Toino Abel
Role
Role
UX Researcher & UI Designer
UX Researcher & UI Designer
Duration
Duration
2 Week Sprint
2 Week Sprint
Tools
Tools
Figma, FigJam, ChatGPT, Illustrator
Figma, FigJam, ChatGPT, Illustrator
Contribution
Contribution
Collaborated equally with the team across research, design, and testing; led stakeholder communication throughout the project.
Collaborated equally with the team across research, design, and testing; led stakeholder communication throughout the project.
Quality in handmade products is something you usually feel before you understand it, the weight of the material, the visible mark of human hands. TOINO ABEL's website captured the brand beautifully, but key moments in the shopping experience weren't giving users the confidence to commit to a purchase. The challenge was extending that same craftsmanship and trust into the digital journey itself.
The Problem
Intentional shoppers aren't just buying a basket, they're trying to judge its quality without ever touching it. 86% of the users we surveyed said quality was their top priority when buying handmade items, yet most artisan websites give them nothing concrete to judge it by: no close-up texture shots, no material detail, no sense of who made it or how.
The problem wasn't a lack of craftsmanship. It was a lack of proof.
The Solution
The solution wasn't to choose between storytelling and shopping, it was to let each one support the other.
We designed the experience around three principles:
Craftsmanship as context, not distraction, heritage and artisan story are present throughout, but never at the expense of seeing and evaluating the product itself.
Intuitive discovery, browsing is structured so users can explore at their own pace and find what resonates with them, rather than being guided through a single linear path.
Visible proof of quality, materials, durability, and care details are presented clearly enough that users can judge quality the way they would in person, just translated for a screen.
The Heuristics
Before talking to users, we ran a heuristic analysis of the existing site against Nielsen's usability principles. The brand had clearly invested in visual identity, the site was minimalist, on-brand, and told a strong story. But several usability issues were quietly working against conversion: disconnected CTAs, a checkout flow with no clear path back, limited control when adding items to the cart, and missing shipping and return information on product pages.
The site looked trustworthy. It just didn't always behave that way.
We prioritized fixes by impact and effort, focusing first on navigation, checkout, and information architecture, the areas most likely to affect whether a visitor actually completed a purchase.
The Research
We interviewed 5 users and surveyed over 20 to understand how intentional shoppers actually evaluate handmade products before buying.
The data confirmed what the heuristic analysis suggested: shoppers care deeply about quality, but have very little to judge it by online.
86% said quality was their top priority when buying handmade items
97% valued clear, detailed product images
83% said they specifically buy from handmade brands to support artisans, not just for the product itself
That last number mattered most. Shoppers weren't just buying a basket, they were buying into the story of who made it. Quality and craftsmanship weren't separate from the brand story. They were the brand story.
Competitor Analysis
We analyzed four competitors, Victoria Handmade, Heimat Atlantica, Atelier Vime, and Cesta, each strong in a different way: craftsmanship, personalization, or digital polish.
None of them had all three. The ones with the strongest storytelling had the weakest product discovery, and vice versa.
Brand story and product confidence were treated as a trade-off. They didn't have to be.
Design Decisions
Every decision came back to one question: how do we let users feel the quality of something they can't physically touch?
Two decisions shaped the first version most:
Rebalancing the homepage toward product, user feedback was clear: the original homepage spent too much time on brand story and not enough showing the actual products. We shifted the focus to highlight collections first, while still introducing Nuno's story in a way that adds context rather than leading the page.
The Authenticity Card, customers told us they didn't mind paying more for handmade products, as long as they could trust the quality was real. The Authenticity Card, personally signed with a unique serial number, gave that trust a physical form: tangible proof of craftsmanship that arrives with the product itself, extending the brand's credibility beyond the screen.
The Tests
We tested the first version with 5 users, and a few clear patterns emerged.
