Pajamagram 2024

Commerce Platform Simplification & Design System Infrastructure

In 2024, Pajamagram underwent an ownership transition that required migration from Salesforce Commerce Cloud to Shopify. The timeline was aggressive, and the primary objective was a stable launch rather than feature expansion.

As Senior UX/Product Designer, I defined the UX and system criteria for the new platform foundation and led experience standardization across the site. The goal was to simplify legacy complexity, improve mobile performance, and create a scalable commerce system that marketing teams could operate confidently.

  • Role:
  • Senior UX/Product Designer
  • Scope:
  • Platform evaluation, UX standardization, design system architecture, cross-functional enablement

Platform Evaluation Criteria

I approached theme selection as a systems decision, not a visual refresh. With peak traffic reaching roughly 75% mobile, performance and clarity were non-negotiable.

I prioritized:

  • Mobile-first architecture
  • Accessibility compliance
  • CMS flexibility for merchandising workflows
  • Reduced customization overhead
  • Modular section architecture that could scale

The selected theme provided a stable, performance-oriented foundation while minimizing long-term technical debt.

Scope Prioritization Under Constraint

Given the compressed timeline, we focused on stabilizing core commerce flows — PLP, PDP, cart, and checkout — while simplifying navigation and removing unnecessary legacy complexity.

Rather than attempting a full reinvention, I standardized templates and documented deferred enhancements for post-launch iteration. The emphasis was clarity, consistency, and launch readiness.

Design System Architecture

To ensure scalability beyond launch, I developed two interconnected design systems in Adobe XD.

The first was a brand system built for the internal creative team I managed. It formalized typography hierarchy, color systems, component usage, and promotional frameworks aligned with our brand guidelines. This ensured visual consistency across seasonal campaigns and product launches.

The second was a Shopify section layout system designed specifically for merchandising and marketing teams. This system defined approved section layouts, placement constraints, responsive behavior standards, technical guardrails, and clearly documented exceptions.

After implementation, I trained merchandising and marketing stakeholders on usage constraints, limitations, and trade-offs. Within weeks, teams were independently assembling and previewing campaigns without relying on engineering for layout adjustments.

Operational Impact

Standardizing the system created measurable internal efficiencies:

  • Marketing gained autonomy in campaign deployment
  • Review cycles shortened due to predictable preview structures
  • QA issues decreased as layout inconsistencies were minimized
  • Layout drift across seasonal updates was significantly reduced
  • Cross-functional visibility improved across design, merchandising, and development

Post-launch bug tickets did increase due to deferred feature backlog cleanup, but day-to-day merchandising workflows became substantially more efficient.

Performance Outcomes (6 Months Post-Launch)

A six-month pre/post comparison showed:

  • ~30% improvement in page speed
  • ~18% reduction in bounce rate
  • ~22% relative increase in conversion
  • 50% reduction in marketing execution time

While multiple variables contributed during the ownership transition, improvements aligned closely with faster load times, simplified navigation, and reduced friction in core purchase flows.

Reflection

This project reinforced that scalable commerce systems require more than strong UI. Clear constraints, documentation, and cross-functional education are critical to maintaining UX integrity while increasing organizational velocity.

Designing the internal system is as important as designing the customer-facing interface.

  • Contact:
  • toddunn@gmail.com
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