Ulta Beauty at Target:
Strategic Creative Testing
A bold brand, a fixed system, and one key question: can we make beauty perform inside the box?
Challenge
Ulta’s vibrant palette clashed with Target’s red-forward system
The existing shell lacked the finesse needed for beauty merchandising
All updates had to stay within ADA compliance and brand guardrails
Our goal: elevate the experience within the system, not outside it
Strategy
Treat the shell like a system under tension—test its limits without compromising its function.
The creative strategy focused on refining and enhancing visual elements within the existing structure, applying best practices in accessibility, brand integration, and UX. We paired this with a structured testing approach: launching A/B tests across display formats to measure performance differences between the standard and adapted shell..
Context
Ulta Beauty’s bold, expressive identity needed to coexist inside Target’s structured digital ecosystem. Instead of building a new campaign, we tested how far the high-performing Inspiration Discovery shell could flex to support a premium beauty experience—without losing performance or compliance.
Execution
I was brought in to lead the testing strategy, creative refinement, and performance evaluation of an already-live design system.
I managed the strategic evolution of the work, including stakeholder alignment, creative enhancements, QA, and final deployment.
We retrofitted the “Inspiration Discovery” shell to accommodate Ulta’s brand voice and product merchandising. Key adjustments included:
Color Harmonization – Softened Ulta’s orange and pink hues to reduce clash with Target red, ensuring ADA compliance
Visual & Motion Refinement – Enhanced layouts and animations to elevate prestige products and align with Ulta’s luxury feel
UX Improvements – Applied interaction best practices to static, animated, and video assets for clarity and engagement
Copy & Messaging Adjustments – Simplified hierarchy and repositioned key CTAs for easier scanning and stronger narrative flow
Creative was tested in two phases,
Comparing offers like “Minis Under $15” vs “Minis Under $20”, and evaluating visual performance across dynamic placements. I worked closely with data partners and performance marketing leads to extract learnings and refine future iterations.
Ulta’s brand successfully adapted into the Target shell with visual cohesion and improved clarity.
Enhanced design increased scannability and preserved a premium feel.
Testing revealed no clear winner between versions, but offered valuable learnings on brand alignment and interaction design
Services
Creative Strategy –– System Retrofitting –– UX Design & Refinement –– HTML5 + Motion Asset QA –– Creative Testing –– Performance Analysis –– Stakeholder Alignment –– Design Operations Oversight