Defining the role of digital integration within a predominantly two-handed, physically operated product category.
Introduction
As UX Lead for Garment Care at Philips Domestic Appliances, I spearheaded a project to define a comprehensive digital strategy for the category.
Brief
To create a digital innovation strategy that is relevant for both the target audiences and Versuni. Looking at the holistic experience of Garment Care, our competitive landscape, trends and users.
“What role should digital play for the Garment Care category?”
Outcome
A future-proof all-around digital strategy, focusing on social media, the role of the web, and a strategy for the development of an engaging app that enhances the user experience.
Client
Philips Domestic Appliances (Versuni)
Role
UX Lead
Services
This project is under NDA 🔒
I’m happy to discuss my role as a UX Design Lead at Philips Garment Care over a call. Get in touch at iriselineritsma@gmail.com and we’ll speak soon!
Upon joining Philips, I noticed that app development had been largely stagnant for over two years, with no clear value proposition to drive the project forward. After analyzing past workflows and identifying strategic gaps, I brought together key stakeholders from a highly multidisciplinary team to highlight these challenges and spark alignment. This led to the initiation of a digital strategy project, which I was able to lead, helping the team take a step back, realign, and define a clear path forward.
Through extensive trend, market, and user research, combined with cross-disciplinary workshops, I bridged user needs, business goals, marketing, and design into a unified UX vision. The result was a clear repositioning of a Gen X-oriented product category to better connect with Gen Z. The strategy was validated through a concept prototype tested across the app, website, and social media, and delivered as an actionable roadmap for the team to move forward with clarity and confidence.
The project is still under NDA, however, below you can find a general representation of the process that I set up and some of the various steps involved.
Creating a future-proof digital strategy
Process
01. Research
The process began with an in-depth research phase, exploring trends across the Garment Care landscape, from smart home technology to digital fashion and DAOs.
With stakeholders from marketing, business, and design, the research needed to be broad and cross-disciplinary. To make the insights actionable, the findings were distilled into “Mindsets”, rich, persona-like profiles that capture the motivations, lifestyle, trends, and frustrations of the target audience.
Multi-disciplinary workshops followed, with the Garment Care Design Team, but also with members of Marketing, Business leaders and UX designers from other categories
02. Defining opportunities
As a part of the research, a survey with over 300 participants was done, exploring users’ current practices and opportunities.
Hypotheses from this research were tested in qualitative interviews with users.
Story telling & easy-to-understand early-phase concepts
In the early stages, several opportunity areas emerged. To help stakeholders from Marketing, Business, and Design envision these directions, I created simple illustrations. These were intentionally kept high-level to avoid premature objections, as the concepts were still in an early phase.
Each concept was built up from what can be done as an MVP to fully mature digital products, to help the team envision a roadmap, and t gradually increse the investment as each step has proven itself.
“It’s really impressive. You help people empathise with the user and then walk them to a solution. We should standardise this process.”
-User Experience Lead Philips DA
04. Concept development & innovation roadmap
After one concept direction was chosen in step 3, another round of more in-depth market research and user research followed. In step 4 new rounds of ideation followed based on the refined findings
05. Validate & iterate
Using concept card testing & qualitative interviews the concept was tested and improved
The result
The strategy as a roadmap
I delivered the new digital strategy in the form of a roadmap. from easy & crucial to implement to more advanced future strategies that require more time and investment.
Each roadmap step was supported with a complete user journey and a Figma prototype demonstrating how Philips can enhance the user experience at every step of the way.
1A. & 1B. Webpage and social media
I delivered a clickable prototype and user journey for the webpage, backed by insights into what users found most engaging.
2. & 3. Light app and advanced app
I delivered a concept prototype for both the “light” app and the “advanced” app
Feedback
Deliverables
Digital strategy containing:
Trend Report
Opportunity Roadmap from MVP to Advanced Digital Utilisation
Tested Web & App Concept
Social Media Utilisation Proposal