Exclusively HBCU
A complete Shopify website redesign focused on creating a modern shopping experience that celebrates HBCU culture while supporting merchandise, subscription boxes, and school fundraising initiatives.
The Challenge
The original Exclusively HBCU website had an established brand identity, but its layout and shopping experience needed a refresh. A large sidebar limited the space available for content, product pages followed a basic structure, and promotional imagery didn’t always translate well across screen sizes.
With the brand expanding into subscription boxes, school-specific collections, and fundraising initiatives, the website needed a more flexible structure that could accommodate new offerings while maintaining a consistent experience.
The challenge was to create a storefront that felt more modern and engaging without losing the culture and personality behind the brand.
A New Look, A Better Experience
I redesigned the storefront with a focus on stronger visual hierarchy, cleaner navigation, and a more engaging shopping experience. One of the biggest changes was replacing the original sidebar navigation with a streamlined header, giving product imagery and content more room to stand out. I also restructured the homepage to better introduce the brand's different offerings, from subscription boxes and featured collections to school fundraising campaigns. The goal was to create a more cohesive experience that makes it easier for visitors to explore the brand and find what they're looking for.
Designed Around the Brand
The visual direction focused on creating a bold, modern storefront that reflected the energy and culture of HBCUs.
I used larger imagery, intentional spacing, and a more structured layout to give each section room to stand on its own. The redesign also introduced a more consistent approach to typography, buttons, product presentation, and responsive layouts.
Rather than treating every page the same, I designed the experience around how customers interact with different parts of the business, whether they’re shopping for merchandise, exploring subscription boxes, or supporting a school fundraiser.
Custom Development & Functionality
Beyond the visual redesign, I customized the Shopify theme using Liquid, Tailwind CSS, and JavaScript to support the brand’s specific needs.
I developed reusable sections and page templates for school-specific landing pages and fundraising campaigns, allowing new content to be introduced without rebuilding layouts from scratch.
I also refined the navigation, improved cart interactions so customers could see updates without refreshing the page, and worked with third-party Shopify applications to support product customization and subscription-related workflows.
These improvements helped create a storefront that was not only visually consistent but also more flexible and easier to manage.
Built for Every Screen
Mobile responsiveness was an important part of the redesign. The original site had promotional elements that didn't always fit comfortably on smaller screens, making it harder to view certain content. I refined the responsive layouts, image presentation, spacing, and navigation to create a more consistent experience across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. The goal was to make browsing and shopping feel natural regardless of how customers accessed the site.
The Outcome
The redesign transformed Exclusively HBCU into a more cohesive and flexible e-commerce experience that better reflects the brand’s identity and growing product offerings.
The updated storefront brings together merchandise, subscription boxes, and fundraising initiatives through a consistent design, while custom Shopify development makes it easier to introduce new schools, products, and campaigns.
The project combined UI/UX design, responsive development, and custom e-commerce functionality to create a website built around both the customer experience and the needs of the business.