Brand Expansion
Free People → FP Movement | Anthropologie → Anthro Home
Designing the mobile product strategy for URBN’s “Site in Site” initiative. Giving two high-growth sub-brands (FPMovement and Anthro Living) a digital home inside existing apps, without breaking what was already working.
ROLE
Product Design lead, mobile applications
SCOPE
0 → 1 product & design strategy
Designed for iOS + Android, Free People + Anthropologie mobile apps
IMPACT
Launched in 2022, still live as of today
THE PROBLEM
URBN was investing heavily in FPMovement and AnthroLiving as core growth sub-brands, each with aggressive sales targets, standalone store expansion, and a digital-first strategy. Both needed a dedicated digital presence inside the existing apps, without cannibalizing the parent brand's revenue in the process.
The team started with FPMovement as a proof of concept. A standalone FPMovement tab already existed in the Free People app but had the lowest engagement of any tab. I led design strategy and execution across iOS and Android with one clear constraint: keep FPMovement visible, don't break what's already converting, and give the sub-brand room to grow.
The existing FPM tab had the lowest engagement of any tab in the app. Users were already finding and buying FPMovement products through the main Shop navigation.
WHAT THE DATA SHOWED
Don’t add more destinations that will likely increase cognitive overload, redesign and emphasize what is already working. Give FPMovement visibility inside the path users were already taking rather than forcing them to change their shopping habits.
THE TAKEAWAY
THE SOLUTION
THE GOALS
01
02
03
Create a system for Free People and FPMovement to exist in a unique but connected way
Drive customer acquisition and awareness to FPMovement on the app
Create a digital experience that provides space for FPMovement to grow as a brand in the app
THE WORK
To define the right approach, I ran a competitive analysis of how other multi-brand apps handle sub-brand coexistence, then built and tested design prototypes with users to validate navigation concepts before committing to a direction. Testing surfaced the key tension that users wanted FPMovement accessible, not isolated.
These findings, combined with the data analysis regarding current user behaviors, drove the final solution:
A dual-branded Shop tab that kept both brands visible within the navigation users already relied on.
BEFORE
AFTER
WHAT CHANGED
Dual tab navigation
Dual branded tabs in the Shop nav, featuring both Free People and FPMovement logos. Scalable and configurable. Built so a second brand could slot in without a rebuild.
Removed FPMovement Tab
Removed the standalone FPM bottom nav tab entirely. User testing showed two entry points created confusion, not awareness. Consolidating into the Shop experience eliminated that conflict and streamlined the journey for both the high-intent purchase shopper and the cross-brand browsing shopper.
Repurposed the “Home” tab
Repurposed the low-performing "Discover" tab into a personalized content surface that gave FPMovement editorial and community visibility (aligned to their events and store strategy) without competing with the core shopping path.
THE OUTCOME
Metric wins: Increased CTR, Improved overall brand awareness
Product wins: The design system and code base were adopted for the launch of the Anthro Home sub-brand in the Anthropologie app, further validating the approach as a systematic design strategic and not a one-time fix. The dual-tab nav is still live on both Free People and Anthropologie apps today, 4 years later.
Launched with stat-sig positive metrics in 2022