Three iterations came directly from what users experienced:
A visual-first color selection, the original product page used a text dropdown to select leather color. All 5 users found this frustrating, expecting to see and choose colors directly rather than read a label. We replaced it with visible color swatches users could tap immediately.
Leading with the full collection range, the original homepage showed only one collection before moving into a long brand story. Since users wanted to see more product upfront, we restructured the homepage to move through multiple collections, Campo, Mãos, and 10+2, in sequence, giving people more to explore before any extended story appears.
The Impact
We tested the redesign directly against TOINO ABEL's live website with 5 users. All 5 completed key shopping tasks more successfully on the redesigned version, and none of the issues identified in earlier rounds resurfaced.
Beyond completion rates, users said the experience felt easier to shop and that the homepage's focus on products and collections made browsing more enjoyable.
Most importantly, users said they felt more confident to purchase.
For a brand built on craftsmanship that's hard to prove through a screen, that shift, from hesitation to confidence, was exactly the outcome the redesign was meant to create.
Reflection
Toino Abel taught me that storytelling and product confidence aren't competing priorities, they're solving the same problem from different angles. Jennifer didn't need less story, she needed proof placed where she was actually looking for it.
If I revisited this project, I'd bring users into the landing and product page decisions earlier. Our iterations improved things, but testing sooner could have surfaced the brand-story-versus-product tension before it shaped the first version.
Toino Abel
Role
Role
UX Researcher & UI Designer
UX Researcher & UI Designer
Duration
Duration
2 Week Sprint
2 Week Sprint
Tools
Tools
Figma, FigJam, ChatGPT, Illustrator
Figma, FigJam, ChatGPT, Illustrator
Contribution
Contribution
Collaborated equally with the team across research, design, and testing; led stakeholder communication throughout the project.
Collaborated equally with the team across research, design, and testing; led stakeholder communication throughout the project.
Quality in handmade products is something you usually feel before you understand it, the weight of the material, the visible mark of human hands. TOINO ABEL's website captured the brand beautifully, but key moments in the shopping experience weren't giving users the confidence to commit to a purchase. The challenge was extending that same craftsmanship and trust into the digital journey itself.
The Problem
Intentional shoppers aren't just buying a basket, they're trying to judge its quality without ever touching it. 86% of the users we surveyed said quality was their top priority when buying handmade items, yet most artisan websites give them nothing concrete to judge it by: no close-up texture shots, no material detail, no sense of who made it or how.
The problem wasn't a lack of craftsmanship. It was a lack of proof.
The Solution
The solution wasn't to choose between storytelling and shopping, it was to let each one support the other.
We designed the experience around three principles:
Craftsmanship as context, not distraction, heritage and artisan story are present throughout, but never at the expense of seeing and evaluating the product itself.
Intuitive discovery, browsing is structured so users can explore at their own pace and find what resonates with them, rather than being guided through a single linear path.
Visible proof of quality, materials, durability, and care details are presented clearly enough that users can judge quality the way they would in person, just translated for a screen.
The Heuristics
Before talking to users, we ran a heuristic analysis of the existing site against Nielsen's usability principles. The brand had clearly invested in visual identity, the site was minimalist, on-brand, and told a strong story. But several usability issues were quietly working against conversion: disconnected CTAs, a checkout flow with no clear path back, limited control when adding items to the cart, and missing shipping and return information on product pages.
The site looked trustworthy. It just didn't always behave that way.
We prioritized fixes by impact and effort, focusing first on navigation, checkout, and information architecture, the areas most likely to affect whether a visitor actually completed a purchase.
The Research
We interviewed 5 users and surveyed over 20 to understand how intentional shoppers actually evaluate handmade products before buying.
The data confirmed what the heuristic analysis suggested: shoppers care deeply about quality, but have very little to judge it by online.
86% said quality was their top priority when buying handmade items
97% valued clear, detailed product images
83% said they specifically buy from handmade brands to support artisans, not just for the product itself
That last number mattered most. Shoppers weren't just buying a basket, they were buying into the story of who made it. Quality and craftsmanship weren't separate from the brand story. They were the brand story.
