JCPenney: Lincoln Design System
Modernizing the design system
TEAM
Design Manager, Associate Creative Director, Junior Designer
ROLE
Senior UX Designer
DURATION
8 Months
01 CONTEXT
The story
JCPenney's story is one of both success and struggle in the ever-evolving retail landscape.
Founded in 1902 on the principle of "The Golden Rule" – fair prices and quality goods for all – JCPenney thrived for decades with an impressive product catalog ranging from clothing, household appliances, and home services.
With the rise of online retail in the late 20th century proved to be
a challenge for JCPenney.
While competitors embraced the digital revolution, JCPenney remained heavily focused on brick-and-mortar stores. This, coupled with unsuccessful acquisitions, led to declining sales and a large amount of debt. Their core customers began to drift away, and JCPenney went bankrupt.
How do we bring them back?
Core Customer Base
Midwestern moms, JCPenney's long-time loyal shoppers, are returning thanks to the resurgence of couponing and enticing sale codes.
Core customers took to new platforms like TikTok to share their experience.
02 OVERVIEW
Evolution of a brand
JCPenney's brand story is one of evolution, with highs and lows. It focused on affordability for the middle class, reflected in its early logo with JCPenney's name in a friendly, handwritten script.
Over the decades, JCPenney's branding mirrored its strategy. It shifted to a sleek logo in the 1970s, likely as the company itself modernized.
However, JCPenney's most recent rebranding attempt in 2013 backfired. They aimed for a more upscale image, but the new logo and confusing store changes alienated their core customer base.
Today, JCPenney is working to regain its footing. They've embraced a more inclusive marketing approach and a "Make It Count" campaign focusing on affordability, community, and positive change—their effort to recapture the trust of their loyal customers.
This trust started with a step forward towards modernizing the online experience.
Penney's logo used from 1963 to 1971 but still on stores until the 1980s.
JCPenney logo, originally used from 1971 to 2011, again from 2013 to 2019, and again starting in 2023.
JCPenney box logo 2000–2005
Alternate JCPenney logo used on a few stores, used from 2011 until 2012.
JCPenney logo used from 2012 to 2013
JCPenney logo used from November 1, 2019, to 2023.
03 DESIGN SYSTEM
Atomic Design
JCPenney's design system is transforming from a reactive platform to a responsive one. This shift aims to keep up with the rapidly changing online customer behavior and the latest technological advancements. The new system will enable JCPenney to adapt to the ever-evolving digital landscape and provide a seamless user experience to its customers, regardless of the device they use to access the website.
Click to see full image
Product Pages
With the complexity of the design system already in place, I directed my focus to the Product Listing Page (PLP) and the Product Description Page (PDP). With the structure of Atomic Design, components were dissected into atoms, organisms, and molecules. The images on the right show how the system came together for the PDP.
Click each view individual images
04 RESEARCH
Leaving an impression
Now that the PDP and the PLP were set in a defined structure, it was time to update it. When I looked at competitors, one of the best opportunities to further the evolution of the design was to elevate the alignment of the product images. While most competitors had all their images stacked into two columns, they still looked the same.
But then….zoom. One interaction that stood out was how the zoom function differed but was still similar between competitors.
The challenge was how can I create a custom zoom for JCPenney.
COMPETITOR WHO LEFT THE MOST IMPACT
04 OUTCOME
Thinking forward
After looking at the competitors, there was insight into what can be done to bring our core and future customers to JCPenney. Incorporating a custom zoom was the first step.
Check it out.
Click on the image to view zoom