Dubai, UAE
Dubai, UAE
M&S GLOBAL NAVIGATION I 2024
From Clutter to Clarity:
How I Rebuilt M&S Navigation
From Clutter to Clarity:
How I Rebuilt M&S Navigation
From Clutter to Clarity:
How I Rebuilt M&S Navigation
I redesigned M&S’s global navigation to remove “thinking tax”
and make paths to products effortless.
Grounded in user testing, competitor benchmarking, and iterative A/B experiments, we simplified IA, killed duplicate links, and enforced consistent patterns.
The test succeeded and the experience is now live across the UK site.
I redesigned M&S’s global navigation to remove “thinking tax”
and make paths to products effortless.
Grounded in user testing, competitor benchmarking, and iterative A/B experiments, we simplified IA, killed duplicate links, and enforced consistent patterns.
The test succeeded and the experience is now live across the UK site.
I redesigned M&S’s global navigation to remove “thinking tax”
and make paths to products effortless.
Grounded in user testing, competitor benchmarking, and iterative A/B experiments, we simplified IA, killed duplicate links, and enforced consistent patterns.
The test succeeded and the experience is now live across the UK site.
Shoppers kept telling us the same story
Shoppers kept telling us the same story
Shoppers kept telling us the same story
“It's not always easy to find what you want - the menus can be quite confusing and over cluttered and the filters are slow to apply. ”
“It's not always easy to find what you want - the menus can be quite confusing and over cluttered and the filters are slow to apply. ”
“It's not always easy to find what you want - the menus can be quite confusing and over cluttered and the filters are slow to apply. ”
Challenge
M&S had no shortage of products, just a shortage of relevance.
Customers were overwhelmed by the amount of categories and duplicated links.
M&S had no shortage of products, just a shortage of relevance.
Customers were overwhelmed by the amount of categories and duplicated links
M&S had no shortage of products, just a shortage of relevance.
Customers were overwhelmed by the amount of categories and duplicated links
What we learned (fast)
Cognitive overload from deep sub-categories
G Nav carried 700+ links
Women’s Wear alone had 87 with 32 getting just 0.1% of clicks.
Search as a Crutch
20.7% of traffic used G Nav
16% used search but search was the more efficient path to product.
M&S had no shortage of products, just a shortage of relevance.
Customers were overwhelmed by the amount of categories and duplicated links
M&S had no shortage of products, just a shortage of relevance.
Customers were overwhelmed by the amount of categories and duplicated links
Primary SUCCESS METRICS
Percentage of customers using Nav → PLP/SRP
GuardrailS
% using search, % reaching PDP, SEO, AOV, nav-related NPS detractors
Primary SUCCESS METRICS
Percentage of customers using Nav → PLP/SRP
GuardrailS
% using search, % reaching PDP, SEO, AOV, nav-related NPS detractors
Primary SUCCESS METRICS
Percentage of customers using Nav → PLP/SRP
GuardrailS
% using search, % reaching PDP, SEO, AOV, nav-related NPS detractors
COMPETITOR BANCHMARKING
COMPETITOR BANCHMARKING
COMPETITOR BANCHMARKING
It revealed user expectations shaped by the market, uncovered proven patterns, and highlighted gaps where we could differentiate
It revealed user expectations shaped by the market, uncovered proven patterns, and highlighted gaps where we could differentiate
DISCOVERY Finding the Friction
DISCOVERY Finding the Friction
DISCOVERY Finding the Friction
An evidence-backed experiment plan that directly targeted known frictions and set up measurable wins toward a clearer, faster path to product.
An evidence-backed experiment plan that directly targeted known frictions and set up measurable wins toward a clearer, faster path to product.
An evidence-backed experiment plan that directly targeted known frictions and set up measurable wins toward a clearer, faster path to product.
It revealed user expectations shaped by the market, uncovered proven patterns, and highlighted gaps where we could differentiate
Remove low-value & duplicated links
Remove low-value & duplicated links
Remove low-value & duplicated links
WHY Fewer choices = easier scanning; reduce “where do I click?” pauses.
OUTCOME No primary KPI regression; indicative uplift in Nav → PLP/SRP across most days. Kept the cut.
WHY Fewer choices = easier scanning; reduce “where do I click?” pauses.
OUTCOME No primary KPI regression; indicative uplift in Nav → PLP/SRP across most days. Kept the cut.
WHY Fewer choices = easier scanning; reduce “where do I click?” pauses.
OUTCOME No primary KPI regression; indicative uplift in Nav → PLP/SRP across most days. Kept the cut.
Removed promos, tightened sub-cats
Removed promos, Tightened sub-cats
Removed promos, tightened sub-cats
WHY Promos created noise and pushed core categories below the fold.
OUTCOME Revenue opportunity via healthier search usage without bounce-rate harm; signal to keep nav focused on finding not marketing.
WHY Promos created noise and pushed core categories below the fold.
OUTCOME Revenue opportunity via healthier search usage without bounce-rate harm; signal to keep nav focused on finding not marketing.
WHY Promos created noise and pushed core categories below the fold.
