End-to-end brand and Shopify build for a wellness author

My client was launching a book and needed a website to support it. She specifically asked for a full e-commerce site with the following requirements:

Product sales

Affiliate integration

Educational content

Blog

She had a domain and a vision, but needed someone to execute them and make them a reality before her book launch.

I wanted to check on my client's progress and get a brief understanding of her previous work or the website she's been developing. Unfortunately, her current site had gaps. Its structure didn't support the full scope of her goals, and some fundamental accessibility issues needed fixing before we could proceed.

Low contrast on navigation text

Broken responsiveness on mobile

Keyboard navigation that skipped critical content

I documented everything and used it to inform the rebuild. Before creating anything new, I wanted to understand her vision clearly. The audit gave us a shared starting point and made space for the real creative work to begin.

After consulting the issues encountered on the website, we both agreed to move forward and start from scratch.

Our next steps:

Identify the brand's goals

Challenges

Visual direction

Messaging

We wanted to understand what "mycotoxin-free is the new gluten-free" actually means for her audience and how to communicate it clearly.

The site needed to support two user paths:

1. Public access: Homepage, partnerships, blog previews, subscription signup

2. Gated member hub: Recipes, research library, discounts, full book access (Kindle)

I built a dual-path authentication system:

Subscribe flow routes directly to product pages with pre-tagged subscription plans

Login authenticates via Shopify's customer portal for gated content access

Backend automation tags users by subscription tier (monthly vs. annual) for            segmentation and personalization

SEO noindex/noarchive walls on all subscriber pages to keep content private and unsearchable

Every section was built custom for her content needs. No off-the-shelf theme components. The design system integrated fully into Shopify's schema with microinteractions (hover, focus, active states), animated scrolling, and full responsiveness across mobile, tablet, and desktop.

I also built out partnership pages for 6+ food brands, integrating products and setting up affiliate structures.

Shopify's restrictive DNS setup blocks inbound email by default. I reverse-engineered the configuration to enable Google Workspace email reception without migrating domain ownership, bypassing Shopify's forwarding limitations and verifying deliverability through live testing.

Beyond the site, I designed a full marketing kit: logo, business cards, social media templates, and brand mockups.

Design: Figma, FigJam

Development: Shopify, Liquid, Shopify Subscriptions API

Email: Google Workspace (custom DNS config)

Tools: Canva (client logo iteration)

Midjourney

5 weeks (Weekly review cycles from June 16 to July 25)

Accessibility audit and gap analysis

Brand discovery workshop facilitation

Content strategy and information architecture

Brand identity and visual system

Wireframes and prototypes (2 rounds of iteration)

Marketing materials (business cards, social templates, mockups)

Design system integrated into Shopify schema

AI generated images

Microcopy support

Custom Shopify theme build (all sections hand-coded, no templates, v0/Vercel AI support)

Membership platform architecture (dual authentication paths, gated content)

Backend automation for subscription tier tagging and user segmentation

SEO configuration (noindex walls for private content)

DNS troubleshooting and Google Workspace email integration

Partnership pages for 6+ affiliate brands

Internal testing and optimization

Client training on membership management

Weekly review cycles and documentation

The platform is designed to:

Support a recurring revenue model via tiered subscriptions ($4.99/month minimum)

Build a community around mycotoxin-free food education and research

Drive affiliate revenue through vetted farm-to-table partnerships

Establish credibility and authority in the clean food space