Moon & Sun

Overview

Moon & Sun is a San Diego-based boutique known for its curated selection of gifts for babies, kids, and women, sourced from independent brands across Paris, New York, and LA. While the in-store experience felt magical and elevated, the online storefront didn’t reflect that same charm.

The original Shopify site felt cramped, cluttered, and visually outdated. Sale items weren’t clearly marked, product pages were inconsistent, and the overall experience didn’t communicate the premium, curated nature of the brand.

UX/UI CASE STUDY

Client:

Moon & Sun, a Children’s Boutique

Tools Used:

Shopify

Role:

UX/UI Design · Frontend Shopify Edits · Visual Branding · Merchandising Strategy

Timeline:

Oct 2024 to Present

Goal

Create a more elegant, editorial shopping experience that mirrored the in-store aesthetic while improving usability and working within the constraints of the existing Shopify theme and backend systems.

What I Did

I redesigned the homepage, product grid, product pages, and sale experience. I also refreshed the visual branding and layout styling, cleaned up content structure, and wrote and designed the About page — all while respecting the limitations of the existing Shopify setup and Lightspeed POS syncing.

The Visual Refresh

  • Refined the visual system by shifting from a dull brown-heavy palette to a clean white base with soft tan and warm accents and a clean, centered logo.

  • Let brand photography take center stage to evoke an elevated boutique feel

  • Introduced typography that felt modern, soft, and intentional — supporting a sense of clarity and luxury

Homepage & Campaign Integration

  • Redesigned the homepage to feature seasonal campaigns like Spring / Summer 2025

  • Wrote custom code in Shopify to make banners clickable and shoppable

  • Created a modular layout that’s easy to update for future promotions

Click here for the Moon & Sun Website→

Sale Section Fix

  • Built a dedicated Sale page to centralize markdowns

  • Integrated a plugin to automatically display sale badges and strikethrough pricing

  • Improved transparency and scannability for users browsing discounted items

Product Page Redesign

  • Reworked product page layout to follow a clear visual hierarchy
    Left-aligned titles and brand names for improved readability

  • Standardized spacing, button styling, and font sizes

  • Balanced editorial aesthetics with e-commerce functionality

Product Grid Clean-Up

  • Fixed overlapping product images and uneven padding

  • Standardized image sizing and spacing

  • Improved white space and alignment across product listing pages for a clean, high-end look

Brand Offerings

  • Created a dedicated Brand Offerings page to highlight Moon & Sun’s exclusive partners

  • Designed clear brand tiles with consistent image sizing and spacing for a polished layout

  • Reinforced Moon & Sun’s curated, high-end identity by showcasing only select, hard-to-find labels

About Page Design

  • Wrote and designed a warm, narrative-driven About page

  • Highlighted the brand’s story and expanded into a section for services like gift wrap and curbside pickup

  • Used clean layout blocks and visual balance to create a welcoming, trustworthy feel

Results

After launch, Moon & Sun experienced a noticeable increase in engagement and online conversions:

  • Sales and marketing-attributed revenue saw a strong lift across Q4 and early Q1

  • The redesigned site now reflects the thoughtful curation and boutique identity that sets Moon & Sun apart

While many elements contributed to this growth, the design updates played a key role in improving usability, strengthening brand perception, and elevating the online experience

Challenges & Constraints

  • Worked within existing Shopify theme limitations and LightSpeed POS integration constraints

  • Couldn’t fully overhaul the navigation or filtering experience due to backend syncing issues

  • Time and budget limited the scope to key front-facing pages rather than a full website audit

  • Collaborated with the store owner, but did not have full creative control over content or layout decisions

With Unlimited Resources I Would…

  • Rebuilt the navigation and filtering experience to better support product discovery and reduce friction

  • Conducted a full UX audit to identify deeper usability and conversion issues sitewide

  • Improved mobile performance and optimized image loading for a smoother shopping experience

  • Created a more immersive homepage with storytelling elements to better convey the Moon & Sun brand

Key Takeaways

  • Learned how to design within real-world limitations and still elevate the visual identity

  • Practiced balancing business needs, tech limitations, and design vision in a client setting

  • Reinforced the importance of flexible, modular design systems when working with evolving inventories

  • Gained insight into retail-client workflows and how backend systems (like LightSpeed) impact design decisions

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