web & brand Design
tourmaline surf
the mission
To redesign a local surf shop's website to improve user experience and accessibility; and to create custom branding that reflects San Diego's surf culture.
the project
Tourmaline Surf is a cafe, boutique, and surfboard shop. Their original website had significant issues with creating clear purchase pathways and maintaining accessibility, having opted for form over function. As compared to user testing on the original website, their was an 87% increase in how easily users were able to navigate the new site.
The Tourmaline Surf branding features a hand-drawn hibiscus logomark, inspired by Y2k Hawaiian bikinis, and a color scheme meant to evoke San Diego's iconic cliffside surf spots, like Tourmaline Street and Black's Beach.
Here's a little BTS video of the inspiration behind the Tourmaline brand designs.
Prior to design, I conducted usability testing on the original site and found that it failed nearly all of Neilson Norman Group’s Usability Heuristics.
The homepage features simplified universal navigation, clearer focal points, and standardized calls to action because users were overwhelmed and didn't know what was clickable.
The shop page includes newly added filters, uniform product cards, and breadcrumb links.
The product detail page now includes additional product images, in-depth descriptions, and board length, wave type, finish, and skill level highlights since 75% of users expressed a desire for more detailed product specifications.
