Sand People
An e-commerce site built with Gatsby.js and the Shopify API.
Role
Visual Designer/web developer
Methods
User Research, Academic Research, Competitive Analysis, Journey Mapping, User Interviews, Design Ideation, Wire-framing, Prototyping, User Testing
The Problem
Due to the outbreak of COVID, my family's business suffered tremendously. Their fourteen stores were forced to close for an indefinite amount of time, something that had been unimaginable in the 30+ years they've been in business.
The Solution
To make up for lost sales, I designed and built an e-commerce site using Gatsby.js (a framework built on React) and the Shopify API. This would allow them to easily manage sales and inventory through the Shopify dashboard while allowing for a fully custom front-end.
Mood Board
The Mood board was created to reflect the look and feel of the company, targeting an audience of Coastal Lifestyle enthusiasts and visiting tourists alike.
Site Map
Before building the site, I mapped out the flow and pages required for a smooth user experience. Products, store information, and the companies story were designed to be easily accessible to the stores visitors.
Final Result and Learnings
The final result worked as intended and allowed Sand People's stores to earn enough money to stay afloat while their physical locations were closed. As this was my first time coding an e-commerce site from scratch, it was equally challenging and satisfying. Finishing this project allowed me to better communicate with web developers I would work with in the future.
