Building a Sustainable Brand:
From Concept to Market
As Lead Designer, Research & Development for Hereafter, I played a pivotal role in the end-to-end development and launch of an eco-friendly activewear line tailored to outdoor community consumers. Collaborating closely with the CEO, I informed, influenced, and directed key aspects of the product strategy, user research, and
e-commerce innovation. This partnership resulted in the successful market launch of 5 products and the beta testing of 7 additional concepts, driving measurable business impact.
Key results included:
A 35% increase in sales from a CX-driven company rebrand.
A 15% improvement in product-market alignment through targeted UX research.
Responsibilities
Product & Technical Design
Product Strategy
User Research
E-commerce Experience Design
R&D for Proprietary Material
Role
Lead Designer, Research and Development
Duration
May 2020 - February 2021
The Problem
When I was asked to join Hereafter, the company had launched a single product—a pair of leggings—and had a successful Kickstarter campaign, selling a few thousand units. However, they faced key challenges:
Limited product offerings with no clear brand identity or connection to a defined target audience.
Lack of cohesive branding to communicate the company's eco-conscious values and mission effectively.
No established e-commerce experience to support a larger product launch and create a seamless shopping experience for customers.
Discovery Phase
To define the product strategy, I led a research-first approach:
Conducted user interviews and surveys with 50+ outdoor community members to uncover unmet needs and expectations around sustainable activewear.
Created personas based on research insights, emphasizing priorities like durability, eco-friendliness, and style.
Mapped the user journey for online shoppers, identifying pain points in the e-commerce funnel.
Product Development & Experience Strategy
From research insights, I crafted a product and digital strategy:
Product Development: Designed and prototyped 5 activewear products, prioritizing the features most valued by users. Tested an additional 7 products with beta users for iterative refinement.
E-commerce Launch: Collaborated with designers and developers to create a user-centered e-commerce platform optimized for seamless browsing, purchasing, and storytelling around sustainability.
CX-Driven Rebrand: Developed the vision and strategy for the company’s rebrand, enhancing the digital experience and aligning messaging with the brand's eco-conscious ethos.
The Result & Impact
Sales Impact: The CX rebrand led to a 35% increase in sales within 3 months.
Customer Alignment: Research-driven product strategy improved product-market fit by 15%.
Product Launch Success: Successfully launched 5 products to market with 7 beta-tested concepts in development.
Cultivated and enhanced relationships with executive-level partners, North American and International vendors, clients, and customers, enabling access to top-tier resources and subject matter experts.
