Summary
Problem
Navigation had grown with the org across 40+ markets, and the business was adding brands and formats it had no room for.
Approach
Analytics, card sorting, tree testing, market workshops, benchmarking, multiple rounds of prototype testing.
Decision
One Shop instead of competing doors, Coffee Culture to separate browsing from buying, and the same thinking carried through comparison, listing and product pages.
Result
100% entered the correct section (vs 80%). 3.5× first-attempt success.
What was the challenge?
Four signals. One underlying problem.
Navigation had never been any team’s remit, so nobody had joined the signals up. In discovery we did.
Why this mattered
Markets had been layering fixes on top of the confusion for years. Everyone solved the symptom locally. Nobody owned the cause.
Stakeholder workshops
Signal 01
Described from the inside as overly cluttered and fiddly, worse on mobile.
Prior usability tests
Signal 02
Unclear structure, order and subscription details hard to locate, search ineffective.
Mobile analytics
Signal 03
Almost all interaction on three categories. Three real destinations and a long tail nobody touched.
Market requests
Signal 04
40+ markets each wanting their own arrangement. Every local fix made the global system less coherent.
What markets raised
Cluttered and fiddly to use, especially on mobile
Too many items, and no clear path through them
Customers land on the wrong page for their machine
Filters are cumbersome and hard to use
Jargon descriptions; Vertuo versus Original unclear
What they asked for
Simplify it, particularly on mobile
Fewer top-level items, one clear path through
Get people to the right coffee for their machine
Filters that are quicker to use
Plain language instead of system names
How might we:
Create a navigation model customers can understand, while supporting different products, propositions and commercial needs across more than 40 markets?
Strategy
Designing around customer intent, not the org chart.
Three inputs fed every decision. A structure satisfying only one wouldn’t survive the other two.
Business goals
Which categories, formats and partners we needed to grow.
Market variability
Different products, different habits, in every market.
User behaviour
How people search, browse and expect things to be filed.
Business goal
Create an experience and navigation strategy that supports a broader coffee lifestyle.
Design goal
A more intuitive navigation.
Making navigation smooth yet scalable, and product discovery and comparison more efficient — so people find the product that best fits their needs.
From: Linear funnel
Home → category → product → cart. Efficient, transactional, few detours.
To: Ecosystem
Several ways in: formats, rituals, editorial, partner brands.
Research
How customers actually think
Mobile analytics: almost all navigation interaction concentrated on core shopping categories, while technology-specific destinations barely registered.
Proposed navigation taxonomy: Developed from card-sorting insights and validated through tree testing.
Homepage
1
Simplified system choice
We removed system complexity from the Homepage, helping users quickly start their purchase journey and move into the relevant PLP.
2
Introducing compatibility at the right moment
A single “Shop all” entry takes users to an intermediary PLP, where they first choose the coffee or machine system they’re shopping for.
Intermediary page
3
Guided choice before products
Users can explore all coffee types and choose what suits them before entering the product listing.
4
Built to scale
A scalable category structure supports future products without adding complexity or overloaded PLP filters.
5
Simplifying system comparison
The banner helps users understand the differences between systems through a simple side-by-side comparison.
PLP
6
Dedicated system PLP
Each PLP shows one coffee system only, with an easy route back to explore other types.
7
Clear filter visibility
The filter bar shows the number of products available and clearly indicates when filters are applied.
8
Mug size at a glance
Adding ml sizes to Vertuo capsules helps users quickly identify the right coffee size before using filters.
PDP
9
Clear compatibility on PDPs
A prominent compatibility message on Coffee and Machine PDPs removes system confusion, with a drawer explaining compatible machines or capsules.
10
Cup sizes at a glance
Cup sizes stay prominent on the PDP, helping users quickly see how many sizes each coffee can brew.
Comparison
11
Side-by-side comparison
The comparison panel helps users compare products and confidently choose the right one.
12
Guiding the next step
User testing validated quick links to compatible coffees or similar machines, helping users continue their journey.
Selected examples
Reflections
