Visual Filters for FIGS
As part of a New Customer initiative, the upper-funnel e-commerce team was tasked with enhancing on-site visual filters to help users better understand the distinctions between styles offered across categories.
Role
UI/UX Designer
Timeline
3 weeks
Scope
UI/UX, Usability Testing
The Problem
The existing visual filter experience on the FIGS product list page was originally designed for basic category filtering and navigation, not for helping users compare different styles within a category. It lacked both visual cues and descriptive copy to guide users in distinguishing between silhouettes and product variations.
As part of the New Customer Initiative, it became essential to update these filters so new users unfamiliar with our styles could more easily compare products within a collection.
Goals
Update the visual filter experience to allow new and existing customers to easily compare product styles at a glance without needing to click into product pages for more details.
Discovery & Patterning
To inform our design decisions, we conducted a competitive audit focusing on brands that effectively use visual filters to distinguish between product styles. Not surprisingly, many of the strongest examples came from denim-focused brands, where clear visual differentiation is essential to user decision-making.
We drew particular inspiration from Everlane and Madewell, who balance strong visuals with concise, descriptive copy to help users quickly identify product differences.
User Insights
Survey results revealed that 33.6% of participants found our product information “fairly clear” rather than “very clear,” while 4.3% described it as “not clear.” We suspect this reflects challenges among new customers who may struggle to distinguish between styles and fabrics, particularly within our scrub pants collections.
Wireframing
Final Designs
In collaboration with our Brand and Copywriting partners, we aligned on using “ghost” imagery to clearly highlight differences in silhouette styles, paired with minimal yet descriptive copy. We also introduced an “intro card” to provide additional context about the core styles users were viewing.
Usability Testing Results
Before launching our A/B test, we conducted moderated user interviews paired with usability testing to gather initial feedback on the updated visual filter designs compared to the existing experience. Key learnings and takeaways included:
New Visual Filter Designs Are an Improvement
Customers who were shown the new designs consistently preferred them over the existing filters, finding them clearer and more useful for comparing styles.
Unfamiliarity with Core Styles
All interviewed customers were unfamiliar with the concept of Core Styles and often confused it with Core Colors. This validated the inclusion of the “intro card,” which explains Core as a style concept.
Familiarity With Style Names Is Limited
While customers recognized style names for products they owned or frequently purchased, many struggled to articulate the differences between styles, reinforcing the need for clearer visual differentiation and descriptive copy.
Existing Visual Filters Fail to Capture Attention
Participants reported rarely using the current filters, and several didn’t realize they were interactive at all, finding them neither helpful nor noticeable.
AB Test Results
After validating the updated designs through user interviews, the product team launched an A/B test comparing the new variant against the existing control, rolling it out to full traffic on the Women’s Scrub Pants collection.
+4%
Increase in overall CVR
+2%
Increase in AOV
+6%
Increase in RPV
+8%
In filter engagement vs. control
Project Challenges
From a design standpoint, the team encountered minimal challenges during the design and implementation process. When friction did arise, it centered around determining which assets best suited the visual filter imagery. We explored CAD renders and on-model photography before ultimately selecting the “ghost” assets featured in the final designs—a decision reached through close collaboration with our Brand team and product managers.
From a Brand perspective, on-model imagery offered stronger alignment with FIGS’ visual identity, but it often lacked the clarity needed to highlight subtle differences between product styles. Together, we aligned on using “ghost” imagery, which effectively balanced brand integrity with the project’s core goal of improving visual differentiation.