I led the UX transformation and customization strategy that turned Blum from SHT’s weakest theme into one of its most successful — with stronger product-market fit, higher flexibility, and visual balance built for global scale.

Blum was the first Shopify theme ever released by SalesHunterThemes.
But like many first attempts, it was built with limited research, overly opinionated design decisions, and minimal UX flexibility.

When I joined SHT, Blum was already live — but underperforming, ranking low on the Theme Store due to lack of content options, rigid layout, and poor adaptability across use cases.

I was brought in during a critical update phase, where the goal was to:

• Improve Blum’s usability and customization logic
• Refocus the theme toward fashion and visual-heavy merchants
• Expand its reach — especially toward the Japanese market, where Shopify had just increased its regional investment

I reframed the UX strategy

• Audited Blum’s original structure to identify opinionated UX decisions that blocked usability
• Proposed a modular content layout system that gives merchants more creative control without losing consistency
• Introduced optionality into content presentation: full bleed sections, editorial layout, media-first storytelling blocks
• Reorganized product page logic for easier scanning and faster decision-making

I redefined customization flexibility

• Designed new section logic with multi-variant layout modes (e.g. image left/right, stacked, overlay, gallery modes)
• Gave merchants control over spacing, alignment, visual hierarchy, and content visibility
• Built the foundation for Blum’s dual visual styles:
  • Bold & Immersive (asymmetrical, high-energy)
  • Minimal & Balanced (clean, subtle, grid-aligned) — created specifically for Japanese merchants

I aligned product direction with market expansion

• Researched UX expectations of the Japanese merchant ecosystem
• Introduced more refined spacing, better information clarity, and lightweight hierarchy logic
• Ensured the update felt purposeful — not just “added features,” but a rethought product

• Blum rose to the first page of Shopify’s Theme Store listing in its category
• Became one of SHT’s top-performing themes in installs and merchant satisfaction
• Strong traction in the fashion and apparel niche
• Increased relevance and adoption in Japan, contributing to SHT’s localization roadmap
• Internally, Blum went from a “legacy” product to a reusable UX pattern source for newer themes

From the lowest performer to one of the strongest — all by fixing what wasn’t visible at first: the UX foundation.

• Great visual design can’t save poor UX — but great UX can rescue a rigid visual base.
• Customization is not about “more options.” It’s about the right level of control at the right places.
• Repositioning a product requires more empathy than reinvention. I didn’t scrap Blum. I rethought it with clarity.
• Designing for international markets is not about translation. It’s about tone, rhythm, and restraint.