Coffee Gems
Coffee Gems approached us during the early stages of developing its online store, with a distinct creative vision and detailed designs already in place. Our role was to bring that vision to life through a carefully crafted Shopify experience that showcases exceptional coffee, invites customers to explore the stories behind each product and makes discovering the range feel effortless.
The challenge.
Coffee Gems came to us with an established design direction, but turning intricate designs into a working storefront required more than simply adapting a standard Shopify theme. The experience needed to reflect the brand's character and attention to detail while balancing straightforward shopping with the stories of the growers, origins and journeys behind its coffees. Just as importantly, the finished website had to be manageable by the Coffee Gems team and ready for their planned launch in approximately six weeks.
Built to
last.
A tailored Dawn foundation
We started with Shopify's Dawn theme and extensively customised it around the supplied designs. Rather than relying on its out-of-the-box sections, we broke the layouts down into individual elements and developed bespoke Shopify sections to recreate the finer details of the design. This approach brought the intended visual experience into Shopify while making use of its native theme-editing tools.
A storefront built around discovery
Coffee Gems' identity is closely connected to the people, places and processes behind each coffee. We translated that emphasis on storytelling into the storefront, creating space for customers to discover the brand's approach and explore the journeys behind the products, alongside a clear route to shopping. The aim was an experience that felt considered and engaging without losing sight of its purpose as an ecommerce store.
Knowledge transfer and handover
Throughout the build, we provided Shopify development guidance and worked towards the agreed launch window. We also trained the Coffee Gems team to use their custom sections and Shopify's theme editor, showing them how to manage and refresh content without needing a developer for every change.
A closer look.
From the origins and stories behind the coffee to editorial discoveries and subscriptions, every section was crafted to reflect the supplied design direction.
Bringing the people, origins and stories behind Coffee Gems to the forefront.
An adaptable editorial layout for sharing the discoveries and ideas behind each coffee.
Presenting the subscription offering with the same thoughtful visual direction.
The outcome.
Over approximately six weeks, we turned Coffee Gems' existing designs into a launch-ready Shopify storefront built on a heavily customised Dawn theme. The completed build brought together the brand's distinctive visual direction, bespoke editable sections and a shopping experience designed to encourage discovery. With practical training alongside the handover, the team had the tools to manage their content and continue developing the experience after launch.
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