I led the product direction, UX architecture, and collaboration strategy of the most ambitious — and most complex — Shopify theme our team had ever built.

Shopify merchants with large product catalogs and B2B workflows struggle to build efficient storefronts due to rigid theme structures, limited support for product complexity, and poor scalability of customization options.
As a result, they often face high setup time, poor performance, and limited conversion visibility — despite having a strong operational business behind the scenes.

• Reach 60 sales within the first 2 weeks (during Shopify’s featured theme listing window)
• Acquire at least 5 positive reviews and 0 negative review in the first 2 weeks to validate theme quality and merchant experience
• Maintain visibility by staying on page 4 or higher in Shopify Theme Store ranking after the feature period

We conducted research through:

• Competitive audits of high-SKU themes and B2B platforms
• Interviews and observations of merchants managing 300+ products
• Internal data from past theme performance and support tickets

Key Personas:

Merchant Persona – Needs flexibility to structure complex catalogs, control customization, and reduce setup time
B2B Buyer Persona – Values quick decision-making, spec comparison, and fast, frictionless ordering

Normcore was more than a theme — it was a flagship product designed for merchants with large, complex catalogs and B2B workflows. But what made it truly challenging was how it was built:

For the first time, we partnered with an external visual design agency — Đình Collective — while I took full ownership of the product, UX, and cross-functional alignment.

This required me to design the product and the process at the same time — ensuring we moved fast, stayed clear, and delivered something that worked for both users and business.

I shaped the product strategy

• Repositioned Normcore as a system-first theme for high-SKU catalogs and wholesale needs — not a “general purpose” template
• Built feature sets that addressed real merchant pain: complex navigation, variant logic, reorder flows, B2B conversion friction
• Balanced long-term extensibility with short-term launch requirements

I architected a UX system built for scale

• Designed modular sections that supported 3+ catalog types and various selling models (retail, B2B, hybrid)
• Created scalable logic for mega menu, product cards, and filtering across storefront sizes
• Integrated flexibility without sacrificing clarity — enabling both new merchants and experienced operators to build fast

I managed and aligned across teams

• Acted as the bridge between SHT and Đình Collective: aligning expectations, defending UX decisions, and maintaining direction
• Ran design checkpoints, QA workflows, and roadmap prioritization to keep visual and product efforts synced
• Translated abstract brand requirements into functional, systemized UI logic

I built a new process from scratch

• Developed a custom collaboration workflow between two independent teams (in-house & agency)
• Integrated user research, competitive analysis, internal audits, visual handoff, and QA into one consistent loop
• Maintained a clear decision-making framework to avoid misalignment and last-minute rework

• Modular mega menu (3 styles)
• Dynamic product cards with variant logic, bundle support, quick reorder
• B2B-friendly blocks: table-style quick order, tier pricing, bulk CTA
• Smart popups, flexible announcement logic, and cross-sell components
• Fully customizable header/footer builder
• Visual system rooted in performance (Swiss 721 + DM Mono, grid layout logic)

Normcore launched with strong early traction, closely hitting key targets during Shopify’s 2-week featured theme window:

• Reached 58 sales out of the 60 target in the first 2 weeks — a strong performance given the competitive listing environment
• Collected 5+ positive merchant reviews, validating the usability, clarity, and setup experience
• Maintained visibility post-feature, securing a spot on page 4+ in the Shopify Theme Store ranking

Following launch, Normcore became a flagship theme in our portfolio, adopted by merchants across B2B and high-SKU verticals. Its scalable section system and UX architecture laid the foundation for how we approached future theme development.