pixelwright UI Development & Design

Reinventing Food & Beer Discovery for Consumers and Suppliers

15 Dec 2014

Project Overview

Role: Software Engineer & Digital Designer
Duration: July 2014 – February 2016
Technology Stack: Django, Python, HTML5, SASS, Javascript, PostgreSQL
Platform: Mobile-first, responsive eCommerce web application

Flavourly.com was launched to transform how consumers discovered high-quality craft beer and artisan foods, whilst providing small, independent producers with a national sales channel. As a core member of the design and engineering team, I redesigned and developed a scalable, mobile-first eCommerce experience (“BrewStore”) and created all supporting marketing materials to drive rapid growth and user engagement.

The Challenge: Bridging Consumers and Small Producers

Small food and craft beer suppliers faced significant barriers to reaching consumers nationwide. Established retail channels required costly deals and logistics that were out of reach, whilst consumers lacked ways to discover unique, small-batch products not available in supermarkets. The goal was to create a single marketplace connecting these communities and enabling discovery, curation, and purchase with excellent user experience and brand storytelling.

Market & User Insights

Research revealed:

  • Most small producers lacked any scalable route to market and struggled with online presence and go-to-market strategies
  • Consumers wanted curated discovery experiences with surprise, variety, and direct stories from passionate producers
  • The craft beer boom opened opportunities for curated monthly boxes and subscription models, grounding the project in customer feedback and product ratings

Design and Product Solutions

Mobile-First Marketplace Experience

  • Responsive UI: Built a touch-friendly shopping experience, optimised for mobile devices and rapid browsing of thousands of SKUs
  • Personalised Discovery: Curation via subscription boxes, user profiles, and product reviews—integrated feedback systems to refine recommendations
  • Producer Storytelling: Every product included a rich backstory, tasting notes, pairing suggestions, and direct-from-producer imagery
  • Subscription Management: Seamless sign-up and management of monthly boxes; flexible gifting options and frequency controls
  • Product Ratings & Reviews: Analytics-driven feedback system surfaced top-rated products and supplier performance, improving box curation

BrewStore eCommerce Platform

  • Scalable Architecture: Django, Python, PostgreSQL backend engineered for concurrency, high traffic and inventory control
  • User Authentication: Secure registration and login flows, preference management for taste, dietary needs and style (light/dark/mixed beers)
  • Checkout Experience: Simple, fast checkout (one-page), with integrated voucher/coupon handling
  • Payment Integration: Stripe payment gateway for fast, secure transactions
  • Shipping & Logistics: Configurable delivery dates, address management, order tracking via email/SMS notifications
  • Real-Time Inventory: Providers updated and tracked their own products, automating out-of-stock and new arrivals workflows

Marketing & Engagement Materials

  • Conversion-focused Landing Pages: Engineered and A/B tested various subscription sign-up flows
  • Editorial Magazine: Created monthly, included in every box, featuring product stories, interviews and tasting notes
  • Photography: Directed and shot original product packaging and marketing imagery to support product launches and editorial

UX Design Process

  • User Research: Iterative surveys and interviews with hundreds of subscribers and dozens of producers
  • Wireframing & Prototyping: Built flows for onboarding, subscription management, and order tracking; conducted usability testing with real users
  • Accessibility: Prioritised clear navigation, colour contrast, and screen reader support
  • Analytics: Deployed Google Analytics and social tracking for engagement, conversion, and user journey analysis

Key Outcomes & Impact

Business & User Results:

  • Subscription Growth: Helped scale the platform beyond 10,000 monthly subscribers within 18 months
  • Supplier Enablement: Enabled hundreds of producers to access national markets, helping some launch direct-to-consumer for the first time
  • Product Ratings: Real-time ratings and feedback improved future curation, driving repeat orders and stronger community engagement
  • Crowdfunding Success: Instrumental in visual and UX design for campaigns that broke UK equity crowdfunding records (£300,000+)
  • Press Recognition: Featured on BBC Dragons’ Den (2015), The Telegraph, industry awards, and several top food and beer magazines
  • Acquisition: Contributed until acquisition by Drinkshare Holdings (2017); platform now legacy for £35m+ lifetime sales

Design System & Brand Positioning

  • Playful, modern design language: Emphasising surprise, delight, and an artisanal focus
  • Clean typography, modular grid layout for scalable product displays
  • Rich, custom imagery to differentiate the product experience from competitors
  • Consistent navigation supporting both discovery and rapid conversion
  • Prominent CTAs for “Subscribe”, “Gift a Box”, “Shop BrewStore”

Learnings & Recommendations

  • Curation matters: Personalisation and real producer stories drive better engagement and repeat purchases
  • Mobile-first imperative: The majority of user journeys happened on mobile, driving the UX focus for subscription flows and eCommerce
  • Supplier empowerment: Giving suppliers dashboard access streamlined inventory, images, and new product launch workflows
  • Community features: Rating/review system and integrated magazine strengthened subscriber retention and created network effects
  • Trust signals: Editorial content, photography, and verified reviews built consumer trust for unfamiliar brands and producers

Conclusion: Evidence of Impactful UX/Product Leadership

Flavourly.com’s rapid growth and market disruption were grounded in careful user-centred design, robust technical engineering, and scalable branding and photography. Working as lead designer and engineer, I helped shape a promising food discovery start-up into a trusted national brand, paving the way for future subscription and marketplace success stories. All features and design decisions were evidence-driven and validated through user testing and market feedback.

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