Bespoke Cuts Hair Studio | Case Study 01

Client Johnny Nguyen, Bespoke Cuts Hair Studio, Point Richmond, CA

Role Solo UX designer & developer (user research, visual design, front-end development)

Timeline 2 weeks, March 15 - 30, 2025

Tools Figma, HTML/CSS/JS, GSAP, Netlify, Google PageSpeed Insights

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 discoverability

Zero SEO meant zero organic traffic. The only online presence was a Vagaro booking page buried in search results with no branding.

→

No information architecture

Hours, 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 path

There 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.

Before: Only a generic Vagaro listing

02 Research & 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.

01

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.

02

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."

03

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

01

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.

02

Typography: Playfair Display + DM Sans

Serif for craft and tradition, sans-serif for readability. The pairing says "established" without feeling stuffy.

03

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.

04

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.

Hero: Hours & location answer the #1 question instantly

Transparent pricing reduces inquiry friction

Testimonials placed near the booking flow to build trust

Vagaro booking embedded directly into the site for seamless scheduling

05 Results & Impact

From Invisible to Page One

The site took Bespoke Cuts from no web presence to a professional platform with SEO, booking, and reviews, all accessible within seconds.

1st Page on Google

3x New Client Bookings

95+ Performance Score

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."

★★★★★ Johnny Nguyen · Owner, Bespoke Cuts Hair Studio · Google Review

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.