One brand experience across three markets.
Koala had grown into three markets, but each one shopped, looked, and behaved differently. I redesigned the full e-commerce journey and built one global design system, so AU, JP, and US finally spoke the same language.
Company
Koala
Year
2024
Expertise
Ecommerce
Design system
UX/UI design
The challenge
Three markets, three different shops.
Koala had scaled fast into Australia, Japan, and the US, but the online experience hadn't kept pace. Each region had drifted into its own layouts, patterns, and checkout quirks. Shoppers got a different Koala depending on where they landed, and the team had no shared system to build from.
Design System
A shopping experience worth the brand.
I redesigned every key page - homepage, category listings, product pages, and checkout - across all three markets. Product pages got the biggest overhaul: immersive galleries, clearer options for things like mattress firmness and sofa fabrics, and trust signals placed where shoppers actually hesitate. The checkout was stripped back to cut steps that were slowing people down. Every decision was informed by Contentsquare session data, customer service feedback, and Baymard research.
Design System
One library, three markets.
The design system grew alongside the product pages, not after them. Reusable components, clear naming, and documentation engineers could follow without guessing. Each region can adapt it without breaking consistency, so a change made once shows up everywhere it should.
Impact
Markets unified under one design system - AU, JP, US
Components built for the global UI library
End-to-end redesign from homepage to post-purchase
System now maintained by Koala's internal team
The handover
Built to hand over.
This was never just a Figma file. Koala's team now ships new pages and features on their own, with consistency baked in and no need to come back for every screen. That's what a good handover looks like.
Testimonial
Joe’s knowledge of design systems, customer centric ideals and curious nature made him such a valuable asset at Koala. Would recommend him highly!
Michael Hutchison
Digital Experience Lead, Koala