Kat Von D Beauty

Kat Von D Beauty had a strong, polarizing brand and an e-commerce experience that didn’t reflect it. The aesthetic existed in product photography and packaging but evaporated the moment a customer hit the site.

The challenge: build a brand-true destination that didn’t sacrifice conversion for aesthetic. Or aesthetic for conversion.

We started with online audience research plus direct client interviews, defining who Kat’s customer actually was beyond the brand persona. Then UX best practices applied across every touchpoint, PDP through checkout. Brand expression layered into the visual treatment instead of fighting it for space.

A visually curated destination. The distinctive aesthetic preserved through PDP, cart, and checkout. Photography and editorial treatments that read as Kat’s voice instead of agency boilerplate.

The discipline of measuring this work, instead of trusting that “it looks right,” is what produced the metrics. Brand affinity isn’t a vibe check. It’s measurable, and we measured it.

Most of us listen to music whilst working, but given the client, we kept to a strict audible diet of Siouxsie and The Banshees, Bowie, Johnny Cash, Mötley Crüe, Prince, Motörhead, and of course, Beethoven, as Kat’s a classically trained pianist. Only then were our mindsets in the proper frame for this particular client.

Role. Creative Director and co-designer.

Team. Partnered with a UX Lead on audience definition and conversion strategy. Managed a junior designer on the visual execution.

Outcomes. Two major beauty brand wins (alongside Marc Jacobs Beauty). Measurable results. Repeatable process.