Ace Hardware: Inspiring Online Tools for Paint Selection
Industry
Retail, Home Improvement, E-commerce
Client
Ace Hardware
Platforms
Web
Date
2014
CASE STUDY BRIEF
Capability
Retail UX, guided discovery, content strategy
Leadership level
Director
What I led
Improved Ace Hardware’s paint-selection experience with room inspiration, calculators, quizzes, tutorials, and integrated brand content.
Why it matters
Moved the paint section beyond product listing toward guided discovery and DIY decision support.
Challenge
Paint shopping is often an inspiration and confidence problem before it is a product selection problem. Customers need help choosing colors, estimating needs, and understanding how to complete the job.
Role
I worked on UX and content strategy for Ace Hardware’s paint experience, focusing on guided discovery and decision support for DIY customers.
What I designed
The experience brought together room inspiration, calculators, quizzes, tutorials, and brand content so the paint section could guide customers rather than only list products.
Evidence boundary
This is a retail UX and content strategy case. It should not claim sales lift unless commerce metrics are added.
Why it matters
It shows how I turn a retail category into a guided product experience that supports customer confidence.
