Redesigning the digital infrastructure of a lean multi-channel retailer
When a lean e-commerce company hit $1M in revenue selling surplus industrial parts, it found itself at a crossroads: how to grow beyond eBay, regain control over its customer experience, and build the infrastructure needed to scale across platforms.
I was brought on as the company’s first and only designer, tasked with reviving its neglected Shopify storefront, integrating a centralized inventory system, and developing a cohesive digital presence worthy of the business it had become.
Through end-to-end implementation—across UX, front-end customization, inventory tooling, and lightweight brand design—I helped MyCyberMarkets transform a fragile, patchwork setup into a maintainable, multi-channel system ready for future growth.
ROLE
Product Designer (Web, UX, Systems)
Owned digital storefront design, Shopify customization, inventory integration workflows, internal documentation, and brand guidelines. Sole designer on a 6-person team.
DURATION
12 months
TOOLS
Shopify CMS, Shopify Flow, Liquid (code), 3D Sellers, Google Analytics, Canva, Excel, Loom, Figma (light)
COLLABORATORS
Daniela Urquiola— Director of E-Commerce
Kevin Duran— Product Strategist
Mafer Dompablo— Product Specialist
Cesar Anzola— CEO
PART 1
Reviving Shopify as a Trustworthy Sales Channel
PROBLEM
The Shopify storefront had been technically live, but practically abandoned. A broken integration with eBay meant the catalog was incomplete and hard to manage. Most products were listed only on eBay, and Shopify saw almost no traffic or sales.
With no control over customer relationships and no fallback if eBay policies shifted, the business needed to reclaim Shopify as a functioning, self-owned channel.
APPROACH
As the company’s only designer, I led the effort to bring Shopify back to life. With no dev support and a minimal budget, I focused on practical solutions: analyzing competitors, restructuring the site, customizing theme code, and automating internal workflows. I worked closely with stakeholders to ensure the site reflected how our buyers—and our inventory—actually worked.
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KEY CHANGES
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
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Rebuilt homepage layout and menus based on user needs and internal logic
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Defined product categories with operations and strategy teams
THEME CUSTOMIZATION
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Built conditional RX form for prescription-tagged items
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Added breadcrumb navigation
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Created logic for per-product return policies using metafields
OPERATIONAL ENHANCEMENTS
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Set up Shopify Flow automations for consistent data
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Connected Google Analytics
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Added a “PO Request” tab in response to buyer messages
RESULTS
Within two months of relaunch, Shopify sales rose 389%, generating $7,152 in revenue across 22 orders. More importantly, the site was functional, scalable, and trusted—internally and externally. It now serves as a stable foundation for future multi-channel growth.
Reviving Shopify as a Trustworthy Sales Channel
PROBLEM
The Shopify storefront had been technically live, but practically abandoned. A broken integration with eBay meant the catalog was incomplete and hard to manage. Most products were listed only on eBay, and Shopify saw almost no traffic or sales.
With no control over customer relationships and no fallback if eBay policies shifted, the business needed to reclaim Shopify as a functioning, self-owned channel.
APPROACH
As the company’s only designer, I led the effort to bring Shopify back to life. With no dev support and a minimal budget, I focused on practical solutions: analyzing competitors, restructuring the site, customizing theme code, and automating internal workflows. I worked closely with stakeholders to ensure the site reflected how our buyers—and our inventory—actually worked.
BACKGROUND
Noble Plateware is a small ceramics studio in Brooklyn with a decades-long legacy of handcrafted dinnerware. After the passing of its founder, the company was purchased by a former apprentice, who now faced the challenge of running a legacy business with unclear product strategy, limited data, and a growing e-commerce channel she didn’t fully understand.
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Understand how to grow e-commerce sales without losing the brand’s identity
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Identify which product categories (beyond dinnerware) have the highest potential
BUSINESS GOALS
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Complex user base and sales channels → medley of restaurants, online buyers, local fans, class takers, and associated marketplaces
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Opaque analytics → Shopify data was not comprehensive enough to produce insights on product prioritization
CHALLENGES
RESEARCH GOAL
Clarify Noble’s value proposition through the lens of its highest-potential e-commerce segment:
repeat online buyers in New York with long-term brand familiarity.
