Tilly's Native App

Lead UX/UI Designer
React Native iOS App

2022
4 Months

PROJECT
OVERVIEW

Tilly's is a lifestyle and fashion retailer rooted in Southern California’s surf, skate, and streetwear culture. The brand offers a curated selection of clothing, shoes, and accessories from both well-known and emerging brands, catering to trend-conscious teens and young adults who value self-expression and a laid-back, West Coast vibe. The client reached out to Branding Brand to design and build a native iOS app.

We took a human-centered design approach to define sets of UX blueprints that would lay the foundation for delivering an app experience that would elevated the brand's presence.

I was the lead designer on the project, primarily responsible for designing the visual and interactive elements of the app. From concept to completion I worked alongside our VP of UX Strategy, VP of Design, and a few engineers to ensure our solution met the criteria of each UX blueprint, were implemented to spec, and delivered on time and on budget.

ChALLENGES

After designing my first UX project for Lulus, working on the Tillys iOS app gave me the opportunity to level up. I brought sharper product thinking, stronger systems design, and a deeper understanding of what it takes to deliver for a well-known, fast-moving retail brand. This project pushed me to apply strategy to every decision—from information architecture to UI polish—while balancing user needs, business goals, and technical constraints.

Designing for an Established, Recognizable BrandTillys is a nationally recognized retailer with a strong brand identity and customer base. The challenge wasn’t just to make the app functional—it had to feel like Tillys. I worked closely with internal stakeholders and brand guidelines to ensure the app UI extended the brand’s look and feel, while still aligning with Apple’s iOS best practices. This meant making intentional choices about typography, layout, and interaction styles to bridge the gap between brand expression and native usability.

Balancing Business Priorities with User-Centric DesignRetail apps need to drive sales—but pushing too hard to innovate can create a clunky experience that's unfamiliar to users. I worked to find the right balance between business needs and the user’s natural shopping flow. I refined navigation, improved product discovery, and advocated for features like smart filtering and simplified checkout to reduce friction—while still keeping key business metrics in mind.

Scope of Work TradeoffsThe new app we were designing was based on an internal 'blueprint' our company designed for the basic e-commerce experience. There were times I saw opportunities to improve, but I would have to get buy-in with our PM and Engineers to validate that we could deliver the new concept on time and on budget. I worked to find the right balance between designing for what was in scope for the user’s natural shopping flow, while finding opportunities to deliver something new and exciting.

GOALS &
CONSTRAINTS

Goals

Deliver an iOS app that drives sales, customer engagement and retention

Constraints

Working from a 'blueprint' limited new ideas
Small budget with big expectations
Tight timelines

OUTCOMES

Increase in Conversion Rates

Increase in App Downloads

Positive User Feedback

Increased Sales and Revenue

Increase in User Engagement

KEY
TAKEAWAYS

Human-Centered Design that Drives Business Impact

By grounding the design process in user research and continuous feedback, I delivered a product experience that not only resonated with the target audience but also improved engagement metrics and satisfaction.

Work in Small, Iterative Loops

Working in tight, testable design cycles enabled faster validation, reduced risk, and kept the team aligned on what mattered most—shipping value early and often.

Strategic Tradeoffs Between Innovation, Scope, and Constraints

By prioritizing high-impact areas and making smart tradeoffs around scope and resources, I balanced creative ambition with business goals—delivering a focused, polished app that met user needs and budget realities.