Black Ethos
A Responsive Website Design for a
Cafe/Bookstore based in Detroit
Time
January 2024 - April 2024
Activities
Client/ Internal Stand-ups, UX Research & Design, Brand Identity Design, Front End
Role
Project Lead
Tools
Figma, Github, Slack
Background
Black Ethos is a café, bookstore, and wine bar based in Detroit. Our client wanted a website that would reflect the heart of her business—a place for community, culture, and creativity. The goal was to create an online space where customers could easily learn about the café, explore upcoming events, and feel connected to Detroit’s creative energy.
We aimed to make the website inviting, with rich visuals and a cozy design that made users feel like they were stepping into the café itself. The site needed to serve both as a promotional tool for events and as a welcoming hub for the community.
01
The Problem
There was no central online space that represented the café’s community-focused atmosphere and diverse offerings. The café brings together Detroit’s culture, arts, and community, but without a website, it was hard to showcase all these aspects in one place. We needed to create a platform that was informative and captured the unique vibe of the café.
"Art is how we express our stories, and without spaces to do so, our voices risk being lost." – Detroit Cultural Advocate
02
The Process
We began by understanding the needs of the client and her audience. We held regular meetings to gather input on what was most important for the website. We also conducted research on similar spaces to understand best practices. Our main questions were:
What would make the website reflect the warmth and community feel of the café?
How could we make the website easy for visitors to use while still capturing its unique character?
What features would best promote the events and offerings of the café?
User Experience
We focused on creating a design that felt both sophisticated and cozy, ensuring the website reflected the welcoming atmosphere of the café. We used rich colors and elegant typography to give the site a classy yet inviting look. The layout was designed to make information about events, books, and the café itself easy to find and navigate.
Brand Identity
We chose deep, warm colors to reflect the cozy environment of the café and paired them with simple, elegant fonts. This combination aimed to create a balance between sophistication and comfort. Images of books, wine glasses, and cozy seating were used throughout to give a sense of what visitors could expect when they came to the café.
Site Structure
The website included key sections like Home, About, Shop, Events, Café, and Contact. Each section had a clear purpose—whether it was letting customers reserve a table, buy a book, or learn about an upcoming wine tasting event. We wanted the site to make it easy for visitors to engage with the café and get a feel for what it offered.
03
The Solution
The final website successfully captured the café’s community-focused spirit. We created sections that highlighted the café’s offerings—books, wine, and events—while making it easy for users to find what they needed. The warm colors, simple layout, and rich images helped create an inviting online presence that reflected the cozy atmosphere of the café. Customers could now easily check event schedules, buy products, and connect with the café online.
04
Reflection
The best part of this project was seeing the client’s reaction to the final design. She loved how the website brought the café’s personality to life online. We faced challenges, like making sure the site was both informative and visually appealing, but the client’s feedback made it worth it. Creating this platform was about more than just a website—it was about helping her share the unique experience of her café with the broader community.
Black Ethos
A Responsive Website Design for a
Cafe/Bookstore based in Detroit
Time
January 2024 - April 2024
Activities
Client/ Internal Stand-ups, UX Research & Design, Brand Identity Design, Front End
Role
Project Lead
Tools
Figma, Github, Slack
Background
Black Ethos is a café, bookstore, and wine bar based in Detroit. Our client wanted a website that would reflect the heart of her business—a place for community, culture, and creativity. The goal was to create an online space where customers could easily learn about the café, explore upcoming events, and feel connected to Detroit’s creative energy.
We aimed to make the website inviting, with rich visuals and a cozy design that made users feel like they were stepping into the café itself. The site needed to serve both as a promotional tool for events and as a welcoming hub for the community.
01
The Problem
There was no central online space that represented the café’s community-focused atmosphere and diverse offerings. The café brings together Detroit’s culture, arts, and community, but without a website, it was hard to showcase all these aspects in one place. We needed to create a platform that was informative and captured the unique vibe of the café.
"Art is how we express our stories, and without spaces to do so, our voices risk being lost." – Detroit Cultural Advocate
02
The Process
We began by understanding the needs of the client and her audience. We held regular meetings to gather input on what was most important for the website. We also conducted research on similar spaces to understand best practices. Our main questions were:
What would make the website reflect the warmth and community feel of the café?
How could we make the website easy for visitors to use while still capturing its unique character?
What features would best promote the events and offerings of the café?
User Experience
We focused on creating a design that felt both sophisticated and cozy, ensuring the website reflected the welcoming atmosphere of the café. We used rich colors and elegant typography to give the site a classy yet inviting look. The layout was designed to make information about events, books, and the café itself easy to find and navigate.
Brand Identity
We chose deep, warm colors to reflect the cozy environment of the café and paired them with simple, elegant fonts. This combination aimed to create a balance between sophistication and comfort. Images of books, wine glasses, and cozy seating were used throughout to give a sense of what visitors could expect when they came to the café.
