Designed and launched the first native mobile app for my previous employer’s flagship eCommerce brand — one of the largest online retailers of contact lenses worldwide.
The Challenge
Before mobile app development was even on the table, I had already played a
key role in helping establish Discount Contacts as a
leading global contact lens retailer through e-commerce UX and branding initiatives. When the opportunity arose to
extend the brand’s success to a native mobile experience, we faced multiple hurdles.
The app needed to be developed by a
new team unfamiliar with native platforms, using Xamarin—a framework with
limited design flexibility. Additionally, company stakeholders new to native mobile products
expected a polished, modern user experience that would match the high standards we had already achieved on the web. Designing an app that was both
lightweight and visually impressive, while remaining
technically feasible and on budget, became the core design challenge.
The Strategy
I led the design and development of the app, managing a team of seven developers and a UI designer through agile sprints focused on rapid delivery and continuous iteration. To overcome Xamarin’s UI limitations, I created custom design solutions that pushed the visual and interaction boundaries of the framework.
I facilitated stakeholder workshops, mapped the MVP product strategy, and produced interactive prototypes in InVision that helped align cross-functional teams and maintain clarity on scope and feasibility. My focus was to deliver a clean, intuitive experience that balanced user needs with technical constraints.
The Outcome
The app launched successfully on iOS and Android, becoming the first native contact lens ordering experience in the app stores. It immediately drove increases in customer reorders, expanded marketing opportunities through app-based campaigns and reminder notifications, and established Discount Contacts as a mobile innovator within the optical retail space.
The project demonstrated that thoughtful UX, even within tight technical limits, can create real business impact and deliver lasting value to both customers and stakeholders.
