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From disconnected nav bars
to one global system
that can bend without breaking

I co-led a global navigation redesign for Motorola across international regions, turning a fragmented brand experience into a mobile first, scalable system that respects local behaviour without breaking the global spine, while staying consistent enough to scale new device families.

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From
disconnected nav bars
to one global system
that can bend without breaking

I co-led a global navigation redesign for Motorola across international regions, turning a fragmented brand experience into a mobile first, scalable system that respects local behaviour without breaking the global spine, while staying consistent enough to scale new device families.

TL;DR

The Problem

The global navigation worked mechanically, but each region had hacked it into something different, diluting the brand and hiding key paths to product pages.

The Research

Stakeholder interviews, competitor benchmarking, geo specific card sorting and testing with 100+ users, testing old designs and comparing new ones to find the best fit on mobile and desktop.

The Solution

A mobile first, photo driven nested navigation with a global spine and regional modules so every geo can adapt content without breaking the system.

My Role

Co-led research, strategy & design end-to-end

Team

3 designers,
21 stakeholders
across the globe

3 designers,
21 global stakeholders across brand,
e-commerce, marketing, & CX

Timeline

May '25 - Apr '26

Context

Why did a working nav still feel broken?

Motorola’s global site already had a navigation that “worked.” Users could click labels, reach phones and find support if they knew where to look.


What the data and interviews showed, though, was that each region had quietly reshaped that same navigation to survive local realities. Over time, five different versions of Motorola emerged, each with its own language, priorities and blind spots.

Motorola’s global site already had a navigation that “worked.” Users could click labels, reach phones and find support if they knew where to look.


What the data and interviews showed, though, was that each region had quietly reshaped that same navigation to survive local realities. Over time, five different versions of Motorola emerged, each with its own language, priorities and blind spots.

My Findings

On the surface, this looked like a classic “clean up the nav” project. Underneath, it was a coherence problem. We did not just need a new menu layout. We needed one system that could bend to each region without breaking the brand or hiding the product pages that actually sell devices.

India Homepage

Convoluted, high moto branding, low contrast fighting against already busy content.

North America Nav

Packed with options, similar sounding labels, little visual guidance.

United Kingdom Nav

Heavy navigation, unclear labels like “motoverse” compete for attention.

Brazil Nav

Long list of moto‑branded terms blur together, hard to tell offers & products apart.

India Homepage

Convoluted, high moto branding, low contrast fighting a busy background

North America Nav

Packed with options, similar sounding labels, little visual guidance.

United Kingdom Nav

Heavy navigation, unclear labels like “motoverse” compete for attention.

Brazil Nav

Long list of moto‑branded terms blur together, hard to tell offers & products apart.

India Homepage

Convoluted, high moto branding, low contrast fighting a busy background.

North America Nav

Packed with options, similar sounding labels, little visual guidance.

United Kingdom Nav

Heavy navigation, unclear labels like “motoverse” compete for attention.

Brazil Nav

Long list of moto‑branded terms blur together, hard to tell offers & products apart.

Research & Analysis

How did each region’s behaviour reshape the brief?

To find them, I co-led a research programme spanning 8 methods across 5 countries not as a checklist, but as a chain of questions. Each answer opened the next one.

Design & Testing

What directions did we explore before committing?

The homepage wasn't broken. It was invisible.

We took the three most promising patterns into A/B tests across five regions, on both mobile and desktop. Nested and family page models were not just aesthetic choices. They represented two different bets on how people decide what to buy.

Path A – Nested list

Text first dropdown that takes decisive users straight from nav to a specific device.

Path B – Family page based nav

Family page as the main entry for explorers who want to compare a whole lineup.

Path C – Visual nested

Photo driven nested nav that surfaces devices quickly while still supporting browsing.

Design & Testing

What happened when we put these patterns in front of users?

We A/B tested in North America, UK, India, Brazil and other regions to find the same device using two paths, a more visual, nested nav and text‑heavy family‑style path. Everyone tried both patterns on the same task.

India Homepage

Convoluted, high moto branding, low contrast fighting against already busy content.

North America Nav

Packed with options, similar sounding labels, little visual guidance.

United Kingdom Nav

Heavy navigation, unclear labels like “motoverse” compete for attention.

Brazil Nav

Long list of moto‑branded terms blur together, hard to tell offers & products apart.

Family page
based navigation

“Show me what you have.”

  • User arrives with a specific device in mind.

  • Wants a fast, direct path without extra steps.

  • Is cautious about curated pages that might hide better options.

Family page based navigation
“Show me what you have.”

  • User has a general need and is open to options.

  • Wants to scan a lineup and compare visually.

  • Values a clean overview that makes exploration feel easy.

Nested
navigation

“I know what I want.”

  • User arrives with a specific device in mind.

  • Wants a fast, direct path without extra steps.

  • Is cautious about curated pages that might hide better options.

Nested navigation
“I know what I want.”

  • User arrives with a specific device in mind.

  • Wants a fast, direct path without extra steps.

  • Is cautious about curated pages that might hide better options.

  • User arrives with a specific device in mind.

  • Wants a fast, direct path without extra steps.

  • Is cautious about curated pages that might hide better options.

Hover to learn more

My Findings

The test made it clear that navigation was not about picking a winner, but about designing one system that respects both ways people decide: direct intent and open exploration.

Design & Testing

What happened when we put these patterns in front of users?

We A/B tested in North America, UK, India, Brazil and other regions to find the same device using two paths, a more visual, nested nav and text‑heavy family‑style path. Everyone tried both patterns on the same task.

India Homepage

Convoluted, high moto branding, low contrast fighting against already busy content.

North America Nav

Packed with options, similar sounding labels, little visual guidance.

