Riyaah.sa is a smart beauty e-commerce platform for Saudi users, offering a modern, intuitive shopping experiencewith localized design, personalized features, and engaging visuals tailored to local preferences.
My Role
User Research
User Research
User Research
User Research
User Research
User Research
User Research
User Research
User Flows
User Flows
User Flows
User Flows
User Flows
User Flows
User Flows
User Flows
UI Design
UI Design
UI Design
UI Design
UI Design
UI Design
UI Design
UI Design
Wireframing
Wireframing
Wireframing
Wireframing
Wireframing
Wireframing
Wireframing
Wireframing
Comp. Analysis
Comp. Analysis
Comp. Analysis
Comp. Analysis
Comp. Analysis
Comp. Analysis
Comp. Analysis
Comp. Analysis
Tools Used
Spline
Spline
Figma
Figma
Framer
Framer
Adobe illustrator
Adobe illustrator
Google Gemini
Google Gemini
The Challenge: Bridging a Cultural and Digital Divide
In the world of e-commerce, a good user interface feels intuitive. But "intuitive" isn't universal. When I began work on Riyaah.sa, the challenge was clear: How do we build a modern, smart beauty platform for Saudi users that feels effortlessly local?
This wasn't just a technical problem of translating text or flipping a layout for Arabic's right-to-left (RTL) reading flow. It was a cultural one. We needed to understand local shopping habits, design preferences, and the subtle visual cues that create a sense of familiarity and trust.
The Journey: From Research to Resonance
My first step was to immerse myself in the landscape. I dove deep into the e-commerce trends and beauty shopping behaviors unique to Saudi Arabia, analyzing everything from user reviews on forums to the UI of established local platforms. It became clear that simply applying a global design template would fail.
The initial design phase was an exercise in meticulous detail. I became obsessed with the small elements that make up an experience: banners, filters, buttons, and icons. For every component, I created numerous variations, sitting with the client and managers not just to pick the best option, but to undestand
why it was the best option for their audience.
This collaborative process was crucial. Working closely with the marketing and management teams, we ensured the design wasn't just beautiful, but that it also aligned with business goals. Every promotional banner and campaign had to fit seamlessly into a design system built on local preferences, turning business strategy into an intuitive user experience.
The Result: An Experience that Feels Like Home
After countless iterations and close collaboration, we delivered a platform that was more than just user-friendly, it was culturally resonant.
The final designs adapted successfully for the Arabic reading flow, which significantly improved usability and comprehension for local users. By focusing on localization at every step, we created a modern, intuitive, and engaging platform tailored specifically for the Saudi beauty market.
Takeaway & Reflection
This project taught me a profound lesson about the nature of design. True localization isn't a final step in the process; it's the foundation of the entire experience. Before Riyaah.sa, I saw right-to-left adaptation as a technical constraint. I now see it as a design opportunity, a chance to build something that doesn't just work for a different culture, but feels like it was born from it. The most important takeaway was this: to design for people, you must first seek to understand their world.
