How might we increase sales and service recommendations through the company website?
Problem
Outcome
I designed and implemented a website, brand guide, and style guide to increase conversions.
Reducing user friction and increasing engagement and conversion rates to increase sales.
In class, I pitched a concept for a wine discovery app and it was voted the top idea to develop by my peers. Most wine apps cater to enthusiasts, not casual drinkers. I saw an opportunity to simplify decision-making, personalize recommendations, and make wine more approachable using familiar UX patterns especially for users who don’t speak the “language” of wine.
Contract Product Designer
Role
Timeline
12 weeks
2 UX designers + 1 PD (me!)
Team
View Final Prototype
Why is the Wine Industry Struggling?
Results & findings
We conducted interviews with 5 casual wine drinkers and analyzed the UX of top competitors like Vivino. Across the board, users expressed confusion, frustration, and lack of trust:
Wine Doesn't Mix with the Modern Consumer
Most users didn’t understand flavor descriptors like “brambly” or “leathery” or even "dry"
Star ratings felt disconnected from user's actual taste because audience preference varies so widely
None of the apps made it easy to compare wines or learn personal preferences
It wasn’t just an information problem, it was a confidence problem. People wanted to learn, but the tools weren’t built for how they would actually choose a wine.
Insight: Choosing a wine felt like guesswork—users struggled to know what made one bottle better for them than another.
Decision: I introduced a side-by-side comparison feature so users could weigh wines by occasion, taste profile, and price.
Why It Mattered: This lowered decision friction and created a familiar, e-commerce-inspired experience. By comparing many options, users felt more confident about their choices and more likely to convert.
Insight: Star ratings weren’t helpful. Users consistently felt disappointed by a highly rated wine that just wasn't their taste. What users really wanted was a way to learn what they liked—not what everyone else did.
Decision: I replaced universal ratings with taste sliders that allowed users to build their own flavor profile (e.g., light–rich, dry–sweet).
Why It Mattered: This transformed Uncorked into a smart companion that got better with use—turning feedback into increasingly accurate recommendations that felt tailored, not generic.
Insight: Users trusted friends more than critics, but current apps didn’t let them connect.
Decision: I designed a recommendation system that shows reviews from users with similar taste archetypes (like “light & bright” or “big & bold”) and lets users add friends to see what wines they have tried and liked.
Why It Mattered: This built trust and discovery into the social fabric of the app. Instead of relying on gatekeeping experts, users could learn from each other—creating a more inclusive, collaborative experience.
Feature 3:
Make Wine Social, Not Snobby
Creating design documentation, style guide, and design system
I found design documentation surprisingly rewarding. I began with the tokens and moved swiftly into the components and icons, finishing with documentation.
Projected Impact