Guided product discovery tool
·
2023
A guided product discovery experience designed to help Smythson customers find the right diary based on their preferences, lifestyle and gifting needs.
Smythson
·
Digital Product Owner / UX Design
Overview
Smythson’s diaries are one of the brand’s most recognisable and commercially important product categories. But because the range includes different sizes, layouts, colours and use cases, customers can easily reach the category with intent but still need help choosing the right product.
I proposed and helped deliver the Diary Finder as a guided product discovery experience. The goal was to make diary shopping feel easier, more personal and more useful, while still protecting the premium feel of the Smythson brand.
The experience guided users through a short set of questions and translated their answers into a more relevant diary recommendation. Rather than presenting customers with the full category immediately, it created a softer, more considered route from intent to product detail.
My role covered the concept, UX structure, Figma design, stakeholder collaboration and development handoff. I worked with merchandising, marketing, copy and development to shape an experience that supported both customer confidence and commercial goals.
Although the tool is no longer live, it remains a strong example of guided selling within luxury eCommerce — using UX to reduce choice overload, support product discovery and help customers feel more confident in their purchase journey.
At a glance
Client
Smythson
Role
Digital Product Owner / UX Design
Focus
Guided selling · Product discovery · Luxury eCommerce
Tools
Figma, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, stakeholder collaboration, merchandising input, development handoff
Output
Responsive guided product discovery experience
Year
2023
Disciplines
UX Design, eCommerce, Product Discovery, Guided Selling, UI Design, Luxury Retail
Status
Live
Context
Diaries are one of Smythson’s most important product categories, particularly during seasonal and gifting periods. But for many customers, choosing the right diary can involve several small decisions: size, layout, colour, purpose, style and personal preference.
The opportunity was to make that decision easier. Instead of asking users to browse the full category unaided, the Diary Finder introduced a more guided route into the range — helping customers narrow their options in a way that still felt premium and aligned with the Smythson brand.
01
The challenge
Smythson’s diary range is broad, considered and highly giftable, but that also creates decision-making friction. Customers may know they want a diary, but not immediately know which size, layout, colour or format is right for them.
The challenge was to create a guided experience that simplified the decision without reducing the sense of luxury. It needed to feel helpful, elegant and commercially useful — not like a basic quiz added on top of the site.
02
What it needed to do
01
Help customers find the right diary more easily
02
Reduce choice overload across a key product category
03
Create a guided route from preference to product
04
Support gifting and seasonal diary shopping
03
My role
I proposed the Diary Finder as a product discovery opportunity and helped shape the experience from idea through to delivery.
Proposed the concept to support a key commercial product category
Defined the user journey and question flow
Designed the UX and UI direction in Figma
Worked with merchandising to understand product logic and recommendation paths
Collaborated with copy and marketing to shape the tone of the experience
Briefed development and supported delivery
Reviewed the experience to ensure the final build stayed close to the intended design
Commercial thinking
Guided selling for a high-value seasonal category
The Diary Finder was designed to support product discovery without making the experience feel overly transactional. The aim was to reduce choice overload, increase confidence and create a clearer path from browsing into product detail pages.
Guided questions helped reduce uncertainty around diary selection
Product recommendations created a more focused route into the category
The experience supported both self-purchase and gifting journeys
The tool gave the business a more engaging way to surface a key product range
The design balanced utility with the expectations of a luxury retail experience
06
Outcome
The Diary Finder created a clearer and more engaging route into one of Smythson’s most important product categories.
A more guided way for customers to discover the diary range
Reduced reliance on customers browsing the full category unaided
A more personalised product discovery journey
Stronger support for gifting and seasonal shopping behaviour
A reusable guided-selling pattern that could be applied to other considered product categories
The project helped turn diary shopping from a broad browsing task into a more focused decision-making journey.
07
What I’d improve next
Given more time, I would improve the logic behind the recommendations and introduce more behavioural tracking around question completion, drop-off and product click-through.
I would also explore a more personalised results page, allowing customers to compare recommended diaries, refine their answers or shop related accessories.
Stronger tracking around question progression and completion
More detailed recommendation logic
Clearer comparison between recommended products
Additional routes into gifting and personalisation
More testing around question wording and order
