YSL Beauty E-com Website

YSL Beauty E-com Website

YSL Beauty
E-com Website

YSL Beauty E-com Website

Overview

Founded in 2001, YSL Beauty is a global brand based in France. A subsidiary of L’Oreal Group, it markets cosmetic, skincare and perfumery products. To further establish their presence in the Middle East, we were asked to create a website that encompasses the brand identity and nature of YSL Beauty, as well as providing a user-friendly digital experience.

Type of Project
Type of Project
Type of Project

E-commerce (Website)

Duration
Duration
Duration

Research and Design (2019-2020) + maintenance and additional revisions

Team
Team

5 people (UX Designers & Researchers)

Tools
Tools

Adobe XD, Jira, Confluence, Monday.com, Zeplin

Team

5 people (UX Designers & Researchers)

Tools

Adobe XD, Jira, Confluence, Monday.com, Zeplin

Role

My role was to help my team with UX research (competitive audit, user analytics) and UX/UI design in terms of creation of user flows, wireframes, and design. I worked on this project during my time as a Junior UX/UI Designer at Chalhoub Group during between 2019 and 2021. As a team, our role was to create a digital experience that is true to YSL Beauty but also distinguishable from the other YSL Beauty websites. 

How to differentiate YSL Beauty’s new website from a saturate Middle Eastern beauty market?

Research

To create the YSL Beauty e-commerce platform for the UAE and KSA, we began by benchmarking various YSL websites globally, as well as other successful beauty e-commerce sites. We analyzed layout, color usage, features, what makes these features unique, and overall UX to understand what works and what doesn’t. 

Design

After conducting sufficient research, we began creating wireframes to understand the website's overall structure and features. However, due to time constraints, we moved quickly from wireframing to the design process. We made sure that the UI complemented the UX, delivering a user-friendly, accessible product that stayed true to the YSL Beauty brand identity.

The project was finally launched at the end of 2020 in collaboration with L’Oreal Group MENA and Emakina TR (development company), with global approval from YSL Beauty France. To view the full website, please visit: www.yslbeauty.ae.

The project was finally launched at the end of 2020 in collaboration with L’Oreal Group MENA and Emakina TR (development company), with global approval from YSL Beauty France. To view the full website, please visit: www.yslbeauty.ae.

The project was finally launched at the end of 2020 in collaboration with L’Oreal Group MENA and Emakina TR (development company), with global approval from YSL Beauty France. To view the full website, please visit: www.yslbeauty.ae.

Please note that the designs my team and I created between 2019-2021 are the high-fidelity wireframes shown here. Many design elements were lost during development, and the current live website has been modified. I am not associated with the changes now live on the site.

Please note that the designs my team and I created between 2019-2021 are the high-fidelity wireframes shown here. Many design elements were lost during development, and the current live website has been modified. I am not associated with the changes now live on the site.

Please note that the designs my team and I created between 2019-2021 are the high-fidelity wireframes shown here. Many design elements were lost during development, and the current live website has been modified. I am not associated with the changes now live on the site.

Post-launch

After launching the website, we began exploring additional features to implement while ensuring the UX remained practical. For example, we noticed a high dropout rate during the checkout process. To identify whether this was a UX or front-end development issue, we compared our checkout experience on YSL Beauty with the successful checkout experience on Sephora Beauty US. We found that our design lacked clarity and effective calls to action for confirming choices.

Additionally, the slow load times were frustrating for users, leading to dropouts. We addressed these issues by simplifying the visual experience and working with developers to decrease load times and improve the efficiency of the checkout flow.

Obstacles

The project faced challenges in feasibility due to the involvement of various stakeholders. Internal teams often found themselves at crossroads, with inputs from different individuals fluctuating, as our designs needed to satisfy both local teams and the global HQ. To overcome this, we had to make numerous compromises to deliver the best possible solution.

Reflections

By creating this digital product, we positioned YSL Beauty as a staple in the Middle East, significantly boosting its digital presence. Customers embraced the convenience of online shopping, driving sales and expanding the brand’s reach, especially during limited physical interactions. The success delighted the global HQ, highlighting the Middle East as a key market. Personally, this was my first professional project, where I gained valuable experience collaborating with diverse teams and developers. It was thrilling to apply my university knowledge to a creative UX project from start to finish.

Let's talk about…?

If you want to chat about design, sports, philosophy, psychology, job opportunities, pop culture or even something totally random, I'm all ears! Message me on LinkedIn or send me an email.

Let's talk about…?

If you want to chat about design, sports, philosophy, psychology, job opportunities, pop culture or even something totally random, I'm all ears! Message me on LinkedIn or send me an email.

Let's talk about…?

If you want to chat about design, sports, philosophy, psychology, job opportunities, pop culture or even something totally random, I'm all ears! Message me on LinkedIn or send me an email.

Let's talk about…?

If you want to chat about design, sports, philosophy, psychology, job opportunities, pop culture or even something totally random, I'm all ears! Message me on LinkedIn or send me an email.

© 2025 Michele Sabty. All Right Reserved.

Created with blood, sweat, love and tears.