Artisan is a responsive e-commerce web app that highlights the artistry of handmade household products and the stories of the artisans that brought them to life.
The problem:
Quality household goods are difficult to find in everyday stores. They have been replaced by single-use, mass-produced products for their convenience and affordability, but they often lack durability, longevity, and personality.
The need:
Aside from well-made goods, customers want easy access to inventory, the ability to change search result view settings, choose from a variety of payment options, and track their past purchases.
The solution:
Artisan offers shoppers a simple way to find and purchase unique items for every room of the home, made by craftsmen and experts of their trades through a visually engaging app and smooth user experience.
Now that the above parameters were defined, a user flow diagram was created to visualize the steps required to complete various tasks.
With a rough concept created and a user roadmap in hand, I turned my attention to the brand, Artisan's "voice", and visual guidelines.
Colors
Sturdy, earthy, and muted to mimic the hues of raw, organic materials like wood, stone, and cotton.
typography
A mix of serif and sans-serif typefaces represents the partnership of traditional production methods with modern design ideas of today.
Inviting, warm, and evokes professionalism and mastery.
Sleek, clean, and modern, displaying beauty through simplicity.
logo
Simple and straight forward, reflecting a message of minimalism and purity through basic shapes and gentle curves.
imagery
Images add to an overall organic and natural visual atmosphere that highlights raw materials and craftsmanship.
brand voice
Professional yet friendly. Copy is short unless it's telling a craftsman's story. Verbose language and words like "verbose" should be avoided.
icons & buttons
Icons are constructed from simple lines and unfilled. Buttons use the highest contrasting brand colors.
With a user roadmap and design boundaries in place, I began working through low to high-fidelity mockups. Below is a sample of the three stages.
low-fi
Search Results
Home
Shopping Cart
mid-fi
Search Results
Home
Shopping Cart
High-fi
the physical world
And when customers want to hold and feel the products, a brick and mortar will be waiting for them.
Michael Akiyama-Lee
GRAPHIC Designer • Brand Champion
An aspiring chef turned finance guy turned project manager turned graphic designer. My winding journey has finally led this creative back to where I'm meant to be. I am fueled and motivated by connecting people, businesses, and employees through engaging visual stories.
I revive your aging internal and external assets, build upon them, and create a cohesive design ecosystem across your entire organization, all while staying on-brand and on budget.
So let's grab a coffee, in person or virtually, and talk about how we can team up and conquer your goals together.