Site Structure
The website included key sections like Home, About, Shop, Events, Café, and Contact. Each section had a clear purpose—whether it was letting customers reserve a table, buy a book, or learn about an upcoming wine tasting event. We wanted the site to make it easy for visitors to engage with the café and get a feel for what it offered.
03
The Solution
The final website successfully captured the café’s community-focused spirit. We created sections that highlighted the café’s offerings—books, wine, and events—while making it easy for users to find what they needed. The warm colors, simple layout, and rich images helped create an inviting online presence that reflected the cozy atmosphere of the café. Customers could now easily check event schedules, buy products, and connect with the café online.
04
Reflection
The best part of this project was seeing the client’s reaction to the final design. She loved how the website brought the café’s personality to life online. We faced challenges, like making sure the site was both informative and visually appealing, but the client’s feedback made it worth it. Creating this platform was about more than just a website—it was about helping her share the unique experience of her café with the broader community.
Black Ethos
A Responsive Website Design for a
Cafe/Bookstore based in Detroit
Time
January 2024 - April 2024
Activities
Client/ Internal Stand-ups, UX Research & Design, Brand Identity Design, Front End
Role
Project Lead
Tools
Figma, Github, Slack
Background
Black Ethos is a café, bookstore, and wine bar based in Detroit. Our client wanted a website that would reflect the heart of her business—a place for community, culture, and creativity. The goal was to create an online space where customers could easily learn about the café, explore upcoming events, and feel connected to Detroit’s creative energy.
We aimed to make the website inviting, with rich visuals and a cozy design that made users feel like they were stepping into the café itself. The site needed to serve both as a promotional tool for events and as a welcoming hub for the community.
01
The Problem
There was no central online space that represented the café’s community-focused atmosphere and diverse offerings. The café brings together Detroit’s culture, arts, and community, but without a website, it was hard to showcase all these aspects in one place. We needed to create a platform that was informative and captured the unique vibe of the café.
"Art is how we express our stories, and without spaces to do so, our voices risk being lost." – Detroit Cultural Advocate
02
The Process
We began by understanding the needs of the client and her audience. We held regular meetings to gather input on what was most important for the website. We also conducted research on similar spaces to understand best practices. Our main questions were:
What would make the website reflect the warmth and community feel of the café?
How could we make the website easy for visitors to use while still capturing its unique character?
What features would best promote the events and offerings of the café?
User Experience
We focused on creating a design that felt both sophisticated and cozy, ensuring the website reflected the welcoming atmosphere of the café. We used rich colors and elegant typography to give the site a classy yet inviting look. The layout was designed to make information about events, books, and the café itself easy to find and navigate.
Brand Identity
We chose deep, warm colors to reflect the cozy environment of the café and paired them with simple, elegant fonts. This combination aimed to create a balance between sophistication and comfort. Images of books, wine glasses, and cozy seating were used throughout to give a sense of what visitors could expect when they came to the café.
Site Structure
The website included key sections like Home, About, Shop, Events, Café, and Contact. Each section had a clear purpose—whether it was letting customers reserve a table, buy a book, or learn about an upcoming wine tasting event. We wanted the site to make it easy for visitors to engage with the café and get a feel for what it offered.
03
The Solution
The final website successfully captured the café’s community-focused spirit. We created sections that highlighted the café’s offerings—books, wine, and events—while making it easy for users to find what they needed. The warm colors, simple layout, and rich images helped create an inviting online presence that reflected the cozy atmosphere of the café. Customers could now easily check event schedules, buy products, and connect with the café online.
04
Reflection
The best part of this project was seeing the client’s reaction to the final design. She loved how the website brought the café’s personality to life online. We faced challenges, like making sure the site was both informative and visually appealing, but the client’s feedback made it worth it. Creating this platform was about more than just a website—it was about helping her share the unique experience of her café with the broader community.
Black Ethos
A Responsive Website Design for a
Cafe/Bookstore based in Detroit
Time
January 2024 - April 2024
Activities
Client/ Internal Stand-ups, UX Research & Design, Brand Identity Design, Front End
Role
Project Lead
Tools
Figma, Github, Slack
Background
Black Ethos is a café, bookstore, and wine bar based in Detroit. Our client wanted a website that would reflect the heart of her business—a place for community, culture, and creativity. The goal was to create an online space where customers could easily learn about the café, explore upcoming events, and feel connected to Detroit’s creative energy.
We aimed to make the website inviting, with rich visuals and a cozy design that made users feel like they were stepping into the café itself. The site needed to serve both as a promotional tool for events and as a welcoming hub for the community.
01
The Problem
There was no central online space that represented the café’s community-focused atmosphere and diverse offerings. The café brings together Detroit’s culture, arts, and community, but without a website, it was hard to showcase all these aspects in one place. We needed to create a platform that was informative and captured the unique vibe of the café.
