International UX benchmarking for a cosmetics brand

Participating in a high-level international UX benchmarking initiative for a global cosmetics brand. I was selected as the UX research representative for Italy to conduct a comparative analysis between the client’s e-commerce platform and a leading domestic competitor. The goal was to identify regional market standards, uncover UX gaps, and understand how the client’s digital presence measured up against the top-performing player in the Italian market.

The project followed a standardized international research protocol, localized for the Italian landscape:

• Competitor Selection: Identified and analyzed the leading cosmetics e-commerce platform in Italy to serve as the benchmark for best-in-class local user experience.
• Heuristic & Comparative Analysis: Conducted a rigorous audit of both platforms, focusing on the end-to-end shopping journey, from product discovery to checkout.
• Cross-Market Localization Audit: Evaluated the client’s site not just for usability, but for cultural and market relevance, assessing tone of voice, payment preferences, and service expectations specific to Italian consumers.
• Collaborative Synthesis: Aligned findings with researchers from other European countries to highlight universal UX issues versus country-specific opportunities.

The delivery of a comprehensive strategic report detailing the competitive standing of the client within the Italian market. The findings provided the global brand with actionable insights to localize their digital strategy effectively, optimize their conversion funnel for Italian users, and bridge the gap with the local market leader.