UX, UI & Creative Direction for Coterie Diapers Subscription Platform
A full-scale redesign of Coterie’s digital subscription platform, evolving their Shopify-based storefront into a mobile-first, user-empowered system that lets parents take charge of their diaper deliveries, account settings and subscription features with ease, clarity and choice.
Project Intro
Coterie engaged our studio to elevate their subscription business by shifting from a model of heavy administrative dependence toward one where users hold meaningful control. Beyond easing the operational burden on Coterie’s administration team, the project aimed to deliver an empathetic product that meets parents where they are in one of the most demanding stages of life. Rather than parents needing to contact support to manage subscription logistics, we created a self-service system where they could act quickly from their mobile device. Our role encompassed deep UX design, UI system refinement, strategic architecture and the launch of unique features like Predictive Sizing and Diaper SOS that go above and beyond standard subscription flows.
design goals
Empower Parents Through Choice
Enable parents to confidently manage their monthly deliveries and account settings in just a few taps, freeing up time and energy for their lives.
Prioritise Mobile First
Recognising that many new parents are mobile bound, fatigued and juggling tasks one-handed, we designed the experience from a phone-first perspective so that all core flows require minimal scrolling, minimal clicks and minimal context switching.
Elevate Predictive and Supportive Features
Include intelligent nudges and designed-in care moments such as predictive sizing and emergency Diaper SOS deliveries rather than simply a subscription box service.
Design Principles
Clarity Through Streamlined Complexity
While the system managed complex user actions, we did not remove features. Instead we simplified and streamlined flows so that even the most complicated tasks such as multiple children, shipments, account credit redemption and gifting could be completed with minimal steps and clear visual guidance.
Empathetic, Effort-Minimised Experience
The design acknowledges the fatigue and constraints of early parenthood. Every interaction was crafted so users spend less time and fewer taps, with interfaces that reduce cognitive load, surface only what matters and allow users to act in seconds rather than minutes.
Systematic Consistency for Internal Growth
Rather than treating each module as a unique UI, we standardised components across navigation, pop-ups, notifications, cards and subscription flows so users instantly recognise patterns. This consistency was also critical for Coterie’s internal design and development teams who would build, expand and iterate rapidly using a unified component toolkit.
Process
We partnered closely with Coterie’s internal team including their ecommerce manager and leadership to map every user journey: onboarding (child’s name, date of birth, weight), subscription lifecycle (change size, pause, skip, delay, cancel), account settings (address, payment, children toggling) and standout programmes (Predictive Sizing Helper, Diaper SOS, account credit application and redemption flows, gifting, referrals). The wireframe phase included mobile-first layouts and three rounds of iteration to capture edge cases, error states and multi-child scenarios. In the high-fidelity design phase we refined Coterie’s visual system away from playful pastels and rounded shadows toward a cleaner aesthetic using white, beige and black as core tones with the brand’s coral reserved for key actions. We rebuilt interface patterns to support modular reuse and connected with their tech team to document all states, component versions and integration points so that the UI could scale internally as their service expanded. Within the subscription platform we built the Predictive Sizing Helper which collects baby’s name, date of birth and weight during onboarding and then uses growth-based models to surface prompts when sizing up is likely needed. Instead of placing the burden on the parent to monitor size transitions, the system proactively pushes in-product suggestions, pop-ups and SMS nudges so parents stay ahead of change. We also designed the Diaper SOS flow, an emergency delivery feature built inside the account dashboard for subscribers who unexpectedly use more diapers than anticipated and need an extra shipment before their next regular delivery. During launch we scoped this to major US markets with same-day courier delivery giving subscribers up to three SOS opportunities per year. A parent taps “Diaper SOS”, selects quantity, confirms address and triggers a local drop-off saving them a run to the store and preserving subscription loyalty.
challenges
Managing the complexity of the subscription and account ecosystem was substantial. Flows for gifts, credits, referrals, multiple children, varying sizes, shipment edits, travel address shifts and emergency SOS all introduced branching states and required rigorous UX mapping. Business constraints around shipment size, box variation and fulfilment regions needed to be reflected in the design so users only saw options that were operationally feasible. Ensuring the internal team at Coterie could build onto the system meant the standardisation of components and flows was foundational to setting up their design system for future rapid iteration.
Results
The newly designed system delivered a robust forward-looking infrastructure where parents could self-serve, update, pause, skip or edit their subscriptions in minutes from mobile. Unique features like Predictive Sizing and Diaper SOS elevated the user experience beyond typical subscription services and aligned with the real-life needs of new parents. The component system enabled Coterie’s internal team to scale UI updates, launch new flows confidently and maintain a unified code and design base. The outcome is a subscription product that positions Coterie not just as a diaper brand but as a partner in parenthood, reducing friction, increasing choice and empowering users to manage their world with ease.
