Uniqlo JP + DS
Uniqlo JP + DS
Scaling eCommerce through a global design system, with a focus on culture, craft, and collaboration.
Scaling eCommerce through a global design system, with a focus on culture, craft, and collaboration.
About
About
Uniqlo, one of the largest clothing retailers in Japan, had required an update to it’s flagship japan url uniqlo.jp (now uniqlo.com/jp). Utilizing a Design System that was actively being worked on, the team and I were able to craft the appropriate experience for any nuance within Japanese content, culture, and structure, while providing continuous feedback that fed back into improving and optimizing the design system for other locales around the world. Working closely with a small team to implement any changes happening in the design system but also upwardly suggesting adjustments to workflow, hand-off, or documentation of the system.
Uniqlo, one of the largest clothing retailers in Japan, had required an update to it’s flagship japan url uniqlo.jp (now uniqlo.com/jp). Utilizing a Design System that was actively being worked on, the team and I were able to craft the appropriate experience for any nuance within Japanese content, culture, and structure, while providing continuous feedback that fed back into improving and optimizing the design system for other locales around the world. Working closely with a small team to implement any changes happening in the design system but also upwardly suggesting adjustments to workflow, hand-off, or documentation of the system.
Role
Role
Senior Product Designer
Senior Product Designer
Platform
Platform
Web
Web
Client
Client
Uniqlo Japan
Uniqlo Japan
Type
Type
eCommerce
eCommerce
,
,
Retail Design System
Retail Design System
Year
Year
2019
2019
Focus
Focus
Global design system, eCommerce UX, localization, prototyping, agile collaboration
Global design system, eCommerce UX, localization, prototyping, agile collaboration
Challenge
Challenge
Uniqlo needed a unified, scalable design system to support the global expansion of its eCommerce platform—starting with its flagship Japan site. Our challenge was to design and implement modular components that worked across cultures, languages, and markets, while empowering Uniqlo’s internal teams to adopt and maintain the system across all future brand sites under Fast Retailing.
Uniqlo needed a unified, scalable design system to support the global expansion of its eCommerce platform—starting with its flagship Japan site. Our challenge was to design and implement modular components that worked across cultures, languages, and markets, while empowering Uniqlo’s internal teams to adopt and maintain the system across all future brand sites under Fast Retailing.
My Role
My Role
Hands-on contributor to prototyping, documentation, and component design
Led mentorship across design handoff and onboarding workflows
Built and demoed motion-infused prototypes to communicate interactions
Collaborated with developers in agile “desk check” sessions
Facilitated client education and onboarding for design system usage
Hands-on contributor to prototyping, documentation, and component design
Led mentorship across design handoff and onboarding workflows
Built and demoed motion-infused prototypes to communicate interactions
Collaborated with developers in agile “desk check” sessions
Facilitated client education and onboarding for design system usage
Focus
Focus
We worked in partnership with Product and Dev leadership to stagger component development and documentation in waves—prioritizing what was most impactful to the Uniqlo Japan launch. Our roadmap accommodated timezone differences and agile sprint planning, enabling efficient collaboration between Toronto and Tokyo.
We worked in partnership with Product and Dev leadership to stagger component development and documentation in waves—prioritizing what was most impactful to the Uniqlo Japan launch. Our roadmap accommodated timezone differences and agile sprint planning, enabling efficient collaboration between Toronto and Tokyo.
Insights
Insights
The design system had to serve both customers and Uniqlo’s internal design team. We balanced stakeholder interviews with internal validation loops, gathering insight from the earlier Canadian launch and applying it globally. Our dual focus: deliver an elegant customer experience while teaching system best practices to Uniqlo’s corporate design team.
The design system had to serve both customers and Uniqlo’s internal design team. We balanced stakeholder interviews with internal validation loops, gathering insight from the earlier Canadian launch and applying it globally. Our dual focus: deliver an elegant customer experience while teaching system best practices to Uniqlo’s corporate design team.
Hands On
Hands On
Using Sketch and Principle, I developed advanced prototypes to communicate microinteractions, transitions, and edge case behaviors—essential for illustrating experience nuances during developer desk checks or Jira documentation. These prototypes played a vital role in building shared understanding with engineering and global stakeholders.
Using Sketch and Principle, I developed advanced prototypes to communicate microinteractions, transitions, and edge case behaviors—essential for illustrating experience nuances during developer desk checks or Jira documentation. These prototypes played a vital role in building shared understanding with engineering and global stakeholders.
Systems
Systems
We established a fully modular design system organized into six core parts:
Foundations (typography, spacing, color)
Design Kit (components and symbols for designers)
Component Library (versioned UI code)
Developer Sandbox (testing environment)
Documentation (usage guidelines)
Governance Model (workflow and contribution rules)
The result was a flexible yet durable system that empowered Uniqlo and Fast Retailing brands to build with consistency and confidence.
We established a fully modular design system organized into six core parts:
Foundations (typography, spacing, color)
Design Kit (components and symbols for designers)
Component Library (versioned UI code)
Developer Sandbox (testing environment)
Documentation (usage guidelines)
Governance Model (workflow and contribution rules)
The result was a flexible yet durable system that empowered Uniqlo and Fast Retailing brands to build with consistency and confidence.
Outcome
Outcome
Successfully launched Uniqlo Japan’s flagship site with a scalable system
Built governance and onboarding frameworks for global design ops
Strengthened collaboration between Japan-based stakeholders and remote teams
Paved the way for Fast Retailing to extend the system to other brands like GU
Successfully launched Uniqlo Japan’s flagship site with a scalable system
Built governance and onboarding frameworks for global design ops
Strengthened collaboration between Japan-based stakeholders and remote teams
Paved the way for Fast Retailing to extend the system to other brands like GU
Highlights
Highlights
Led design system handoff and onboarding for Uniqlo’s internal teams
Embedded motion into components for checkout and microinteractions
Built with global nuance, accounting for localization and cultural UX
Facilitated collaboration across time zones, tools, and teams
Led design system handoff and onboarding for Uniqlo’s internal teams
Embedded motion into components for checkout and microinteractions
Built with global nuance, accounting for localization and cultural UX
Facilitated collaboration across time zones, tools, and teams
What I learned
Design systems are just as much about education as execution
Motion and detail help bring delight to even the most utilitarian flows
Localization isn’t just translation—it’s structural, behavioral, and visual
Systems thinking is essential when designing for multi-brand, multi-country ecosystems
Tools
Sketch
Abstract
Principle
Miro
Mural
Slack
Credits
Brian Cass
Senior Designer
CJ Flynn
Designer
Mirza Sakovic
Associate Design Director
Gary Fung
Associate Visual Designer
Credits
Brian Cass
Senior Designer
CJ Flynn
Designer
Mirza Sakovic
Associate Design Director
Gary Fung
Associate Visual Designer
Tools
Sketch
Abstract
Principle
Miro
Mural
Slack
What i Learned
Design systems are just as much about education as execution
Motion and detail help bring delight to even the most utilitarian flows
Localization isn’t just translation—it’s structural, behavioral, and visual
Systems thinking is essential when designing for multi-brand, multi-country ecosystems