United Kingdom Nav

Heavy navigation, unclear labels like “motoverse” compete for attention.

Brazil Nav

Long list of moto‑branded terms blur together, hard to tell offers & products apart.

Family page based navigation
“Show me what you have.”

  • User has a general need and is open to options.

  • Wants to scan a lineup and compare visually.

  • Values a clean overview that makes exploration feel easy.

Nested navigation
“I know what I want.”

  • User arrives with a specific device in mind.

  • Wants a fast, direct path without extra steps.

  • Is cautious about curated pages that might hide better options.

  • User arrives with a specific device in mind.

  • Wants a fast, direct path without extra steps.

  • Is cautious about curated pages that might hide better options.

Hover to learn more

My Findings

The test made it clear that navigation was not about picking a winner, but about designing one system that respects both ways people decide: direct intent and open exploration.

Design & Testing

How did we turn two behaviours into one navigation?

Instead of choosing between nested or family pages, the final design stitches them together into a single flow. One system, two ways in, based on what the user needs in that moment.

What the system does

  • Keeps the nested navigation as the main path for people who arrive knowing exactly which device they want.

  • Anchors the nav to recent and hero devices, so decisive users land quickly where conversion actually happens.

  • Adds a clear “See all [family] devices” entry that opens the full family page for people who prefer to explore the lineup first.

What changed in my approach

The right answer was not a new pattern. It was a spine and a branch. Nested navigation became the backbone for fast decisions, and family pages became an optional layer on top, available when users want to slow down and explore.

Design & Testing

How did we turn two behaviours into one navigation?

Instead of choosing between nested or family pages, the final design stitches them together into a single flow. One system, two ways in, based on what the user needs in that moment.

What the system does

  • Keeps the nested navigation as the main path for people who arrive knowing exactly which device they want.

  • Anchors the nav to recent and hero devices, so decisive users land quickly where conversion actually happens.

  • Adds a clear “See all [family] devices” entry that opens the full family page for people who prefer to explore the lineup first.

What changed in my approach

The right answer was not a new pattern. It was a spine and a branch. Nested navigation became the backbone for fast decisions, and family pages became an optional layer on top, available when users want to slow down and explore.

New Direction

What happened when the product roadmap outgrew our first solution?

Halfway through the project, the roadmap had expanded. A new phone family was coming, and accessories were about to move from “nice to have” to a core part of the story.

Our first version solved the problem in front of us. It carried decisive and exploratory users, and it worked against the current set of franchises.

What this exposed

Our first navigation worked well for the world we had designed with no space for growth. The moment a new family entered the picture, that assumption broke.

How we fixed it

We reworked the navigation into a spine with open slots. We defined a pattern that could host new franchises and accessory groups without rewriting the IA each time.

My Findings

A good navigation fits today. A resilient navigation expects tomorrow.

New Direction

What happened when the product roadmap outgrew our first solution?

Halfway through the project, the roadmap had expanded. A new phone family was coming, and accessories were about to move from “nice to have” to a core part of the story.

Our first version solved the problem in front of us. It carried decisive and exploratory users, and it worked against the current set of franchises.

What this exposed

Our first navigation worked well for the world we had designed with no space for growth. The moment a new family entered the picture, that assumption broke.

How we fixed it

We reworked the navigation into a spine with open slots. We defined a pattern that could host new franchises and accessory groups without rewriting the IA each time.

My Findings

A good navigation fits today. A resilient navigation expects tomorrow.

New Direction

What does the navigation look like after we rebuilt it for scale and regional needs?

How does it work?

The primary navigation leads with a nested list of device families and key products, anchored to recent and hero launches. Inside each family, users see specific devices first, with a clear “See all [family] devices” link that opens the full lineup when they want to explore.

Why this holds together

Decisive users can jump straight from the nav to a product page. Explorers can step into a family overview without losing their place. New franchises and accessories plug into the same pattern, so the system stays stable even as the catalog grows.

New Direction

What does the navigation look like after we rebuilt it for scale and regional needs?

How does it work?

The primary navigation leads with a nested list of device families and key products, anchored to recent and hero launches. Inside each family, users see specific devices first, with a clear “See all [family] devices” link that opens the full lineup when they want to explore.

Why this holds together

Decisive users can jump straight from the nav to a product page. Explorers can step into a family overview without losing their place. New franchises and accessories plug into the same pattern, so the system stays stable even as the catalog grows.

Anchored in what is new

Hero and recent devices are pinned in the nav so the freshest launches are always one click away.

Anchored in what is new

Hero and recent devices are pinned in the nav so the freshest launches are always one click away.

Ready for the next launch

New franchises and accessories drop into predefined slots instead of forcing a redesign.

Ready for the next launch

New franchises and accessories drop into predefined slots instead of forcing a redesign.

Consistent structure, local flavour

Every geo shares the same navigation pattern, but can surface its own offers and priorities inside it.

Consistent structure, local flavour

Every geo shares the same navigation pattern, but can surface its own offers and priorities inside it.

Impact & Learnings

What is this system designed and tested to improve?

From the research

  • User tests worldwide showed that visual, nested navigation made it easier for people to find specific devices, while still supporting those who prefer to scan a lineup first.

By design

  • The new system is built to reduce confusion between family pages and product pages, shorten the path to key devices, and keep the navigation stable even as Motorola adds new franchises and accessories.

Impact & Learnings

What did this project change in how I design navigation systems?

On assumptions

  • I learned to treat product structures as temporary. A navigation that only fits today’s lineup is already out of date.

On research signals

  • Seeing people praise the family pages while failing the task reminded me to separate what users say feels easy from what actually helps them succeed.

On systems

  • Designing the spine and the slots around it changed how I think about scale. Now, I look for the smallest set of rules that can survive the next three launches, not just the next release.