Milwaukee

Milwaukee Tool

Services

Commerce
CX Strategy & Design

Platforms

Sitecore

Overview

Building an innovation-first foundation

For nearly 100 years, Milwaukee Tool has put best-in-class construction tools and equipment in the hands of tradespeople across the world. That’s because, at their core, Milwaukee Tool is an innovation company that has set the standard with breakthrough products like Sawsall® — a mainstay on any construction site. And while their expertise was unmatched offline, they knew it was time to level-up their digital presence. Inspired by their game-changer mentality, we partnered with Milwaukee Tool to create a digital experience that leveraged best-in-class strategy, UX and design — all in service of revving up their customers and building stronger relationships in process.

The Situation

An innovation legacy that was underserved

Milwaukee Tool is regarded by construction professionals and DIY enthusiasts as the go-to quality tool brand. Behind that brand loyalty is a product team that’s constantly developing new solutions to improve performance, speed and versatility.

And just like their product team, their marketing team thrives on innovation. When Milwaukee Tool approached Horizontal, they sought not only to improve site UX but also to bring the in-person shopping and product experience to the digital world. To do this, they realized elevating their industry-leading product innovations to the forefront of their digital experience was mission critical. Together, we identified a handful of needs to address this vision:

Define site architecture
Conduct user research
Design a mixed-media customer experience
And deliver an unmatched digital presence via Sitecore

The Response

Craft a more engaging digital storytelling experience

To make this innovative vision a reality, we needed to rethink not only how we served information to various audiences but also how we talked about the tools themselves — all the way down to the tiniest details.

Declutter and decomplicate

The previous content on the website was written from the perspective of a Milwaukee Tool employee. Tool descriptions used corporate language rather than speaking directly to Milwaukee Tool’s core users — electricians, plumbers, carpenters, etc. We worked with Milwaukee Tool’s product teams to transform content from relying on technical specifics to becoming more outcome focused, helping website visitors quickly understand and assess how each tool would meet their specific needs.

Bring excitement to expertise

Beyond tailoring content to personas, we also put a priority on making every piece of content ultra-scannable so users could quickly understand the advantage of a specific tool — saving them time during their research process. We then took these scannable copy bites and wove in visuals and videos to build a cohesive story that made the online experience almost as tangible as the in-store experience.

The Details

Including eye-popping product that made each facet of a particular tool's advantages more action-oriented and engaging vs. a mere photograph.

The Details

The Result

An experience that livesup to the brand

Through the vision of Milwaukee Tool’s marketing team and the design and development expertise of Horizontal, we’ve created a digital experience that encapsulates the innovation of the world’s leading tool brand. It has never been easier for online customers to find the right tools for their projects, reinforcing the brand’s role as the #1 advocate for tradespeople across the globe.

Insights

How to Achieve Great UX Design

The past, present and future of great UX design

Past Present and Future of UX Design

Work

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