Case study:
E-commerce
Vica by Annabelle Selldorf
Designing a Converting
E-Commerce Platform for
Two Audiences
At a Glance
Vica is a New York City–based collection of furnishings, lighting, and accessories by Annabelle Selldorf—refined over three decades of award-winning architectural and interior design practice.
Firm:
Vica by Annabelle Selldorf
Headquarter:
New York City, NY
Industry:
Furniture & Interior Design
Website:
vicadesign.comServices provided:
- Web design
- UI & UX design
- E-commerce
- Custom WordPress WooCommerce
- On-Site SEO
- Accessibility
Behind The Brand
Vica, a refined furniture and accessories line by architect Annabelle Selldorf, needed an e-commerce platform that could speak to both interior designers and individual consumers. Their previous solution lacked the functionality to clearly separate retail and trade pricing, creating a roadblock to growth. Our task: design a seamless, visually elevated shopping experience that could flex between audiences – without complexity behind the scenes.
What Needed Fixing
Scalability For Future Growth
Product and collection management was time-consuming, and the backend lacked the flexibility needed for a growing brand with a boutique sensibility.
Two Audiences, One Streamlined Platform
Vica’s audience includes both individual design enthusiasts and professional retail partners, each with different needs and pricing structures. The old site couldn’t differentiate those experiences effectively.
Design and Aesthetics
Last but not least, the site needed to better reflect Vica’s aesthetic – minimal yet full of character – while enhancing the overall user experience across both mobile and desktop.
Missed Opportunities in Search
While the previous site reflected the brand visually, it lacked foundational SEO structure—making it harder for potential customers to discover Vica through search. Metadata, semantic tags, and optimized content were largely missing, limiting visibility and traffic.
How We Solved It
A Custom WooCommerce Platform Built for Elegance & Flexibility, Scalability
Working closely with the Vica team, we designed and developed a custom WordPress + WooCommerce site tailored for two distinct user types: retail customers and trade partners. Trade users are able to log in and access exclusive pricing and options, while casual customers enjoy a straightforward, visually rich shopping experience.
We also implemented:
- A streamlined back-end product management system using custom Gutenberg blocks
- Flexible content modules for storytelling and collection pages
- Inventory and pricing tools that let the client maintain two sets of data with ease
- Responsive, mobile-first shopping that keeps the focus on Vica’s elegant products.
- The semantic markup and metadata to boost search visibility and organic traffic.
14% Boost in Conversions
What Changed and Why It Matters
Smart Design, Real Results
Since launch, the new site has led to a measurable increase in both conversions and sales. By streamlining the user journey and offering tailored experiences for retail and trade customers, we removed friction from the buying process—resulting in a faster path to purchase and more confident buying decisions.
Two User Journeys, One Beautiful Brand Experience
The redesigned Vica website now mirrors the elegance and precision of its products. Built to scale in both performance and content, it empowers the team to roll out new collections, manage pricing tiers, and engage trade clients—all while maintaining a seamless experience across desktop and mobile.
Website – Key Features
Flexible by Design
A clean, modular layout system gives Vica the freedom to present products beautifully—while smart UX and design choices guide visitors effortlessly from discovery to conversion.
Dual Pricing System
Trade users access exclusive pricing after login; retail customers see standard pricing by default.
Modular Collection Layouts
The Vica team can easily create new collections and customize layouts per collection or season.
Search & Filter Functionality
Smart filters by category, collection, and material help users find what they need—fast.
“Collaborating with Olex on Vica’s website was a pleasure. They approached the project with a deep understanding of our brand values and a refined design sensibility that translated beautifully online. Their attention to detail, solution-oriented mindset, and consistent availability made the process both efficient and enjoyable. The result is a site that captures Vica’s identity with clarity and elegance.”
– Alison Kraus, Director
Our Process
Design → Development → Optimization
1. Discovery & Research
Discovery phase, extensive research and competitor analysis to pin point all key requirements.
2. Design Direction & Prototyping
We translated Vica’s brand language into a clean, architectural interface with generous white space, sharp typography, and intuitive navigation.
3. WooCommerce Development
We built the site using a custom modular Gutenberg system paired with WooCommerce, giving the client full control over products, collections, and content – without coding.
4. Optimization
The site was tested for performance, accessibility, and responsiveness across devices. It also integrates seamlessly with third-party tools like Mailchimp and analytics platforms.
5. Support & Maintenance
Post-launch, we continue to support Vica by maintaining the system, performing regular plugin and core updates, and monitoring site performance to keep everything running error-free.
FAQ
While Shopify is a solid option for simple stores, WooCommerce gave us full control to build a highly customized, flexible shopping experience. Vica needed advanced pricing logic, layout control, and seamless content integration—without being locked into a platform’s limitations or subscription model. With WooCommerce on WordPress, we could tailor every detail, from user roles to product display, while keeping ownership and scalability in the client’s hands.
Mobile was a major priority. Every element—from product navigation to checkout—was designed to perform beautifully across screen sizes and devices.
Very easy. We built a block-based backend system with intuitive controls, so the client can manage products, pricing tiers, and collections without needing developer support.
The modular layout lets the client swap, reorder, and customize images or content on any product or collection page—flexibility is built into every corner of the site.
Absolutely. The site is designed to scale—whether that’s more products, more users, or international expansion. The backend is optimized for performance and flexibility.
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