Refinery29

PRODUCT DESIGN, UX, UI, PROTOTYPING, USER TESTING

ABOUT

From homepages to collections, slideshows, articles, and everything in between… Refinery29 is one of the most visited content sites in the beauty + lifestyle space. So much so, that the product team worked tirelessly to build all the tools necessary for R29 to support and sustain their 1.2M+ daily unique visits.

Timeline of my tenure at Refinery 29.

2012/2013

Hi R29. Traffic at 200K uniques daily. Product team count: 13, UX designers: 1. Major R29 rebrand.

2014

Launch of R29 video, CMS & mobile redesign. New offices @ 225 Broadway.

2015

29 Rooms, R29 Germany, FB Articles, Google Amp, This AM app. Product design team: 5.

2016

60 + content pieces daily, R29 in: US, DE, UK, 29Rooms XL, 1.2M uniques daily. Bye R29.

Desktop

Following the company’s rebrand in 2013, the product team structured a massive UX/UI overhaul of every single template that supported the platform. The goals were to maintain a seamless and clutter-free platform where new content could populate consistently, while establishing a distinct R29 on-brand digital product in the online editorial space.

Desktop: Home, Categories, & Articles

Editorial UX

As editorial content evolved from simple text and images, media companies had to adapt their platforms to support imagery, videos, and other elements to help in their storytelling. Refinery29’s priority was always a mix of both substance + visuals, something which had to be communicated through the editorial experience, while also facilitating growth opportunities with advertising partners and e-commerce.

DASH – CMS

While only a handful of people get to see this side of refinery29.com, it was nonetheless the primary visual on everyone’s screens in the office. The CMS, which later came to be known as Dash, had the enormous task of facilitating content-creation, publishing, and distribution, all while doing so in the most efficient and clearest possible way. The platform and UX went through several stages of iteration and user-testing centered around this ethos, and continues to evolve and iterate around the industry’s needs.

Entry pages, collections manager, and asset library.

Recap

Starting out as employee #72 in the company, it was a huge learning experience to see the company expand into new markets (UK, Germany), and reach 400+ employees. This photo is sometime between those two, on the 23rd floor of the 225 Broadway office.