OPRAH’S FAVORITE THINGS - 2023
Oprah’s Favorite Things is one of Hearst’s highest-traffic, revenue-driving editorial franchises during the holiday shopping season, featuring over 100 curated products and attracting millions of high-intent users. As the lead product designer for the 2023 experience, I led the redesign of how users navigate large-scale commerce content, balancing editorial storytelling, monetization goals, and usability. The primary objective was to improve product discoverability and increase engagement with affiliate-driven content.
During peak traffic (Nov 1 – Dec 23, 2023):
+11% increase in unique product clicks
+14% increase in total product clicks
44% of users engaged with the navigation bar
2022 Pain Points
The 2022 experience did not scale effectively:
Users had to scroll through 100+ products with no efficient wayfinding
Section dividers were visually disconnected from content categories
Low navigability limited product discovery and downstream revenue opportunitiesThis created friction for high-intent holiday shoppers and reduced the effectiveness of a key revenue-driving experience.
Improving in-page navigation would reduce friction, increase product discovery, and drive higher click-through rates on affiliate links.
— HypothesisExploration & Validation
I explored multiple navigation models, including a slide-out drawer and a persistent in-page navigation bar.
To validate direction:
Conducted user testing on navigation patterns and labeling
Iterated on information hierarchy and terminology
Partnered with stakeholders (including the Oprah brand team) to balance thematic design with usability
During this process, I also advocated for visual consistency in UI elements, pushing back on exploratory color treatments that negatively impacted usability and scannability.
Key Decisions & Tradeoffs
Selected a persistent navigation bar over a more complex drawer due to:
Faster implementation within tight seasonal timelines
Lower engineering overhead
Strong usability performance in testingRemoved “back to top” functionality after A/B testing showed low engagement in similar long-form content
These decisions prioritized speed, clarity, and measurable impact over more complex but riskier solutions.
2023 Design Solutions
Launched a persistent navigation system that enabled quick access to product categories
Improved wayfinding across 100+ items
Created a reusable pattern for future large-scale listicle experiences
Impact
During peak traffic (Nov 1 – Dec 23, 2023):
+11% increase in unique product clicks
+14% increase in total product clicks
44% of users engaged with the navigation bar
This directly improved product discoverability and engagement in a high-value commerce experience.
Scaling the Impact…
The navigation pattern proved so effective that it was adopted for the 2024 Oprah’s Favorite Things experience, establishing a repeatable model for future seasonal and commerce-driven content.
