[Case Study]
Website and Branding for an Apparel Startup
Athletic Apparel
AJ Athletic
Developing a luxury e-commerce brand and digital presence for an apparel startup built in partnership with a global youth tennis organization, balancing high-end aesthetic with a meaningful philanthropic mission.
Project Overview
As Lead Product and Graphic Designer for AJ Athletic, I designed the entire e-commerce site end-to-end and developed the company’s comprehensive visual identity (logo suite, color palette, social assets, apparel branding).
Problem Statement
AJ Athletic was a new athletic apparel startup with no existing brand identity or web presence. The challenge was to build a cohesive visual branding and e-commerce website from scratch that could compete in a crowded market, connect with their target customers and focus on story-driven purchase pathways.
Industry
Athletic Apparel
My Role
Lead Designer
Platforms
Desktop and Mobile Website
Timeline
October 2025 - December 2025
Process
(01) User Research
Conducted quick user interviews with 5 participants to understand their online shopping frustrations and preferences.
Analyzed user's behavior when trying to purchase items to identify what may cause them to not complete a purchase.
Researched athletic apparel competitors to identify best practices for checkout flows.
(02) Insights
Users were frustrated by being unable to review their cart on a seperate page before purchasing.
Higher aged users struggled with small text and busy layouts, especially when visiting site on mobile.
Some users would fail to complete purchases when too many pop-ups occurred (ex. email list sign ups or discount prompts).
(03) Design Solution
Simplified the View Cart page with large text and clear action buttons.
Ensured the checkout process was simple with four steps steps: View Cart, Checkout, Delivery and Payment details on one page.
Did not include any pop-ups after View Cart page.
(04) Testing & Iteration
Conducted internal testing with 12 individuals.
Gathered feedback through usability testing and refined the design based on input.
Iterated the mobile layout first with larger touch-friendly buttons and simplified navigation because most users preferred shopping on mobile.
Outcome
13.8k site sessions in the first 10 days of the first item launch.
100% positive feedback from investors on the web presence.
Intuitive shopping experience, ready for the first collection launch.
Key Learnings
Simplification is key
Users value a quick and easy process, especially on mobile.
Details matter
Small details like disabling pop-ups and simplifying the View Cart interface had a significant impact on purchase journey completion.
