My Experience as Lead Front-End Developer in Le Creuset’s Transformation
Le Creuset’s digital transformation was an adventure. With an outdated ecommerce platform and a website theme that had seen better days, the cookware giant was in dire need of a makeover. The mandate was clear – the new design had to be responsive, secure, and visually appealing. Moreover, it had to address the challenge of converting the mobile and tablet browsing activity of a key demographic – middle-aged people – into purchases.
A strategic partnership was forged with Blue Acorn, and their creative director, Victor Bejar, was entrusted with the task of crafting a fresh theme that would not only entertain but enhance the overall user experience. As part of Blue Acorn’s Team DEC, I was appointed the lead front-end developer.
The new splash page of the Le Creuset home page was to be easy on the eyes and uber clean.
Mr. Bejar created uniquely modern desktop and basic mobile phone wireframe designs, leaving me the design task of conceptualizing seven responsive designs, so the site would never fail on any device, tablet or mobile. Working in close collaboration with Le Creuset’s local Charleston office, our teams spent a week in a Blue Acorn meeting room, brainstorming and designing. The result? A blueprint for a novel user experience that would spotlight Le Creuset’s premium cookware range beyond their iconic Dutch ovens.
The new design aimed to capture the essence of the brand – its rich history, craftsmanship, and the vibrant new colors of their products. We set out to build a seamless blend of content and commerce on an updated Magento Ecommerce platform with a responsive theme.
Victor Bejar’s unique square design laid out community, culture and connection, as well as Le Creuset’s products.
Le Creuset’s unique new color picker.
The New Color Picker
One notable feature was the color picker – a visually pleasing and user-friendly tool designed to align with Victor’s iconic square theme. This was developed by Team DEC’s JavaScript masters to highlight Le Creuset’s new color palette.
The Outcome
The new design was unveiled in late 2015, and it was an instant hit. Within a month, the conversion rate, especially on mobile, skyrocketed. The partnership with Blue Acorn continues to yield phenomenal results for Le Creuset, with a substantial 58% increase in their conversion rate.
