E-Commerce Platform Redesign

A comprehensive redesign of a major e-commerce platform serving over 1 million users monthly. The project focused on improving conversion rates, user experience, and overall site performance.

Project Overview

This was a 6-month engagement where we completely overhauled the frontend architecture while maintaining backward compatibility with existing backend systems.

Key Challenges

1. Legacy codebase - Working with 10-year-old jQuery code
2. Performance bottlenecks - Slow page loads affecting conversion
3. Mobile experience - Poor responsive design
4. Accessibility issues - WCAG 2.1 non-compliance

Technical Approach

Technology Stack

We migrated the entire frontend to modern technologies:

// New architecture
const techStack = {
  framework: 'Next.js 14',
  styling: 'SCSS Modules',
  stateManagement: 'Zustand',
  api: 'GraphQL with Apollo Client',
  testing: 'Jest + Playwright',
  deployment: 'Vercel Edge Network'
};

Performance Optimizations

We implemented several critical optimizations:

• Image optimization - Next.js Image component with WebP
• Code splitting - Route-based chunking
• Lazy loading - Below-the-fold content
• CDN caching - Edge network distribution

Design System

We built a comprehensive design system from scratch:

Component	Variants	Accessibility
Buttons	5 types	ARIA labels
Forms	8 types	Error states
Cards	12 types	Keyboard nav
Modals	4 types	Focus trap

Color Palette

"Color is a power which directly influences the soul." - Wassily Kandinsky

Our color system was built on accessibility and brand consistency:

• Primary: #1a73e8
• Secondary: #34a853
• Accent: #fbbc04
• Danger: #ea4335

Results and Impact

The redesign yielded impressive results:

Metrics Improvement

• 📈 45% increase in conversion rate
• ⚡ 60% faster page load times
• 📱 200% increase in mobile engagement
• ♿ 100% WCAG 2.1 AA compliance

User Feedback

Code Examples

Here's a sample of our component architecture:

// Product Card Component
interface ProductCardProps {
  id: string;
  name: string;
  price: number;
  image: string;
  onAddToCart: (id: string) => void;
}

const ProductCard: React.FC<ProductCardProps> = ({
  id,
  name,
  price,
  image,
  onAddToCart
}) => {
  const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(false);
  
  const handleAddToCart = async () => {
    setIsLoading(true);
    await onAddToCart(id);
    setIsLoading(false);
  };
  
  return (
    <article className={styles.productCard}>
      <Image src={image} alt={name} width={400} height={300} />
      <h3>{name}</h3>
      <p className={styles.price}>${price.toFixed(2)}</p>
      <Button 
        onClick={handleAddToCart} 
        loading={isLoading}
        aria-label={\`Add \${name} to cart\`}
      >
        Add to Cart
      </Button>
    </article>
  );
};

Lessons Learned

1. Start with accessibility - Don't bolt it on later
2. Performance is UX - Users notice every millisecond
3. Component-driven development - Reusability saves time
4. Test early, test often - Automated testing catches edge cases

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Next Steps

Moving forward, we're planning:

• AI-powered product recommendations
• Virtual try-on features using AR
• Voice-activated shopping assistant
• Blockchain-based loyalty program

Technologies to explore: TensorFlow.js, WebXR, Web Speech API, Smart Contracts