BACKGROUND
Varuna craft high-performance, sustainable wooden surfboards grown in Indonesia and designed by industry legends. They’re definitely not your typical wooden surfboard, Varuna are made with the idea that sustainability and performance are no longer mutually exclusive. Their core mission is guided by a planet-first mindset and they work directly with shapers to replicate innovative designs whilst doing so environmentally consciously.
PROJECT
We were tasked with the design and development of a responsive website for Varuna. They are a new and exciting brand with an innovative process of surfboard manufacturing and so they needed to tell their story, simply and succinctly (video was the chosen option.) The Varuna website required a lot of functionality as they wanted clients to be able to discover the brand and then directly purchase products online (not just order). The website needed to run in multiple languages, accept multiple currencies and provide multiple shopping experiences.
SOLUTION
We used the squarespace CMS for ease of development and ease of use (by the client) to alter product images and text. All video and imagery was supplied by Varuna, we then optimised for quick upload and format consistency. Simple add-ons (available with the CMS) were used for the language and currency variations, these add-ons can be continually used when new languages and currencies are added. The website has a simple shopping functionality; payments, taxes, shipping, fulfilment and tracking are all processed automatically.
CHALLENGES
The main challenge of delivering a new website for Varuna Surf was incorporating the functionality for future languages and currencies, and ensuring that the client could update these themselves over time. Easy navigation throughout the site was important so the viewer could firstly discover the Varuna brand, learn about it, then go directly to the products they desired. Each product has multiple variations in length and colour, so these visuals were also incorporated into the shopping experience.
RESULTS
Varuna have seen a noticeable improvement in client interaction. Surfboard enquiries and sales are moving in a positive direction with new stores being opened in Bali and Byron Bay.
