Open Road Rentals

Design & Development

Liberty Jones

Design & Development

Summary

Mission

Liberty Jones Planters was launching a new business and needed a complete e-commerce website built from the ground up. With no existing online presence, the goal was to create a modern, scalable storefront that highlighted the quality and modularity of their products while supporting real customer transactions from day one.

The site needed to balance a clean, contemporary aesthetic with a distinct brand identity and provide a foundation that could easily grow as the business expanded.

My Contributions

I led the end-to-end design and development of Liberty Jones Planters’ e-commerce website, from initial scoping through launch. This included defining project scope and timelines, designing the user experience and visual system, and building a fully functional e-commerce platform capable of handling payments, shipping, customer accounts, and ongoing content updates.

The result is a flexible, owner-friendly system designed to support both immediate sales and long-term growth.

Timeline

06/05/25 – 07/31/25

Services

  • E-commerce Design & Build
  • UI Design
  • UX Design
  • Accessibility Design
  • Seo

My Role

Web Designer & Developer (Sole Consultant)

Impact

Strategy & Approach

Design & Development

Technical Scope

Project Takeaways

Impact

The Liberty Jones website launched as a complete e-commerce storefront, giving the business an immediate digital presence and the infrastructure needed to operate online from day one.

Sales-Ready Launch

Established a fully operational online store that supports product sales, customer accounts, and order management at launch.

Clear Product Presentation

Provided customers with a structured way to explore products and understand available options, reducing uncertainty during purchase.

Scalable Digital Foundation

Delivered a platform that can support future product additions, content expansion, and feature growth without requiring rework.

Owner-Managed Operations

Enabled the business to manage products, orders, and site content independently, supporting day-to-day operations without ongoing developer involvement.

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Derek Carlton Headshot
Derek Carlton
Owner

Strategy & Approach

Because Liberty Jones was launching without an existing digital presence, the strategy focused on clarity, trust, and scalability rather than complex interactions or experimental features. The experience needed to feel credible and intentional from first visit while remaining straightforward enough to support confident purchasing

The visual direction was informed by examples the client shared early in the project, which helped align on tone and expectations while still allowing space to develop a distinct brand presence. The approach emphasized clear information hierarchy, restrained visual design, and a structure that could evolve alongside the business. By prioritizing simplicity and flexibility early, the site was positioned to support both immediate sales and long-term growth without introducing unnecessary complexity.

Design & Development Execution

Page Template & Layout System

The visual system emphasizes clarity and refinement, allowing product imagery and key details to take priority. Consistent spacing, typography, and restrained color usage reinforce a cohesive brand presence across the site. Reusable components were applied across templates to maintain visual consistency while simplifying future updates.

A sleek black box with a white and silver glass window—perfect for showcasing ecommerce products or organizing reusable components in style.
Screenshot of a website's About page for Liberty Jones Planters, featuring clear information architecture, details on the company's mission, vision, team members, and a pen logo above the heading. The clean layout uses black text on white with well-organized sections.

Visual Styling & Component Use

The visual styling was intentionally restrained to let the craftsmanship of the products lead. Neutral tones, high contrast, and minimal decorative elements keep attention on materials, finishes, and form rather than interface ornamentation.

Components were designed to feel utilitarian and durable—mirroring the physical qualities of the planters—while maintaining a consistent visual language across the site.

A website section with accessible website design promotes planters: Headlined “Join our community today,” it features a sign-up button, details planter quality, and lists common issues like poor drainage or pests in expandable menus.
A black and silver raised garden bed sits on green grass. The website header displays navigation links and a shopping cart, reflecting design consistency. White text reads Design That Endures. Handcrafted. Modular. Timeless. Designed + Manufactured in Oregon.

CMS Configuration & Operational Usability

The site was configured to support day-to-day business operations, with WooCommerce structured to make adding and managing products straightforward as the catalog grows. Editing workflows were intentionally constrained to preserve layout consistency while minimizing the risk of errors during updates.

To support long-term independence, I provided the client with a comprehensive set of short training videos covering common updates and more advanced changes. This ensured the team could confidently manage products, content, and site adjustments without ongoing developer reliance.

A dark-stained cedar and metal 4x4 modular planter box is displayed on the left. On the right, an ecommerce website builder interface showcases the Brenin planter with text and a green Learn More button.
Screenshot of a WordPress WooCommerce “Edit Product” page showing ecommerce settings for a variable product with multiple variations, including attributes like style, finish, and color. The interface displays tabs and gallery options for easy scalability.

Responsive Behavior & Build Quality

The site was designed with a mobile-first approach, driven by the client’s plan to use Instagram as a primary marketing channel. Because many visitors would arrive via mobile devices, layouts and interactions were optimized to ensure product discovery, navigation, and purchasing remained clear and frictionless on smaller screens.

Build quality focused on maintaining visual consistency, spacing, and readability across breakpoints while preserving performance and reliability. This ensured the experience feels intentional and complete whether users are browsing on mobile, tablet, or desktop.

A laptop, tablet, and smartphone display a responsive website with a green background, featuring black and white modern furniture design and the headline Design That Endures. Handcrafted. Modular. Timeless.

Technical Scope & Ownership

This project included the setup and handoff of all systems required to operate an e-commerce business online. I configured the site to support product sales, customer accounts, payment processing, shipping, and newsletter subscriptions as part of a single, integrated platform.

In addition to the website build, I handled domain setup, hosting configuration, and the creation of foundational legal pages, ensuring the site was launch-ready and owned entirely by the client. The final handoff prioritized long-term independence, allowing Liberty Jones to manage and grow their online business without ongoing technical dependency.

Project Takeways

This project marked my first fully independent client engagement and emphasized how critical communication and relationship management are to successful delivery. Beyond the technical build, managing expectations, incorporating feedback, and maintaining clear, consistent communication played a major role in keeping the project aligned and moving forward.

Handling the project end to end strengthened my ability to balance client collaboration with decision-making autonomy—reinforcing that strong customer service is as essential to a successful outcome as the final product itself.