Preview
Optimized hero screen for retail
Revised landing page clearly communicates the purpose of the experience with a clear CTA and attention grabbing header.
Clarified menu hierarchy
Divided menu functionality into intent driven segments and ensured structure presented product offerings clearly.
Optimized to build and explore
Project scope
Reasons to build
Ashley Furniture was interested in developing a virtual sectional builder focused on driving lower funnel conversion through clear visualization and personalization.
Samsung Global sought to monetize the existing 3D tech in SmartThings 3D Map View, and Samsung US wanted a SmartThings registration touch-point in store.
Me
I saw strong functionality stuck with a UI that would never land with customers or staff in it's current state. It was unbranded, difficult to navigate, and not optimized for the retail floor.
Target user experience
Constraints
Dev resource limitations
This was one of many projects handled by our engineers at that point in time. I worked to ensure proposed changes were within scope and worth resource allocation.
Solo designer and international project liason
Served as solo designer on this project handling asset transfer between organizations, project scoping, and as the main point of contact between teams in Korea and the US.
System restrictions forced adapted communication
All communications about design updates and proposed feature expansion was carried out through redlined PDFs and email.
Design efforts
Landing page + room selection
Here I focused on increasing the visibility of critical interaction points, presenting the option for customers to pick between pre-furnished or unfurnished spaces, and leveraging existing visual assets to their full potential.
Before
After
Side menu revision
Initial menu structure presented all potential information in a single location with sub-optimal organization.
Before
I broke out menu categories and adjust their hierarchy and nesting to the structure shown below, additionally ensured that product cards displayed full names and had room for additional data categories.
After
Final menu formats are pictured at left with redesigned search bar, hierarchy, and button legibility.
Engineering did not want to remove setting controls so I organized them and moved them to their own menu section.
Error prevention within the bounds of current structure
Due to limitations in engineering resource and the drive for forward motion of the project adjustments to pre-engineered flow was limited.
Given these constraints when I found interactions where users error could be common I pushed for error prevention modals to be added.
Sectional snap to build functionality
The project scope came to include modular sectional model construction in addition to the placement of complete models. I worked with Ashley staff to scope their goals for the feature and with Samsung engineering to communicate technical limitations.
Following some agreement between teams I proposed two potential building concepts shown below.
Concept 1
Concept 2
The engineering team pushed back on leveraging defined "sticky" surfaces because of the required meta data. We settled on a combined approach using the menu controls from concept 1 with the active end points and "magnetic" interaction of concept 2.
Room scaling & smart device menu
Since furniture models and room sizes were rendered to scale I advocated for it to be represented when resizing the space
Additionally, I scoped a consolidation and restructuring for the SmartThings device menu to decrease on screen clutter and create a closer association between device selection and the simulated smart home routines presented
Outcome
Leadership demonstration and expansion planning
During CES 2025 Samsung & Ashely executives met at Ashley's flagship Las Vegas location to discuss the future of our continued retail partnership.
I demonstrated this experience on a 75" touch display for the executive group, generating a conversation on implementing the software on sales associate tablets as an in-store enablement tool in the 36+ locations listed for partnership expansion in 2026.
