Arth Case Study

Bridged Ayurvedic tradition and modern science through personalized, research-backed e-commerce, supported by a strategic rebrand

Project Overview

Arth, an Ayurvedic wellness brand, is redesigning its website to better serve health-conscious users seeking holistic health solutions. The goal is to improve product discovery, simplify educational content, and build trust through a clean, user-friendly interface. Through research and iterative design, we aim to boost engagement, support informed decisions, and position Arth as a trusted resource in the wellness space.

Design Challenge

Present Ayurvedic wellness products and educational content in a way that builds trust, simplifies product discovery, and supports confident, informed purchasing decisions for health-conscious users aged 28–50?

Goal/Opportunity

Design a modern, intuitive website that simplifies product discovery, builds trust through clear and transparent design, and balances brand storytelling with usability for a credible, emotionally engaging user experience.

Timeline

3 Weeks

(May 19 - Jun 6 2025)

Collaborators

Chareese Lam

Harriet Slater

Danqing Ji

Chloe Connell

Responsibilities

UX Research

Sketching

Prototyping

Softwares

Figma

Illustrator

Photoshop

Process

1

Discover

Heuristics Evaluation

Competitive Research

User Interviews

Affinity Mapping

2

Define

Problem Statements

HMWs

User Personas

User Flow

Site Map

3

Develop

Sketching

Wireframes

Usability Testing

Style Guide

4

Deliver

Hi-fi Prototypes

Design Handoff

Next Steps

Discover

Understanding the Problem

We began by analyzing the Arth website to uncover usability issues.

Home Page

Despite its minimalist design, unclear visual hierarchy and missing trust signals—like scientific credibility—made navigation and brand trust difficult. Inconsistent CTAs and flat product cards further affected clarity, shaping our redesign priorities.

Minimalist design

Lack of functional clarity

Lack of key information

Limited user trust due to lack of supporting information

Flat product cards and CTAs

Poor website design can undermine credibility

Product Listing & Product Details Page

The shop page lacks interactive states and robust filters, limiting product discovery. Text-heavy listings, inconsistent layouts, and missing details—like usage, sourcing, and purpose—make it hard for users to make informed decisions. These gaps reduce trust and hinder long-term engagement with the brand.

No filtering options

Makes product discovery feel limited

Inconsistent card layouts

Visually disrupts the shopping experience, leading to difficulty in building trust

Lacks key details

Limited usage instructions, ingredient information and purpose

All in all, our research uncovered six core challenges that shaped our design priorities:


  • Lack of trust and scientific credibility, leaving users uncertain about product effectiveness

  • Inconsistent visual design that didn’t align with the brand’s calming, holistic identity

  • Unintuitive product discovery, making it difficult for users to navigate and explore

  • Minimal guidance throughout the browsing and purchasing experience

  • Unclear brand story, weakening emotional connection and user engagement

  • Dense, jargon-heavy content that overwhelmed rather than informed


These insights formed the foundation of our redesign strategy, guiding every decision we made to create a more trustworthy, user-friendly, and emotionally resonant experience.

Discover

Competitive Research

To understand Arth’s place in the wellness space, we analyzed competitors like RootsLab, Goop, Hims, Thesis, and Thirty Madison. Each offered unique approaches to trust, education, and branding, helping us identify best practices and areas where Arth could stand out.

At the time, Arth’s site lacked common wellness features like quizzes, refills, or educational layers—but we saw this as a strategic opportunity. Starting fresh allowed us to design intentionally, aligning every feature with Arth’s identity: science-backed, tradition-rooted, and user-centered.

Product refill & delivery

Product refill & delivery

Personalized treatment

UGC

Physiology/Constitution quiz

Product education

Science-backed

Key Insights & Opportunities


  • Personalized Onboarding
    Constitution-based quizzes (like those used by Hims and Thirty Madison) could help Arth deliver tailored product recommendations rooted in Ayurvedic tradition.


  • Trust Through UGC & Science
    UGC with real people and peer-reviewed claims builds credibility. For Arth, blending testimonials with research-backed benefits strengthens trust.


  • Transparent Ingredients
    Users expect clarity. Brands like Goop and Thesis demystify ingredients. Arth can go further—creating an immersive, narrative-rich system around ingredient sourcing and efficacy.


  • Retention via Subscription
    Subscription models foster consistency. A goal-oriented, customizable flow for Arth could improve retention and reinforce daily wellness habits.


