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A better, more universal app experience


For Chewy​.com

Overview


For three and a half years and during a global pandemic, I was the solo design resource for the iOS native mobile app (NMA). I was also a go-to resource for anything mobile. My first responsibility when joining the team was to extend a design overhaul to all parts of the "happy path flow" (search/browse to checkout) for the Chewy app on iOS.

A phone screen displaying an icon on iOS for the Chewy app surrounded by stock iOS apps on the homescreen.

The first hurdle I faced was designing for a larger display. We were building a universal app, which contrary to what tech enthusiasts might think, was not as simple as checking a box in Xcode. This would allow our store to be optimized for both iPhone and iPad which only a couple years later would be forked off as iPadOS.

Mobile and tablet screens displaying the Chewy app home screen, featuring a banner ad for dental health products, autoship options, and product recommendations.
The newest iteration of the Chewy app for iOS and iPadOS, a universal app which I led design for and was shown live when Chewy went public on the NYSE.

When I began work, I built a design system of existing components, standardized the type classes (to support Dynamic Type resizing), reduced our color palette to the essentials, and reworked each InVision prototype that already existed (over 200 would be build in my time at Chewy).

A grid of various UI components showing typography styles, color palettes, and iconography for the Chewy app.
I conducted an audit and refinement phase of the color palette, typography, iconography, and visual effects to introduce dark mode with iOS 13.
A grid of various UI components for a shopping app, including item cards, a remove button, and a payment form.
I constructed precisely-crafted components adhering to confirmed styles and Human Interface Guidelines recommendations.

Since I worked on every part of the Chewy app, there are so many projects to list. Here are some that I really enjoyed building:

  • API research and design of Pay

  • Crafting a robust Filter/Sort feature

  • Having fun with iMessage Stickers

  • New business with eGift Cards

  • Supporting customers with Text Chat

  • Supporting Pharmacy launch with Pet Profiles

A phone screen displaying a payment confirmation page for Chewy with Apple Pay.
I led approach, design, and technical implementation for Apple Pay across all Chewy platforms. Arguably the most sought-after feature our customers wanted for years.
A phone screen displaying a filter tool for narrowing down product search results from Chewy's catalog.
I redesigned our sort & filter tool to give customers the ability to narrow down over 50,000 products we offered including medication.
Two phone screens showing a sort and filter tool for selecting products, with options like 'Relevance' and 'Lifestage'.
I worked with our iOS engineers to provide contextual hints about making selections.
A tablet screen showing a popup for Chewy gift cards with a design featuring the Chewy logo.
Chewy's first digital product, and one that used the entire design team to pull off. eGift Cards (and now also physical gift cards) became an overnight success.
Two phone screens showing pet profiles feature, one with a dog named Parmigiana and the other with profile editing options.
I designed multiple iterations of pet profiles to support Pharmacy launch (medical and breed information) and recommendations (allergies, weight, etc.)
A phone screen displaying animated iMessage stickers featuring cartoon animals and pet puns.
Designed with a brand-illustrator on the team, I brought iMessage stickers to life with subtle animation. It serves no practical function except for delight and is a bit of an Easter egg.

Skills I acquired or improved

  • Presenting and selling ideas to leadership

  • Working in a two-week sprint-based working style (coming from waterfall)

  • Close collaboration with Product and Engineering coworkers

  • Advanced prototyping with InVision and Framer (2018)

  • Deep research of features both in design, but also in development lift and APIs available to the team

  • Supporting the team for App Privacy 'Nutritional Labels' for the App Store update

Challenges

  • I was the only designer on this team responsible for the entirety of the store experience on a platform

  • Leadership and product owners often pointed to the apps as not being in 'parity' to the website experience

  • Quarterly goals and shifting initiatives as new business came online always proved difficult to manage

  • Designing in lock-step with my closest design ally, our Android designer, to build features at the same time on unique platforms

  • Needing to bring so much more proof and research to the table to validate and defend my design decisions

  • Management changes, and a shift in core values and the evolving design/research team culture