Chanteroy
Translating French Charm into a Digital Experience
Translating French Charm into a Digital Experience
Translating French Charm into a Digital Experience
Client
Chanteroy
Team
Solo project
Role
Visual Designer
UI & UX Designer
Industries
Artisanal Food Retail
Date
February 2025
CONTEXT
From Local Charm to Digital Delight
Chanteroy is a beloved French deli in South London, praised for its fresh baguettes and pastries. With glowing reviews and queues out the door on weekends, it has built a strong local reputation. However, its online presence didn’t reflect the same quality or authenticity.
The goal of this project was to redesign Chanteroy’s website to better mirror its in-store experience and meet the expectations of today’s digital customers.
Chanteroy is a beloved French deli in South London, praised for its fresh baguettes and pastries. With glowing reviews and queues out the door on weekends, it has built a strong local reputation. However, its online presence didn’t reflect the same quality or authenticity.
The goal of this project was to redesign Chanteroy’s website to better mirror its in-store experience and meet the expectations of today’s digital customers.
CHALLENGE
A Website That Didn’t Match the Experience
While the physical store offered warmth, expertise, and atmosphere, the website felt outdated and difficult to use. Through research and usability testing, I identified several key challenges: A visually cluttered and inconsistent interface Poor readability and unclear navigation A lack of storytelling or emotional connection to the brand The challenge was to create a digital experience that would feel as welcoming, curated, and trustworthy as stepping into the shop itself.
While the physical store offered warmth, expertise, and atmosphere, the website felt outdated and difficult to use. Through research and usability testing, I identified several key challenges: A visually cluttered and inconsistent interface Poor readability and unclear navigation A lack of storytelling or emotional connection to the brand The challenge was to create a digital experience that would feel as welcoming, curated, and trustworthy as stepping into the shop itself.
RESEARCH
Interview Insights: What users value in artisanal food experiences
Interviews revealed that customers value Chanteroy not just for its products but for the authentic atmosphere and cultural connection it offers. Shoppers seek goods with a clear link to their origins and enjoy the in-person experience. However, most start their journey online, looking up products or availability before visiting in store. This highlighted the need for a website that preserves the charm of the shop while supporting these initial digital touchpoints.
Interviews revealed that customers value Chanteroy not just for its products but for the authentic atmosphere and cultural connection it offers. Shoppers seek goods with a clear link to their origins and enjoy the in-person experience. However, most start their journey online, looking up products or availability before visiting in store. This highlighted the need for a website that preserves the charm of the shop while supporting these initial digital touchpoints.
USER PERSONA
Designing for someone who shops with heart and taste
Simon is a culinary enthusiast who values authenticity, quality, and personal connection. He doesn’t mind paying more for premium products, especially when they reflect their origin and story. Visiting shops like Chanteroy is part of his routine, not just to buy food, but to enjoy the atmosphere and chat with knowledgeable staff. For Simon, online shopping often feels impersonal and lacks the charm of the in-store experience. The challenge is to bring that warmth, trust, and personality into the digital space.
DEFINE
Turning Routine into a Online Ritual
Based on our research, Simon's problem statement is:
Simon enjoys visiting specialty shops not just for the products, but for the entire experience. A regular part of his routine was stopping by his favourite shop to pick up a fresh baguette sandwich and engage in friendly conversation with the staff. Lately, however, his busy work schedule has left him with little time to visit the store, and he misses both his favourite baguette and the personal connection he felt there. Simon needs a better way to order his baguette online while still preserving the authentic, welcoming experience of shopping at his beloved French store.
Based on our research, Simon's problem statement is:
Simon enjoys visiting specialty shops not just for the products, but for the entire experience. A regular part of his routine was stopping by his favourite shop to pick up a fresh baguette sandwich and engage in friendly conversation with the staff. Lately, however, his busy work schedule has left him with little time to visit the store, and he misses both his favourite baguette and the personal connection he felt there. Simon needs a better way to order his baguette online while still preserving the authentic, welcoming experience of shopping at his beloved French store.
INFORMATION ARCHITETCURE
Simplifying the Storefront with a Local Touch
To reframe the shopping journey, I carried out an open card sort with 50 items and created a new sitemap informed by both research and user behaviour.
Grouped items into intuitive categories like:
Spreads and charcuterie
Biscuits and breakfast items
Dedicated section for fresh baguettes and pastries
Added brand-specific pages like Our Story and Producers, reinforcing Chanteroy’s artisanal identity and local ties.
