Pelican Cases
role
Principal Product Designer / Design Lead
agency
DEPT® Agency
project engagement
B2C / Jul 2022 - Feb 2023
B2B / Nov 2023 - Apr 2025
Pelican’s catalog had grown so large and specialized that finding the right case started to feel more like technical research than shopping.
The real opportunity was shifting the conversation away from “Which case do you want?” towards “What are you trying to protect?”
By shifting the experience around customer intent rather than product categories, we created a scalable system that could guide casual buyers, support professionals, and simplify discovery across one of the largest product ecosystems in the industry.
things i'll take with me
Design around intent, not products.
Customers knew what they wanted to protect long before they knew which case they needed.
Clarity beats complexity.
The best experiences help customers make confident decisions, not process more information.
Systems create scale.
Design systems are most valuable when they enable teams to move faster and create consistency at scale.
the ask
Pelican had built a strong digital presence for government and commercial buyers, but the direct-to-consumer experience wasn't keeping pace with the breadth of the product catalog or the expectations of modern shoppers. As the business continued investing in DTC growth, the experience needed to better educate customers, simplify product discovery, and create a clearer path from consideration to purchase. The challenge was balancing Pelican's trusted legacy with a more intuitive commerce experience designed for a new generation of customers.
the solution
Create a direct-to-consumer experience that reflects Pelican's position as the industry leader in protection.
Help customers understand product differences and confidently identify the right solution.
Modernize the digital experience while honoring the brand's heritage.
Establish a scalable design system capable of supporting future growth, campaigns, and evolving business needs.
my responsibilities
· Brand Direction
· User Interviews & Surveys
· Unique B2C & B2B Strategies
· Competitive Analysis
· Information Architecture / Sitemap
· Content Guides
· Wireframing
· Client Working Sessions
· Responsive & Adaptive Visual Design
· Inclusivity & Accessibility
creative team
Nicole Engle
John Binagatan
project management
Adam Perez
design director
Abby Lawson
Strategy Kickoff
SME Interviews
I facilitated stakeholder interviews across sales, operations, marketing, leadership, and engineering to understand how business goals, customer expectations, and internal priorities intersected. These conversations revealed opportunities to simplify product discovery while aligning the experience with Pelican's long-term growth strategy.
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Affinity Mapping
Working alongside the project team, I synthesized research findings into themes that shaped customer segmentation, product strategy, content architecture, and future experience priorities. Key findings:
Customers often knew what they wanted to protect, but not which case they needed.
The growing catalog made product discovery feel overwhelming and difficult to navigate.
New visitors struggled with industry terminology and lacked context around Pelican's product ecosystem.
Pelican serves highly diverse audiences, requiring more personalized pathways into the shopping experience.
The website had an opportunity to become a destination for education, inspiration, and long-term brand loyalty—not just product purchases.
User Surveys & Persona Creation
Combining stakeholder insights with customer research, we developed personas focused not only on demographics, but also on motivations, shopping behaviors, and the specific problems customers were trying to solve through protection.
5 Day Design Sprint
We facilitated a collaborative design sprint with stakeholders and customers to explore opportunities for improving product categorization, navigation, and overall discoverability.
Navigation Reimagined
We challenged Pelican to rethink how customers navigate the catalog. Rather than asking users to start with a product category, the experience begins with what they need to protect.
By organizing discovery around customer intent, users can quickly narrow options based on size, use case, and protection requirements. The result is a more intuitive experience that guides customers toward the right solution without requiring deep product knowledge.
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project success
Conversions are up 20% this year. The best year we've ever had.
I can’t thank you and the team enough for all of the incredible work and helping us execute this in a way that has exceeded our expectations. We’re already seeing an incredible lift in site engagement, conversion and overall performance, which supports all of the research that went into this project. I look forward to working with you in the future!
→ 124% increase in sessions
→ 75% increase in website leads
→ 143% increase in Conversion Rate
→ 85% increase in custom case leads
Peter Kapp
Director, eCommerce at Pelican Products
sitemap & navigation
learnings i'll take with me
Strategy Handoff
Beyond navigation, we focused on creating consistency around Pelican's core promise of protection. Brand storytelling, customer reviews, educational content, and lifestyle imagery were strategically woven throughout the journey to help customers understand not only what Pelican sells, but why it matters.
The experience was designed to support decision-making while creating stronger connections between products, customer interests, and the broader Pelican ecosystem.
CLP Approach
Category landing pages became an important bridge between exploration and purchase. We designed flexible experiences that could educate customers, surface relevant products, and support both campaign-driven and evergreen business goals.
Custom components helped guide users toward the right solution while increasing visibility into related products, accessories, and complementary categories across the ecosystem.
CLP Strategy
✓ Surface relevant products across the ecosystem
✓ Increase awareness of accessories and complementary solutions
✓ Strengthen product education during discovery
✓ Create clearer pathways between exploration and purchase
design system
New Brand Design System
We built a new design system from the ground up to create consistency across Pelican's growing digital ecosystem.
More than a UI library, the system became a scalable foundation for content, commerce, campaigns, and future product expansion. Flexible components allowed the brand to tell richer stories, adapt messaging over time, and support one of the largest product catalogs in the industry without sacrificing consistency.
The result was a system capable of evolving alongside the business while creating a more cohesive experience for customers.
visual design
Content Landing Pages
Content landing pages were designed to educate before they sold. These experiences combined product education, lifestyle storytelling, and buying guidance to help customers better understand Pelican's solutions while creating stronger paths toward conversion.
The framework also provided a scalable foundation for future campaigns, seasonal launches, and new product introductions.
New Lifestyle Influenced Journeys
We introduced lifestyle-driven pathways that aligned product discovery with customer passions and use cases. Rather than organizing the experience solely around products, customers could explore Pelican through activities like overlanding, adventure, photography, and hunting.
This approach created a more personal journey while helping customers discover products relevant to their specific interests.
• Overlanding - Woodland Green
• Adventure - Dynamic Blue
• Photo & Video - Golden Yellow
• Hunting & Shooting - Desert Brown
Product Detail Page
The product detail page was designed around a balance of emotional confidence and rational decision-making.
Rich imagery, configuration tools, reviews, warranties, certifications, and detailed specifications worked together to help customers evaluate products with clarity. Information was intentionally structured to guide users from exploration to purchase without overwhelming them.
Through multiple rounds of iteration, we created a scalable PDP framework that strengthened trust, simplified comparison, and supported Pelican's key conversion goals.
project retro
Key Takeaways
124% increase in sessions
Due to improved information architecture, accessibility, and SEO content.
75% increase in website leads
143% increase in Conversion Rate
More efficiently converting our site visitors due to improved Call to Actions, better funnels to drive conversion, and consistent visible forms.
85% increase in custom case leads
Due to improved visibility and education of our custom engineered solutions on the website.
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