During my internship at Free Grape Society, I was tasked with designing a new homepage to give it a fresh, updated look. The brief I received emphasized creating a more modern design while maintaining the company's unique style. Their goal was to stand out from traditional wine websites, which often rely heavily on deep red tones. Instead, they wanted to highlight their strong connection to the vineyards, aligning with their business concept, delivering wines directly from the wineries to the customer's doorstep.

I collaborated closely with the company's Branding Manager, who provided valuable insights from a branding perspective. I also maintained frequent communication with the Founder, who shared key ideas on how the company’s identity should be reflected, something that is now distinctly showcased on the homepage.

The wireframe for the homepage was carefully developed in consultation with the company's brand manager and together with the CEO. According to the given directives, a ticker tape should run at the top of the page. Initially, this will inform users that design changes are being implemented and encourage them to be aware of this. Later, the ticker will be used to share updates about upcoming tastings, newly onboarded wineries, and other relevant news.

Additionally, an upgraded header was requested, providing easy access to the profile page, a visible shopping cart, and a hamburger menu for simple navigation. A featured image accompanied by text was included to present the website. Below this section, the wine selection is displayed. To save space, especially on mobile devices, a carousel scroll feature was suggested.

Further down, there’s a section for browsing wineries, with a "See All" button that leads to the winery listing page.

The wine tasting events are a new feature on the site. As part of the design, I created a visual schedule displayed on the homepage so users can easily see upcoming tastings. There’s also a "See More Events" button that directs users to a dedicated event listing page where they can sort and filter by location, date, and other relevant options.

Lastly, the footer was previously non-existent. I proposed adding quick links to different sections of the site. In a later phase, icons for payment methods and a login link will also be included in the design.

After developing the wireframes, the company's design system was applied to implement the UI for both mobile and desktop platforms. I collaborated closely with the company's Art Director to create a custom image that enhanced the visual design. Additionally, at the request of the Brand Manager, a ticker tape element was incorporated to align with branding goals.

The implementation of the wine tasting event feature has been postponed until its functionality is fully developed.

Throughout the design process, colors, icons, shapes, and other visual elements were carefully selected to stay consistent with the company’s brand identity.