Case Study: Box O’ Powder Gondola Refresh

Project Overview

Benefit’s iconic Box O’ Powder collection—featuring cult-favorite blushes and bronzers—holds a nostalgic and playful place in the brand's product universe. With the introduction of new shades and updated formulations, the visual merchandising system needed a strategic overhaul to reflect the refreshed product line and elevate the in-store experience.

One key functional improvement was upgrading the pusher system to a gravity feed, ensuring smoother replenishment and better product organization. Additionally, we addressed a recurring challenge: in some stores, missing testers or inventory gaps left unsightly holes in the gondola layout. To solve this, I developed new graphic solutions for the tester bays to maintain visual consistency even when product was temporarily out of stock.

I was tasked with leading the gondola redesign, focusing on form, function, and storytelling. The goal was to modernize the shopper journey while remaining true to Benefit’s cheeky brand heritage. This was more than a visual update—it was a cross-functional effort to drive engagement, highlight hero SKUs, and establish a cohesive execution strategy across global retail environments.

Objective

Redesign the Box O’ Powder gondola to showcase new and existing SKUs in a way that is both functionally improved and visually engaging—while aligning global retail environments under a cohesive, on-brand system.

My Role

• Lead Designer for gondola redesign

• Developed merchandising strategy and visual updates

• Created graphic artwork and retail-ready mechanicals

• Collaborated with industrial design, global marketing, and visual merchandising teams

• Partnered with vendors and regional teams for implementation and feedback

Process

Structural & Functional Refresh

• Replaced legacy pusher system with a gravity-fed solution to improve planogram consistency and product presentation

• Addressed common merchandising gaps by creating “placeholder” tester graphics, keeping displays clean and brand-forward

Visual & Graphic Development

• Refreshed tester panel artwork with updated shade visuals and naming hierarchy

• Designed callouts to highlight new shades and hero SKUs, increasing discoverability

• Built a modular design system to scale across varying gondola footprints and store requirements

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Worked closely with global partners to align on SKUs and shade sequencing across regions

• Participated in vendor reviews to ensure color accuracy, substrate compatibility, and production feasibility

• Coordinated with internal creative and VM teams to finalize a launch-ready global toolkit

Design Strategy

• Playful Meets Premium: Balanced Benefit’s signature cheekiness with a polished, modern layout

• Shopper-Led Navigation: Focused on intuitive shade organization and strong visual hierarchy

• Modular & Scalable: Designed components to flex across various retailer formats and fixture sizes

• Retail Resilience: Planned for common retail pain points like missing testers or sell-outs by baking in solutions upfront

Results

• Successful global rollout of the refreshed Box O’ Powder gondola

• Improved planogram compliance and visual consistency across stores

• Elevated storytelling around shade families and new formulations

• Reduced downtime and visual disruption from out-of-stock items

• Reinforced Benefit’s position as a leader in playful, performance-driven complexion products