How Signet Jewelers leverages customer insights across omni-channel experiences

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At Signet Jewelers , personalization isn’t just a perk—it’s the key to unlocking customer loyalty, says Shannon Graf , Director of Design Research at Signet.?

Shannon talked with Cornelia K. , Group Product Manager of Core Experience at UserTesting , in a recent interview for the Insights Unlocked podcast. Shannon emphasized the importance of deeply understanding customer needs, especially in the digital space.

"We advocate for what the user is showing us, even if they're saying one thing and doing another," she said, highlighting how observing customer behavior uncovers insights that often lead to better user experiences. For example, Signet’s research revealed that customers didn’t want to see standalone images of jewelry—they wanted to see products on real people, as they imagined themselves wearing it.

Jewelry is an investment, Shannon said, and its critical customers feel confident throughout their shopping experience, whether online or in store.

Shannon is a 20-year veteran in UX research. She’s also a registered yoga instructor and wellness coach, and she recently published her first book, It’s Nothing but Pavement: Shedding the Should When the Path Before You Is Not Always the Path You Choose.

Signet is the world’s largest retailer of diamond jewelry operating brands like Kay Jewelers, Zales, and Jared. Earlier this year, during an earnings call, Signet CEO Gina Drosos said one of the company’s competitive advantages was its investment in consumer insights.

“One of the most refreshing aspects of joining Signet is the strong buy-in for research,” Shannon said. “If you lead with insights, you actually save time, resources, and energy on the back end. I didn’t have to convince anyone of that here—it was already understood.”

"If you lead with insights, you actually save time, resources, and energy on the back end," — Shannon Graf, Director of Design Research at Signet Jewelers

Her research team partners with others across the organization, helping them understand user needs before anything is built, whether it’s for mobile, web, desktop or in-store apps. And, she said, her team is working on projects that extend beyond just digital, partnering with marketing, communications, and other business functions.?

“Customers don’t just go online or in-store—they’re doing both,” Shannon said. “How do we meet them where they are in that journey?.”?

To keep research focused on business objectives, Shannon said they always start by getting really clear about the problem they’re solving. “We keep asking “why” until we get to the core of the issue,” she said.

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They then turn that into a problem statement, which becomes their anchor throughout the engagement. As we progress through the research and design process, Shannon said, we always refer back to that problem statement. If the problem evolves, she said, so does their approach, but they keep that problem statement as our guiding principle.?

“When we deliver insights, we frame them in terms of their value and impact—both for the customer and for the business,” Shannon said. “If we don’t act on this insight, what’s the tradeoff? That helps create healthy conversations and build confidence in the research we’re doing.”

Listen to the full episode to hear more of their conversation.

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