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Figma · Adobe Illustrator · Webflow
Heatwaves is a Nashville fried chicken sandwich pop-up located in Monterey, California, open exclusively on Sundays. Operating in the owner’s backyard during the pandemic, Heatwaves quickly amassed a huge following, with people lining the street for the best fried chicken on the peninsula.
Though the pop-up had a massive social media following, Heatwaves maintained a single page, outdated website, with minimal branding. Enter moi!
After an initial meeting, it became clear that new customers were confused about the pop-up hours and location, the ordering process, and the menu options. Though I was by no means an expert with Illustrator or Webflow at the time, I welcomed the challenge of designing something functional, user-friendly, and informative.
I first met with Rudy, the owner of Heatwaves, to determine the goals and scope of the website. Rudy explained that he wanted the new website to drive traffic to the online ordering platform, recount the Heatwaves origin story, and inform guests how to choose a spice level and order. I was lucky to be given a tremendous about of creative freedom, with my client trusting my opinions and ideas throughout the process. All in all, a dream project.
With that in mind, I hopped into Figma to design individual webpages and site navigation with low-fidelity wireframes. I then presented the wireframes to Rudy for review/feedback before development began.
To reflect its California roots and retro influence, I created a brand identity characterized by a vibrant color palette, dynamic typography, and playful graphic elements. I collaborated with a photographer to capture the vibe of the new brand and played with different lighting techniques and unique backgrounds.
I didn’t spend too long perfecting the design in Figma, but chose to hop quickly into Webflow to design the finer details. I was new to Webflow at the time, and wanted to master the platform while completing the project. Thankfully, the client had no problem with this and I got to work!
The outcome of this project was incredible. Traffic to the site increased by nearly 50% after launch--driving traffic to the online ordering platform. Also, what started as a website design and branding project spiraled into other projects including print design (menus/stickers) and merchandise design (hoodies/crewnecks). Simply wonderful.
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