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FastCompany - Kudos Platform
Development, Woocommerce
Bryan executed a complex WooCommerce migration with extreme collaboration and guidance. He was a leader on the project where many partners would look to just satisfy the scope as written. To say he was a partner and collaborator is an understatement, he's truly part of the team.
Chrissie
VP of Product @ Mansueto
situation
FastCompany’s Kudos platform, built on an outdated WooCommerce and WordPress system, struggled during its frequent high-sales spikes, which often resulted in millions of dollars in sales per day. These spikes, common during corporate events or seasonal campaigns, led to issues like slow load times and failed transactions, compromising the user experience. Additionally, the platform’s security infrastructure was outdated, putting user data at risk.
FastCompany needed a more scalable solution to handle large traffic volumes, ensure seamless user interactions, and safeguard sensitive data. The platform also required better integration with fulfillment centers to streamline the fulfillment of customized kudos items without complicating the user journey. A full migration of user data, orders, and fulfillment processes to WooExpress was essential, with a focus on maintaining key features such as user profiles, order histories, and product customization capabilities, all while ensuring zero downtime.
task
The task was to completely rebuild the Kudos platform, with a primary focus on enhancing the user experience through improved UX/UI design. The goal was to make interactions more intuitive and efficient while addressing issues related to scalability and security. This involved optimizing the platform to handle large traffic spikes during peak sales events, ensuring smooth performance for users. Additionally, all user data, orders, and fulfillment center connections had to be migrated seamlessly to WooExpress without causing any disruptions. A key part of the task was improving product customization features, allowing users to personalize kudos items with real-time previews. Integration with fulfillment centers needed to be handled efficiently, and security and payment systems had to be upgraded to protect user data while providing secure payment options like Stripe and PayPal. The overall user journey, particularly the checkout and order tracking processes, needed to be streamlined for ease of use.
action
I rebuilt the Kudos platform on WooExpress, focusing on UX/UI to ensure a scalable, smooth experience during high-traffic events. The cart, checkout, and order tracking flows were redesigned to create a more intuitive and user-friendly process. I developed custom plugins, including the Fancy Product Customizer, which allowed users to easily personalize items with real-time previews, enhancing their engagement. Seamless integration with third-party fulfillment centers was achieved without complicating the user’s experience. During the migration, all data was transferred without downtime or data loss, ensuring users’ profiles and orders remained intact. I also improved security measures and integrated secure payment gateways like Stripe and PayPal, making transactions both safe and simple for users. Extensive testing ensured that the platform maintained its performance and usability even under peak load conditions, providing a smooth, intuitive experience throughout.
results
My top priority was to ensure no disruption to the user experience during the transition. I successfully completed the migration with zero downtime and no data loss, ensuring business continuity and a seamless user experience throughout the process. Security was enhanced to protect sensitive customer data, fully meeting compliance standards. The redesign significantly improved site performance, with users and FastCompany staff reporting faster load times, smoother customization options, and an overall more intuitive experience. This feedback confirmed the platform’s ability to better handle traffic spikes while delivering a superior, user-centered design.
