Project Overview
Unwrapping Chanel
Revolutionizing In-Store Experiences with a Social Media Platform and Sustainability Library
PRODUCT DESIGN
USER RESERCH
GRAPHIC DESIGN
The Challenge
Chanel’s holiday campaign is one of its most awaited moments—a celebration of elegance, exclusivity, and timeless style. I was tasked with designing an end-to-end experience for this campaign that would embody Chanel’s storied legacy while appealing to a global digital audience. i collaborated with Chanel’s Artistic Direction team to create visually cohesive and immersive digital layouts, prints, and invitation designs that seamlessly blended heritage with modernity.
The Solution
Our mission was to produce a multi-platform experience that would captivate and engage Chanel’s diverse audience across both digital and physical channels. Each design element needed to feel distinctly “Chanel” while bringing a touch of holiday warmth to the luxury brand’s aesthetic. From the outset, our goals were to:
Capture Chanel’s luxury and exclusivity in a contemporary way.
Design an engaging digital experience that would attract both long-standing and new Chanel clients.
Ensure brand cohesion across all elements, from digital interfaces to physical invitations.
Discovery & Research
To ensure I brought fresh, relevant ideas to Chanel’s holiday campaign, I began by working with my team to start in-depth research. We analyzed Chanel’s past campaigns, studying past interactive (in-store) experiences that resonated with their audience. The most successful in the past were events, that allowed the clients to customize gift cards, write customized letters for loved ones, and any entertainment-related installations. These were essential building blocks for my
Next, i looked at how other luxury brands approached the holiday season. This took me on a long and exciting journey through the city of New York, stopping at major retail locations and interviewing employees and customers alike, to see what ideas were popular now. I went to brands such as Dior, Glossier, Maison Margiela, Armani, YSL, Rimowa. Really dived into the luxury scene and witnessed how they used personalization and exciting installations to create a unique and personal experience for each customer
Elevating Chanel's
in-store and online experience
Concept Development & Ideation
Equipped with insights from my research, I held a series of brainstorming sessions with my team to develop unique, cohesive concepts that would resonate with Chanel’s audience.
We explored ideas around the Holiday guideline themes of nostalgia, timeless elegance, and the spirit of gifting, focusing on ways to make these themes interactive and engaging. With my tech background, I identified key digital elements that could become signature parts of the campaign and fleshed them out:
AR Holiday Lens : Recognizing the rising trend of augmented reality, we developed an AR lens that allowed users to interact with Chanel’s iconic symbols, such as the camellia and pearls, through their smartphones
"The Art of Unwrapping": With the preexisting "Art of Wrapping" - a series of internal educational videos, that taught Chanel employees how to wrap gifts and present them the "Chanel" way. I thought of making this a customer-facing product that clients can access as an extension of the Chanel website and app.
Design & Prototyping
We developed multiple ideas through continuous prototyping. which allowed us to visualize concepts and gather feedback quickly, ensuring our designs were user-centric and original.
To further cement our ideas, I conducted user testing surveys with the design team. Engaging other team members in order to provide diverse, unbiased perspectives, helping to also refine and improve the prototypes.
Iteratively refined the final solution. which honed the final design and to ensure it met all user needs and project goals, before presenting it to the Chanel AD and Product team.
Key Achievements
The Art Of Unwrapping:
Created a user-friendly platform for entrepreneurs, integrating:
Sustainability Library: Provided a library of sustainable gift-wrapping techniques and educational resources. Promoted eco-friendly practices and enhanced the gifting experience.
Social Media Integration: Enabled users to share their gifting experiences and connect with others through social media. Fostered a sense of community and increased brand visibility.
In-Store Photo Moments: Created interactive photo moments at POS locations, allowing users to capture and print personalized photos. Enhanced the in-store experience and provided memorable keepsakes.
Impact
The completed campaign elegantly combined digital innovation with Chanel’s timeless aesthetic, offering users a unique, interactive experience that resonated with both traditional and new audiences. From the AR lens to the interactive “Gift of Unwrapping,” each element contributed to a cohesive brand story that was both memorable and engaging.
By balancing tradition with modern digital experiences, we delivered a holiday campaign that celebrated Chanel’s legacy while inviting users into a rich, interactive journey.
