UX Product Strategy — Executive Portfolio
A jewellery brand defined by no gender at all.
The complete 21-stage UX lifecycle behind Project Prism — a premium, gender-free jewellery experience for a global audience — documented from problem framing through production handoff.
How to read this document
Each of the 21 stages below carries the same shape: an objective, the work behind it, the artifact it produces, and the gate that must be cleared before the next stage begins. Roughly seventy percent of this document is judgment and evidence-gathering — the remaining third is where a jewellery collection actually gets drawn, modelled, and shipped.
Research→
Insights→
Strategy→
Concept→
Design→
Prototype→
Testing→
Approval→
Production→
Launch
01
Phase I · Discovery
Problem Definition
Objective — Establish, before a single sketch exists, why this product should exist at all. If the problem cannot be explained in under a minute, the project does not deserve a design team yet.
Background
The jewellery industry has historically segmented product lines into "men's" and "women's" collections. Consumer behaviour is shifting: younger, globally connected shoppers increasingly value personal style, minimalism, and self-expression over categories assigned at the shelf. Digital commerce has widened access to international brands, raising the bar for what a considered, inclusive shopping experience looks like.
Problem Statement
Consumers seeking jewellery that reflects personal style rather than traditional gender categories face limited product discovery, inconsistent positioning, and unnecessary segmentation — making it harder to find pieces that feel universally wearable and authentic.
Opportunity Statement
Create a globally relevant jewellery experience built on timeless design, personal identity, and universal wearability — letting customers choose by style, emotion, and function, not gender labels.
Who experiences this problem (broad groups — personas follow in Stage 09)
Primary
- Young professionals & working adults
- Creative professionals
- Fashion-conscious, minimalist shoppers
- Gift buyers
Secondary
- Retail & marketplace partners
- Fashion stylists
- Brand collaborators
Assumptions & risks on record
| Assumption | Associated risk |
|---|---|
| Consumers are open to gender-free jewellery | Demand may vary sharply by culture and region |
| Minimalist design has broad global appeal | "Gender-free" as a term may not translate or resonate everywhere |
| Customers value inclusivity in fashion choices | Established brands may already serve part of this need |
| Global audiences want a more inclusive shopping model | Manufacturing constraints may limit design flexibility |
02
Phase I · Discovery
Business Goals
Objective — Understand what the business is actually optimising for — margin, brand, geography, timeline — before research or design decisions are made that assume the wrong target.
Vision
Create a globally recognised jewellery brand that celebrates individuality through timeless, gender-free design.
Mission
Design jewellery that appeals through aesthetics, craftsmanship, and emotional value — not gender labels.
Business objectives
- Launch a premium global jewellery brand within 12 months
- Differentiate clearly from traditional, gender-segmented houses
- Establish an online-first, mobile-first commerce model
- Enter North America, Europe, APAC, and the Middle East within three years
- Build loyalty through timeless collections rather than seasonal drops
- Position sustainability as a core brand value, not a marketing layer
Business KPIs (illustrative — to be refined with Finance)
$10M
Year 1 revenue
≥60
NPS target
35%
Repeat purchase rate
<1%
Manufacturing defect rate
Constraints on record
| Budget | $3M — Phase 1 |
| Timeline | 12 months to launch |
| Materials | Recycled silver & gold, titanium, stainless steel, lab-grown gemstones where applicable |
| Manufacturing | Two facilities at initial production |
| Sustainability | Ethical sourcing, recyclable packaging, carbon-conscious logistics |
03
Phase I · Discovery
Stakeholder Discovery
Objective — Map every function that can slow or stop this product — Finance, Manufacturing, Legal, Marketing — before their concerns surface as a rejected design three months in.
| Stakeholder | Primary concern | Influence | Engagement |
|---|---|---|---|
| CEO | Business growth | High | Weekly review |
| VP Product | Product success | High | Weekly review |
| Finance | Cost & ROI | High | Bi-weekly |
| Marketing | Brand & campaigns | High | Weekly |
| Manufacturing | Feasibility | High | Weekly |
| Legal | Compliance | Medium | Milestone |
| UX Team | User experience | High | Daily |
| Industrial Design / 3D | Product form | Medium–High | Daily / as needed |
What each function is actually asking for
Marketing
"I want this to be Instagram-worthy."
Manufacturing
"Don't design shapes we can't cast at scale."
Finance
"Keep landed cost under target — no surprises."
04
Phase I · Discovery
Research Plan
Objective — Decide, deliberately, what we need to learn and which method actually answers it — before booking a single interview.
| Open question | Method | Why this method |
|---|---|---|
| How is gender used in jewellery shopping today? | Semi-structured interviews | Surfaces reasoning, not just behaviour |
| What does the category look like globally? | Desk / market research | Fast, broad coverage across regions |
| How do people actually browse and decide? | Contextual observation | Reveals gaps between stated and actual behaviour |
| Would a wider audience adopt this concept? | Quantitative survey (post-concept) | Validates signal at scale before production |
Planned sample
20–40 participants, spanning at least six countries across four regions, mixed gender identities, ages 18–55, spanning income bands from accessible to premium.
