Artisans & Agency — E‑Commerce Transformation for a Santa Cruz Gift Shop

Revitalizing a handcrafted goods boutique with a custom Shopify rebuild, improved product management, and SEO optimization.

Artisans & Agency — E‑Commerce Transformation for a Santa Cruz Gift Shop

client

Artisans & Agency

https://artisanssantacruz.com/

Project year

2020

Project Scope

Discovery & Research

Project Management

SEO

Web Design

UI/UX Design

Brand Identity

E-Commerce

Creatives

Donna Melger

Amanda Altice

Project tools

Adobe XD

App Integration

CSS & HTML

Excel

Google Analytics

Figma

Ilustrator

Photoshop

SEO basic principals

Shopify

Website Optimization

Youtube Integration

Metafields

About The Brand

Artisans & Agency is a beloved Santa Cruz boutique showcasing handcrafted items from local and global artisans. When foot traffic dropped during the pandemic, they partnered with me to digitally transform their storefront—showcasing more products, improving navigation, and boosting online sales.

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My Role

As UX designer and project lead, I oversaw the end-to-end digital transformation:

Discovery & research
Shopify e-commerce site redesign
Product taxonomy & filtering system
UI/UX design (Figma → Shopify)
SEO optimization & analytics setup
Collaboration with Amanda Altice (Graphic Designer) and Linnaea (Artisans & Agency Owner)

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The Challenge

Artisans & Agency’s original site displayed only ~35% of inventory—even pre-pandemic it failed at telling the brand story. With in‑store traffic reduced, the online store needed to:

Display full product range (5,000+ SKUs)
Feature a curated, art-inspired UI
Offer intuitive category navigation and filters
Improve search rankings through SEO optimization

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Old website pages for artisans & agency — Website before changes

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screenshot of homepage at launch — New Website at launch

The Solution

Product Discovery & Taxonomy: Uploaded and tagged 5,000+ products into clear categories and custom tags → improved browsing and internal search
Navigation & Faceted Filters: Designed sidebar filters and intuitive menus for effortless product exploration
Striking Visual Design: Created an artisan-inspired aesthetic using rich photography, clean layouts, and subtle transitions
SEO & Performance Enhancements: Applied SEO best practices, improved keyword structure, and launched with 97–100% site health score

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User Journey for Artisans & Agency — Customer Journey Map

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sidebar categories and tagging worksheet — Sidebar filtering & product tagging

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Post its for sidebar filtering — Product Categories

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Empathy and Persona's for Artisans & Agency GIF — Empathy & Persona's

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About The Brand

Artisans & Agency is a beloved Santa Cruz boutique showcasing handcrafted items from local and global artisans. When foot traffic dropped during the pandemic, they partnered with me to digitally transform their storefront—showcasing more products, improving navigation, and boosting online sales.

‍

My Role

As UX designer and project lead, I oversaw the end-to-end digital transformation:

Discovery & research
Shopify e-commerce site redesign
Product taxonomy & filtering system
UI/UX design (Figma → Shopify)
SEO optimization & analytics setup
Collaboration with Amanda Altice (Graphic Designer) and Linnaea (Artisans & Agency Owner)

‍

The Challenge

Artisans & Agency’s original site displayed only ~35% of inventory—even pre-pandemic it failed at telling the brand story. With in‑store traffic reduced, the online store needed to:

Display full product range (5,000+ SKUs)
Feature a curated, art-inspired UI
Offer intuitive category navigation and filters
Improve search rankings through SEO optimization

‍

Old website pages for artisans & agency — Website before changes

‍

screenshot of homepage at launch — New Website at launch

The Solution

Product Discovery & Taxonomy: Uploaded and tagged 5,000+ products into clear categories and custom tags → improved browsing and internal search
Navigation & Faceted Filters: Designed sidebar filters and intuitive menus for effortless product exploration
Striking Visual Design: Created an artisan-inspired aesthetic using rich photography, clean layouts, and subtle transitions
SEO & Performance Enhancements: Applied SEO best practices, improved keyword structure, and launched with 97–100% site health score

‍

User Journey for Artisans & Agency — Customer Journey Map

‍

sidebar categories and tagging worksheet — Sidebar filtering & product tagging

‍

‍

Post its for sidebar filtering — Product Categories

‍

Empathy and Persona's for Artisans & Agency GIF — Empathy & Persona's

‍

client

Artisans & Agency

https://artisanssantacruz.com/

Project year

2020

Project Scope

Discovery & Research

Project Management

SEO

Web Design

UI/UX Design

Brand Identity

E-Commerce

Tools

Adobe XD

App Integration

CSS & HTML

Excel

Google Analytics

Figma

Ilustrator

Photoshop

SEO basic principals

Shopify

Website Optimization

Youtube Integration

Metafields

Creatives

Donna Melger

Amanda Altice

Start My Shopify Transformation

Create My Shop schedule a consult

The Result

900% increase in online revenue during the first year
55.3% funnel conversion rate, industry-leading
Maintained a consistent 97–100% site health score
Reinforced community engagement and sustained sales during pandemic-driven closures

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Key Takeaway

This project highlights the power of deep catalog strategy, user-friendly e-commerce UI, and SEO synergy. By restructuring the product experience and optimizing for discovery, we helped Artisans & Agency thrive online—even when in‑store visitors decreased.

‍

‍

The Result

900% increase in online revenue during the first year
55.3% funnel conversion rate, industry-leading
Maintained a consistent 97–100% site health score
Reinforced community engagement and sustained sales during pandemic-driven closures

‍

Key Takeaway

This project highlights the power of deep catalog strategy, user-friendly e-commerce UI, and SEO synergy. By restructuring the product experience and optimizing for discovery, we helped Artisans & Agency thrive online—even when in‑store visitors decreased.

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