Shopify theme | Flow
Jennifer Stones
Design of Shopify Theme, Flow
The problem
When I began this project, Flow had already been in the theme store for several years but it was not competing effectively with other paid themes. Some customers had provided negative feedback regarding its usability and outdated aesthetics.
Challenges
Accounting for the needs of both the merchant, who will be customising the theme and the end user who will be interacting with the store itself.
Achieving simplicity in theme settings while offering flexibility and customisation options.
Balancing the needs of multiple stakeholders within the company.
Variability in merchant-generated content; designs must work with long texts, various languages, currencies and imagery.
Flow in its empty state. The content can be customised by merchants.
Research
Interviewed Flow users and competitor's users.
Interviewed developers who use the Shopify platform.
Reviewed Flow support tickets.
Used the Baymard Institute as a trusted source for e-commerce UX research.
Reviewed top 10 Shopify themes.
Usability tests on these themes.
Analysed the features offered by each theme compared to their popularity.
Evaluated competitor themes demo stores.
Checked competitor marketing strategies.
Competitor research findings
Design
Concept generation
Mind mapping
Mood boards
Sketching
Wireframes
Establishing a clear visual order
Focus on element arrangement and content placement.
Layout exploration and functionality testing.
Interactive prototypes
Brought the design concepts to life
Allowed for a dynamic exploration of the interface.
Validated user interactions, navigation flows, and functionalities.
Design system
Visual and interaction patterns to ensure consistency and efficiency across the theme.
Ensured a harmonious and cohesive user experience.
Enhanced the aesthetic appeal of Flow.
Streamlined the development process.
Responsive design
Careful attention to responsive design principles, fluid layouts, and flexible components
Ensured Flow delivered an equally impressive presentation regardless of the device
Accessibility
Following WCAG standards
Ensured the theme provided an accessible user experience for people with diverse abilities.
Edge cases & stress tests
As merchant-generated content can be unpredictable, thorough edge case and stress testing was needed.
Eg long texts, different colours, multiple languages, and various image sizes.
Micro interactions
Provided subtle feedback and guided users through their interactions.
Feedback indicators were added for actions like adding items to the cart.
To enhance the navigation experience animations when transitioning between pages or sections within the theme were added.
Demo stores
Created three different demo stores to showcase the theme and all of its amazing features
Flow demo store: Luxe
Flow demo store: Crafted
Flow demo store: Nourish
Feedback
I'm currently using the theme "Flow" by Eight and it's perfect for all my needs. I hold preorder t-shirt sales and love that I can use the countdown timer for them. The color swatches are a huge plus too! I'm very happy with how professional my online store looks now!
Elle Elle 1980
Favorite theme I've ever worked with. Highly customizable and erases the need for several paid third-party app integrations.
Orion Trading & Design
Just perfect! The theme really suits our vintage furniture shop and was easy to adapt and to implement….We are not experienced designers or developers but it was absolutely do-able.
LOUI.STORE
We've only been using Flow on two different client sites but have been very happy with the theme and support. It's the right balance between easy to set up and still customisable.
Freaky Fanatics
Flow listing in Shopify Theme Store
Flow demo store: Luxe
Flow demo store: Crafted
Flow demo store: Nourish
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Posted Oct 8, 2024
Designed Flow, one of Shopify's top 20 paid themes.
