I was brought in at the earliest stage to conduct peer analysis across the online luxury market, with a focus on rare, high-value watches. My research identified six key competitors and revealed a market gap: curated, limited-edition timepieces sourced from trusted consigners.
I built the business case with support from the Business Director, presenting user and data flow diagrams alongside early revenue projections. With executive approval, I proposed an MVP using our existing checkout infrastructure to fast-track security testing.
We formed a cross-functional stakeholder group—legal, finance, compliance, and watch specialists—aligning on weekly updates and targeting Hong Kong and New York for initial paid campaign testing.
With our core working group in place—design, research, development, copywriting, and project management—we aligned on a clear problem statement: clients had no way to purchase a watch and check out online in a single visit.
The existing ‘as is’ flow relied on a manual private sale process. Prices were not displayed online, and transactions took place over email, with payments by bank transfer—often taking weeks. Our goal was a seamless digital journey with instant payment, automated credit checks, and accelerated shipping within hours.
We mapped the existing journey, defined stakeholder KPIs—chiefly to attract 80% new buyers—and secured sign-off. We were ready to move into ideation.
I kicked off the design phase by setting the core UX/UI direction. Knowing our target customer was digitally savvy and design-conscious, I created a detailed persona, one that was quickly validated when our first buyer matched it exactly. To appeal visually, we prioritised rich product imagery. I brought in the photography team early, sharing mood-boards and outlining technical requirements to ensure seamless integration of multiple, high-quality product shots.
We also identified the need for technical specifications to be visible at a glance. A quick-reference table, placed on the item pages, above the fold, became a key UX feature. To elevate trust and expertise, we proposed a unique component: ‘Specialist Picks’; a curated space for our watch experts to spotlight and write about their favourite pieces.
Drawing from competitor research, we introduced a comprehensive, well-structured FAQ section and designed a standout condition report scale with a gradient fade, arguably the most elegant of its kind on the market. These ideas were shared at our weekly stakeholder meeting with supporting sketches. With a few small refinements agreed, we were ready to move into build preparation.
As we collaborated with internal teams responsible for item cataloguing and maintenance, we focused on aligning with their existing workflows. We mapped their terminology and taxonomy directly to the product page hierarchy. To improve accuracy and consistency, we developed a back-end database paired with a simplified input form that guided them through structured questions. Their responses auto-populated the front-end watch pages, creating efficiency without compromising editorial quality.
Once the cataloguing and editorial teams were aligned, we worked with credit and compliance teams on the technical checkout solution. We mapped and validated the entire data flow, ensuring documentation was thorough and edge cases were addressed via walkthroughs and support materials.
We iterated on back-end processes, streamlining through automation while retaining manual checks where necessary to uphold security and accuracy. We also created a suite of transactional emails for both clients and internal stakeholders—keeping buyers, credit, and KYC teams informed at every step.
Finally, we collaborated with an external data agency and our internal SEO expert to develop a comprehensive site tagging strategy, directly linked to the KPIs we needed to measure at launch.
We began building the MVP, testing every step of the user flow to ensure a smooth and intuitive experience. As the build progressed, we continued to expand our UX/UI documentation to capture new decisions and maintain alignment across the team. We designed at desktop resolution first, then systematically tested atoms, modules, and components across tablet and mobile to ensure a consistent and responsive experience at all breakpoints.
Midway through, we received a late request to include iconography for our three core retail pillars: free global shipping, our curated approach, and a two-year warranty. These were quickly designed and integrated across the site to reinforce trust and value.
We built out the full front-end experience—including the listing page, item pages, brand landing pages, search, and filters—with SEO-rich copy to support long-term discoverability through Google. With all key features in place, we were ready for launch.
With consignment taking longer than anticipated, we soft-launched the site with just 25 watches. Rather than delay, we used this phase strategically, keeping the site live, indexed, and discoverable, but unadvertised and excluded from wider Christies.com navigation. This gave us space to gather real user data, run live testing, and iterate rapidly without the pressure of a major campaign.
We closely supported internal teams during the three-week hyper-care period, refining pages, fixing issues in real time, and preparing for a full public launch. When we reached 50 watches, we officially launched with targeted campaigns focused on Hong Kong and New York audiences.Post-launch, we continued to optimise the experience based on analytics—adding “NEW” tags to recent listings, building out brand-specific pages, and grouping items by maker to improve SEO.
We expanded our ‘Expert Picks’ component and strengthened our editorial storytelling.The results speak for themselves: Watch Shop has consistently ranked in the top three most visited global nav items on the Christie’s website, attracted 80% new buyers to the business, and achieved an exceptional 10.4% click-through rate (industry benchmark: 4.7%). It has also proven to be a valuable innovation lab for UX/UI across the wider Christie’s platform.
