Work · Case study 01
Bespoke Cuts Hair Studio
UX design, visual design, front-end development and SEO for a premium one-chair barbershop in Point Richmond. A custom site and local SEO foundation that tripled bookings.
01 · The problem
A broken user journey.
Bespoke Cuts is a premium, one-chair barbershop run by Johnny Nguyen, a barber with 20+ years of experience and a 5.0-star rating. Despite loyal clientele, the path from "curious about a barber" to "booked appointment" was completely broken.
- No discoverabilityZero SEO meant zero organic traffic. The only online presence was a Vagaro booking page buried in search results with no branding.
- No information architectureHours, services, pricing, and booking were all trapped behind DMs or buried in a generic Vagaro listing. Users couldn't evaluate the business before committing.
- No conversion pathThere was no clear way for a new visitor to go from "interested" to "booked" without friction. No pricing transparency, no social proof, no booking integration on a branded page.
02 · Research and discovery
Understanding users and the market.
I conducted competitive analysis of East Bay barbershop websites to identify gaps and opportunities, then worked directly with Johnny to understand his business, clientele, and goals. I presented wireframes based on my findings and iterated with his feedback before building out the final site using the brand assets and content he provided.
- Competitive analysis. Audited local barbershop sites across the East Bay. Most were generic templates that didn't reflect the barber's personality or differentiate the experience. Identified SEO gaps for "barbershop Point Richmond" and surrounding areas.
- User needs. "As a potential client, I want to see services and pricing before I commit." "As a busy professional, I want to book without calling during business hours." "As someone new to the area, I want to quickly assess if this barber matches my style."
- Stakeholder interview. Johnny runs a one-chair shop. No double-booking, craft-focused, premium but not pretentious. Key constraint: passive booking via Vagaro so he isn't fielding calls during cuts. The site needed to handle discovery and conversion without Johnny's involvement.
03 · Design decisions
Every choice had a reason.
- Color system: brass, cream, charcoal. A token-based palette that signals premium craftsmanship without falling into the cliche dark/moody barber aesthetic. Warm and inviting, not cold and intimidating.
- Typography: Playfair Display + DM Sans. Serif for craft and tradition, sans-serif for readability. The pairing says "established" without feeling stuffy.
- Single-page layout. One-person business, one page. Multi-page navigation would add unnecessary friction for a barbershop. Users need services, pricing, and booking, not a sitemap.
- Mobile-first. Barber clients search from their phones. The entire layout was designed at 375px first, then scaled up. Hours and location pinned in the hero to answer the #1 user question immediately.
04 · Key features
Designed to convert.
Each feature was built around a specific user need or conversion goal.
05 · Results and impact
From invisible to tripled bookings.
The site took Bespoke Cuts from no web presence to a professional platform with SEO, booking, and reviews, all accessible within seconds.
Client testimonial
In Johnny's words.
"Before working with Kyle at Nymbus, I didn't have a website. Clients had to DM me on Instagram just to find my hours and book an appointment. I knew I was losing business because of it.
Kyle didn't just throw together a quick site, he really understood what a small barbershop needs. The design is clean and reflects the quality of my work without being over the top. Everything a customer needs to know is right there: services, pricing, hours, location, and an easy way to book. The Vagaro integration means I'm not getting interrupted during cuts with booking calls.
What impressed me most was the attention to detail. The color scheme, the typography, the way the site looks on a phone, everything feels intentional and premium. It's exactly what I wanted to represent my 20+ years in this craft.
Since the site went live, I've been getting more walk-in traffic and online bookings. Kyle built something that actually works for my business. Highly recommend if you're a small business owner looking for someone who cares about doing quality work."
06 · Reflection
What I learned.
This project reinforced that communication is everything when collaborating with a client to bring their vision to life. If I could do it over, I'd start with a structured intake questionnaire to capture the client's aesthetic preferences, goals, and content upfront rather than working from assumptions. Moving forward, I've made my process more streamlined to extract all the key information early so the final product aligns with the client's vision from day one.
The package closest to this project: Booked. This was a one-time build, so it did not include the monthly profile work or reports that Booked adds. Next project: ACCA x Recess U Pop-Up.
Run a shop like this?
Bespoke Cuts had a loyal clientele and no way for new customers to find it. If that sounds familiar, fifteen minutes is enough to tell you whether the same approach would work for you. Or email kyle@bynymbus.com.