In keeping with our elegant eCommerce theme this month, we profile a site that has elevated a promising real-world store to a dotcom trend-setter

One of the genuinely beautiful things about the web is that it’s exquisite at building things up, creating a buzz, or making something seem larger than life. In eCommerce terms this can be invaluable when trying to raise the profile of a potentially small or fledgling business, whereby a clever approach to digital marketing or promotion can really push things on very quickly indeed. When it comes to selling online and representing an actual high-street store virtually, you have the advantage of being able to elaborate the physical space you trade out of on a daily basis and create a perception of grandeur that an international clientele will appreciate.
This doesn’t mean that our subject this month should be noted for style over substance in any way, but it’s fair to assume that this magazine wouldn’t be chronicling the exploits of a Denver-based retail outlet had it not been for its impressive internet presence. Composition is a stylish purveyor of designer wares that has been around for only three years, but has in that time developed a clever awareness about the importance of looking great on the web and has received praise from sites like styleboost.com. We were fortunate enough to hook up with store owner Jennifer Roberts and her web designer Ian Coyle to find out not only how the site was produced, but also their own first-hand thoughts on what a notion of elegant eCommerce means to them.

JR: Jennifer Roberts, Owner
Composition and www.shopcomposition.com
IC: Ian Coyle, creative director, FL-2
www.fl-2.com, www.iancoyle.com

WD: Let’s start with some shameless plugging – what is Shop Composition all about and why is the site (shopcomposition.com) a place to get excited about?
JR: Shop Composition is the online presence of a retail store based in Denver, Colorado. From a personal perspective, it’s difficult to convey why Shop Composition is so exiting without a bit of background. The store, Composition, opened in March of 2003 in lower downtown Denver, with the aim of bringing design-oriented products to the area. Composition opened in an impossibly difficult retail location and with only 450 square feet. From a business perspective, it had everything against it. However, through determination, sacrifice and encouragement from a growing community of design fans, the store recently moved to a 2600 square foot location and has a brilliant future. Shop Composition is a fundamental part of its current and continued success.
From an industry perspective, Shop Composition is exciting because it’s part of a greater shift that’s occurring in eCommerce. The shift, in my opinion, is from businesses providing needs-based shopping to those providing experiential shopping. Shopping on the web has primarily been geared for someone who knows exactly what brand and product they’re looking for and simply wants to find it at a better price, or quicker delivery, etc. The shift is towards eCommerce as recreation. Just as shopping at physical locations has become recreation in our society, I believe that successful eCommerce now must meet consumers’ expectations for an engaging experience.

WD: How important is the site to your business and do you think the deliberate stylishness of its design reinforces the identity of your store in the mind of potential customers?
JR: The website and the brick and mortar location are both integral to the overall business and at this time I couldn’t imagine having one without the other. From a financial standpoint, the sales generated from each are essential to the survival and growth of the business. However, I find greater value in having both a site and a store for the different opportunities each provide in communicating with a growing client-base. The website has the ability to reach more clients outside of the store’s geographical range but within its core audience. The style and design of the site speaks directly to the interactive/graphic designers, artists, architects and other creative professionals who also have an affinity for the products offered. In contrast, the store reaches a much broader audience, which is necessary for the growth of the business. The store has relocated to a larger space within a new urbanism development called Belmar, west of downtown Denver. This type of location attracts a diverse range of people who live, work and shop in the area. It has been very exciting to watch people outside of the store’s core audience engage with design through the aesthetic environment and graphics of the store. The physical space continually provides new opportunities to communicate a passion for design to a wide-based audience.
The style and design of both the site and the store communicate the identity of Composition. Clients from the site love to visit the store when they come to Denver. I think they want to see the physical depiction of the experience they have had online. Conversely, clients from the store are excited to check out the site and have their experience communicated through a different language.

