Bold, Beautiful, and Brand-New: A Shopify Website Redesign for a Maximalist Designer
Introducing the latest Brand Strategy & website design project by Brand Spanking You
A fresh, colorful, and bold website for Bari J. Designs! Bari J. is a renowned name in the home decor industry, known for her unique maximalist style and vibrant floral prints. Her products range from fabrics, wallpapers, and bedding to handbags and kimonos. With over 20 fabric collections and hundreds of print patterns on the market, Bari J. Designs is a true powerhouse in the home decor space. The challenge was to create a website that would capture Bari J.'s distinct personality and design aesthetic, while also providing a seamless and user-friendly experience for her customers.
Overview of the Brand Strategy and Shopify Website Design process
For this project, I followed a comprehensive design and branding process that included several key steps:
The first step was a brand audit to assess the client's current online presence, including her social media and website.
Next, I conducted a Brand Blueprint process to create a detailed strategy document that outlined the brand personality, mission, values, customer profiles, and brand archetypes, among other important factors. In this Brand Blueprint, I also analyze key competitors and the client’s particular industry marketplace as a whole.
Then, I developed a Website Strategy document that analyzed the business's needs, including the organization of an extensive home decor and apparel product assortment, and a customer journey map that would lead to more purchases, follows, and email sign-ups.
In addition to being an e-commerce site, Bari also needed to show off her many prior brand partnerships with other businesses (she’s an accomplished fabric designer and licensed artist), numerous press features, and her incredibly popular book, “Bloom Wild: A free-spirited guide to decorating with florals.”
Visual Creative Direction
I also created a Photo Creative Direction document that outlined how all of the lifestyle and product photography should be shot and styled in order to align with the overall brand strategy and brand blueprint.
Bari shoots a lot of her own content for social media, and I wanted to help empower her to also create gorgeous lifestyle photos of the products on her site.
This document contained overall visual brand Creative Direction, detailed shot lists with styling ideas for all her various products, and a photoshoot prep & process guide.
With these elements in place, I got to work on the design; customizing a Shopify template so it not only reflected the brand strategy and design direction but would also stand out from a sea of sameness with other Shopify sites.
Project Background
Up until this point, Bari had DIY’d all of her branding and website design. And, like most of my clients who have been in business for 5 or 10+ years, she was frustrated with the quality of her current site, and knew intuitively it was holding her back, and preventing her from making a greater volume of reliable, consistent sales. Take a look at the “before” of her website below.
Bari knew how to market herself on Instagram and TikTok, and has built an impressive following. But once those followers and potential customers hit her website, she was losing out on sales and brand credibility. Her current site was not reflecting the spirit and personality of her colorful, bold, sophisticated, and maximalist world. At All.
And she had reached the limits of her DIY skills and knew she needed help to move to the next level.
Goals and objectives for the Brand Strategy and new website design
First and foremost, create an aesthetic that is a reflection of the bold and beautiful world Bari’s prints, patterns and artwork embody.
Make the site an immersive experience that pulls visitors from one thing to the next to the next- increasing time on site and conversions.
Highlight Bari J Designs as a leading destination for colorful, eclectic, floral & vintage-inspired maximalist home decor and apparel products. 4) Organize the content of 2 different sites (the e-commerce, Bari J Designs brand, and Bari’s personal artist/designer site) into one site that’s easy to navigate and shows off Bari’s extensive experience and authority in the home decor and design industry.
The Brand Strategy & Brand Refresh Phase
For Bari, I didn’t create a new logo, but I did create a new “core” color palette that would work well alongside her extensive collection of prints, patterns, and artwork that’s featured on her products. I also chose new fonts for her that were a better reflection of her brand personality and aesthetic: Nostalgic, vintage-inspired, but refined and elegant. These fonts and colors work well to play off of the bold colors, florals, and design motifs in Bari’s work.
I also select a Primary and Secondary brand archetype for all of my clients. (You can read more about my approach to brand archetypes here.)
The primary archetype, no surprise is The Creative as Bari is an artist and maker herself.
For the secondary archetype, I wanted to bring in some of that elegance and sumptuousness her patterns and prints are known for, so I chose the reveler (also known as the lover). This archetype is all about experiencing joy through the senses and reveling in it. The perfect counterpoint to the Creator archetype for Bari’s brand.
And these are the brand values that the new site needed to invoke:
creativity
The value of creativity is at the heart of Bari J Designs. We believe that creativity is the cornerstone of inspiration, self-expression, and innovation. We aim to inspire our customers to unleash their creativity, experiment with new styles, and express themselves in new and exciting ways.
To embody this value, we strive to: Create unique and original designs: We are constantly pushing the boundaries of design, experimenting with new techniques, and creating innovative patterns that stand out from the crowd.
Beauty
At Bari J Designs, we believe in the power of beauty to uplift and inspire. We strive to create products that are visually stunning, with patterns, colors, and designs that catch the eye and spark joy. Whether it's a fabric collection, a home decor item, or an apparel piece, we want our products to bring a sense of beauty and elegance to everyday life.
Elegance
We believe that elegance is a timeless quality that never goes out of style. Our products are designed with a focus on clean lines, simple shapes, and high-quality materials that exude sophistication and refinement. Whether you're looking for a statement piece or an everyday essential, our products are designed to add a touch of elegance to any setting.
Curiosity
We embrace curiosity as a way of exploring the world and discovering new inspiration. Our designs often feature unexpected elements and intricate details that reward the curious eye. We encourage our customers to approach our products with a sense of wonder and exploration, to discover the hidden treasures and surprises that lie within.
joy
One of the core values that Bari J Designs embodies is joy. We believe that our designs should inspire happiness and positivity in our customers. This value is reflected in the colorful and bold patterns that we create, which are intended to bring joy to people's lives. We aim to create products that evoke feelings of happiness, optimism, and enthusiasm. We want our customers to feel a sense of joy when they interact with our brand, whether that's through browsing our website, receiving a product in the mail, or simply admiring our designs. We also believe that joy is contagious and hope that our products can spread positivity and happiness to others.
