Christopher Cifonie
All projects

Manufacturers Directory Helping customers find manufacturers, see what they offer, and explore their products.

The manufacturer directory relied on long alphabetical lists with limited ways to narrow the options. I led the redesign around search, filtering, and consistent manufacturer profiles, while making room for featured partner placements.

Project Overview

Role
UX Manager · Lead Designer
Timeline
4 weeks
Focus
I led the directory’s information structure and interaction design, bringing analytics and research input together with Product and business requirements for partner visibility.
Deliverables
Content structure, directory and manufacturer detail designs, and an interactive prototype for exploring search, filtering, and results behavior before development.

The Challenge

Problem

A list of names with little guidance

Finding a manufacturer was only the first step.

  • Long alphabetical lists required extensive scanning
  • Limited search and filtering made narrowing the list difficult
  • Manufacturer information lacked a consistent hierarchy
  • Connections to products, services, and sales were unclear

Customers needed to confirm a partnership, understand what a manufacturer offered, and find a relevant next step.

Approach

Support direct search and guided discovery

Connect manufacturer information to useful actions.

  • Give search and filtering a prominent place
  • Use consistent manufacturer cards and profiles
  • Connect profiles to products, resources, and sales
  • Provide dedicated space for featured partners

The design needed to support partner visibility while keeping the wider directory accessible to customers.

Before Static manufacturer listing

  • Long alphabetical lists
  • Minimal filtering
  • Limited guidance toward next steps
  • Static manufacturer blocks

After Search and structured partner content

  • Prominent search and filtering
  • Dedicated strategic partner placements
  • Consistent manufacturer cards and profile links
  • Reusable layouts across screen sizes

Explore the Interactive Prototype

Explore manufacturer search, filtering, and the path from results to partner details.

View Axure Prototype

Design Strategy: Balancing Discovery and Partner Visibility

I placed search above the strategic partner content, giving customers who knew a manufacturer’s name a direct starting point. Featured placements and product sections supported browsing from the same page.

Key design decisions

  1. Group related information
    • Use defined sections and consistent cards to organize manufacturer content.
  2. Enable direct search
    • Put search at the top and offer suggestions as customers type.
  3. Structure information for filtering
    • Organize manufacturer metadata to support narrowing results.
  4. Give featured partners a defined place
    • Present strategic partners in their own section while keeping search available above it.
  5. Design reusable components
    • Create cards and layouts that adapt across screen sizes and future directory pages.
Search suggestions lead to manufacturers

Suggestions appear as customers type, providing a direct route to matching manufacturers.

Profiles connect discovery to next steps

Manufacturer profiles pair partner information with a clear action to learn more.

Aligning Customer and Partner Needs

I worked with Analytics, UX Research, Product, Sales, and Marketing on two needs. Customers needed a quick way to find a manufacturer, and Marketing needed space to feature partners.

I put search first and gave featured partners their own section. The prototype let the team try both paths before development.

  • Analytics and UX Research helped the team understand how customers used the directory.
  • Product Management coordinated priorities and stakeholder input.
  • Marketing provided requirements for co-op placements and featured partners.
  • Sales reviewed how buyers find manufacturers and take the next step.

Impact and Outcomes

The redesign introduced a searchable directory with consistent manufacturer information and clearer paths to related content.

  • Prominent search with suggestions and filtering
  • Consistent manufacturer cards and detail pages
  • Dedicated placements for strategic partners
  • Connections to product listings, services, and resources

The content structure and reusable components also provided a foundation for future directory pages.

Reflection

Partner visibility and customer discovery need to be considered together.

This project reinforced the importance of designing for both direct search and browsing. Customers looking for a specific manufacturer needed a clear starting point, while featured content needed a defined role in the wider directory.

I would carry that balance into future discovery work by considering placement priorities alongside search behavior and the next step each result should support.

Read more of my case studies