Pink Friday Nails: A Website as Bold as Nicki Minaj
"Everything she does is bold, fearless and distinct – whether that be her eye-popping stage attire or her expertly delivered lyrics, which stare gender and race dead in the eye." (1)
Nicki Minaj's larger-than-life personality demanded a website to match. VAAN faced the challenge of capturing her essence – bold, fearless, and distinct – while crafting a seamless mobile experience for her target audience. Our Brand Conversion Design Process provided the roadmap, guiding us through our five key phases:
Research- Decoding the “Queen”
We delved into Nicki's world, analyzing her music, social media presence, and press coverage. This helped us understand her brand identity and the demographic who admires her confidence and craves high-quality press-on nails. From this research, three key insights emerged:
- Pink Reign: The color pink permeates Nicki’s brand - from album to her signature style
- Unapologetic Energy: The website couldn't be timid. It had to capture Nicki's bold personality, reflecting her fearless approach to life and music.
- Mobile Optimized: most of her younger female audience shops on mobile, the site needed to be have a seamless mobile experience
Identification - Sharpening the Vision
Armed with our research findings, we entered the Identification phase. This stage focused on pinpointing opportunities and refining our understanding. We identified the target audience, the brand's value proposition (high-quality, bold press-on nails), product differentiators (customization options), and the overall brand story (empowering self-expression).
Sampling - Building the Blueprint
The Sampling phase involved gathering inspiration that aligned with our research and identification. We analyzed successful features and functionalities of other nail brands and websites that catered to a similar audience. We also explored the use of hands as a design element in e-commerce. Furthermore, considering Nicki's celebrity status, we created three distinct aesthetic directions (moodboards) to present a range of design possibilities.
Mapping - From Concept to Functionality
Step 4 of the Brand Conversion Design process is to map the desired functionality to the technology that will power it. Working with our partners below the Pink Friday team leveraged the vast Shopify app ecosystem to power emails, reviews, SMS, and more. To double down on their mobile-first focus, the team chose to use Junip for reviews. This resulted in a massive boost in customer engagement, with Pink Friday gathering 721 reviews in just 60 days using Junip's progressive submission experience. More importantly, 38% of all reviews included at least one photo or video, with a total of 515 photos and videos gathered. This visual content can significantly improve conversion rates, as customers trust reviews with photos and videos more than text-only reviews.
New Design - Final Step
Informed by our previous phases, the New Design phase (final phase of brand conversion design) saw the website come to life. We envisioned a dynamic digital space that mirrors Nicki's multifaceted nature – bold, playful, and ever-evolving. Instead of a static design overhaul for each new collection, the website is built to seamlessly adapt. Our design ethos was infused with subtle nods to 90s nostalgia through subtle gradients, grungy textures, and a hint of digital glitch, reflecting Nicki's artistic influences while maintaining a modern appeal. The vibrant pink palette served as a backdrop for dazzling nail designs, while bold typography and graphics echoed Nicki's larger-than-life persona.
Shoppable and Mobile First
Understanding the demands of Nicki's busy audience, we prioritized a mobile-first approach, ensuring that all elements were directly shoppable. To take it a step further we introduced a unique “Mix and Match” feature at checkout. This feature allows users to customize their sets with additional accent nails, catering to the niche demand for customization in the press-on market.
The Pink Friday Nails website isn't just a storefront; it's a vibrant extension of Nicki Minaj's audacious personality. Leveraging VAAN's Brand Conversion Design Process, we crafted a website (a behind-the-scenes look at how we build from scratch) that seamlessly blends fierce confidence with playful femininity, mirroring Nicki's multifaceted artistry. A behind the scenes look into how we create a new site from the ground up. With a 301.4% better than average industry return customer rate this mobile-first experience empowers fans to express themselves through high-quality press-on nails, all while seamlessly integrating with their social media habits. A testament to our process transforming brand identity into a captivating online experience, driving conversions without compromising on brand.
Social integration
Nicki Minaj's social media influence is undeniable. People today discover brands and products primarily through social media, so we wanted a site that mirrors the way users interact on their favorite social platforms.
This strategy reflects a core principle: understanding how users navigate the web, especially their social media habits. We translate these insights into familiar experiences, like the swipeable story carousel with time indicators, mirroring short-form social video. Every element, from product pages to checkout, is meticulously designed for effortless sharing.