Shapers' Template
Shapers' Template: Empowering Surfboard Shapers with Easy Online Presence
Shapers' Template is a personal project created to address the needs of surfboard shapers. It provides a user-friendly website template designed to showcase surfboards of various shapes, sizes, and properties, making it simple for shapers to present their work online.
Surfboards have specific standards—shape, size, volume, etc. The main challenge was to present surfboard models and their features clearly and to ensure the website is incredibly easy to use, enabling shapers to add new models effortlessly without technical help.
The website’s final version generated significant interest. The primary question I received was, "Is it easy to use?"—to which I confidently answered YES. Analyzing user traffic, I observed that most visitors select a board category, explore several models, and then proceed to the contact or order form, confirming my design approach was effective.
Who’s it for?
Shapers' Template is a personal project created to address the needs of surfboard shapers. It provides a user-friendly website template designed to showcase surfboards of various shapes, sizes, and properties, making it simple for shapers to present their work online.
The Goal
Surfing, a traditionally conservative industry, relies heavily on word-of-mouth for promotion. As surfing gains popularity, there's a growing gap between small businesses struggling to sell their boards and new customers who don’t know how to find them.
Many shapers still have an old-school mindset, skeptical of online marketing and hesitant to invest in websites. Shapers' Template is designed to be an easy-to-use, professionally developed website that focuses on showcasing surfboard models clearly and allows shapers to add new models without developer assistance.
Process
I interviewed several shapers and surfboard buyers to understand their needs and purchasing decisions. Shapers often dislike the technical aspects of computers but can describe their boards' features and intended use clearly. Customers, looking for a shaper online, value simplicity and get frustrated by website errors. They seek familiar board shapes in the right categories and prefer to read about models they are interested in. I prioritized creating several board categories and systematizing the elements of board shapes.