OUTCOME Revenue opportunity via healthier search usage without bounce-rate harm; signal to keep nav focused on finding not marketing.
Reduce top-level categories
Reduce top-level
categories
Reduce top-level categories
WHY Human brain handles 7–9 options best, fewer top-level choices speed recognition.
OUTCOME Green-lighted for rollout with SEO guardrails (surface highest search-volume links, remove redundancies).
WHY Human brain handles 7–9 options best, fewer top-level choices speed recognition.
OUTCOME Green-lighted for rollout with SEO guardrails (surface highest search-volume links, remove redundancies).
WHY Human brain handles 7–9 options best, fewer top-level choices speed recognition.
OUTCOME Green-lighted for rollout with SEO guardrails (surface highest search-volume links, remove redundancies).
Desktop Option 1
Desktop Option 1
Desktop Option 2
Desktop Option 2
What users told us about desktop versions
Things they liked:
😍 Fewer top-level items (15 → 9) felt clearer
😍 A simplified, conventional menu was preferred
😍 Option 2 made it easy to jump between Women/Men/Kids with one consistent nav
😍 Imagery in main and second-level sections added helpful colour and context
😍 Trending Products surfaced seasonal highlights and innovations
Pain points:
😡 In Option 1, some weren’t sure how to reach Men/Kids
😡 Extra in-menu navigation and mixed patterns created confusion and slowed movement versus Option 2
What users told us about mobile versions
Things they liked:
😍 Modern look with large imagery
😍 Option 2 felt immediately familiar with no learning curve
😍 Product images in second-level nav enhanced browsing
😍 Quick jumps to Best Sellers and New In
😍 Utility links like My Account, Help, Contact Us, Find a store were valued.
Pain points:
😡 Option 1 slowed movement between categories
😡 Horizontal tab scrolling hid options and forced shortened labels
😡 Making navigation harder to scan.
What users told us about desktop versions
Things they liked:
😍 Fewer top-level items (15 → 9) felt clearer
😍 A simplified, conventional menu was preferred
😍 Option 2 made it easy to jump between Women/Men/Kids with one consistent nav
😍 Imagery in main and second-level sections added helpful colour and context
😍 Trending Products surfaced seasonal highlights and innovations
Pain points:
😡 In Option 1, some weren’t sure how to reach Men/Kids
😡 Extra in-menu navigation and mixed patterns created confusion and slowed movement versus Option 2
What users told us about mobile versions
Things they liked:
😍 Modern look with large imagery
😍 Option 2 felt immediately familiar with no learning curve
😍 Product images in second-level nav enhanced browsing
😍 Quick jumps to Best Sellers and New In
😍 Utility links like My Account, Help, Contact Us, Find a store were valued.
Pain points:
😡 Option 1 slowed movement between categories
😡 Horizontal tab scrolling hid options and forced shortened labels
😡 Making navigation harder to scan.
Alignment with Design System & Handoff
Alignment with Design System & Handoff
Desktop Option 1
Desktop Option 2
What users told us about desktop versions
Things they liked:
😍 Fewer top-level items (15 → 9) felt clearer
😍 A simplified, conventional menu was preferred
😍 Option 2 made it easy to jump between Women/Men/Kids with one consistent nav
😍 Imagery in main and second-level sections added helpful colour and context
😍 Trending Products surfaced seasonal highlights and innovations
Pain points:
😡 In Option 1, some weren’t sure how to reach Men/Kids
😡 Extra in-menu navigation and mixed patterns created confusion and slowed movement versus Option 2
What users told us about mobile versions
Things they liked:
😍 Modern look with large imagery
😍 Option 2 felt immediately familiar with no learning curve
😍 Product images in second-level nav enhanced browsing
😍 Quick jumps to Best Sellers and New In
😍 Utility links like My Account, Help, Contact Us, Find a store were valued.
Pain points:
😡 Option 1 slowed movement between categories
😡 Horizontal tab scrolling hid options and forced shortened labels
😡 Making navigation harder to scan.
COLLEAGUES & MANAGERS
Don't Just Take My Word, Take theirs!
"I worked with Aish whilst completing a large checkout migration, the timescales were always tight given the proximity to launch, however Aish’s dedication and focus always shone through. Aish supported the whole team in delivering a new experience and was always on hand to talk through and amend designs if required. Aish has a great eye for detail, customer focus, and is always looking to deliver a great design with a best in class user experience."
Keith Bradshaw
Senior Product Manager - M&S
"I’ve been lucky to work with Aish on multiple projects at M&S, and every time, I’m so impressed by her expertise, attention to detail, and deep understanding of what makes a great user experience. When we both joined M&S, we worked together on a project that was as challenging as it was rewarding. I learned so much from her during that time—she just has this incredible ability to break down complex problems, structure information in a way that makes total sense, and create seamless user flows. Her knowledge of UX and IA is next-level, and she always puts the customer first in every decision. On top of all that, she’s an absolute pleasure to work with. She’s open, collaborative, and always brings fresh ideas to the table. If you’re looking for a lead product designer who just gets it and will make your product better in every way, I can’t recommend her highly enough!"