SUBORDINATE GOALS
Understand who Noble’s core customers are and how they shop
Define the emotional and functional qualities that make Noble distinct from competitors
Identify which non-dinnerware product categories feel desirable and “on-brand”
WORKSHOP DESIGN
I designed a two-hour in-person workshop to uncover both brand perception and product direction from a small group of screened customers. Activities balanced qualitative insight with practical data to support decision-making across marketing and product development.
I recruited all participants myself, using Shopify sales records, additional screener forms, and email and phone communications. I also facilitated the session solo, designing the activities, preparing all materials, and coordinating logistics on site.
ACTIVITIES
1. Intro Icebreaker
Brief discovery form disguised as a warm-up, which participants shared verbally in a round-table format.
Purpose: Collect foundational marketing insights while establishing rapport.
2. Desirability Mapping
Participants selected adjectives that best described Noble’s products.
Purpose: Reveal the emotional and sensory qualities customers associate with the brand.
3. Personal Inventories
Participants drew maps of their homes and the ceramics in them, then walked the group through their drawings.
Purpose: Understand Noble’s place within broader consumption habits and identify product line gaps.
4. Product Affinity Sorting
Participants arranged product cards along a “most vs least Noble” axis, adding stickers for owned or desired items.
Purpose: Test potential product directions and clarify what feels core to the brand.
KEY INSIGHTS
BRAND PERCEPTION
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Described as effortless, elevated, satisfying weight, textured, and calming
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Products have the ability to make food look better and feel better to serve
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Bright or highly decorative styles were viewed as inconsistent with the brand
PRODUCT HABITS AND PREFERENCES
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Owned a mix of Noble products, artisan ceramics, and mass-market items
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Ceramics were chosen for daily use, not display, and functionality and feel mattered
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Favored versatile pieces that were sensory-rich, even if used infrequently
CATEGORY OPPORTUNITIES
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Desired additions: small bowls, planters, vases, spoon rests, catchalls, tea sets, and pet bowls
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No interest expressed in: ceramic lamps, earrings, tiles, or mirrors
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“Most Noble” items were typically kitchen-adjacent, textural, and modest in shape
STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS
I translated workshop insights into clear recommendations across product, brand, and marketing strategy. These were grounded in customer language and behaviors, and delivered in a report that Noble’s leadership could act on immediately.
PRODUCT DIRECTION
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Prioritize versatile, kitchen-adjacent products that feel tactile, textural, and multipurpose
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Avoid expanding into unrelated categories like lamps, earrings, or decorative tiles without rebranding or targeting a different audience
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Use customer vocabulary to evaluate new product lines: if it doesn’t feel “effortless”, "elegant", or "textural", reconsider
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Anchor Noble’s identity in understated elegance and effortless craft
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Prioritize tactile bottoms, evocative glazes, and generous wax lines—the details customers spoke about the most
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Avoid glazes or forms that read as “bright,” “fun,” or overly decorative—these dilute the brand perception
BRAND POSITIONING
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Improve online discovery for restaurant customers who may have seen Noble products in use but can’t find them online
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Invest in paid search ads targeting brand-adjacent terms (e.g. “Noble bowl,” “ceramics from [restaurant name]”)
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Encourage word-of-mouth marketing from local fans and studio sale attendees through refer-a-friend strategies
E-COMMERCE STRATEGY
OUTCOMES & REFLECTION
This project taught me how much can be uncovered through thoughtful, well-scoped research—even with a small sample and limited resources. The insights from the workshop were delivered as a formal report. While I have not yet heard how the client implemented them, I believe the work provided a strong foundation for future decision-making. Along the way, I also took away a few lessons that continue to shape how I approach research:
TAKEAWAYS
NEXT STEPS
1. Encouraging participants to disagree is surprisingly challenging. Designing activities to prevent groupthink is key.
2. What I love about design research is that it’s both mind-expanding and heartwarming. This may be why I find it so energizing.
3. Feedback needs to be built into the workshop itself or it won’t happen. Next time, I’ll plan a moment for it.
1. Follow up with the client to learn how the recommendations were used and what support would help them move forward.
2. Explore best practices for helping small clients act on strategic research when extended support isn't possible.