  • Clinically Backed Claims
    “Natural” isn’t enough—users want proof. Highlighting clinical studies and ingredient validation elevates Arth’s credibility.

Our Goal

Redesign Arth’s website to establish a trusted, distinctive, and conversion-friendly wellness experience

Bringing everything together—from research insights to competitive gaps—we defined a clear goal for the redesign:


To create a trusted, distinctive, and conversion-friendly wellness experience for Arth.


This meant not just refreshing the visuals, but also reinforcing credibility, simplifying discovery, and aligning the site with how users actually browse, learn, and make decisions.

Discover

User Interviews

We conducted interviews with 8 users to gain deeper insight into their needs, expectations, and decision-making processes.

Key themes emerged: users want clear, science-backed content over vague claims; they seek guidance through quizzes or starting points; and they associate clean, inclusive design with trust and credibility.

Clear info builds trust

Users want clear, science-backed information and messaging, not vague wellness claims.

Guidance helps decisions

Most users didn’t know what they needed right away—they looked for quizzes, suggestions, or quick-entry tools.

Design affects credibility

Users interpret design tone as legitimacy. Clean, calm, and inclusive interfaces build emotional trust.

Key Insights

"I trust wellness products that show real proof."

“I want to know who’s behind it — not just some faceless label.”

“I’d rather hear from real people who’ve tried it than read a sales page.”

“I need someone to translate the clinical jargon — I just want to know what it does.”

Define

Problem Statement

What users are asking for is simple—but not easy:


A way to make decisions that feel clear, evidence-backed, and personally relevant. They want to trust what they're taking, and understand why it works for them—not just follow trends or vague promises.


Our goal with Arth is to remove the friction between intent and action—to empower users to engage in wellness in a way that feels grounded, confident, and aligned with their individual needs.

Users need a way to make confident, informed wellness choices tailored to their needs—without confusion or mistrust.

Define

User Persona

What users are asking for is simple—but not easy:


A way to make decisions that feel clear, evidence-backed, and personally relevant. They want to trust what they're taking, and understand why it works for them—not just follow trends or vague promises.


Our goal with Arth is to remove the friction between intent and action—to empower users to engage in wellness in a way that feels grounded, confident, and aligned with their individual needs.

Julia, 34

“The Wellness Explorer”
Behavior
  • Practices yoga and light strength training weekly

  • Shops at natural grocery stores and reads product labels

  • Skims wellness blogs and listens to health-focused podcasts

  • Tries digital tools for sleep, mindfulness, or stress

“I’m interested in holistic health, but I don’t always know where to start.”

Goals
  • Maintain energy and focus throughout the workday

  • Build consistent, realistic wellness routines

  • Prevent burnout and stay ahead of health issues

Frustrations
  • Overwhelmed by scattered wellness advice

  • Many wellness brands feel too clinical or overly spiritual

  • Limited time to research ingredients and routines

Needs
  • Simple, modern guidance rooted in Ayurveda

  • Product and lifestyle-based recommendations

  • A platform that feels credible, caring, and aesthetic

Reflection

My Experience

During my UX Bootcamp at General Assembly, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Arth, a wellness brand focused on holistic health, as a real-world client. This experience offered a valuable introduction to client-designer dynamics and taught me how to balance creative autonomy with stakeholder expectations. From our initial meetings, it became clear that clear communication, active listening, and aligning on priorities were just as important as good design.


Working with Arth challenged me to think critically about designing for a wellness audience—specifically, how to present educational content in a way that feels trustworthy while supporting a seamless e-commerce experience. Through user interviews and usability testing, we uncovered key pain points around product discovery and user trust. Users were often overwhelmed by jargon or unsure about the efficacy of the products, so we focused on simplifying content and building credibility through clean, transparent design. I translated those insights into intuitive user flows, accessible UI patterns, and visual design choices that reflected Arth’s calming, holistic brand. It was rewarding to see how these thoughtful design decisions could not only improve the shopping experience but also foster user confidence in making informed health decisions.


Collaborating with a client in a fast-paced, iterative environment sharpened my communication and project management skills. I learned how to present design rationales clearly, adapt to feedback constructively, and advocate for user needs while still supporting business goals. Overall, the project reaffirmed my belief in the power of user-centered design and gave me a strong foundation for future client-based work.