Competitor Analysis
We analyzed four competitors, Victoria Handmade, Heimat Atlantica, Atelier Vime, and Cesta, each strong in a different way: craftsmanship, personalization, or digital polish.
None of them had all three. The ones with the strongest storytelling had the weakest product discovery, and vice versa.
Brand story and product confidence were treated as a trade-off. They didn't have to be.
Design Decisions
Every decision came back to one question: how do we let users feel the quality of something they can't physically touch?
Two decisions shaped the first version most:
Rebalancing the homepage toward product, user feedback was clear: the original homepage spent too much time on brand story and not enough showing the actual products. We shifted the focus to highlight collections first, while still introducing Nuno's story in a way that adds context rather than leading the page.
The Authenticity Card, customers told us they didn't mind paying more for handmade products, as long as they could trust the quality was real. The Authenticity Card, personally signed with a unique serial number, gave that trust a physical form: tangible proof of craftsmanship that arrives with the product itself, extending the brand's credibility beyond the screen.
The Tests
We tested the first version with 5 users, and a few clear patterns emerged.
Three iterations came directly from what users experienced:
A visual-first color selection, the original product page used a text dropdown to select leather color. All 5 users found this frustrating, expecting to see and choose colors directly rather than read a label. We replaced it with visible color swatches users could tap immediately.
Leading with the full collection range, the original homepage showed only one collection before moving into a long brand story. Since users wanted to see more product upfront, we restructured the homepage to move through multiple collections, Campo, Mãos, and 10+2, in sequence, giving people more to explore before any extended story appears.
The Impact
We tested the redesign directly against TOINO ABEL's live website with 5 users. All 5 completed key shopping tasks more successfully on the redesigned version, and none of the issues identified in earlier rounds resurfaced.
Beyond completion rates, users said the experience felt easier to shop and that the homepage's focus on products and collections made browsing more enjoyable.
Most importantly, users said they felt more confident to purchase.
For a brand built on craftsmanship that's hard to prove through a screen, that shift, from hesitation to confidence, was exactly the outcome the redesign was meant to create.
Reflection
Toino Abel taught me that storytelling and product confidence aren't competing priorities, they're solving the same problem from different angles. Jennifer didn't need less story, she needed proof placed where she was actually looking for it.
If I revisited this project, I'd bring users into the landing and product page decisions earlier. Our iterations improved things, but testing sooner could have surfaced the brand-story-versus-product tension before it shaped the first version.
Toino Abel
Role
Role
UX Researcher & UI Designer
UX Researcher & UI Designer
Duration
Duration
2 Week Sprint
2 Week Sprint
Tools
Tools
Figma, FigJam, ChatGPT, Illustrator
Figma, FigJam, ChatGPT, Illustrator
Contribution
Contribution
Collaborated equally with the team across research, design, and testing; led stakeholder communication throughout the project.
Collaborated equally with the team across research, design, and testing; led stakeholder communication throughout the project.
Quality in handmade products is something you usually feel before you understand it, the weight of the material, the visible mark of human hands. TOINO ABEL's website captured the brand beautifully, but key moments in the shopping experience weren't giving users the confidence to commit to a purchase. The challenge was extending that same craftsmanship and trust into the digital journey itself.
The Problem
Intentional shoppers aren't just buying a basket, they're trying to judge its quality without ever touching it. 86% of the users we surveyed said quality was their top priority when buying handmade items, yet most artisan websites give them nothing concrete to judge it by: no close-up texture shots, no material detail, no sense of who made it or how.
The problem wasn't a lack of craftsmanship. It was a lack of proof.
The Solution
The solution wasn't to choose between storytelling and shopping, it was to let each one support the other.
