Ultimate Wedding Checklist - Reimagined
At a Glance
Client: Bed Bath & Beyond ®
Role: UX Design & Research
Year / Duration: 2024 / 2 mths
Reporting to: Creative Director
Collaborators: 2 UX Designers
Skills: User Flows, Wireframing, Prototyping
Tools: Figma, Miro
Context
Bed Bath & Beyond, a leading home goods retailer, serves couples preparing for major life events such as weddings through its registry program. As part of the design team, I worked on developing a new dynamic registry checklist feature to replace the outdated manual PDF table previously offered. The goal was to create a seamless, engaging experience for couples, eliminating the hassle of tracking items themselves
and instead providing a guided, interactive tool that showed what was missing and what else might be needed.This approach leveraged Bed Bath & Beyond’s extensive product range under one umbrella, allowing couples to build a complete registry in one place, from kitchen essentials to bathroom necessities, while enjoying a smoother and more intuitive process.
Empathize
Current Landscape
Most registry systems offer a checklist, but they often fall short in functionality and user experience. Our design for Bed Bath & Beyond’s wedding registry checklist introduced several improvements that competitors lack: it is fully integrated within the retailer’s website, allowing users to add items directly from product pages with a single click; it seamlessly auto-tracks additions in real time; and it provides clear pop-up confirmations like “Your registry is up to date” so progress is transparent. Many competing checklists lack auto-tracking, rely on outdated interfaces, or emphasize imagery over functionality, while this design focused on a modern, user-friendly experience that keeps couples engaged.
Define
Alex & Cindy
Age: 28 & 32
Occupation: Engineer & Language Teacher
Relationship Status: Engaged / Cohabiting
Wedding Timeline: Within 3 months
An engaged couple, already live together and have furnished their home with the essentials. For their wedding registry, they’re focused on the finer details, upgrading their dining setup and adding decorative touches. Both are tech-savvy and familiar with registries for birthdays and other occasions.
Needs
Access to a wide range of products to cover detailed home and lifestyle upgrades.
A quick, efficient registry process with clear guidance, as their wedding is only three months away.
Frustrations
Limited product variety in some registries, making it hard to cover their detailed needs.
Motivations
Ensure nothing important is overlooked, especially fine details for their home.
Make the process simple and enjoyable instead of stressful.
Mary
Age: 36
Occupation: Housewife
Relationship Status: In a committed relationship
Wedding Timeline: Within a year
Maria is a housewife who looks after her children and is planning to get married next year. She began her wedding registry early to stay organized and collect ideas for her future home. With a limited budget and little experience with technology, she values simplicity and guidance throughout the process.
Needs
Tools to plan and organize ideas for her future home well in advance.
A simple, guided registry experience that doesn’t feel overwhelming.
Frustrations
Complex digital platforms that are hard to navigate without tech experience.
Overly broad or expensive product selections that don’t match her budget.
Motivations
Feel confident that she has covered the essentials without overspending.
Sam
Age: 26
Occupation: Interior Designer
Relationship Status: Engaged
Wedding Timeline: Within 9 months
Sam is a 26-year-old interior designer who is highly detail-oriented and values quality, but always looks for products with strong price-performance balance. Because of his design background, making decisions can be challenging, he weighs aesthetics, durability, and practicality carefully. Sam and his partner have set up separate registries, each focusing on different rooms in their future home.
Needs
High-quality, durable items that meet his design standards.
Tools that help coordinate separate registries with his partner.
Frustrations
Dislikes platforms that emphasize flashy imagery over practical details.
Difficulty merging or aligning registries when planning separately.
Motivations
Create a registry that aligns with his professional eye for detail and aesthetics.
· Ease of Use ·
Users would need a simple, guided process.
Non-tech users may find digital checklists overwhelming.
Clear navigation reduces hesitation and errors.
Too much text or clutter may increases drop-off.
Visual indicators help users feel in control.
· Budget & Product Range ·
Need variety across price points.
One-stop access to wide product categories.
Budget-conscious users seek affordable essentials.
Too many luxury suggestions creates frustration.
· Tracking & Feedback ·
Silent auto-tracking often goes unnoticed.
Pop-up confirmations can reassure users.
Real-time progress updates reduce stress.
Users need reminders if key categories are missing.
· Planning & Timeline ·
Couples with short timelines need efficiency.
Early planners want to stay organized over time.
Couples living together focus on details,not basics.
The checklist should adapt to different planning stages.
Time-based nudges may keep planning on track.
Ideate
User Flow
Prototype
The New Experience
Reflections
This project showed me how much impact a small feature can have when designed with care. By moving beyond static checklists and creating a dynamic, guided experience, we helped transform wedding planning from a chore into something more enjoyable. It also highlighted the value of looking beyond surface aesthetics; great design often means prioritizing clarity, reassurance, and function above all.