THAT WAS FUN.
Macelle had a previous Squarespace account that she wanted to use for her website. I was supportive of this because I am familiar with the tool, but I knew the design we agreed upon was not going to be easy to achieve in a template-based world. Therefore, I decided it necessary to code the way to the desired design.
A HOST
BOOKING WITH MACELLE
For this flow, I wanted to integrate the logo’s dots into a gamification booking process. I also focused heavily on personalizing the language to make the user feel like they were Macelle’s top priority.
SERVICE PAGE
We continued this process with the service page and opted for a minimal approach.
CAN I GET ONE OF EACH?
Macelle ended up liking elements from each version so I created a remix and alas, the homepage was born.
VISUAL DESIGN VARIATIONS
This part is always so fun. Here are three proposed versions of the homepage using placeholder photos and copy so Macelle could focus on the layout first.
DESIGN SYSTEM VIBIN’
Before diving into the visual, I built a design system, which actually was a bit challenging using a black and white palette… but hey, great for accessibility!
This allowed me to create reusable components for a more efficient design process.
This allowed me to create reusable components for a more efficient design process.
EMPATHY IS TRENDY
After establishing the logo, I continued to gather more information from Macelle to develop a persona: Sofia, a 36-year-old financially successful female who prefers red wine.
Next, we defined the requirements for the experience which included: service offerings, strong visual and imagery communication, and uplifting language in a current climate where self-esteem had taken a back seat due to Covid-19.
From there, I began sketching and wireframing to think through how a client could find, understand and book an appointment with Macelle.
Next, we defined the requirements for the experience which included: service offerings, strong visual and imagery communication, and uplifting language in a current climate where self-esteem had taken a back seat due to Covid-19.
From there, I began sketching and wireframing to think through how a client could find, understand and book an appointment with Macelle.
Booking
Category
Home
BRANDING
The first thing I did with Macelle was understand her style. Together, we came up with adjectives to define her intention and how she wanted to be portrayed to her clientele: confident, minimal, established, clean, fresh. Her color preferences were black and white.
Macelle’s modern but classic style really resonated with me and influenced logo 4 with Bodoni typeface. Although Bodoni was created in Italy, it was heavily influenced by the French typeface, Didot. I wanted to have a hint of French to represent the French-inspired part of the brand, ‘Beauté’.
Macelle’s modern but classic style really resonated with me and influenced logo 4 with Bodoni typeface. Although Bodoni was created in Italy, it was heavily influenced by the French typeface, Didot. I wanted to have a hint of French to represent the French-inspired part of the brand, ‘Beauté’.
OVERVIEW
Uncertain of the length of the pandemic, we decided to create a brand for Macelle. From there, we wanted to continue building a service that allowed her to work with clients. The idea was that clients could book an appointment with Macelle, and she would travel to them and beautify them safely.
Assured Beauté
Welcome to one of my favorite projects, a website built at a pivotal moment in history: Assured Beauté (pronounced: uh.shurd bo.te). When the coronavirus pandemic hit California in early 2020, majority of businesses in the beauty industry were shut down to limit the spread. Consequently, this left many individuals without work. One of the most talented artists I have ever met, Macelle Sanni, was affected by the pandemic. Located in the heart of Union Square San Francisco, her salon had closed, and together we were trying to determine how she could pivot her services to continue doing what she loved. Macelle has been beautifying my face for years, so it was fun to help her out for a change.
Client: Assured Beauté by Macelle
Roles: UX Design, User Research, Coding, Brand Design