Kohl’s

Designing new mobile commerce experiences

I was the lead UX and UI designer on several key shopping flows in the Kohl’s mobile app for iOS and Android.

This work helped improve the experience for a major U.S. retailer with over 1,100 stores and millions of mobile shoppers.

Project overview

Role

Lead UX/UI Designer

Team

  • eCommerce leadership

  • Product owners

  • UX and UI designers

  • Engineering and integration partners

Platform

iOS • Android

Key deliverables

  • Core mobile shopping flows

  • Buy Online, Pick Up In Store (BOPUS)

  • Promotions and offers experiences

  • Sales alert subscription flows

  • Navigation and discovery patterns

  • Ad monetization support

  • Developer-ready UI designs

The problem

Kohl’s had just redesigned their app, but several key shopping experiences were still missing.

Discovery

I partnered with product and eCommerce teams to understand which gaps mattered most.

I reviewed:

  • the new design system

  • existing mobile patterns

  • platform differences between iOS and Android

This helped ensure new work would feel consistent, scalable, and buildable.

Strategy

My focus was improving high-impact shopping flows that were missing or incomplete.

Key principles included:

  • consistent patterns across iOS and Android

  • clear defaults

  • familiar interaction models

Small UX improvements at this scale could create meaningful impact across millions of users.

Overcoming constraints

As a consultant, I needed to ramp up quickly and deliver value right away.

I focused on building trust with leadership and partner teams so decisions could move fast and stay aligned.

Clear communication and strong relationships helped maintain consistency as work transitioned across designers.

Final designs

Buy Online, Pick Up In Store (BOPUS)

I helped define how BOPUS works across real-world scenarios.

I collaborated with UX to map 20 common cases and updated key screens so each path was clear and predictable. The focus was on clear actions, helpful messages, and fallback options.

Collection page

Shopping bage

PDP - Available in store

PDP - Available to ship

Product images

I designed a simple image system for PDPs across 14 common actions:
Clear image count
Swipe and zoom support
Full-screen viewing

This helps shoppers feel confident before buying.

Alternate color

Default view

Swipe right to left

Image screen close button

Wallet notifications

I added a subtle blue dot to notify users of wallet offers without distraction.

Counts appear when tapped, making offers easy to find and manage.

Homepage

Expanded menu

Wallet

Sales alerts

I created a consistent sign-up pattern across key moments:

  • Account creation

  • Preferences

  • Checkout

  • Homepage

Each uses short, clear copy so users understand what they’re opting into.

Sales Alerts thank you message

About Sales Alerts

Sales Alerts form

Opt-in from ‘Checkout’

Opt-in from ‘Create an account’

Bag restrictions

I designed clear messages for items that can’t be purchased in-app.

Users see:

  • Why the item is restricted

  • What to do next

  • Confirmation when actions succeed

This keeps trust high even when a purchase can’t be completed.

BOPUS unavailable

Bag restrictions

Item removed

Mobile ads

I defined safe, high-visibility placements for ads that support monetization without disrupting shopping. Ads appear above the scroll on first load, keeping content in focus.

Product Matrix Page (PMP) List View

Zero Search Results Page

Product Matrix Page (PMP)

Homepage

Dev handoff & implementation

I prepared clean, developer-ready files for both iOS and Android. Designs were well organized, clearly labeled, and consistent to reduce back-and-forth and support scalable implementation.

Impact & outcomes

Brought clarity and consistency to key parts of the Kohl’s app during a large redesign effort.

The work helped leadership trust that visual quality would hold as designs moved through the backlog and across teams.

Clear guidance and collaboration also supported faster onboarding for new designers and smoother handoffs overall.

Team feedback
“Nancy was a delight to work with, bringing a multi-faceted skill set to the team which extended beyond her primary focus as a visual designer. Nancy’s expertise helped make the overall products she designed stronger with timely input on user experience and the ability to tackle end to end challenges. In addition to her creative talents, I appreciated Nancy’s organization and inherent project management, communication and partnership skills.” — Kohl’s Senior Manager

“Nancy instilled a lot of trust in Kohl’s Senior Manager. He has not once heard feedback on the visual designs she has been responsible for that there was an issue (and apparently he usually does hear this about designs from the client partners) and told us that the high quality work that Nancy does is a big part of the reason this is such a high performing team.” — Accenture Senior Manager