We designed the experience around three principles:
Craftsmanship as context, not distraction, heritage and artisan story are present throughout, but never at the expense of seeing and evaluating the product itself.
Intuitive discovery, browsing is structured so users can explore at their own pace and find what resonates with them, rather than being guided through a single linear path.
Visible proof of quality, materials, durability, and care details are presented clearly enough that users can judge quality the way they would in person, just translated for a screen.
The Heuristics
Before talking to users, we ran a heuristic analysis of the existing site against Nielsen's usability principles. The brand had clearly invested in visual identity, the site was minimalist, on-brand, and told a strong story. But several usability issues were quietly working against conversion: disconnected CTAs, a checkout flow with no clear path back, limited control when adding items to the cart, and missing shipping and return information on product pages.
The site looked trustworthy. It just didn't always behave that way.
We prioritized fixes by impact and effort, focusing first on navigation, checkout, and information architecture, the areas most likely to affect whether a visitor actually completed a purchase.
The Research
We interviewed 5 users and surveyed over 20 to understand how intentional shoppers actually evaluate handmade products before buying.
The data confirmed what the heuristic analysis suggested: shoppers care deeply about quality, but have very little to judge it by online.
86% said quality was their top priority when buying handmade items
97% valued clear, detailed product images
83% said they specifically buy from handmade brands to support artisans, not just for the product itself
That last number mattered most. Shoppers weren't just buying a basket, they were buying into the story of who made it. Quality and craftsmanship weren't separate from the brand story. They were the brand story.
Competitor Analysis
We analyzed four competitors, Victoria Handmade, Heimat Atlantica, Atelier Vime, and Cesta, each strong in a different way: craftsmanship, personalization, or digital polish.
None of them had all three. The ones with the strongest storytelling had the weakest product discovery, and vice versa.
Brand story and product confidence were treated as a trade-off. They didn't have to be.
Design Decisions
Every decision came back to one question: how do we let users feel the quality of something they can't physically touch?
Two decisions shaped the first version most:
Rebalancing the homepage toward product, user feedback was clear: the original homepage spent too much time on brand story and not enough showing the actual products. We shifted the focus to highlight collections first, while still introducing Nuno's story in a way that adds context rather than leading the page.
The Authenticity Card, customers told us they didn't mind paying more for handmade products, as long as they could trust the quality was real. The Authenticity Card, personally signed with a unique serial number, gave that trust a physical form: tangible proof of craftsmanship that arrives with the product itself, extending the brand's credibility beyond the screen.
The Tests
We tested the first version with 5 users, and a few clear patterns emerged.
Three iterations came directly from what users experienced:
A visual-first color selection, the original product page used a text dropdown to select leather color. All 5 users found this frustrating, expecting to see and choose colors directly rather than read a label. We replaced it with visible color swatches users could tap immediately.
Leading with the full collection range, the original homepage showed only one collection before moving into a long brand story. Since users wanted to see more product upfront, we restructured the homepage to move through multiple collections, Campo, Mãos, and 10+2, in sequence, giving people more to explore before any extended story appears.
The Impact
We tested the redesign directly against TOINO ABEL's live website with 5 users. All 5 completed key shopping tasks more successfully on the redesigned version, and none of the issues identified in earlier rounds resurfaced.
Beyond completion rates, users said the experience felt easier to shop and that the homepage's focus on products and collections made browsing more enjoyable.
Most importantly, users said they felt more confident to purchase.
For a brand built on craftsmanship that's hard to prove through a screen, that shift, from hesitation to confidence, was exactly the outcome the redesign was meant to create.
Reflection
Toino Abel taught me that storytelling and product confidence aren't competing priorities, they're solving the same problem from different angles. Jennifer didn't need less story, she needed proof placed where she was actually looking for it.
If I revisited this project, I'd bring users into the landing and product page decisions earlier. Our iterations improved things, but testing sooner could have surfaced the brand-story-versus-product tension before it shaped the first version.