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I wanted VELA to feel less like a conventional portfolio and more like a quiet introduction to a studio’s way of thinking.
The starting point was simple:
Can a website communicate the character of an architecture practice before someone reads much at all?
For VELA, I built the visual language around a restrained palette, oversized imagery, measured typography and generous spacing.
Rather than showing everything immediately, the site reveals the studio gradually through projects, interiors, process, materials and smaller editorial moments.
The photography does most of the talking.
The interface stays intentionally understated so the architecture can remain the focus.
I also spent a lot of time on rhythm.
Some sections are almost completely visual, while others slow things down with smaller images, text and details about the studio’s approach.
Motion follows the same idea.
I used GSAP to connect sections and give the page a natural flow, while keeping the interactions subtle enough that they never compete with the work.
VELA is a fictional architecture and interiors studio, but the project was shaped by a lot of research into how design-led practices communicate atmosphere, materiality and identity online.
I designed and developed the complete experience with Next.js, Tailwind CSS and GSAP, including the visual direction, responsive layouts, motion and project presentation.
🔗 Live site:
https://vela-studio-eight.vercel.app/
For architects and interior designers, when someone lands on your website for the first time, what do you want them to understand about your practice before anything else?
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Would love your honest UX/UI take, which direction feels more impactful, memorable, and aligned with a web design/SEO brand, and why?
11 voted
41%
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Both design are great; it's hard to choose one
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CINÉRA is a great example of cinematic storytelling for a brand. The 3D gallery and booking flow is so smooth!
Building similar experience-driven ads for DTC brands with AI. Love this direction.
I wanted to make a photography website that felt more like an experience than a portfolio.
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Appreciate it! That’s actually a big part of what I was going for — making the experience itself part of the brand. Your DTC work sounds interesting too, would love to see what you’re building.