Some of the other things covered in the Brand Blueprint process: Vision, Mission, Personality, and Tone-Of-Voice.
The next phase was the creative direction for new website photography
As mentioned above, I laid out an overall creative direction for the entire brand and also created detailed shot lists for all of the different product categories on Bari’s new site. In the spirit of empowering my clients for the future and beyond, my Creative Direction clients get this as a Canva document that they can use to plan and execute future photoshoots as well.
Here’s a look at a few pages from that document:
And now that there is a solid Brand foundation to build on, the Shopify website design process begins!
Because such extensive work is done prior to even starting the website design process (as outlined above with the Brand Blueprint, Creative Direction, and Website Strategy), the design of the actual site becomes pretty straightforward.
That’s why my clients (and me!) love the Brand Blueprint and Website strategy phase so much. It literally shows us the roadmap of what to create.
It’s also how I can use a 1-concept strategy when presenting design concepts (or in my case- concept). I’m able to look at ALL of the strategy and create a design solution that I know is not only gorgeous, but also is smart, strategic, and is the best possible direction for the client.
Now, for this site, things were a wee bit different, as I’m a Squarespace expert, but Bari’s site was already on Shopify- a platform she wanted to stay on. And that was the absolute right decision, because she has a long-term vision of growing this into a massive e-commerce destination, and Shopify was and is the best solution for her. No worries though, I happily took on the challenge, and I’m glad I did.
Overall, visitors to Bari J Designs fit this description:
Customers always on the lookout for everyday luxuries that align with their style- from brands that feel elevated and outside of the mass market. They want to find decor & accessories you can't find anywhere else. They also like to play with mixing styles, and incorporating vintage & timeless pieces with bolder choices.
To create a site that truly catered to Bari’s ideal customers, I wanted to drill down even further so I created 3 customer profiles for her: Creative Claire, Vintage Vanessa, and Maximalist Mia.
Each one has extensive demographics, psychographics, a list of pain points and challenges, their key purchase drivers, other brand/ business affinities, and a brand story.
Annnnd… once those ideal customers landed on the site, we had several goals that needed to be accomplished:
Provide a seamless and intuitive navigation experience to help users find what they're looking for quickly and easily.
Feature high-quality product & lifestyle photography and detailed descriptions to help users make informed purchase decisions.
Create a visually stunning and immersive experience that reflects the brand's maximalist aesthetic and engages users.
Ensure that the site is optimized for mobile devices, as many users may be browsing on their phones or tablets. (Bari has a huge audience that visits her site directly from social media)
Create cross-promotion and cross-sell opportunities throughout the site in order to increase conversions and average order value
Final website design direction
The design direction of this site was informed by several factors, including the brand's maximalist aesthetic, the desire to create an immersive and engaging shopping experience, and the need for a website that was both visually stunning and easy to navigate.
To achieve these goals, I incorporated bold colors and rich textures throughout the site, used large, lifestyle product imagery to showcase the intricate details of each item, and created a layout that guides the user's eye through the page in a natural way.
The design also incorporates user-friendly features such as intuitive mega-menu navigation, clear calls to action, and prominent search functionality to make it easy for customers to find what they're looking for and complete their purchases.
Overall, the design direction is intended to create an experience that pulls visitors in and aligns with the brand's ethos and values.
Website Design Launch and Results
Clients who’ve worked with me in the past remark on how chill the launch process is. And that’s just the way I like it. (And they do too!) I work hard at getting all of our ducks in a row and keeping the project on task throughout the course of our time together so that on launch day/week we only have to worry about focusing on minor revisions or tweaks, and the thrill and excitement of launching something new into the world!
As of the publish date of this post, the new site has only been live for a little over a week, so I don’t have extensive metrics, but Bari has reported that there has been a huge surge in sales, with many purchases exceeding the average cart value prior to the new site launch.
Conclusion
The design and launch of this website were a success that met the client's goals and exceeded her expectations. By creating a website that was visually stunning, user-friendly, and reflective of the brand's values and aesthetic, we were able to attract and engage new customers and create a strong online presence for Bari J. Designs.
Through a comprehensive design and branding process that included in-depth research, strategic planning, and attention to detail, we were able to create a website that not only looks great but also functions effectively in driving conversions and improving the user experience. The final result is a website that truly represents Bari’s brand and provides a platform for her to grow and thrive in her industry.
Effective branding and website design can have a significant impact on the success of a business. A well-designed website that aligns with the brand's personality and values creates a strong impression on visitors and immediately builds trust and credibility. It’s also essential so it’s easier for users to navigate the site and find what they're looking for, resulting in a better user experience and higher conversions. (What we all want for our businesses, right?)
Furthermore, a solid brand strategy and cohesive brand identity can help differentiate a business from its competitors and create a memorable impression on potential customers. Overall, investing in effective branding and website design can help businesses build a strong foundation for success and stand out in a crowded marketplace, and my clients repeatedly see a very quick return on investment.
Is your business ready for a brand or website design upgrade? Start here learning about my services and packages. You’ll also find an inquiry form at the bottom of the page that you can fill out in order to get the process started.
Meet Sarah
Sarah is an award-winning Designer, Creative Director & Brand Strategist for billion-dollar companies turned entrepreneur. She loves exploring the areas where business, branding, and personal growth comingle to create magic. And she’s also passionate about empowering entrepreneurs with easy tools to transform the way they do business.