E-COMMERCE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Michaels Stores
Project Summary
Michaels led a multi-year transformation to replace a legacy, third-party–managed platform with a scalable, future-ready digital ecosystem. The program modernized customer-facing commerce, internal tools, and omnichannel experiences across web, mobile, apps, and in-store systems, driving measurable growth and long-term platform sustainability.
My Role
UX Manager & Lead Experience Strategist — final design authority with advisory and execution leadership across UX, design systems, accessibility, and cross-channel experience strategy.
Client / Team Context
Enterprise-wide initiative with visibility across Board and C-suite leadership; partnered with merchandising, marketing, store ops, legal, HR, and engineering while leading 32 UX designers/researchers and coordinating 300+ offshore developers.
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Challenge 1: A legacy platform limited scalability, speed, and design consistency across channels.
Solution: Rebuilt the ecosystem on scalable architecture and introduced an omnichannel experience foundation spanning web, mobile web, native iOS/Android, admin, and in-store journeys, creating a cohesive end-to-end commerce experience.Challenge 2: Fragmented design practices and accessibility gaps slowed delivery and created inconsistent customer and employee experiences.
Solution: Established a centralized design system and component libraries (Figma) with clear governance, accessibility standards, and developer handoff workflows, reducing redundancy and accelerating delivery across teams.Challenge 3: Coordinating large, distributed teams and enterprise stakeholders under aggressive timelines.
Solution: Applied Agile and Design Thinking frameworks to align leadership and delivery teams, using structured rituals, clear decision pathways, and iterative validation to maintain momentum across the full program lifecycle. -
Customer & Business Platforms
Complete UX redesign of Michaels.com (web and mobile web) and native iOS/Android app experiences
Customer purchase flows and key transactional journeys (including checkout)
Scalable CMS platform and internal administrative tools (admin/B2B experiences)
Omnichannel experiences supporting services and in-store moments (including custom framing and service ordering)
Design Operations & Delivery Enablement
Custom omnichannel design system and responsive component libraries (Figma)
Accessibility standards and governance integrated into design and delivery
Developer handoff documentation, workflows, and reusable patterns
User journey maps, usability testing plans, and product backlogs
Cross-team collaboration boards and alignment artifacts
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Launched the platform four months ahead of schedule
50% increase in digital product adoption
76% year-over-year increase in Average Basket Value (ABV)
93% year-over-year increase in Average Basket Size (ABS)
30% reduction in design-to-development time through reusable components
The transformation set a new benchmark for scalable, user-centered design at Michaels, aligning enterprise stakeholders, accelerating delivery, and enabling sustained growth across digital and omnichannel experiences.