Ohio — Open to Work2025
BlackMilk App Concept
A web-first brand, built for mobile browsing
01. Overview
A mobile-first way to shop a brand built for the web
Exploring how a dedicated app could retain BlackMilk’s loud personality while streamlining browsing and discovery. Presented as a visual and structural study rather than a research-led case
- Timeline
- 2–3 months, 2025
- Type
- Self-initiated
- My Part
- End to end
- The Brand
- BlackMilk Clothing
- Scope
- Concept, unaffiliated
02. The Ask
Weaving the Web to App
BlackMilk Clothing, a Y2K-inspired fashion brand with a loyal following, is bold, maximalist, and built for scroll. Founded in 2009 from a kitchen table selling leggings through a blog, that unapologetically expressive identity that has to survive the compression to a small screen
Friction 1 : The full catalogue arrives at one weight
Friction 2 : High-intent actions sit level with browsing
Friction 3 : Discovery competes with purchase for the same space
Friction 4 : A maximalist identity has to survive the small screen
03. The Progress
The website site was mapped first, then restructured for app navigation. Redistributing where effort falls across browsing, discovery, and checkout
Before - Web Structure
Eight top-level categories, several with overlapping content and inconsistent depth — some sprawling into 5+ subcategories, others empty
New
No subcategory
Essentials
6 subcategories
Clothing
7 subcategories
Collabs
>5 subcategories
Collections
6 subcategories
Back in Stock
No subcategory
Sale
5 subcategories
Gift Card
No subcategory
After - App Structure
Menu - Homepage: Customers buy this brand for its collections, so it gets a fast, one-tap spot up front
New
Kept
Collections
Kept
Back in Stock
Kept
Sale
Kept
Menu - Quick Access: Collabs and Collections overlapped so much that browsing meant checking both, so they became one thorough archive
Essentials
Kept
Clothing
Kept
Essential subcategories
Removed
Gift Cards
Removed
Collabs + Collection
Kept & Merged
Categories
82
Taps Saved
2-3
Time Saved
~2 min
Less overload, more purposeful discovery
04. Showcase
Try the prototype in Figma
Open PrototypeWatch the Walkthrough Clip (4 min)
05. Closing
01 Strategy
Strategy and details matter
Laying down a map and making strategic choices early proved valuable, the small details consistently reinforced the larger design goals
02 Consistency
Consistency builds clarity
Using a structured design system kept the app cohesive and reduced friction in decision-making, showing how consistency supports both speed and quality
03 Practicality
Balancing innovation with practicality
Not every idea had to be groundbreaking; sometimes the most effective solution was the simplest one delivered within scope