A discovery-led exploration
of category pages

CATEGORY PAGE SYSTEM · VISTAPRINT

ROLE:
Product Designer

TEAM:
Principal Product Designer, Copy,
Product Management,
Product Lead

YEAR:
2024-2025

Customer Interviews
Research Synthesis
Jobs to be Done
Information Architecture
Wireframing
Cross-Team Collaboration

Context

Vistaprint sells thousands of products across many markets, organised in three category levels (L1, L2, L3). This project set out to make category pages consistent across the site.

  • Over time, each category team built its pages differently, so browsing felt unpredictable and the pages were hard to maintain.

  • Contributor, in a project led by the principal product designer. I brought the merchandising perspective from Signage and Packaging, and took part in interviews, workshops and explorations, especially the L1 navigation and samples and support.

  • Create a system to improve browsing consistency for customers, and clear guidelines so every team understands the purpose of each level.

  • Leadership paused the project before its first test, planned for one category and one country. The insights still shaped the direction Vistaprint is building on today.

The three levels on the existing site.

Discovery

We looked at the problem from two sides: how teams built category pages and how customers used them.

TEAMS

In workshops, teams from across the site shared how they interpreted, built and maintained the three levels, along with their constraints and recommendations.

What we learned from teams:

  • L1 AND L2 LOOKED THE SAME
    Customers couldn’t tell how deep they were in the journey.

  • ONE LINK, DIFFERENT DESTINATIONS
    The same left nav link could lead to a category, a product or a product list page.

  • SAME COMPONENT, DIFFERENT FUNCTION
    Shared components were used differently. Hero buttons alone had five different uses.

  • EVERY PAGE BUILT BY HAND
    Each team built and updated its pages by hand, while guidelines were still provisional.

CUSTOMERS

Eight 45-minute exploratory interviews with existing customers about how they browse, compare and decide. Not usability tests.

What we learned from customers:

  • PRICE ALONE DIDN’T DECIDE
    Customers weighed cost against quality and durability. Many would pay more for reliable products, but wanted to avoid surprises like shipping costs or high minimum quantities.

  • TIMING DECIDED WHAT FELT POSSIBLE
    For urgent needs, like damaged materials or running out of stock, many chose a local printer instead of waiting for shipping.

  • THEY WANTED SOMEONE TO ASK
    Local vendors offered specialist help, while online help felt generic.

  • THEY WANTED TO FEEL IT FIRST
    With too many options and no way to touch them, customers struggled to choose. Samples and clear details on materials and finishes     would help them decide.

JOBS TO BE DONE

We discussed the insights as a team, focusing on what customers were really trying to achieve when choosing what to buy. Building on these discussions, the principal product designer defined the Jobs to be Done statements. These two guided the design explorations I worked on.

When deciding on branded materials I want access to samples, so I can check the quality before placing a large order.

When shopping for a product I haven't bought before I want personalised guidance from a specialist, so I can pick the right one.

Explorations

Using the insights and Jobs to be Done, we explored how the pages could work. Here are three of those explorations, from the overall structure down to specific elements on the page.

MAPPING THE THREE LEVELS

The framework started here. We matched each level to a customer mindset, then listed the content that could support it. It gave the team a shared base to discuss hierarchy and information architecture.

WHY: Every team interpreted the three levels differently, and there was no shared definition of what each one was for.

RETHINKING THE L1 NAVIGATION

L1 is the first contact with a category, meant for inspiration and exploration. To set it apart from L2, we explored replacing the left nav with anchor links, so customers could browse by theme before narrowing down.

WHY: L1 and L2 looked the same, so customers couldn’t tell how deep they were in the journey.

BRINGING SAMPLES AND SUPPORT FORWARD

We explored moving sample kits and specialist help higher up the page, on every level where customers needed them most, instead of leaving them for the end of the journey. We tried three formats: tiles near the top, a link in the anchor menu, and a banner further down to reinforce the message.

WHY: Customers wanted someone to ask and a way to feel materials before ordering. Linked to both Jobs to be Done above.

Outcome

The project paused before its first planned test. What started as a consistency problem became a clear picture of how customers browse and decide. Those insights set the direction for a scalable category framework that Vistaprint is still building on today.

SINCE THEN

Some of the needs customers raised are now live on the site: delivery shown upfront on product pages, and samples with their own place in the packaging menu and a dedicated banner.

Live site, October 2026

IF I PICKED IT UP AGAIN

I’d test samples and support on all three levels of one category, measuring sample orders and contact rates at each. It would show whether customers need help at a different moment depending on how far into the journey they are, before touching the navigation.

WHAT I LEARNED

This project taught me that consistency doesn’t mean making everything the same. Buying a sticker isn’t like buying packaging, and a good system has to leave room for that. Hearing every team’s constraints also changed how I listened to customers: I started hearing the whole system, not just one category.

  • Every team saw the same picture of the problem.

  • Eight interviews, turned into Jobs to be Done that gave the team a shared language for customer needs.

  • A clear role for each level, still being developed.

Next

Elevating a packaging experience