Jess Izzard
Lead Product Designer - M&S
Aish is a silent force! She's not only a great designer, she understands the whole journey and joins all the dots. She always highlights where she can see a kink in the chain of activities; she glues together multiple teams so we deliver the best journey possible for the customer One of her Product Managers recently said to me that she's not only an amazing designer but she's a systems-wide thinker - and he's depending on her more and more. She joined our team and had to hit the ground running - learning a new business, with a quagmire of stakeholders, moving goals - she takes it all in her stride. She's fast, listens to feedback but can clearly explain the rationale for the design decision - especially when MVP isn't the same as the ideal design solution we'd like. Would love to work with Aish again and thoroughly recommend her.
Vanessa Kirby
Head of Product Design - M&S
Aish excels in transforming customer pain points into clean, eloquent solutions. Her work style is incredibly thorough while her thought process is articulated in a digestible format for her audience. It was a pleasure to work with Aish, an asset to any CX team.
Ginal Patel
Senior Product Manager - M&S
"I worked with Aish whilst completing a large checkout migration, the timescales were always tight given the proximity to launch, however Aish’s dedication and focus always shone through. Aish supported the whole team in delivering a new experience and was always on hand to talk through and amend designs if required. Aish has a great eye for detail, customer focus, and is always looking to deliver a great design with a best in class user experience."
Keith Bradshaw
Senior Product Manager - M&S
"I’ve been lucky to work with Aish on multiple projects at M&S, and every time, I’m so impressed by her expertise, attention to detail, and deep understanding of what makes a great user experience. When we both joined M&S, we worked together on a project that was as challenging as it was rewarding. I learned so much from her during that time—she just has this incredible ability to break down complex problems, structure information in a way that makes total sense, and create seamless user flows. Her knowledge of UX and IA is next-level, and she always puts the customer first in every decision. On top of all that, she’s an absolute pleasure to work with. She’s open, collaborative, and always brings fresh ideas to the table. If you’re looking for a lead product designer who just gets it and will make your product better in every way, I can’t recommend her highly enough!"
Jess Izzard
Lead Product Designer - M&S
Aish is a silent force! She's not only a great designer, she understands the whole journey and joins all the dots. She always highlights where she can see a kink in the chain of activities; she glues together multiple teams so we deliver the best journey possible for the customer One of her Product Managers recently said to me that she's not only an amazing designer but she's a systems-wide thinker - and he's depending on her more and more. She joined our team and had to hit the ground running - learning a new business, with a quagmire of stakeholders, moving goals - she takes it all in her stride. She's fast, listens to feedback but can clearly explain the rationale for the design decision - especially when MVP isn't the same as the ideal design solution we'd like. Would love to work with Aish again and thoroughly recommend her.
Vanessa Kirby
Head of Product Design - M&S
Aish excels in transforming customer pain points into clean, eloquent solutions. Her work style is incredibly thorough while her thought process is articulated in a digestible format for her audience. It was a pleasure to work with Aish, an asset to any CX team.
Ginal Patel
Senior Product Manager - M&S
"I worked with Aish whilst completing a large checkout migration, the timescales were always tight given the proximity to launch, however Aish’s dedication and focus always shone through. Aish supported the whole team in delivering a new experience and was always on hand to talk through and amend designs if required. Aish has a great eye for detail, customer focus, and is always looking to deliver a great design with a best in class user experience."
Keith Bradshaw
Senior Product Manager - M&S
"I’ve been lucky to work with Aish on multiple projects at M&S, and every time, I’m so impressed by her expertise, attention to detail, and deep understanding of what makes a great user experience. When we both joined M&S, we worked together on a project that was as challenging as it was rewarding. I learned so much from her during that time—she just has this incredible ability to break down complex problems, structure information in a way that makes total sense, and create seamless user flows. Her knowledge of UX and IA is next-level, and she always puts the customer first in every decision. On top of all that, she’s an absolute pleasure to work with. She’s open, collaborative, and always brings fresh ideas to the table. If you’re looking for a lead product designer who just gets it and will make your product better in every way, I can’t recommend her highly enough!"
Jess Izzard
Lead Product Designer - M&S
Aish is a silent force! She's not only a great designer, she understands the whole journey and joins all the dots. She always highlights where she can see a kink in the chain of activities; she glues together multiple teams so we deliver the best journey possible for the customer One of her Product Managers recently said to me that she's not only an amazing designer but she's a systems-wide thinker - and he's depending on her more and more. She joined our team and had to hit the ground running - learning a new business, with a quagmire of stakeholders, moving goals - she takes it all in her stride. She's fast, listens to feedback but can clearly explain the rationale for the design decision - especially when MVP isn't the same as the ideal design solution we'd like. Would love to work with Aish again and thoroughly recommend her.
Vanessa Kirby
Head of Product Design - M&S
Aish excels in transforming customer pain points into clean, eloquent solutions. Her work style is incredibly thorough while her thought process is articulated in a digestible format for her audience. It was a pleasure to work with Aish, an asset to any CX team.
Ginal Patel
Senior Product Manager - M&S
