Mobile users: 88%
Box bookings: 5x
Resource downloads: 10x

*Metrics for JDF only

Dyson

Dyson's biggest-ever digital transformation

Client:
Dyson
Role:
Lead UX/UI Designer
Audience:
Shoppers and Teachers
Duration:
2 years
Year:
2016 - 2018
Client:
Dyson
Role:
Lead UX/UI Designer
Audience:
Shoppers and Teachers
Duration:
2 years
Year:
2016 - 2018

Digital Leap

Dyson's biggest digital transformation in over a decade. After being proven first in the UK, I then formed and led the team that rolled it out to the Canadian market.

The 2011 Dyson site shown at tablet size, then replaced by the mobile Dyson V7 product page in two markets side by side, UK and Canada, where the add-to-basket button is pressed and the basket count increases.

The 2011 desktop-only site giving way to the mobile-first product page it became for the Canadian market. Product photography and video © Dyson. Used for illustrative purposes only, to show design work produced for Dyson. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Dyson.

The problem

Dyson's website wasn't responsive, and the company wanted over 90% of sales direct rather than through retailers. Digital Leap was the fix: one design system and shopping experience, proven first in the UK. I then formed and led the team that rolled it out to Canada, delivering the fastest rollout of any market.

The James Dyson Foundation (JDF) also had a website which carried Dyson's name with none of its design principles or brand values, and usability testing found teachers couldn't tell what was on offer, with every resource request handled by a PDF and an email. As the only designer on it, I wrote its UX principles, redesigned it mobile first and replaced the paperwork with a proper request flow and a scaled UI kit.

See the transformation

Product card
Review summary
Add-to-basket confirmation
Basket line item
Editorial card
Accessory card

Meet the team

Forks in the road

The decisions that shaped both Dyson Canada and the JDF.

  1. Lead, don't just design

    Challenge

    The scope needed far more than one pair of hands.

    • A whole market to launch
    • Every category and SKU to evaluate and adapt
    • Few systems in place
    Back on track

    Formed and led a team of three junior designers.

    • My output shifted to briefs, critique and sign-off
    • Mentoring and planning each designer's scope of work
    • More got done to a higher and consistent standard
  2. Problems for colleagues and teachers

    Challenge

    Users couldn't tell the different resource boxes apart.

    • Multiple boxes, all described on one crowded page
    • "Is it a catalogue for students?"
    • "I can't tell the difference between the boxes"
    Back on track

    Each resource got its own page and a simplified request journey.

    • Distinct pages, distinct value propositions
    • One request form that pre-selects the box you came from
    • A clear answer to "who is this for?"

Trade-offs

The compromises that shaped Dyson Canada and the JDF.

  1. Market rules over ideal layouts

    Challenge

    Canadian content and legal guidelines were strict and non-negotiable.

    • Some ideal compositions simply weren't allowed
    • Market rules trumped design preference
    Accepted

    Layouts had to adhere to some rules, but the design system gave everything a lift.

    • Compliant, consistent pages across the market
    • The value proposition survived the constraints
  2. The request flow first

    Challenge

    One designer, a fixed deadline, and a whole site to rebuild.

    • Everything competed for the same limited time
    • Some content pages would have to stay lighter for now
    Accepted

    Prioritised the request journey, content layouts were kept simple.

    • Nailed the booking flow end to end, on every device
    • Booking a box became the clearest thing on the site
Search
Dyson Supersonic™ hair dryer Choose model

Power. Unleashed.

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Dyson Supersonic™ hair dryer Choose model
The Dyson Supersonic hair dryer being used to style hair
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Dyson V8 Absolute™ vacuum Choose model
The Dyson V8 Absolute cordless vacuum being used around a home
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Dyson V7™ Absolute £249.99 Add to basket

Powered up.

My team and I were tasked with briefing in new graphics and content to then design and build into fresh pages for the Canadian market. Product photography and video © Dyson. Used for illustrative purposes only, to show design work produced for Dyson. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Dyson.

The James Dyson Foundation

As the only designer, I redesigned the site for Dyson's charitable arm to the new Digital Leap design system and component library, as well as the flow that enables teachers to request educational resources.

The old James Dyson Foundation site on a phone giving way to the redesigned Engineering Box page, rebuilt on Dyson’s new design system.

The original JDF site, redesigned mobile-first with a seamless booking system for resources.

Requesting a resource, end to end

The request form a teacher fills in to borrow classroom resources.

See the transformation

Text and button lockup
Navigation dropdown
Category buttons
Contact form
Resource card
Confirmation dialog

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