D2C • Health & Wellness

Tru Niagen

Transforming a science-first supplement into
a D2C e-commerce brand

ChromaDex needed to reposition Tru Niagen from a B2B science brand into a direct-to-consumer powerhouse. The existing site was clunky, hard to update, and lacked the storytelling needed to explain the science behind cellular health.

As Design Director and Lead UX Designer, I led a full site redesign, headless CMS migration, and brand refresh. I balanced science and marketing requirements while building scalable systems that empowered faster updates and global expansion.

The Challenge

From B2B science lab to D2C lifestyle brand

Tru Niagen, powered by parent company ChromaDex, is a cellular health supplement backed by decades of NAD+ research. But the brand’s digital presence was clunky, confusing, and too B2B.

As they expanded globally, Tru Niagen needed to reinvent itself as a consumer-facing e-commerce experience — one that educated customers, drove subscriptions, and kept pace with rapid growth.

My Role

Design Director & Lead UX Designer

I led the in-house creative team through a full digital transformation: brand refresh, site migration, UX redesign, and campaign creative. My role spanned strategy and execution — from aligning executives on brand positioning to prototyping flows, directing photoshoots, and managing cross-department approvals.

The Work

The Approach

My strategy began with a holistic audit: competitor analysis, customer research, and internal stakeholder interviews. From there, I defined five redesign goals — revenue, education, customer service, SEO, and CMS agility — to ensure the site served both science credibility and e-commerce growth.

Redesign Goals

01 - Revenue & Conversion

Let’s be real. This is e-comm. Increasing revenue is always the top priority. 

Key Stakeholder:
Executive Leadership
Measurable Metrics:
5% goal conversion

02 - Education & Science

Since the product is a bit more complex, the science needs to be explained in the most direct way possible. Pairing key audience segmentation with corresponding product benefits would allow for easier understanding of how the product works.

Key Stakeholder:
Science and Regulatory Department
Measurable Metrics: 
Increase time on page, decrease bounce rate, and increase conversion

03 - Customer Service

Based on findings from Full Story data and common requests from the Customer Support team, users are looking for more self-service options.

Key Stakeholder:
Customer Support Team
Measurable Metrics:
Decrease in call center requests

04 - Improve SEO

Develop content specifically for SEO and apply consistent meta data across site.

Key Stakeholder:
Marketing & Paid Media Team
Measurable Metrics:
Keyword Rankings

05 - Headless Content Management System

Rebuild site from the ground up using Contentful to allow for agile edits and content uploads directly from the Marketing team.

Key Stakeholder:
Marketing Department
Measurable Metrics:
Increase site load time, seasonal campaign execution and tracking

Workflow & Project Timeline

Since this initiative was going to be a joint effort across multiple departments, I developed a visual to illustrate the review and approval process. I also put together an executive-level presentation at the beginning of March 2020 to walk through the goals, the workflow, the site restructure, the low-fidelity wireframes, and to switch checkout to a cart flow. Once approved, the Creative Team hit the ground running… and then the world stopped….

The Execution

I directed the creative team through wireframes, prototypes, and a full site migration to a headless CMS. I led the brand refresh rollout after an external rebrand failed, developing positioning, personas, and creative direction. Alongside oversight, I got hands-on — designing flows, refining PDPs, and shaping campaigns for global launch.

The Results

Within five months — despite the shift to remote work during COVID — the team launched a redesigned D2C experience. The new site simplified the path to purchase, clarified Tru Niagen’s complex science, and empowered global marketing with a headless CMS.

  • 5-month launch from strategy to go-live

  • Faster seasonal campaigns via headless CMS (Contentful)

  • Improved PDP conversion through subscription-forward design

  • Expanded into multiple global markets with scalable brand storytelling

Additional Work

Brand Refresh

After a failed rebrand through an outside agency, the challenge was brought back in-house to the Creative Team. My team and I worked on a new brand positioning statement, developed user personas, and presented a holistic rollout plan to executive leadership. We focused on key areas that our team could bring to life, while also being mindful of day-to-day and seasonal campaign requests which were already in motion.

Takeaway

This transformation proved my ability to reposition and scale a brand in a highly regulated space. I balanced science, storytelling, and e-commerce best practices to make Tru Niagen feel both credible and consumer-friendly. The result underscored how I bring structure and clarity to messy, high-stakes brand pivots.