Concept Project: Bloom & Co.
Self-initiated design concept — E-commerce Design, Brand Identity, Content Strategy
After completing two service-based projects (a fitness studio and a luxury salon), my portfolio was missing a critical piece — e-commerce. Selling products online is a fundamentally different design problem from booking appointments or signing up for memberships. The user isn't committing to a relationship with a business — they're browsing, comparing, and deciding whether something is worth adding to a bag. The page has to do its persuading faster and with less copy.
At the same time, I wanted to prove I could design outside a dark palette entirely. Both previous projects used black backgrounds, moody photography, and restrained accent colours. A third dark project would suggest a limited range rather than a deliberate choice. I needed something bright, warm, and inviting — the visual opposite of everything I'd built so far.
The brief I set myself had four goals. First, design a fully shoppable homepage that puts products in front of the visitor within the first scroll. Second, build a brand identity that feels handmade and personal rather than corporate or mass-market. Third, introduce at least three new UX patterns not present in either previous project. Fourth, create a visual system warm and light enough to be unmistakably different from Forge and Noir at first glance.
The Challenge
The Solution
I designed and built a complete e-commerce homepage in Squarespace for a fictional independent home goods brand called Bloom & Co. — a curated shop selling handmade ceramics, dried botanicals, candles, and linen homeware from small UK makers. The visual direction is warm, bright, and textural — built around a terracotta and sage palette with natural linen tones and lifestyle photography shot in window light.
Hero — products visible immediately
A full-bleed lifestyle photograph of a curated ceramic shelf with product cards floating on top, giving the visitor something to shop the moment the page loads. Unlike Forge's bold headline-and-CTA approach or Noir's atmospheric single-image hero, Bloom's hero serves a dual purpose — it establishes the brand's aesthetic while simultaneously functioning as a product showcase. A "Free UK shipping on orders over £50" announcement bar across the top reinforces the e-commerce context before the visitor even reaches the headline
The Results
As a self-initiated concept project, outcomes are measured by demonstrated range and new capabilities rather than live conversion data.
Complete visual range demonstrated across the portfolio. Bloom & Co. uses a warm terracotta and sage palette with bright, natural-light photography on cream backgrounds — the direct opposite of Forge's black-and-lime intensity and Noir's dark champagne-gold editorial look. A potential client viewing all three projects together sees a designer who adapts to the brand rather than repeating a signature style.
Need a site that sells as good as it looks?
From service pages to full e-commerce — every project starts with understanding what your customers need to see before they buy.