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Case study · Concept build

Ember & Ash

A craft hot sauce brand built to prove a studio can shift voice — from soft boutique to woodsmoke-and-cast-iron — without losing polish.

  • TypeConcept / spec build
  • PlatformShopify · Horizon theme
  • ScopeBrand, copy, 3 page templates
  • Timeline1 day
Ember & Ash homepage

The brief

The goal was range. With one beauty-brand build already in the portfolio, the studio needed a second piece that looked nothing like the first — same level of finish, opposite end of the tonal spectrum. Hot sauce was chosen for maximum contrast: loud, rugged, and unapologetic where the first build was soft and boutique.

The approach

Everything started from the brand's own world — woodsmoke, cast iron, the backyard fire. A heavy condensed display face (Anton) paired with a clean body (DM Sans) carries the personality; a charcoal-and-ember palette keeps it warm but disciplined. The signature device is a four-notch heat meter that appears on the homepage, on every product card, and on the bottle labels — one idea, carried everywhere, so the store reads as a single coherent brand.

Ember & Ash product page
Product page with heat meter and tasting notes.
Ember & Ash collection grid
The full lineup — one label system, four sauces.

What was built

  • Custom homepage: hero, trust marquee, lineup, heat-guide strip, brand story
  • Product page template with a reusable heat-meter component
  • Filterable collection grid with per-product heat badges
  • A parametric SVG label system — four sauces from one template
  • Full brand voice and product copy, written in-house

The outcome

A complete, screenshot-ready storefront with a distinct identity and a reusable component kit — the heat meter and label generator now live in the studio's library for future builds.

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