Project Role
As the Lead UX and Visual Designer, I was responsible for designing the website, creating store and campaign materials, developing new products, and organize merchandise pop-up events.
Skills Used
UX/UI Design
Web Design
Marketing Strategy
User Research
Graphic Design
Inventory Management
About Olin Gear
The Olin Gear store provides spirit products to Olin community family + friends: students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, and more.
Display of the Olin Gear site in 2021, prior to revamping.
Overview
Olin College's merchandise program faced challenges with outdated inventory, a lack of community engagement, and an unbranded, cumbersome online store. Due to staffing limitations, our goal was to modernize the program by introducing sustainable processes, creating a cohesive brand experience, and better understanding the community's needs.
The Problem
A small college store struggling to thrive in an industry built for bulk.
1. Resource Constraints
The program had extremely limited staffing, small spacing, and an inefficient fulfillment process that was difficult to maintain.
2. Inventory Management
Bulk ordering caused items to pile up, taking up storage space and making products less appealing, which hurt community interest and sales.
3. Low Sales vs High Demand
The community was excited but bought little. Students often suggested new gear designs, parents asked about specific items, and 1-3 Products & Market projects focused on the Olin Gear Store each year.
4. Web Usability
The site was hard to navigate, had inconsistent branding, and listed outdated or irrelevant items (e.g., cannoli plates, vegetable platters), which frustrated users. It also didn’t follow updated Olin branding or offer a user-friendly experience.
Design + Implementation
Shifting to Print-on-Demand
Given our difficulty with bulk ordering, I proposed and implemented a Print-on-Demand model using Printful and integrated it with our existing Square system. This shift allowed us to streamline operations, expand product options (e.g. sustainable clothing, brand collaborations, trending items, etc.), as well as reduce costs.
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Re-designing the New Store
After researching other stores and identifying our pain points, we re-designed a branded user-friendly website. I cleared outdated inventory, imported data, photographed products for consistency, and added custom graphics. The site launched with improved navigation, updated items, and three new Print-on-Demand products for testing.
Updating Inventory and Enhancing Store Layout
My teammate, who handled in-house fulfillments, and I updated the Square system, re-organized stock, and cleared outdated items. When re-organizing the stock in the physical store, we focused on creating a visually appealing and branded store layout for future pop-up events.
Our second pop-up display ever!
Held during Olin's Alumni Weekend 2023.
New Merch
New designs were made based on conversations with target customers and by analyzing items that were once popular but are no longer selling.
Priorities based on findings 🛍️ Parent-specific merch • Updated clothing designs • Brand collaborations • Pet-related merch
The following merch designs were made by me.
Engaging through Pop-up Events
To celebrate the new Olin gear website, we hosted a launch party with a scavenger hunt, where students found old merch hidden on campus and earned bonus items. We ran social media campaigns to boost excitement and opened the on-campus store.
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Since then, we’ve organized 12+ pop-up events to engage the community, clear old stock, and gather feedback on products and the website. Each event has been an opportunity to refine layouts, improve branding, and create a more professional setup, including better signage, organized categories, and discount displays.
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Some images from our pop-ups!
Value + Impact
Our primary goal was not just to create a new revenue stream but to provide the community with something they truly wanted. We’re proud to say we’ve accomplished both so far and still working to improve!
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We increased revenue, with our most successful pop-up to date generating $2,700 in sales. We've hosted a total of 13 pop-ups.
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We introduced 19 new designs, addressing the demand for more variety, while selling a third of our outdated stock. Print-on-demand has also allowed us to reduce waste.
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We decreased the need for in-house manpower, allowing us to focus our energy on product range and iterating on our web + physical layout.