HOME

WORK

PROFILE

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Redesign
E-Commerce
PrestaShop to Shopify Migration

Project Manager

/ Art Director

A traditional Japanese grocery store in Paris

[Context]

A Parisian Japanese grocery store needed to overhaul its e-commerce site. The core problem was structural: ~80% of products were collapsed into a single "Epicerie" category, making meaningful navigation almost impossible.

HOME

WORK

PROFILE

LANGUE

[Challenges]

A traditional Japanese grocery store in Paris

Project Manager / Art Director

Redesign E-Commerce
PrestaShop to Shopify Migration

Flat information architecture — 80% of products in one category

No in-house IT team

Complex loyalty program migration

[Approach]

Cross-Cultural Information Architecture

Reclassified the entire catalog from a flat structure into usage-based categories ("Les indispensables", "Prêt à l'emploi"), designed around how French customers think about Japanese cooking.

Strategic Visual Identity

Consolidated a cluttered layout into a photo-grid structure, using the brand's signature "azuki red" as a cohesive visual thread.

Seamless System Integration

Managed the technical migration with a Vietnam-based development partner, including full loyalty program data transfer with zero data loss.

Content Creation & Localization

Defined content architecture across the site and implemented AI-assisted translation to serve both French and Japanese users consistently.

[Results]

“I can quickly find the products I’m looking for.”

Positive customer feedback

— Customer feedback post-launch

155% revenue growth
over 5 years

over 5 years

vs. French e-commerce market average of 69% —
more than 2× the market rate

Reduced maintenance costs

Development costs reduced by - 50%

and simplified management thanks to Shopify

A competing quote for staying on the existing platform came in at €20,000. We delivered the full redesign and migration at approximately half that cost.

[Skills & Tools]

Experience collaborating with international partners, including successful data migration with a Vietnam-based company

Strong visual design background with a focus on user-centered problem solving
Effective cross-cultural communication and project coordination skills

[Reflection]

One key insight from the data: over 70% of visitors accessed the site via saved bookmarks — meaning the real UX challenge was speed of access for returning users, not discovery for new ones.

[Conclusion]

This project began as a proactive proposal I identified and led independently. The results confirmed that rigorous process, close attention to user needs, and visual consistency are not separate disciplines — they are the same work.

[Skills & Tools]

Cross-cultural team coordination (Japan / France / Vietnam)
Information architecture redesign for localized user behavior
Visual identity direction with brand consistency
Technical project management with no in-house IT support
AI-assisted multilingual content creation

I am open to new professional opportunities.

Please feel free to get in touch.

@2026 portfolio Makiko DEFFIEUX

[Reflection]

One key insight from the data: over 70% of visitors accessed the site via saved bookmarks — meaning the real UX challenge was speed of access for returning users, not discovery for new ones.

Shortly after launch, Shopify released a system update that marked the theme we had built on as legacy. Due to competing priorities at the time, we were unable to migrate. It's a reminder that in a SaaS-dependent stack, build decisions need to account for platform lifecycle, not just launch quality.

[Conclusion]

text

[Approach]

Cross-Cultural Information Architecture

Reclassified the entire catalog from a flat structure into usage-based categories ("Les indispensables", "Prêt à l'emploi"), designed around how French customers think about Japanese cooking.

The core problem was that ~80% of products were collapsed into "Epicerie", with 10% under "Boissons" and 10% under "Ustensiles" — a structure that made browsing almost impossible. Working with a team that understood both Japanese food culture and French shopping behavior, I led a full reclassification of the catalog. Category naming emerged from competitive benchmarking and a proposal from our webmaster, which we adopted as the clearest solution.

Strategic Visual Identity

Consolidated a cluttered layout into a photo-grid structure, using the brand's signature "azuki red" as a cohesive visual thread.

The previous site had banner, sidebar, newsletter signup, and text blocks all competing for attention simultaneously. I replaced this with a single photo-grid entry point, paired with high-resolution food imagery to communicate freshness and authenticity.

Seamless System Integration

Managed the technical migration with a Vietnam-based development partner, including full loyalty program data transfer with zero data loss.

With no in-house IT team, the most critical challenge was migrating loyalty program data without disruption — customer retention depended on it. The migration was completed successfully with zero data loss.

Content Creation & Localization

Defined content architecture across the site and implemented AI-assisted translation to serve both French and Japanese users consistently.

Cross-Cultural Information Architecture

Reclassified the entire catalog from a flat structure into usage-based categories ("Les indispensables", "Prêt à l'emploi"), designed around how French customers think about Japanese cooking.

Strategic Visual Identity

Consolidated a cluttered layout into a photo-grid structure, using the brand's signature "azuki red" as a cohesive visual thread.

Seamless System Integration

Managed the technical migration with a Vietnam-based development partner, including full loyalty program data transfer with zero data loss.

Content Creation & Localization

Defined content architecture across the site and implemented AI-assisted translation to serve both French and Japanese users consistently.

[Context]

[Challenges]

Flat information architecture — 80% of products in one category

No in-house IT team

Complex migration of the loyalty program

I am open to new professional opportunities. Please feel free to get in touch.

@2026 portfolio Makiko DEFFIEUX