Summit Series Re-design

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The North Face Summit Series

Role

Senior UX Manager - VF Corporation

Goal

Unify landing page around a modular layering story that aligns users needs with technology.

Insights

• Increase of Revenue this year over last = 23.58%
• Conversion on Mobile is up 41% from last year
• Scroll rate is lower this year over last due to navigation and layout improvements, we know users are finding information faster and converting, especially on mobile devices.

Link

Summit Series Landing Page

VF Team

Grace Kroeger | UX Research
Heather Kraft | UX Design
Carson Monroe | UX Design
Robb Stilson | Brand Creative Direction

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I led a cross-functional team of designers, collaborating closely with brand stakeholders, brand creative, research, and engineering squads to launch The North Face Summit Series website re-design. This was the first project, I have worked on at VF that united such diverse teams in an integrated way. My role was to oversee the design strategy, ensuring that the website effectively communicated the performance and technical aspects of the Summit Series while also showcasing the athletes behind the gear.

The final product seamlessly blended functionality with storytelling, providing a dynamic platform for both adventure enthusiasts and elite athletes. Resulting in a 23.58% increase in revenue this year over last year and improved mobile performance.

image of the landing page shown on a desktop and mobile device

The Summit Series Landing Page

The North Face Summit Series represents the brand’s pinnacle performance collection, designed for elite mountain athletes and adventurers who push the limits in extreme conditions. Crafted with expedition-proven technology and tested by athletes globally, this advanced layering system offers unparalleled versatility and technical performance.

The final design solution not only showcases the system’s materials and adaptability but also highlights the athletes behind it, providing a human touch that emphasizes the real-world application and reliability of the gear.

Project Timeline

The project timeline was developed by the brand-side Project Manager, who coordinated all necessary teams and clearly defined both the timeline and individual responsibilities.

image of initial findings post project launch

Project Results

Just 30 days after launch, the new Summit Series experience showed strong early engagement, particularly on mobile. Unique sessions increased to 54K from 47K the previous year, with total views climbing to 73K from 58K. Mobile conversion improved significantly, rising to 1.5% from 0.99%, while desktop conversion dipped slightly to 2.6% from 4%.

These initial metrics point to higher user engagement and improved mobile performance, while highlighting opportunities for continued refinement on desktop.

image of several current summit series pages, desktop only. There is a main landing page along with 4 tabbed pages.

The Current Summit Series Page Designs

The existing Summit Series page lacked focus and clarity. It operated as a catch-all for information, resulting in a disjointed user experience. The tab structure felt arbitrary and unrelated, making navigation confusing and unintuitive. Users struggled to find relevant products, with limited options to review or purchase directly from the page. Additionally, inconsistent and unreliable imagery weakened the brand’s visual credibility.

These issues were echoed across multiple sources—raised by brand stakeholders, surfaced during user testing, and confirmed through a heuristic evaluation.

Image of our research steps, Step 1: Generate Interviews, Step 2: Usability Testing, Step 3: Provide Recommendations

Phase 1: Research

We began with moderated generative interviews with five Summit Series consumers to uncover their motivations, needs, and pain points. Next, we conducted usability testing with 15 participants to evaluate the full user journey—from initial intent through interaction with the existing Summit Series page. Insights were synthesized and shared with our brand partners to inform design direction.

image of our brainstorming artifacts, a white board, a user journey flow chart and how to section off the page.

Phase 2: Design & Research:

Upon discovering that users were most drawn to the interconnected layering system at the heart of Summit Series, the UX team set out to design a more cohesive and intuitive experience. We spent several collaborative working sessions whiteboarding ideas, mapping user journeys, and aligning on how to structure the content. Through iterative brainstorming, we explored ways to present the system as a top-down funnel of information—starting with high-level storytelling and progressively guiding users toward product-level details. Our goal was to “connect the dots” in a way that mirrored both how users think and how they shop.

image of 2 concepts, 1 modular and 1 interconnected. There are also strengths, weaknesses and a user quote for each design.

Design & Research: Conceptual Testing

To validate our early insights, we designed two concept tests to better understand users’ mental models around how layering should be positioned within the shopping experience. We evaluated each concept’s strengths and weaknesses to inform the final direction.

Image of strategic direction, text only.

Design & Research: The Recommended Strategy

Building on insights from our concept tests, we defined a focused strategy for the Summit Series experience. First, we positioned the line as innovation-led, highlighting the advanced technology behind each product to emphasize its performance-driven design. Second, we introduced a modular system approach, visually demonstrating how pieces can function together or independently to meet a range of user needs. Lastly, we prioritized benefit clarity, ensuring users quickly understand how each product solves specific problems or enhances their outdoor experience.

image of our recommended layout, left side features wireframe blocks and right side features content recommnendation.

Design & Research: Recommended Layout - Wireframes and Content

We took an approach that appeal to your average user, as products within this series, are meant to be work by everyone, not just extreme athletes. We designed a repeated layering content block that unifies technology, product details, and benefits to give users a clear, comprehensive understanding of the Summit Series system. To strengthen storytelling and build trust, we incorporated an athlete quote from the directive deck—reinforcing the brand’s outdoor credibility while highlighting the versatility and breadth of the system.

image of the final design on desktop and two mobile screens.

Phase 3: Final Design

Once the UX strategy was approved by brand partners, the creative team at The North Face brought the concepts to life through a striking visual design. They infused the Summit Series ethos into every detail—leveraging breathtaking photography, dynamic layouts, and immersive video to create a rich, engaging experience that draws consumers in and deepens their understanding of the product line.

Team Retro Board

Once the project wrapped, the UX team held a retrospective to reflect on the process. While the project was a success overall, the team identified several opportunities for improvement. Key takeaways included setting more realistic timelines, prioritizing function over form in early stages, and establishing clearer communication throughout the project.

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