What an Auckland product seller asked for, and how we built it
The owner wanted a catchy gallery that looks good and gives people ideas, so most of the build is one calm product lookbook. Each need below is followed by the page or section that answers it.
- They asked
A gallery of the products they want to sell, good for the eyes to look at.
We builtThe Gallery page shows all nine example products as framed 4:5 plates. The Home page shows six, with three shelves as text tabs to filter by. The lead product spans two columns on desktop.
- They asked
A website that is catchy from the first screen.
We builtThe Home headline reads Products worth a second look, from Auckland, with second look in claret italic. A wide framed plate of a candle group sits underneath, so the gallery shows above the fold on mobile.
- They asked
People should be able to get ideas from the site.
We builtAn Ideas section on Home and Gallery has a numbered list, 01 to 04. Each of the four example ideas is a set of gallery products. Choosing one re-sets the spread: a one-line idea, a tall lead plate and two smaller ones.
- They asked
A good ambiance for the website.
We builtWarm paper ground on every page, Caslon headlines, hairline rules and one claret accent. No shadows, no pill buttons and no boxes, so the products supply the colour.
- They asked
A way to sell items through the site.
We builtEach product opens a quick look dialog with one ask. No cart is built, because the range is not yet known. Every product shown is a labelled stock example, said once per page and in the footer.
The thinking behind it
The build drew on three small New Zealand online product and homeware stores, plus what the owner described wanting: a gallery that is good for the eyes and gives ideas.
A product lookbook set like a quiet magazine: Caslon headlines, hairline rules, framed plates on warm paper and one claret accent that marks what is chosen. The products are the colour and the page is the frame, aimed at calm, considered and good for the eyes.
The signature moment
The Ideas spread. A numbered contents list, 01 to 04, sits on the left and a magazine spread on the right. Choosing an idea re-sets the spread with a one-line idea in Caslon, a tall lead plate and two smaller ones. Every product on it is also in the gallery, and the ask follows directly.
What we looked at
What we tookOne grade and one ground, so the nine products read as a set and the photos carry the page.
What we tookRestraint as the ambiance: wide margins, small muted captions under each plate and editorial calm.
What we tookThe shelf filter as the gallery's navigation, drawn here as text tabs with a claret underline.
The build sheet
Colour
Type
Libre Caslon Display for headlines, Source Sans 3 for reading.
Pages
- Home
- Opens with the Products worth a second look headline, then the six-product gallery, the Ideas spread and a Where to go next list.
- Gallery
- All nine example products on framed plates, filtered by shelf, with the Ideas spread below.
- About
- Lists what the business sells, using the same text list as the Home page.
Search built in
- Page title pattern: business name, then A product gallery from Auckland.
- Meta description names Auckland and describes a gallery of products to look through, with ideas for using them and a simple way to ask about any one.
- Structured data on the Home page: Organization and PostalAddress.
- An llms.txt summary file is published.
This was a free demo website built for a real business before they had paid anything. We keep the business anonymous.
Want a demo built for yours?
A few minutes of questions on your phone. Richard builds a demo of your site, free, and you decide from there.