Krysta Mae Ceramics
Brand Identity & E-Commerce Website
Complete brand identity and Squarespace e-commerce build for Krysta Mae, a ceramic artist creating handcrafted work inspired by travel, home, and California landscapes. I designed the logo, developed the brand system, built the website from scratch, shot all product and lifestyle photography, and wrote every line of copy. The site is organized around narrative-driven collections rather than traditional product filtering, with storytelling as the architecture.
Visit Live Site
The Challenge
Krysta's ceramics spoke for themselves in person, but online she had no visual identity: no logo, no consistent photography, no brand voice. Her work needed a digital home that could convey the same warmth and tactile quality that makes handmade ceramics special.
Research & Discovery
Spent time in Krysta's studio understanding her process, influences, and how she talks about her own work. The brand voice needed to sound like her, not like a marketing agency
Studied how her existing customers discovered and purchased her work. Most came through Instagram and studio shows, meaning the website needed to convert warm referrals, not cold traffic
Analyzed competitor ceramic artist sites and found most defaulted to generic gallery templates. The opportunity was in creating something that felt as intentional as the work itself
Design Strategy
The website needed to serve two audiences: existing followers from Instagram who wanted to purchase, and galleries or press who needed to evaluate the work at a glance. The narrative collection structure handles both: casual browsers get drawn into the story, while professionals can quickly scan the range and quality of work.
Design Decisions
Organized shop by mood-based collections instead of product type, prioritizing storytelling over conventional e-commerce to match how the artist thinks about her work
Chose earth-tone palette with quiet neutral accents because the brand needed to support the ceramics, not compete with them
Shot all photography in natural light to highlight ceramic textures and glaze details. Studio lighting would have flattened the handmade quality
Wrote all copy in a poetic voice rather than commercial tone because the audience values craft and intention over sales mechanics
Results & Impact
- Delivered a complete brand asset library usable across print, digital, and packaging
- Photography library spanning product shots, lifestyle imagery, and studio behind-the-scenes
- Narrative-organized shop enabling intuitive product discovery without traditional filtering
- Performant, accessible website functioning as both commerce platform and artistic portfolio
Tools & Platform
Deliverables
Brand Identity & Logo
Squarespace Website Build
Product & Lifestyle Photography
Copywriting & Brand Voice