Introduction

Maverick Leather is a Belgian manufacturer of high-quality leather wallets and accessories, renowned for their natural full-grain leather products. In 2021, they approached Skinn, a branding and design agency based in Belgium and the Netherlands, for assistance in rebranding their digital presence with a new website. As an experienced UX Designer, I was brought on board to help facilitate the project from the initial workshops to finalizing wireframes for the website.

Objective

The primary objective of the project was to create a new website that effectively showcased Maverick Leather's new brand story and product range, including wallets, bags, backpacks, travel gear, and leather care accessories. The challenge was to design a user-friendly and engaging website without e-commerce functionality, as the client wanted to maintain focus on their brick-and-mortar partners.

Approach

Workshop facilitation and brainstorming: We began by conducting a workshop with Maverick's management at Skinn's Bruges-office, involving Skinn's digital team and myself. During the workshop, we created personas for the target audience and took an inventory of all content, services, and conversion goals.

Defining User Stories: Based on the workshop outcomes, I developed a concrete inventory of User Stories, which were validated by the team and client to ensure they accurately reflected the target audience's needs and desires.

Information architecture: After validating the personas and stories, I designed a sitemap that defined the website's hierarchy and navigation, focusing on a user-centered approach to enhance usability and engagement.

Wireframing and prototyping: Using Adobe XD, I created clickable wireframe prototypes for both mobile and desktop versions of the website, emphasizing a seamless and intuitive user experience.

Iterative feedback process: Throughout the project, I collaborated closely with Maverick Leather, Skinn's digital team, graphic designers, and developers, incorporating their feedback to refine the wireframes and prototypes in an iterative process.

Results

The final website, https://maverickleather.com/, successfully showcased Maverick Leather's new brand story and product range in a visually appealing and user-friendly manner. Both the client and the agency were extremely satisfied with the outcome, and the website was launched with a strong digital presence that reflected the premium nature of Maverick Leather's products.

This project highlights the importance of collaboration, empathy, and a user-centered approach in creating effective digital experiences. By understanding the target audience and the client's unique requirements, we were able to design a website that not only met the client's objectives but also fostered lasting connections with users.