Louis Vuitton — Reimagining a Luxury Digital Platform
Louis Vuitton's digital platform revitalization called for User Experience leadership alongside a renowned French agency and LVMH stakeholders; the engagement consolidated multiple sites into one fully responsive experience, localized for 20 countries, with runway shows as a 'fashion TV' engine for commerce.
Role: UX Design
- Countries localized
- 20
- Sites consolidated
- Multiple → 1
Overview
The studio led User Experience for the revitalization of Louis Vuitton's digital platform, in collaboration with a renowned French agency and various LVMH stakeholders. The redesigned platform emphasizes the brand's exquisite craftsmanship, featuring seasonal runway shows and dynamic content to enhance e-commerce sales. It consolidates multiple sites into a cohesive, fully responsive experience, showcasing the brand's heritage and commitment to excellence. Additionally, the platform is meticulously localized for 20 different countries.
Company impact
The platform redesign landed during a defining stretch for the maison and its parent, LVMH — record revenue, a new artistic era, and a landmark cultural investment in Paris.
- LVMH revenue (2014)
- €30.6B
- Brand value (2013) — most valuable, 8 yrs
- $28.4B
- Brand revenue
- $9.4B
- Recurring operating profit
- €6B+
- Record group performance: LVMH recorded €29.1 billion in revenue (up 4%, with 8% organic growth) and profit from recurring operations of €6.021 billion — exceeding €6 billion for the first time — with strong momentum in the US and Asia.[^1]
- Continued growth: the following year LVMH recorded €30.6 billion in revenue (up 6%), with profit from recurring operations of €5.715 billion and group-share net profit of €5.648 billion, rising across every business group except Wines & Spirits.[^2]
- Product innovation — the Capucines: the Fall 2013 collection introduced the Capucines bag, named for the Rue des Capucines where Louis Vuitton opened his first store — crafted in Taurillon calf leather and quickly a new house classic.[^3]
- A new artistic era: Nicolas Ghesquière was appointed Artistic Director of women's collections, succeeding Marc Jacobs, announced November 4, 2013, with his first collection shown at Paris Fashion Week.[^4]
- A cultural landmark: the Fondation Louis Vuitton — Frank Gehry's contemporary art museum in the Bois de Boulogne, commissioned by LVMH — opened October 27, 2014 to wide architectural acclaim.[^5]
- The world's most valuable luxury brand: Louis Vuitton was named the most valuable luxury brand for the eighth consecutive year, valued at $28.4 billion on $9.4 billion of revenue in the Millward Brown BrandZ study.[^6]
- Digital experience redesign: led the website redesign and digital innovation that improved the online customer experience.[^7]
Design Principles
- Encourage discovery: the design facilitates optimal user interaction through scrolling and juxtaposed content with product listings, with listing pages serving as strategic landing pages.
- Every journey has a final destination: enhanced product identification was achieved through filters and facets on listing pages, segmented in-site search, and geolocation data to present the appropriate country site.
- Facilitate the journey: a simplified navigation system was designed with a centralized menu, in-page navigation options, and a strategically placed toolbar at the bottom of the page.
User Insights
Extensive user experience research informed the design, surfacing the loyalty of Louis Vuitton's following: many users visit the site daily, seeking inspiration from the brand, fashion, and runway shows.
Integration of Runway Shows
To enhance the shopping experience, the team focused on content as an engine for commerce. The platform integrated runway shows, allowing users to view both historical and recent shows in detail. This created a "fashion TV" experience on the website, further engaging users beyond traditional shopping.
Results
The project resulted in a sophisticated e-commerce platform that exceeded project requirements, delivering an engaging shopping experience for Louis Vuitton's discerning clientele. The emphasis on product prominence and dynamic content has been important in driving e-commerce sales and reinforcing the brand's digital luxury market presence. Feedback from LVMH highlighted their satisfaction with the direction of the work, appreciating the attention to detail and commitment to excellence.
Key Takeaway
Working on such a large-scale project for an iconic brand was a highlight of this engagement. It was rewarding to collaborate with a leading French agency and contribute to a platform that embodies Louis Vuitton's legacy. This redesign experience emphasized the importance of evolving existing platforms without displacing users, ensuring that improvements are introduced moderately and appropriately.