WD: The site has already garnered praise from sites like styleboost.com for its commitment to elegant eCommerce. How important is this praise to you and did you set out to impress in this way?
IC: Accolades are by-products of a successful project, not the initial goal. Working with clients that desire progressive and innovative solutions creates an environment in which you set the bar high for yourself and the project. We first created the site in 2004 (later redesigned in 2005), when Flash wasn’t considered an appropriate venue for eCommerce applications. As a developer, my goal was to create a new eCommerce experience that could showcase Flash’s ability to improve upon the existing eCommerce model. As a designer, I set out to elevate Composition’s online presence above that of the typical ecommerce store; because Jennifer’s brick and mortar store was so unique. The praise it garnered only proved that we achieved the goal we set out for ourselves.
JR: The praise and awards for Shop Composition were a complete and lovely surprise. The site was created out of a real need to reach a wider audience and increase sales. The physical location and small size of the actual store was a large deterrent to growth and a website provided a tangible way to reach the people that the store was unable to reach. The approach to creating a website was the same as the approach to opening the store. The focus has always been on creating a unique shopping experience that connects people with highquality, well-designed products for everyday life. This approach is a lot different than the way a businessoriented person would set out to create a store or an eCommerce site. I don’t think that either approach is inherently better than the other, but this approach is what was authentic to Composition. Of course both Ian and I hoped that the approach would have an end result of increased sales, but this goal has never been the guiding principle of the business. I think that this has resulted in a slower growth model but it’s one that I can feel proud of. I think it represents my commitment to building a brand based on providing a high-quality shopping experience, selling products for a design-oriented lifestyle and actively participating in and responding to the community that develops.

WD: How did the design of the site come together in regards to working with the designer Ian Coyle, and was this very much a collaborative effort to try and achieve the right look and feel for the site?
JR: Ian’s company, FL-2, was located around the corner from the first location of Composition. He came to know the business through frequent visits, interacting with the products and by talking to me about my goals to make Composition an approachable place where people see how design can be integrated into everyday products and everyday life. I did not have any eCommerce or web-design experience, but based on the relationship we had built and his understanding of the business and my goals, I trusted that he could create something that was an authentic representation of the experience of being in the store. My desire was to create something unique that helped me communicate my vision for Composition. However, I never imagined how eloquently he would be able to do that!
I was able to much more actively participate in the redesign of the site (November 2005). By this point, I had the hands-on experience of maintaining and updating the site with new products, processing orders, etc. So I was able to provide more direction for the functional aspects of the site.
IC: As a designer that already appreciated the store’s aesthetic, we started this project with a shared vision of what we wanted to achieve, in both style and function. However, it was freedom in the design and development process that allowed me to create a truly unique site. I find, and I’m sure many designers will agree, that clients often try to be too hands on, when in fact it takes a large amount of trust and the ability to give designers more freedom to see their clients’ vision through to fruition. Jennifer was able to provide insight, while letting me have the space to explore and create a new eCommerce experience.

WD: What development technologies or web design software tools were used predominantly during the build of shopcomposition.com?
IC: The site was developed in Flash. ASP.NET runs the backend and checkout process using XML for data transfer. The database is MYSQL. The Content Management System and Order Processing System are custom applications developed by myself and FL-2.

WD: What elements or particular parts of the site give the most amount of pride to both shop owner and site designer – and why?
JR: I’m particularly proud of how well the site represents the product lines that I carry. I have talked about the importance of Composition’s relationship with its clients, but it’s equally important to me that I build – and maintain – strong relationships with vendors. I’m proud to represent some very creative and talented individuals and companies who are making high-quality, well-designed and functional products. I want them to be excited that they are in Composition and feel pleased that their products are displayed with great care and style both in the store and on the website.
IC: The effect the site has on the user gives me the most pride. Most users, after viewing the site, realise that this eCommerce experience is greater than what they have experienced before. Ideally this enlightens them to the notion that eCommerce can emote and inspire, rather than exclusively push products.

WD: In your own experience, how might you define a concept of elegant eCommerce and how might that apply favourably to shopcomposition.com?
IC: Elegant eCommerce creates an emotional experience that connects the user to the store. It doesn’t try to force sales onto users like many eCommerce applications do. The goal should be to create the same experience that is in the brick and mortar store, delivered through the interactive medium. People remember great in-store experiences – the online world should be no exception. While Shop Composition is an eCommerce site, it creates an experience that elevates it in the eyes of the consumer. WD: What kind of positive feedback have you had from Shop Composition’s customers about the site’s design and, further more, do you anticipate any new features occurring in response to any requests or comments you may have had?
JR: I think that we both have a lot of ideas on how to improve and enhance the site. Naturally the limiting factors are time and money, so I have to prioritise and balance these desires with the demands of the physical store as well. Some of the changes are based on customer feedback, including the addition of a registry feature and the ability to email product details to yourself or friends. The larger changes I think that we’re both more interested in, are how to integrate community into the site. The store has a great feeling of community that comes from the daily interaction between myself and staff with clients and between clients directly. The store has a very personal and approachable feel that basically comes from my hands-on style and passion for Composition’s success. Ian has great ideas on how to integrate more community interaction on the site. At times, I think that the site comes across as too polished and we both want people to see the authentic and personal side of Composition come through more.