To reframe the shopping journey, I carried out an open card sort with 50 items and created a new sitemap informed by both research and user behaviour.
Grouped items into intuitive categories like:
Spreads and charcuterie
Biscuits and breakfast items
Dedicated section for fresh baguettes and pastries
Added brand-specific pages like Our Story and Producers, reinforcing Chanteroy’s artisanal identity and local ties.
TASK FLOW
Personalised Shopping Scenario
I selected Simon’s key task, ordering a baguette online, as the anchor for the design. This journey was chosen not only for its popularity but also for its emotional significance in the user’s routine. The task flow focused on:
Prioritising the most loved and fresh items
Ensuring a smooth, clear path from browsing to checkout
Embedding moments of storytelling and discovery along the way
I selected Simon’s key task, ordering a baguette online, as the anchor for the design. This journey was chosen not only for its popularity but also for its emotional significance in the user’s routine. The task flow focused on:
Prioritising the most loved and fresh items
Ensuring a smooth, clear path from browsing to checkout
Embedding moments of storytelling and discovery along the way
IDEATION
Crafting Chanteroy’s Digital Experience
The design process began with initial sketches and low-fidelity wireframes, establishing core structure and layout principles. These evolved into mid-fidelity wireframes focused on intuitive navigation and clear product categorisation, drawing inspiration from premium grocers.
The design process began with initial sketches and low-fidelity wireframes, establishing core structure and layout principles. These evolved into mid-fidelity wireframes focused on intuitive navigation and clear product categorisation, drawing inspiration from premium grocers.
FINAL SOLUTION
From Storefront to Screen: Humanising the Digital Experience
The final redesign directly responded to the project’s guiding questions, ensuring the online experience embodied the same charm, trust, and personal touch as Chanteroy’s physical store:
How might we translate Chanteroy’s artisanal charm into the digital realm?
Introduced a refined visual identity rooted in the brand’s heritage, with carefully selected typography, a warm colour palette, and authentic imagery that echoed the in-store aesthetic.
How might we replicate the sense of trust and atmosphere online?
→ Designed a homepage that blended storytelling with commerce, highlighting the brand’s values, provenance, and people, while maintaining a clear and elegant layout.
How might we make online ordering feel personal and delightful?
→ Developed enriched product pages with space for ingredient origin, staff notes, and pairing suggestions, adding a human, knowledgeable voice to each item.
With this redesign, Chanteroy’s online store became a true digital extension of its physical presence, thoughtful, trustworthy, and full of character.
The final redesign directly responded to the project’s guiding questions, ensuring the online experience embodied the same charm, trust, and personal touch as Chanteroy’s physical store:
How might we translate Chanteroy’s artisanal charm into the digital realm?
Introduced a refined visual identity rooted in the brand’s heritage, with carefully selected typography, a warm colour palette, and authentic imagery that echoed the in-store aesthetic.
How might we replicate the sense of trust and atmosphere online?
→ Designed a homepage that blended storytelling with commerce, highlighting the brand’s values, provenance, and people, while maintaining a clear and elegant layout.
How might we make online ordering feel personal and delightful?
→ Developed enriched product pages with space for ingredient origin, staff notes, and pairing suggestions, adding a human, knowledgeable voice to each item.
With this redesign, Chanteroy’s online store became a true digital extension of its physical presence, thoughtful, trustworthy, and full of character.
NEXT STEPS
Extending the Chanteroy Experience
With the redesigned platform in place, the next phase focuses on deepening user engagement and broadening the brand's digital presence:
Validate with Usability Testing: Conduct targeted user testing to assess functionality, navigation, and overall user experience.
Introduce a Secondary Persona: Develop a new user profile to explore needs around fresh produce, seasonal products, and locally focused shopping habits.
Design a Mobile App: Extend accessibility by translating the online store into a mobile-friendly experience, tailored for on-the-go users. Strengthen Brand Storytelling: Enrich the digital experience with content that highlights the people behind Chanteroy, its producers, staff, and sourcing ethos.
With the redesigned platform in place, the next phase focuses on deepening user engagement and broadening the brand's digital presence:
Validate with Usability Testing: Conduct targeted user testing to assess functionality, navigation, and overall user experience.
Introduce a Secondary Persona: Develop a new user profile to explore needs around fresh produce, seasonal products, and locally focused shopping habits.
Design a Mobile App: Extend accessibility by translating the online store into a mobile-friendly experience, tailored for on-the-go users. Strengthen Brand Storytelling: Enrich the digital experience with content that highlights the people behind Chanteroy, its producers, staff, and sourcing ethos.