B2B eCommerce
Optimizing Procurement Search
Our B2B customers relied on search to find and procure items from their negotiated, preferred product lists. However, a failing search engine and a cluttered user interface were hindering their ability to find what they needed. My role was to lead the redesign of this critical experience, ensuring the new design was tailored specifically to the needs of business buyers.
My Role
As the Senior Lead Product Designer, I was tasked with overseeing the redesign of the entire search and browse experience. My key contributions included:
-
Establishing the Technology Insiders Program to gather direct, authentic customer feedback on design concepts.
-
Defining the purpose and information architecture for every element of the search results page.
-
Designing a new user interface that prioritized discoverability of "in-contract" products.
-
Laying the groundwork and providing the designs that would later be used as a foundation for the consumer-facing Office Depot site redesign.
The Problem
Key Pain Points:
For our B2B customers, buying products from their specific, pre-negotiated lists is a core value proposition. Our existing search experience was a major barrier to this. An aging search engine, combined with a busy and poorly organized user interface, was failing our end-users.
This led to user frustration, inefficient procurement workflows, and a lack of trust in the platform's ability to help them find the right products. Our challenge was to transform the search experience from a point of friction into a powerful tool for our business customers.
-
Difficulty finding "In-Contract" products
-
Cluttered and Overwhelming UI
-
Irrelevant search results
The Process & My Contribution
Discovery & Research
Research Asset
My first step was to get a deeper understanding of our customers' needs and pain points. I began this project by creating and launching the Technology Insiders Program, a customer feedback initiative that provided a direct channel for user research. This program allowed me to get design concepts and prototypes in front of our customers and gather their direct input, ensuring the solution was tailored to their specific procurement needs.
Strategy & Ideation
Strategy Assets
With a clear understanding of the user's needs, I embarked on a comprehensive strategy phase. I began by defining the "jobs to be done" for each element on the search results page, from the purpose of product cards to the function of filters and predictive search.
I meticulously crafted the information architecture of each component and divided the page into logical "informational zones" to reduce clutter and improve scanability. I also supplemented our customer feedback with traditional e-commerce UX guidelines from Baymard to ensure we were following industry best practices.
Approach
-
Defined the "jobs to be done" for each element and established informational zones for every page.
-
Designed each feature based on Baymard guidelines and direct input from the Technology Insiders Program.
-
Conducted design reviews with the broader UX team to gather feedback and ensure alignment.
-
Presented and reviewed designs with key internal stakeholders for final approval and buy-in.
Solution & Design
Solution Asset
The new design focused on clarity, purpose, and efficiency. The layout was streamlined to reduce visual noise and emphasize key information, such as contract pricing and product availability. The filtering and faceting system was re-engineered to be more intuitive and powerful, allowing users to quickly narrow their search. The new product card design prioritized critical information and created a cleaner, more scannable experience.
Although I moved on to my role with Varis before the project was fully launched, all the final designs were my own and were used as the basis for the subsequent development work.
The Impact
While I was not able to see this project through to completion, its impact was significant and far-reaching. The designs were not only used to inform the B2B site's new search experience, but they were also adopted as a jumping-off point to update the Office Depot consumer-facing site. This project not only addressed a critical user pain point but also demonstrated the value of a user-centered, well-documented design process, creating a foundation that would ultimately benefit millions of customers across both business and consumer platforms.