05
Phase I · Discovery
Market Research
Objective — Understand the size, shape, and direction of the category we are entering, independent of any one competitor.
$350B+
Global jewellery market (est.)
4–6%
Est. annual category growth
18–34
Fastest-growing buyer age band
↑
Demand for recycled metals
Directional findings
- Gender-neutral and unisex framing is expanding fastest in accessories and fine jewellery, led by younger, urban buyers.
- Recycled and lab-grown materials are shifting from niche to expected, particularly in North America and Western Europe.
- Online-first jewellery brands are winning trust through transparency (sourcing, pricing, materials) rather than heritage alone.
- Regional buying language varies — "unisex," "gender-neutral," and "gender-free" carry different connotations by market and require local validation.
06
Phase I · Discovery
Competitor Analysis
Objective — Understand who else is already answering this need, and where the honest whitespace remains.
| Archetype | Position | Strength | Weakness / Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy luxury house | Heritage, gendered lines | Craftsmanship, brand trust | Slow to reposition; little gender-free range |
| Direct-to-consumer minimalist | Affordable, unisex-adjacent | Strong digital UX, fast iteration | Thin materials story, limited premium tier |
| Sustainable artisan collective | Ethical, small-batch | Authentic sourcing narrative | Limited scale, inconsistent global shipping |
| Fast-fashion accessory brand | Trend-led, low price | Speed to trend, volume | Low perceived quality; not a credible "premium" comparison |
Whitespace
No identified competitor currently combines premium craftsmanship, explicit gender-free design language, and verifiable sustainable sourcing at global scale. That intersection is Project Prism's opening.
07
Phase I · Discovery
User Research
Objective — Talk to real people before assuming what "gender-free" means to them.
| Sample composition | Detail |
|---|---|
| Participants | 32 total |
| Regions | North America, Western Europe, South Asia, East Asia, Middle East, Latin America |
| Gender identity | Mixed — men, women, non-binary participants represented |
| Ages | 18–55 |
Representative interview questions
- What jewellery do you wear day to day, and why that piece specifically?
- Has "men's" or "women's" labelling ever stopped you buying something you liked?
- What would make a piece feel like it was made for you, regardless of category?
Raw signal (pre-synthesis)
- Several participants already buy across gendered sections informally, but describe the process as "awkward" or "slower than it should be."
- Material and craftsmanship were mentioned more often than "gender-neutral" as a purchase driver.
- Sizing and scale (not just style) were repeatedly cited as the real barrier to a piece feeling universal.
08
Phase I · Discovery
Research Synthesis
Objective — Convert 32 conversations and a stack of notes into a small number of themes the whole team can design against.
Theme
Sizing over styling
Scale and proportion — not colour or motif — is the real barrier to a piece feeling "for anyone."
Theme
Material as identity
People anchor self-expression in material and craft quality more than in explicit gender messaging.
Theme
Friction, not refusal
Shoppers already cross gendered lines informally; the experience just makes it harder than it needs to be.
Opportunity areas carried forward
- Build a sizing system based on adjustable, modular fit rather than "men's / women's" sizing charts.
- Lead product storytelling with material and craft, with inclusivity as the framework rather than the headline.
- Redesign product discovery around style and occasion, removing gendered navigation entirely.
09
Phase I · Discovery
Personas
Objective — Turn broad audience groups into specific, arguable people the team can design decisions around.
Alex
"I don't want jewellery that tells people what I am. I want it to say how I think."
Minimalist, values material honesty, shops online-first, frustrated by gendered category filters.
Priya
"Half my favourite pieces come from the 'wrong' section of the store."
Buys across categories already, wants sizing that fits without needing a "men's" or "women's" chart.
Jordan
"I want one piece I can wear every single day — not a costume."
Budget-conscious, values durability and sustainability claims they can actually verify.
10
Phase I · Discovery
Product Strategy
Objective — Decide, in writing, what we are actually building — and just as importantly, what we are not.
Categories in scope
- Rings (modular sizing)
- Chains & necklaces
- Bracelets
- Earrings
- Accessories / pins
Brand pillars
- Minimal — reduce, don't decorate
- Inclusive — fit and story built for anyone
- Timeless — no seasonal churn
Strategic bets
- Lead with a modular sizing system as the primary point of differentiation, not just aesthetics.
- Launch with a narrow, high-confidence collection (rings + chains) rather than the full category range.
- Price at accessible-premium to build trust before extending toward true luxury tiers.
Phase II — Design & Architecture
11
Phase II · Design
Information Architecture
Objective — Organise the product catalogue and site structure so nothing requires a gender choice to begin browsing.
| Top level | Sub-structure |
|---|---|
| Collections | By occasion & material story, not by gender |
| Materials | Recycled silver / recycled gold / titanium / stainless steel |
| Fit & sizing | Modular size guide, self-measurement tool |
| Customisation | Engraving, finish, chain length |
| Packaging | Gift mode, recyclable mode |
12
Phase II · Design
User Journey Map
Objective — Trace the full experience end to end, so no single team optimises their step at the expense of the whole.
| Discovery | Website | Selection | Customisation | Payment | Delivery | Unboxing | Daily use | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social & search, no gendered ad targeting | Style-first browsing, no category gate | Modular size guide front and centre | Engraving & finish picker | Transparent cost breakdown | Tracked, carbon-conscious shipping | Recyclable packaging moment | Durability lives up to the story | Prompted post-30-day review |
13
Phase II · Design
Ideation
Objective — Generate a wide field of concepts before narrowing — including a few that feel deliberately unsafe.
