Chewy is a multi-billion dollar online pet retailer whose mission is: “to be the most trusted and convenient destination for pet parents (and partners), everywhere.” They sell more than 2,000 favorite pet brands and are recognized with providing pet parents with world-class customer service, a pillar of the brand as a whole.

 
 

PDP - Single Page Application (SPA)

Background

Chewy, sought to scale its platform to deliver a faster and resilient shopping experience for pet parents. The Product Detail Page (PDP) is Chewy’s most visited page with nearly 1 billion pageviews per year, over 85% of all web purchases include a PDP view. This project kicked off in early 2021 with the PDP team piloting a migration to a Single Page Application (SPA) and the introduction of a new design system called Chirp. As a Product Designer, I joined the organization during its early stages, facing numerous challenges and ambitious goals.

Project Duration: 1 year (completed April 2022)

Project Goals: Improve page performance, bring parity to device-types, and DO NO HARM to existing success metrics

This is an example of the legacy PDP.

 

My Role

Core Team

  • 3 Product Managers

  • 7 Engineers

  • 2 QA Engineers

  • 1 Product Designer (me)

Stakeholders

  • Site Merchandising

  • Design Systems

  • Accessibility

  • Customer Support

  • Legal

  • Product, Design, Engineering Leadership

  • …and 10 additional Away Teams with investments on the PDP

 

Challenges

I encountered several challenges, including ambiguous project kick-off (shown right), limited requirements, frequent milestone shifts, and the pressure to meet a 3-month earlier deadline. To address these challenges, I devised various strategies, which I will elaborate on during my portfolio presentation. One example (shown below) is the organization of design files to streamline communication with engineers.

Breakdown of all the PDP components displayed at the most common screen sizes and breakpoints.

 

Validation

In addition, due to the accelerated timeline, we had to make trade-offs, which impacted our ability to conduct planned AB tests and user studies. However, I managed to squeeze in a usability study focused on the Product Details section. This research led to the selection of the accordion as the preferred feature component to bring parity to different devices.

(Fun fact: I’ve conducted more user research in the last year than any other designer at Chewy)


Result

The project yielded significant results, including a 30% increase in performance and an 8% boost in conversion rates. Additionally, I contributed to the creation of over 20 new components in the Chirp design system. This success was acknowledged with an internal MI10 Award, recognizing my contributions to design collaboration.

During this period, I also played a role in developing standards for design quality assurance, crafted PDP Tenets and Sign Posts, facilitated the integration of Away Teams with PDP, led two Design Org process initiatives, and created a mentorship framework for internal candidates interested in transitioning to a design role.

Through this project I was able to overcome challenges, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and drive significant improvements in user experience and business outcomes.


FInal Design

Key Takeaways

  • Effective collaboration and problem-solving are essential in managing complex projects.

  • Adaptability and agility are crucial in meeting accelerated deadlines.

  • User research can lead to informed design decisions even under tight schedules.

  • Effective communication and organization are vital for streamlined teamwork.

Next Steps

The successful migration to a SPA and the launch of the new design system set the stage for further enhancements and innovations to continue delivering the best pet shopping experience at Chewy.