"Art is how we express our stories, and without spaces to do so, our voices risk being lost." – Detroit Cultural Advocate
02
The Process
We began by understanding the needs of the client and her audience. We held regular meetings to gather input on what was most important for the website. We also conducted research on similar spaces to understand best practices. Our main questions were:
What would make the website reflect the warmth and community feel of the café?
How could we make the website easy for visitors to use while still capturing its unique character?
What features would best promote the events and offerings of the café?
User Experience
We focused on creating a design that felt both sophisticated and cozy, ensuring the website reflected the welcoming atmosphere of the café. We used rich colors and elegant typography to give the site a classy yet inviting look. The layout was designed to make information about events, books, and the café itself easy to find and navigate.
Brand Identity
We chose deep, warm colors to reflect the cozy environment of the café and paired them with simple, elegant fonts. This combination aimed to create a balance between sophistication and comfort. Images of books, wine glasses, and cozy seating were used throughout to give a sense of what visitors could expect when they came to the café.
Site Structure
The website included key sections like Home, About, Shop, Events, Café, and Contact. Each section had a clear purpose—whether it was letting customers reserve a table, buy a book, or learn about an upcoming wine tasting event. We wanted the site to make it easy for visitors to engage with the café and get a feel for what it offered.
03
The Solution
The final website successfully captured the café’s community-focused spirit. We created sections that highlighted the café’s offerings—books, wine, and events—while making it easy for users to find what they needed. The warm colors, simple layout, and rich images helped create an inviting online presence that reflected the cozy atmosphere of the café. Customers could now easily check event schedules, buy products, and connect with the café online.
04
Reflection
The best part of this project was seeing the client’s reaction to the final design. She loved how the website brought the café’s personality to life online. We faced challenges, like making sure the site was both informative and visually appealing, but the client’s feedback made it worth it. Creating this platform was about more than just a website—it was about helping her share the unique experience of her café with the broader community.
Black Ethos
A Responsive Website Design for a
Cafe/Bookstore based in Detroit
Time
January 2024 - April 2024
Activities
Client/ Internal Stand-ups, UX Research & Design, Brand Identity Design, Front End
Role
Project Lead
Tools
Figma, Github, Slack
Background
Black Ethos is a café, bookstore, and wine bar based in Detroit. Our client wanted a website that would reflect the heart of her business—a place for community, culture, and creativity. The goal was to create an online space where customers could easily learn about the café, explore upcoming events, and feel connected to Detroit’s creative energy.
We aimed to make the website inviting, with rich visuals and a cozy design that made users feel like they were stepping into the café itself. The site needed to serve both as a promotional tool for events and as a welcoming hub for the community.
01
The Problem
There was no central online space that represented the café’s community-focused atmosphere and diverse offerings. The café brings together Detroit’s culture, arts, and community, but without a website, it was hard to showcase all these aspects in one place. We needed to create a platform that was informative and captured the unique vibe of the café.
"Art is how we express our stories, and without spaces to do so, our voices risk being lost." – Detroit Cultural Advocate
02
The Process
We began by understanding the needs of the client and her audience. We held regular meetings to gather input on what was most important for the website. We also conducted research on similar spaces to understand best practices. Our main questions were:
What would make the website reflect the warmth and community feel of the café?
How could we make the website easy for visitors to use while still capturing its unique character?
What features would best promote the events and offerings of the café?
User Experience
We focused on creating a design that felt both sophisticated and cozy, ensuring the website reflected the welcoming atmosphere of the café. We used rich colors and elegant typography to give the site a classy yet inviting look. The layout was designed to make information about events, books, and the café itself easy to find and navigate.
Brand Identity
We chose deep, warm colors to reflect the cozy environment of the café and paired them with simple, elegant fonts. This combination aimed to create a balance between sophistication and comfort. Images of books, wine glasses, and cozy seating were used throughout to give a sense of what visitors could expect when they came to the café.
Site Structure
The website included key sections like Home, About, Shop, Events, Café, and Contact. Each section had a clear purpose—whether it was letting customers reserve a table, buy a book, or learn about an upcoming wine tasting event. We wanted the site to make it easy for visitors to engage with the café and get a feel for what it offered.
03
The Solution
The final website successfully captured the café’s community-focused spirit. We created sections that highlighted the café’s offerings—books, wine, and events—while making it easy for users to find what they needed. The warm colors, simple layout, and rich images helped create an inviting online presence that reflected the cozy atmosphere of the café. Customers could now easily check event schedules, buy products, and connect with the café online.
04
Reflection
The best part of this project was seeing the client’s reaction to the final design. She loved how the website brought the café’s personality to life online. We faced challenges, like making sure the site was both informative and visually appealing, but the client’s feedback made it worth it. Creating this platform was about more than just a website—it was about helping her share the unique experience of her café with the broader community.