OVERVIEW
I launched madebygray.co in Q3 2024, and I've grown it to 12k+ users and 4k+ email subscribers through a free-to-paid funnel and organic content.
I haven't updated the branding since I launched, and with conversions starting to dip, I knew it was time to make a change. For this project, my goal was to reassert this site as a texture resource for designers across softwares and disciplines looking to recreate analog-style graphics.
THE OLD
This is what the old site used to look like. I took inspiration from other Photoshop asset sites that were popular at the time, such as studioaaa.com and designsyndrome.com. As I grew, however, my vision for the site evolved. I no longer wanted to be a do-it-all hub for all sorts of design resources, but rather a place to host a curated library of analog tools and textures. My design language had shifted, and my site needed to as well.
Given my shift in target market, I needed to make the site appealing to freelance graphic designers who make posters all day and in-house product designers working on the forefront of technology. To bridge this gap, I needed to make the site feel like a premium web experience while still featuring eye-candy graphics.
In addition, I wanted an entirely custom native Shopify build. My only previous experience had been building within Shopify's native themes, so this would pose its own unique challenge for me.
First was the visual direction. I knew I wanted to go simpler with the design, but still include signature elements like mono fonts and textured visuals. I also wanted to play around with a signature color, which ended up being the deep blue you see here. These elements, mixed with slightly off-white and off-black colors, editorial layouts, and clean fonts, resulted in a premium web experience for all visitors.
The more difficult part of this rebrand was actually pushing these designs live. Since I prototyped outside of Shopify, I needed a way to make these designs usable. I ended up discovering that Shopify supports GitHub integration, which was perfect for this kind of project. I converted my layouts to Liquid and animations to React using Claude Code, then simply connected the repository, made some final tweaks, and published.
Free product download section to collect emails.
Grid + list product views, built to convert.
Branded FAQ Section to increase buyer conversions.
OUTCOMES
This project has just gone live as of Sept 2026, but I'm already seeing improvements across the board. The biggest short-term increases I've seen have been in add-to-cart sessions, new customer orders, and conversion rate.
Including add-to-cart buttons straight on the product grid reduces friction for customers, which has likely driven growth across the board. In addition, creating branding that is more approachable for designers from all fields increases new customers coming in.
