Shopify store - start from scratch
Canopy of Stars | Sole designer | January 2022 - ongoing | Shopify
Going into the project
Canopy of Stars is the business my wife and I own — selling handmade charms, art prints, and illustration. As the designer behind the brand, building the store meant making every decision: visual identity, product photography layout, navigation, checkout flow, and how the store communicates the handmade nature of the products.
Brand first
The store had to feel consistent with the Canopy of Stars visual identity (see: Brand design). Colour, typography, and tone of voice were defined before a single Shopify template was touched.
A key detail we were keen to keep was the canopy buttons on the home page.
Choosing the right theme
The store had to feel consistent with the Canopy of Stars visual identity (see: Brand design). Colour, typography, and tone of voice were defined before a single Shopify template was touched.
Going into this I also fully expected to be using custom code for the canopy. Good customization options was becoming one of the key features when looking for a theme.
Product page design
Handmade products need more context than mass-produced ones. Layout decisions around imagery, descriptions, and trust signals (materials, process, turnaround time) were considered carefully.
Results
Designing an e-commerce store solo means owning UX, copywriting, photography direction, and technical configuration simultaneously. Curious to see all choices for yourself? I invite you to look at the store in detail: https://canopyofstars.art/