Just Cuz Case Study — A Peacock Portfolio

Roles

I assumed the following roles:

Design/Market Researcher

User Experience (UX) Designer

User Interface (UI) Designer

Visual Designer

Giving Voice to the Concerns of the Creative.

Just Cuz is a socially conscious brand that empowers artists and supports communities worldwide by offering high-quality, customizable products. Every purchase directly contributes to artists' livelihoods and charitable causes, harnessing the power of art to inspire positive change globally.

Deliverables

Interaction Design:

High-fidelity interactive prototypes for key tasks on IOS

UX/UI Design

Competitive Analysis

User Surveys

User Journeys/Empathy Maps

Low-fidelity wireframes

High-fidelity mockups & prototypes

Branding/Design Systems

Problems

Distinguishing Brand Identity: The challenge is to create a brand identity for Just Cuz that stands out in a saturated market, effectively conveying its mission and values amid existing competition.
Consistent Voice and Tone: Ensuring that the design system aligns seamlessly with the company's voice and tone poses a significant problem, requiring a cohesive approach that reflects Just Cuz's unique identity.
Balancing Designer and Charity Focus: The project must find a way to strike the right balance in product design, giving equal emphasis to both the artists and the charitable causes Just Cuz supports while maintaining a cohesive and appealing product line.

Project Specifications

Duration: 6 weeks

Tools:

Figma

Miro

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Typeform

Chat GPT (Initial Research)

Overview

The Just Cuz Branding and UX Design Project aims to create a compelling and purpose-driven brand identity for Just Cuz, a company that empowers artists and supports communities through the sale of customizable products. The primary objectives of this project include:

Brand Identity: Develop a distinctive brand identity that communicates the values, mission, and essence of Just Cuz.

User Experience (UX) Design: Enhance the user experience on the Just Cuz website and mobile app to facilitate seamless product customization and a socially conscious shopping experience.

Design Research: Conduct comprehensive research to understand the target audience, market trends, and competitor landscape, ensuring that Just Cuz remains relevant and competitive.

Design Process: Establish an efficient and well-documented design process that includes ideation, prototyping, testing, and iterative design improvements.

Research

To inform our design strategy, we conducted extensive research within the competitive space, meticulously analyzing the branding and user experiences of key competitors to identify gaps and opportunities for differentiation. Additionally, our general research delved into market trends, emerging design concepts, and charitable partnership insights, providing a comprehensive foundation for our creative direction.

Moreover, 100 user surveys were conducted to gain invaluable insights into the preferences, pain points, and expectations of our target audience, enabling us to tailor the UX design to meet their specific needs and enhance their overall shopping experience.

Solutions

Establishing Distinctive Branding: Conduct thorough market research to identify unique selling points and incorporate them into a compelling brand story that sets Just Cuz apart from competitors.
Consistency in Design: Develop a comprehensive design system that encompasses visual elements, typography, and messaging guidelines, ensuring a harmonious and consistent brand experience across all touch-points.
Design Harmony: Implement a product design approach that integrates artists' creativity with the charitable mission by creating customizable product templates that allow customers to choose their favorite designs while transparently showcasing the charitable causes supported by each purchase.

Findings

Global Willingness to Contribute: A significant 55% of respondents worldwide express a willingness to pay a premium for products associated with charitable contributions, highlighting a strong global appetite for socially responsible purchasing.
Brand Loyalty and Social Impact: 90% of individuals are open to switching their loyalty to companies that actively contribute to meaningful causes, showcasing the potential for businesses to attract and retain customers by aligning with charitable initiatives.
Millennial Embrace of Corporate Citizenship: A substantial 81% of millennials express a desire to support brands engaged in corporate citizenship, emphasizing the importance of social responsibility in attracting and retaining the loyalty of this influential demographic.

Establishing the Brand.

Maintaining Just Cuz’ voice and tone are vital to the branding system. Consisting of calm and cool colors, firm and authentic typography, and original imagery.

Adding Structure.

In this critical stage, we will translate our research insights into concrete design concepts, crafting a brand identity and user experience that aligns seamlessly with Just Cuz's mission and captures the essence of social responsibility.

Visualizing Design

Establishing the Visual Design for Just Cuz, the focus was on creating a calm and confident design system that would compliment the ever changing charities/artists that use the platform.

Prototyping

Our app prototyping process aimed to create an intuitive and engaging user experience that seamlessly integrates product customization with the company's social mission. We developed interactive prototypes that not only streamline the shopping journey but also transparently communicate the charitable impact of each purchase, allowing users to feel a direct connection to the causes they support. Our approach prioritized user feedback and iterative design improvements to ensure a user-centric app that empowers individuals to make a meaningful difference while enjoying high-quality, customizable products..

Desktop Design

Following the same user flow as the app design, the desktop iteration offers more details into voice and messaging.

Lessons Learned

Striking a harmonious balance between supporting artists and charitable causes while maintaining profitability requires careful planning and transparent communication to resonate with socially conscious consumers.
Clearly articulating the company's social mission and the tangible impact of each purchase fosters a deeper emotional connection with customers and builds brand loyalty.
Comprehensive research is the cornerstone of successful design. Findings underscored the significance of social responsibility in consumer choices, reinforcing the importance of aligning brand values with user expectations.