https://shovel.studio

Shapeful design systems for
ecomm at scale

Profile

  • Shovel is a design and development studio specializing in e-commerce experiences looking to elevate their digital footprint. We have a track record of building systems from the ground up across DTC products where brand experience is inseparable from the purchase experience.
  • Our typical clients are in the range of $1-$20M a year in revenue.

Digital Servicing

  • UX/UI Design
  • Brand Design
  • Information Architecture
  • E-Commerce (Shopify Plus)
  • Frontend Development

Case studiesrecently

Hours

Brand and web design with CRO driving $1,000,000+ in attributed revenue

Shoulder Hoodie in black, editorial model, size selector Hours Collection Shopify homepage and product page design for men's streetwear brand

Roman Hessary

Founder

"I’m very thoroughly impressed… you’ve understood the brand from a perspective that sometimes feels like it’s like an internal dialogue… I think it captured our minimalism but made it feel very premium."

APOC

Doubled conversion and +14% AOV on 6,000 products

APOC Store homepage design featuring avant-garde jewellery editorial and home objects collection

Jules

Co-Founder

"Nice and efficient to work with. Also, a good eye and understanding of other strong websites (like Acne, etc.), so there is a certain level of trust."

Diamond Cross Ranch

New brand identity & ecommerce for a 100-year-old Wyoming ranch

Custom website design for Diamond Cross Ranch featuring Western lifestyle branding, cinematic cowboy imagery, and an immersive e-commerce homepage.

Godspeed

A branded and performing D2C experience for the #1 brand on Grailed

Godspeed NYC Shopify homepage design on MacBook with full bleed GT Tracksuit campaign photography

Forms

5.9% conversion with 12.9% email sign ups at launch

Forms Shopify store on MacBook Pro — full collection catalog with streetwear tees, hoodies, art toys, and accessories

Buttz

Clearer sizing and a full site redesign that lifted conversion 36%

Buttz Shopify homepage design with hero campaign banner, category navigation tiles, and bestsellers section
Explore all work

Servicing

Every idea and design decision is meant to move towards best-in-class work

  1. Process
    1. 1
      Explore
      2 to 6 initial concepts
    2. 2
      Refine
      Narrow to top picks, expand into real applications, iterate as needed
    3. 3
      Export
      Pick final direction and build out the full brand book
    Key outputsConcept rangeRefined directionFinal brand book (master and partner editions)
    Included
    • Brand foundations: wordmark, color system, typography
    • Photography direction guide
    • Core applications: scoped per project
    • Business stationery
      • Business card
      • Email signature
      • Brochures, as needed
    • Social kit
    • Exported brand book
    • Website concept design: Home, one key page, Contact (concept only, not build-ready)Bonus
    • Direction Lock: 1 bespoke identity direction refined from multiple feedback loops around multiple direction ideasGuarantee

  2. Process
    1. 1
      Content Definition
      Create sitemap and wireframe variations
    2. 2
      High-Fidelity Designs
      Iterate 3 times on desktop, tablet, and mobile
    3. 3
      Design System
      Export UI kit and final screens for internal and external partners

    Starts once brand book color and type systems are locked.

    Key outputsSitemapWireframesHigh-fidelity mockupsDesign system
    Included
    • Sitemap
    • Low-fidelity wireframes
    • High-fidelity Figma mockups: full page set
    • Design SystemBonus
    • Photography Direction GuideBonus
    • Design Lock: three revision rounds, guaranteed outrightGuarantee
    • Responsive: verified mobile, tablet, desktopGuarantee
    • Handoff-Ready: buildable file, or it's fixed freeGuarantee

  3. Process
    1. 1
      Build
      Shopify theme, Liquid customization, integrate content, connect 3rd party tools
    2. 2
      QA
      Cross-device testing
    3. 3
      Launch
      Go-live, 30-day support window
    Key outputsWorking websiteTeam documentationLegal documentation
    Included
    • Page architecture
    • Team DocumentationBonus
    • 30-Day Support: 4 hrs of fixes, first month after launchGuarantee
    • Speed Verified: 70+ Google Lighthouse score before launchGuarantee
    • Content Preserved: old blog/SEO content migrated, never orphanedGuarantee
    • GDPR Compliant: GDPR compliance guaranteedGuarantee

  4. Process
    1. 1
      Request
      Log what needs doing in the shared project tool
    2. 2
      Work
      Scheduled and built inside the monthly hours block
    3. 3
      Review
      You approve the work, and nothing bills past the included hours without your approval
    Key outputsFixes and updates shipped each monthHours block, 20 per month by default
    Included
    • Hours-based support: 20 hours per month by default, adjustable per client
    • Fixes, updates, and small builds: on your site
    • Approval before overage: no billing past the included hours without your OK

  5. Process
    1. 1
      Roadmap
      Review store data to find the highest-impact opportunities
    2. 2
      Test
      Build and launch A/B tests
    3. 3
      Report
      Read the results, ship the winners, plan the next tests
    Key outputs5 A/B tests per monthTest resultsWinning tests shipped
    Included
    • 5 strong A/B tests per month
    • Results review: after each test

Roman Hessary

Founder

@ Hours

"I’m very thoroughly impressed… you’ve understood the brand from a perspective that sometimes feels like it’s like an internal dialogue… I think it captured our minimalism but made it feel very premium."

Luke Long

Fourth-Generation Co-Owner

@ Diamond Cross Ranch

"l've been impressed by how thoughtful and practical you are looking at e-commerce sites. It's so much better, like night and day better than what we have."

Toyah Diebel

CEO

@ Buttz

"Instead of forcing our brand into existing limitations, you found ways to make the website and design work for us. The result feels super premium, more flexible, and much more Buttz."

Jules Volleburg

Co-Founder

@ APOC

"Nice and efficient to work with. Also, a good eye and understanding of other strong websites (like Acne, etc.), so there is a certain level of trust."

Alexis Cedeño

Senior Manager of Marketing Operations

@ Little Otter

"You handled the technical side so our marketing team could focus on what they wanted, not how to build it."

Joseph Murphy

Co-Founder

@ Mitobyte

"Their attentiveness and meticulous attention to detail set them apart, and it’s clear they are dedicated to delivering high-quality results."

Nice words from partners :)

Meet w/ Blaze

I've been posting videos since I was 12. YouTube first, then whatever platform came next. The content was always about whatever I was building at the time. Skateboarding, streetwear brands, video games. Web design took over around 2020. The hobby eventually became the job. The audience followed the work and the work got better because of the audience. Running a studio co-exists with being a creator. By 2024 that loop had a name: Shovel. The studio runs on a contractor model with senior international talent across design and development. Over 100,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok watch the work happen in real time.