Canadawide Scientific
Product Discovery • B2B Workflows • Design Systems
Overview
Redesigning a B2B e-commerce platform to improve product discovery and enterprise purchasing workflows.
Canadawide Scientific is a B2B laboratory equipment supplier that originally operated through printed catalogs and phone orders. As customer behavior shifted toward online purchasing, the existing website struggled to support modern e-commerce needs and marketing growth.
I took the initiative to lead a full redesign of the website to modernize the experience, improve SEO, and create a scalable foundation for future development.
Problem
Problem
The previous website was designed primarily for catalog-style browsing and phone orders. As online purchasing increased, the platform struggled to support modern e-commerce workflows.
Key limitations included:
No dedicated product pages
Poor product discoverability
Promotions hidden on separate pages
Limited marketing flexibility
No scalable design system
Process
I analyzed competitor B2B and e-commerce platforms to understand best practices around product discovery, promotions, and content structure. I also spoke directly with internal stakeholders and customers to identify common pain points in browsing, purchasing, and requesting quotes.
These insights guided decisions around navigation, page structure, and feature prioritization.
Solution
1. Product Discovery & Conversion
I redesigned individual product pages to allow detailed descriptions, specifications, galleries, and related products. Promotions and pricing indicators were integrated directly into product cards, ensuring users could easily see offers without needing to visit a separate promotions page.
This reduced friction, improved product visibility, and strengthened SEO by allowing products to be indexed individually.
2. B2B Purchasing Workflows
To support enterprise customers, I introduced private shopping pages and private pricing. This allowed approved organizations, such as airport security clients, to access exclusive products and pricing.
Additional workflows such as quote requests, MSDS access, and quick order forms were added to reduce reliance on phone calls while still supporting complex purchasing needs.
3. Content & Marketing Flexibility
I enabled the creation of custom pages, news articles, banners, and promotional layouts without requiring product-based workarounds. This gave the marketing team the ability to create landing pages, brand pages, and educational content independently.
4. Category Organizatiom
I restructured product categorization to improve browsing and discovery. Instead of long alphabetical lists, products were organized by use case and type, such as Furniture, Equipment, Supplies, and Instruments. This allowed customers to explore related products more intuitively.
5. Design System & Documentation
I built a scalable design system with reusable components and clear documentation. This ensured consistency across the site and made future feature development faster and more predictable for both designers and developers.
Overview
The redesign created a modern, scalable foundation that improved usability, supported SEO growth, and enabled Canadawide to expand marketing and sales efforts online. It also reduced friction between design and development by establishing clear patterns and documentation.
Learning
Key learning: Designing for B2B e-commerce requires balancing flexibility, scalability, and complex user workflows without overwhelming the user.