Representative "How Might We" statements
- How might we let a ring resize itself without ever needing a size chart?
- How might we make one chain feel equally at home on any body and any occasion?
- How might we tell a material's origin story without printing a single word on the packaging?
Methods used
Crazy 8s, SCAMPER, mind-mapping, and a cross-functional design studio session with Manufacturing and Marketing present from day one.
14
Phase II · Design
Concept Sketches
Objective — Put pencil to paper — a lot of it. Fifty-plus sketches, not one polished hero image, to keep options honestly open.
Modular band, ring 01
Chain link study
Cuff silhouette
Interlocking earring pair
Focus areas across the sketch set
- A modular clasp / band system that adjusts fit without visible hardware
- Consistent line language across categories, so a ring and a chain read as the same brand
- Silhouettes tested against both minimal and slightly bolder brand directions
15
Phase II · Design
Interactive Prototypes
Objective — Make the shopping experience and the product itself touchable — digitally — before either is real.
| Fidelity | Tool | What it proves |
|---|---|---|
| Low-fidelity | Paper & clickable wireframes | Navigation logic without gendered category gates |
| Mid-fidelity | Figma flows | Sizing tool and customisation flow usability |
| High-fidelity | Figma + 3D mockups | Full purchase journey, ready for user testing |
16
Phase II · Design
Design System
Objective — Give every future designer, marketer, and packaging vendor one consistent visual language to build from.
Material palette (brand metals)
Brass / Gold
Titanium
Recycled Silver
Ink / Charcoal
Typography
A quiet serif for brand moments, a clean grotesk for product detail and price — never both at full weight in one view.
Components
Sizing selector, material swatch, customisation preview, gift-mode toggle — documented once, reused everywhere.
17
Phase II · Design
3D Product Visualization
Objective — Turn approved sketches into photoreal, manufacturable models the AVP and Manufacturing can both react to.
| Team involved | Software | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial designers, 3D artists, CAD team | Rhino, MatrixGold, Blender, Fusion 360, KeyShot | Photorealistic renders, manufacturing-ready CAD, AR try-on preview |
Phase III — Validation & Launch
18
Phase III · Validation
Usability Testing
Objective — Watch real people use the prototype and the physical samples — without explaining anything to them first.
86%
Task success — sizing tool
2m 40s
Avg. time to complete purchase flow
4.4/5
Satisfaction — customisation step
3
Critical issues surfaced
What testing surfaced
- The self-measurement sizing tool was trusted more than a numeric size chart — the core strategic bet held up.
- Engraving preview needed a clearer "undo" — participants hesitated to commit without one.
- Packaging unboxing sequence tested well across all regions represented.
19
Phase III · Validation
Iteration & Validation
Objective — Fix what testing found, then test again — on the flow, the product, and the packaging alike.
| Issue found | Change made | Re-test result |
|---|---|---|
| No undo on engraving preview | Added persistent edit / undo control | Task success rose to 96% |
| Ambiguous chain-length units | Added visual length guide against a hand/wrist reference | Confusion reports dropped to zero |
| Packaging seal too stiff to open one-handed | Revised seal mechanism with Manufacturing | Unboxing satisfaction unchanged, complaint eliminated |
20
Phase III · Validation
Executive Pitch
Objective — Bring the problem, the evidence, and the validated concept to leadership — and ask for the investment to build it.
Pitch structure presented to the VP
- Problem & opportunity — one slide, one paragraph, no design shown yet
- Market & competitive whitespace
- Research evidence — themes, personas, direct quotes
- Validated concept — sizing system, materials, renders
- Usability results — before/after metrics
- Business case — cost, projected ROI, timeline, risk register
- Recommendation & the ask
18mo
Projected payback period
3.1×
Projected 3-yr ROI
Low–Med
Residual risk, post-validation
21
Phase III · Launch
Production Handoff & Launch Support
Objective — Make sure the product that ships is the product that was validated — not a compromise nobody signed off on.
Handoff checklist
- Final CAD files, material specs, and tolerances delivered to Manufacturing
- Design system and packaging language delivered to Marketing and Packaging vendors
- Sizing tool and commerce flow delivered to Engineering with acceptance criteria from usability testing
- Customer Support briefed on sizing, materials, and care instructions
- UX team retained through first production run and soft launch for on-the-ground fixes
| Go / No-Go check | Status |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing samples match approved CAD within tolerance | Go |
| Packaging passes drop & shipping tests | Go |
| Commerce flow passes final QA across target regions | Go |
| Support & returns process documented and staffed | Go |