Michelin UX/UI Revamp
Part of Michelin’s full revamp of its official member app in China, this project focused on redesigning Gourmet+ , the digital home of the Michelin Guide and a key brand asset for driving discovery and loyalty. Despite its prestige, the section faced low traffic, poor retention, and weak conversion, making it the ideal starting point for reimagining the app’s user experience.
Client
Michelin China
Services
UX/UI Design
Visual Design
Industries
Automotive & Lifestyle
Date
Apr 2023
Background
Rebuilding Michelin’s Official App
Starting with Gourmet+
To rebuild Michelin’s official member app in China, we started with Gourmet+, the digital home of the Michelin Guide and the brand’s signature touchpoint for engaging and retaining users.
What is ULP?
ULP (User Loyalty Platform) is Michelin’s official member app in China, designed as a unified touchpoint to deliver a full-funnel brand experience, from awareness to purchase and loyalty.
Hosted as a WeChat mini-program, it operates inside China’s most widely used social platform (comparable to WhatsApp or Instagram), giving Michelin direct access to over 1.3 billion active users without requiring a separate app download.
In China, branded private-domain apps like ULP are a growing trend across industries. Competitors from premium auto brands (NIO, BMW) to FMCG (L’Oréal) and durable goods (Dyson) are using similar platforms to strengthen brand engagement and convert high-value customers.
NIO
My BMW
L’ORÉAL
Dyson
Low engagement and retention
Poor conversion from content to purchase
Inconsistent brand and visual identity across pages
Why Focus on Gourmet+?
Among ULP’s five main sections – Explore+, Auto+, Gourmet+, Picks+, My+ – the Gourmet+ page is core to Michelin’s brand storytelling and heritage. Historically, Michelin’s restaurant guide has been the most powerful marketing asset for driving brand affinity and customer loyalty.
However, data revealed Gourmet+ had the lowest page views and repeat visits, despite its high brand value. Optimising this section would not only preserve brand prestige but also unlock untapped commercial opportunities.
Challenge
Starting from the existing Gourmet+ page, we found an outdated patchwork with no integrated UX design, lacking structure, focus, and hierarchy.
User Journey Map
Before
REDESIGN
Clarity. Simplicity. Engagement.
Rebuilding Michelin’s UI with a structured, intuitive layout that enhances readability and usability.
User Segmentation
Based on early user interviews and current interface analysis, we identified three representative user types and mapped their needs to targeted design actions.
Information Architecture
The revised structure streamlines the previous fragmented layout, introducing a clearer hierarchy and more consistent entry points to make navigation easier.
Gourmet+ UI Kit
The UI Kit is developed from the core “Gourmet+” section, reflecting its visual tone and interaction patterns.
RESULTS
Higher engagement.
Better usability.
The redesigned experience led to increased interaction, faster navigation, and improved brand consistency.
2022 (Jan 1 - Dec 31)
2023 (May 1 - Dec 31)
About Gourmet+ LP
A flagship entry point uniting Michelin’s ecosystem
Reflection
This project highlighted the challenge of balancing Michelin’s established brand prestige with the need for practical usability. On the one hand, the design had to preserve Michelin’s authority and sense of exclusivity; on the other, it had to feel approachable and efficient for everyday users navigating restaurants, benefits, and lifestyle content.
Through this process, I learned:
-Bridging brand and function: how to translate an iconic brand language into digital UI elements (colours, typography, tone) while keeping interactions lightweight.
-Usability at scale: building a component library and consistent UI kit to reduce fragmentation and make the experience easier to expand.
-User-centric storytelling: creating entry points like the Star Journey LP that not only engage users but also connect seamlessly with the wider Michelin ecosystem.
-Design ownership: independently handling both copy and visual design for core assets, proving the value of design thinking beyond visuals.
My Role
-Responsible for research, information architecture, and defining the visual system
-Designed the UI kit and component library, ensuring scalability and brand alignment
-Independently created the Gourmet+ landing page, including copywriting, visual storytelling, and cross-linking with other Michelin Guide LPs
-Collaborated with internal stakeholders to refine the navigation flow, reducing fragmentation and improving usability
-Contributed to user segmentation analysis, mapping design requirements to different user types
See more UI-focused works ↓
See more design system works ↓
