Design, strategy, & brand refresh

Robin Mattress Redesign

When sales were low after the launch of Williams-Sonoma, Inc.’s new exclusive Robin Mattress Sleep System, my creative manager and I took it upon ourselves to discover why so we could create revenue-driving solutions.

We quickly learned the Robin Mattress campaign had been pushed out quickly with minimal branding and assets for the corresponding web, print and retail channels. The beds themselves had been set up in retail stores, but customers were unaware of them and store employees had little knowledge or awareness of the product either.

From confusing website product descriptions to mattresses covered in bedding in retails stores, we began to see the challenges our customers faced. Plus, if asked, few store associate could explain the new products, which meant they didn’t understand it themselves.

After a thorough investigation, we didn’t understand what we were selling either (and neither did any of the coworkers we polled!). We determined an entire deconstruction was needed, and to rebuild Robin Mattress from the ground up.

What wasn’t working

Confusing, inaccurate product descriptions
Store associates unaware of new product
Disjointed navigation through product web pages and purchase paths
Cold, sterile aesthetic
Lacked sufficient product imagery, especially product comparisons

What was working

Not much (aside from a great product that no one understood or knew about).

My role

Senior Cross-Brand Designer
Research analysis & strategy
Conceptualize and draw out new product imagery and product placement in environment, to act as creative direction for new photo shoots
Delegate tasks to and collaborate with cross-functional teammates to finalize end product

Solutions

Redesign Robin landing page
Revamp each brand’s Robin product pages
New photo shoot to capture lifestyle imagery and detailed shots of mattress collection + products
Clear, well-written, accurate product descriptions
Build new spreads to run in each brand’s print catalogues
Create educational product one-sheet for store associates

Robin Mattress: A new story

Competitive analysis

New creative direction

My creative manager kicked things off with a competitive analysis, and developed a fresh creative direction.

After studying her competitive analysis and creative direction, I explored competitor websites, examined the user experience, branding, product pages, videos, and cross-channel branding.

We tackled every single aspect of the Robin Mattress project, from confusing copy on the website and in catalogue ads, to a lack of proper imagery and the perplexing user journeys on product pages.

Sketching & Ideation

She then pulled me in. After studying her competitive analysis and creative direction, I explored competitor websites, examined their user paths, branding, product pages, videos, and cross-channel branding.

We joined forces and tackled every single aspect of the project, from confusing copy on the website and in catalogue ads, to lack of proper imagery and perplexing user paths on product pages.

Sketching everything by hand myself, I developed a visual library for our new creative direction. I sketched not only my own ideas but also hers and the ideas we came up with together.

Using my sketches as our guide, we reorganized and restructured each product page. We determined exactly which new product imagery we needed, and its exact instances and placements on the various product pages.

I compiled and organized the data (copy, images, etc.) for each new product page. I created detailed contact sheets that we then passed to our colleagues in charge of the new photoshoot, as well as to Williams-Sonoma, Inc.’s 3D rendering company (for images that only needed 3D rendering).

Photoshoot

My sketches became a critical foundation for the new product photoshoot; in fact, many were exact translations.

One of the most exciting parts of this project was seeing my sketches come alive with the actual products and beautiful photography.

For example, for PBteen, I sketched an idea portraying a distinctly teen image—a teenager wearing headphones, listening to music while sitting on a bed (middle image, below). And here it is in film!