Polaroid

Designing the new .com and online store

Introduction

Polaroid is a legendary brand and part of the world’s cultural heritage for over 80 years. It’s best known for being the inventor of instant photography, with millions of fans across the world.

The industry has long shifted from analog to digital and on top of that the pandemic hit the brick and mortar stores hard. Polaroid needed a refresh to fit a digital future and shift its focus to selling more products online. As member of the e-commerce team I was tasked to lead the design efforts and to build a new website and online store from the ground up.

Responsibilities

Product strategy • Product discovery • Product delivery

Team

Research Agency
Engineering Agency

Head of Marketing
Stakeholders EMEA

Research

Teaming up with the esteemed research agency The Akin, based in London, we embarked on an extensive global exploration, delving deep into the daily lives of customers across 13 cities worldwide. Through a blend of insightful interviews and meticulous diary studies, we sought to truly understand our customers' needs and experiences. Our research journey took us through every stage of the customer journey, from initial awareness to becoming devoted advocates, uncovering critical pain points along the way.

Among the key insights gleaned, we discovered confusion among visitors regarding the distinctions between various camera models, lacking an intuitive means of comparison. We also observed that customers who already owned cameras faced uncertainty when it came to selecting the appropriate film, with some viewing Polaroid not as a brand but as a camera genre unto itself. These insights underscored the necessity for targeted solutions to streamline the customer experience and enhance clarity in product understanding.

Strategy

Concurrently, while the marketing team meticulously formulated new brand guidelines and established a poignant mission statement for Polaroid—"to capture meaningful moments in life"—I took the initiative to transform this marketing mission into a robust product strategy.

Our product strategy centered on three core pillars: clarity, accessibility, and brand immersion. Firstly, to tackle the confusion surrounding camera models, we revamped the product display and comparison features on our digital platforms, providing users with clear, concise information to facilitate informed decision-making.

Secondly, to alleviate the uncertainty surrounding film selection, we introduced tailored recommendations based on user preferences and camera specifications, ensuring customers could effortlessly find the perfect match for their Polaroid device.

Lastly, to dispel misconceptions about Polaroid as a brand versus a camera type, we implemented immersive storytelling elements across our digital channels, showcasing the rich history and innovation behind the Polaroid name, thereby fostering a deeper connection with our audience.

Prototyping & testing

The fresh-faced website and online store were like a well-organised bookshelf, neatly arranged around product categories. It made choosing the perfect camera and matching film pack feel like flipping through pages of a beloved novel.

Each product came with its own little story, a brief but distinct description to guide you on your journey. The revamped layout offered a snapshot of Polaroid's eclectic range of offerings, allowing visitors to easily explore the treasures within.

Regardless of whether you were scrolling on your phone, swiping on a tablet, or clicking away on a desktop, the experience felt like stepping into a cozy, inviting space—wherever you went, Polaroid was right there with you.

The campaign landing page adjusted to different ad campaigns by matching photography content, background colour and copy. This enabled a smooth transition from ads to landing page to checkout. We had the arduous but rewarding task of reshooting all product photography on the home, collection and product pages and adding clear, distinctive USPs for each product.

We set up digital guidelines and a cohesive, scalable design system that brought the new brand to life online with impact and vibrancy - across any type of screen or device.

Results

The result was a compelling, differentiated experience that positively impacted conversion. With a new website, shop, brand identity and design system in place, Polaroid was then set to help customers capture the meaningful moments in life.