Schneider Electric has long operated as a B2B, offering energy management and automation solutions. With the new launch of their consumer-facing application, Schneider began expanding into B2C by giving homeowners direct access to products. During my internship, I played a key role in this initiative, especially in the app's pilot launch in France. Over the first six 6 weeks, I was responsible for driving content through Builder.io CMS while contributing UI suggestions and implementing design fixes across the site.

Over the summer, I conducted competitive benchmarking to evaluate Schneider's desktop product landing pages (PLPs) against industry standards and best practices. Paired with heuristic analysis, I identified key usability pain points: users struggled to reach the product section and often found it difficult to browse or locate the items they needed. I also uncovered opportunities to improve article readability in order to better engage and inform readers.

To better understand user behavior and validate our design priorities, I leveraged ContentSquare heatmaps to observe interaction patterns across the landing page, PDPs, and PLPs. I also reviewed relevant UX articles and research to contextualize these patterns within best practices. This approach allowed me to supplement our initial findings with concrete evidence, highlighting where users struggled and where improvements could have the greatest impact on navigation, filtering, and content readability.

Filter Optimization

Highlighted in "25 Ecommerce Product Filters with UX Design Strategies", filters are a critical component of product discoverability, enabling a seamless and frictionless browsing experience. When optimized for a client, these improvements led to a 5.97% increase in conversion rate. Left-aligned filters in particular are widely adopted in ecommerce because they reduce cognitive load, remain visible during browsing, and support iterative filtering without losing context.

This reinforces the usability issues we observed in our Product Collection section: the current filter button adds friction and hides options that could guide users more efficiently. By making filters more accessible and visible, we can improve product discoverability, reduce user effort, and align the experience with UX practices.

Article Readability

Research from the Baymard Institute, along with a study from Carnegie Mellon, suggests that the optimal line length for text is between 45-85 characters, with a recommended font size of 18pt. Applying these guidelines can have a significant impact on the comprehension for the B2C articles, directly addressing the issues we identified with long lines and font size in our desktop layout. Aligning article design will reduce eye strain, improve focus, and encourage users to engage more deeply with the content.

Throughout my internship, I had the privilege of being guided by two senior UX designers outside of my department whose mentorship was invaluable to my growth. They not only gave me feedback at each stage of my process but also helped me validate design decisions with a critical and professional lens. My initial findings focused on the nitpicks of the UI, but through them did I figure out that the user journey and flow was the end goal. With their guidance, I refined my recommendations into a cohesive set of solutions that were presented to my managers and Schneider Electric's B2C stakeholders + developers as part of my final deliverables.

Their reactions were incredibly positive, where my work is now slated for implementation in the Phase 2 updates. Knowing my contributions will influence a live, global product was rewarding and motivating as a designer. On a more personal level, the sense of accomplishment seeing my designs evolve from the UX research insights to a solution was thrilling. This experience not only reinforced my passion for UX, but also gave me more confidence in the value I can bring to complex projects.

Currently, the website will continue its pilot phase and move onto other countries until it is fully global! I had an amazing time working with amazing co-workers building and refining this website, and I can't wait to see it blast off. I've been able to thrive and blossom, and this where I took my abilities to the next level. I'm excited for the upcoming opportunities awaiting me.