.
✔ Brand Page Layouts – Standardized grids to accommodate different product categories and storytelling elements.
✔ CTA & Form Components – Ensuring all interactive elements follow the same style and behavior across the site.

By implementing a structured design system, we ensured that future brand pages could be added seamlessly while maintaining a strong visual identity.

To maintain consistency and efficiency, we established a design system that streamlined UI elements, ensuring a unified experience across all pages.

Key Design System Elements:

By implementing a structured design system, we ensured that future brand pages could be added seamlessly while maintaining a strong visual identity.

To maintain consistency and efficiency, we established a design system that streamlined UI elements, ensuring a unified experience across all pages.

Key Design System Elements:

By implementing a structured design system, we ensured that future brand pages could be added seamlessly while maintaining a strong visual identity.

Next Steps: Development & Launch

With the final designs and specs handed off, we moved into:
Development Collaboration – Ensuring smooth implementation with the dev team.
Launch Planning – Monitoring performance metrics and making post-launch improvements.

Lesson Learned

Final Final Thoughts on This Phase

✅ User feedback shaped the final experience – Testing guided key refinements.
✅ A structured design system future-proofed the platform – Making future brand additions seamless.
✅ A focus on clarity and engagement drove better usability – Aligning with MAUI’s goal to convert retailers.

TAHER BADSHAH