Process

His requirements were quite simple, he wanted an efficient way to sell his original paintings and prints. He does commission work, so a form would be beneficial in gathering that initial requirements. Most importantly, it was crucial that a theme was established from his artwork, preferably a dark color scheme.

1. William's art beautifully captures a sense of nostalgia, warmth, and serenity, which I used as inspiration for my design decisions. I chose a black and blue color scheme to enhance the visual impact of his work, as blue complements orange, allowing his pieces to stand out even more.
   
   

2. To ensure an effective and user-centered design for William's website, I began by creating wireframes to thoughtfully organize and prioritize the site's information. Weekly check-ins with William were integral to the process, allowing me to gather feedback and iteratively refine the design to align with his vision. Once the low-fidelity wireframes were finalized and approved, I transitioned to high-fidelity prototypes, maintaining the same structure while incorporating more detailed design elements. This iterative approach ensured the final product was both visually appealing and tailored to his preferences. Additionally, this is where branding was established, I worked towards creating logos and a favicon which fit into the theme of the high-fidelity prototype.
   
   

3. We initially set out to use Framer or Webflow to implement his new website, about half way into the project we redirected to Shopify due to a change in requirements. Considering this change, the next step involved transforming the high-fidelity wireframe into a fully functional Shopify site. Being my first time working with Shopify, I encountered a learning curve. I soon came to realize the limiting degree of customization. Fortunately, my computer science background enabled me to navigate these constraints effectively, implementing custom solutions to achieve the desired design and functionality.

   
   

4. The final phase of the project involved SEO optimization, deployment, and thorough testing. To maximize traffic and sales, I implemented SEO best practices, such as adding alt text to all images and incorporating strategic keywords into product titles, descriptions, and metadata. Once William approved the site for launch, I dedicated the following week to monitoring its performance, promptly addressing any bugs or issues to ensure the website operated at peak efficiency.