As the brand evolved its digital experience, it needed a platform that could support its premium proposition while making personalisation, gifting and customer service more seamless.
By Association Only partnered with Smythson to migrate its ecommerce experience from Salesforce to Shopify, evolving the existing design while introducing bespoke functionality tailored to its customers.
The project centred on evolving Smythson's digital experience rather than a complete redesign. The aim was to refine the existing site, strengthen its storytelling and introduce functionality that better reflected the brand's luxury positioning.
The migration provided an opportunity to improve key elements of the customer journey, from product discovery and personalisation through to gifting, cart and customer accounts.
By Association Only worked closely with Smythson to combine Shopify's capabilities with bespoke development, creating a more flexible and considered ecommerce experience.
Smythson's products are defined by craftsmanship and personalisation, making the ability to communicate and deliver this experience digitally particularly important.
The new platform needed to support gold stamping, allowing customers to personalise products such as diaries and books with their initials and motifs.
Rather than relying on an existing app, By Association Only developed a custom personalisation tool that provides customers with a live preview of their choices.
The experience also needed to reflect Smythson's discerning customer base, with sophisticated gifting functionality, premium visual details and careful consideration of the brand's heritage.
By Association Only developed a tailored personalisation experience for Smythson's core products, using Shopify's native capabilities alongside custom development. Customers can select their preferred initials and motifs and see a live preview of their gold stamping before completing their purchase.
The team also introduced enhanced gift messaging, allowing customers to attach individual messages to separate products within the same order – particularly valuable for customers purchasing multiple gifts.
Customer accounts were enhanced with custom fields to accommodate titles such as Lord and Lady, reflecting the expectations and requirements of Smythson's high-status clientele.
The wider design was refined through a subtle typography refresh, improved storytelling sections and optimised product cards. Small details, including the introduction of blue typography in place of black, added depth and sophistication while remaining true to the brand.
The cart was also redesigned with flexibility in mind, incorporating space for promotional banners and gifting functionality.
The project demonstrates how a heritage luxury brand can evolve its digital experience without losing the distinctive brand personality.
By Association Only combined Shopify development with bespoke functionality to create an ecommerce experience that reflects Smythson's emphasis on craftsmanship, personalisation and exceptional service.
From live gold-stamping previews and sophisticated gifting to refined design details, every element has been designed with luxury customers in mind.
Salesforce to Shopify Plus migration
Product storytelling
Custom personalisation
Cart optimisation
UX improvements
New store features & enhancements
Gift messaging
Tech integrations & optimisations
Customer accounts
Conversion rate optimisation
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