CALIA by Carrie Underwood needed to move off a third-party platform and launch an in-house e-commerce experience — in one month, without losing the brand's premium feel.
This project was completed in partnership with UX Designer Dennae Makel. My specific contributions are called out throughout this case study. All research, testing, and analysis was conducted jointly.
The Problem
CALIA was hosted on a third-party platform managed by Dick's Sporting Goods. As the brand entered its fifth year, it needed independence — its own platform, its own design system, and a shopping experience that matched its premium positioning.
The plus-size collection lacked visibility. The IA was unclear. And it all had to ship in one month.
My Contributions
Shared Work
Dennae Makel led header design and core page layouts. Menu taxonomy and structure were designed by Dennae based on our joint research findings.
The design system was originally built for Dick's Sporting Goods — I reskinned it for CALIA, adapting color, typography, and components to fit the brand's identity.
Research
Together, Dennae and I conducted stakeholder interviews, deployed targeted surveys to understand athletic apparel shopping behavior, and ran a card sorting exercise to determine intuitive product categorization. We also analyzed SEO search trends for plus-size activewear to inform taxonomy decisions.
My Design Work — Filters
The filter system was one of the most research-intensive components. Card sorting and survey data revealed a clear distinction between how users thought about categories versus how they refined results.
I translated those findings into a faceted filter system covering neckline, sleeve length, size, color, price, and rating — all informed by real user mental models, not assumptions.
My Design Work — BOPIS
Buy Online, Pick Up In Store was a new capability for CALIA. Users needed to know availability, pickup location, and timing without friction derailing the purchase.
I designed the BOPIS messaging pattern to surface at the right moment — clear, confident, and on-brand.
My Design Work — Footer
The footer is often an afterthought. For a premium brand launching independently for the first time, it's a trust signal.
I designed a footer that organized links logically, surfaced brand story elements, and maintained visual consistency with the design system across all breakpoints.
Prototyping & Testing
I built all interactive prototypes used in usability testing — covering desktop and mobile navigation flows. Dennae and I ran testing sessions together, recruited across user segments, and jointly analyzed results to validate our taxonomy and navigation decisions before a single line of code was written.
Outcomes
The redesigned CALIA site launched on schedule, moving the brand fully off its third-party platform. Post-launch metrics showed a 193% increase in site traffic. The plus-size collection received dedicated navigation for the first time, and BOPIS launched as a new purchase channel.
"The fastest projects reveal the clearest priorities. With one month and two designers, every decision had to be grounded in research — there was no room for assumptions. That constraint made the work better."
— Stephanie Gross, UX Designer