Lifestyle imagery of James McCabe watch used on James McCabe website design
Lifestyle imagery of James McCabe watch used on James McCabe website design

James McCabe

Leading a digital transformation & e-comm redesign

James McCabe is a heritage watch brand founded in London in the early 1800s, which built an international reputation for their timepieces and marine chronometers. Famous patrons included Lord Horatio Nelson & George Washington.

We were approached by a team of passionate watch enthusiasts who wanted to jumpstart the brand using modern processes, a hit of street culture, but still retaining the core values of the brand around quality and design.

James McCabe Logo

Identity

A sophisticated and clean UI to focus attention on the watches and subtle use of lifestyle photography throughout the purchase journey to reinforce their positioning.

Awards & recognition
Creative Review
Deliverables
Personas, Positioning & Shopify e-commerce

Colour

Black for a premium and cinematic feel, combined with subtle greys to create a neutral backdrop and elevate the product.

Black
R0 G0 B0 #000000
Grey
R243 G243 B243 #f3f3f3
Grey 2
R233 G233 B233 #e9e9e9
Grey 3
R123 G123 B123 #7b7b7b

Heading

Kepler Std

Subheading

Kepler Std

Body copy

Roboto Light

Repositioning the brand

Following a series of collaborations, the brand identity had started to become diluted and its positioning unclear.

Through market research, we developed detailed personas to refine their tone of voice and aesthetic and inform the subsequent website redesign.

  • Market research
  • Competitor benchmarking
  • Persona creation
  • Content strategy
James McCabe website homepage design by Superrb
Lifestyle imagery of James McCabe watches being modelled, used on James McCabe website design
James McCabe website product detail page design

Sophisticated shopping experience

The customer experience was at the heart of this project and it had to be consistent with the premium nature of the product. We created a clean UI which was sharp and precise and enables the user to quickly browse, search and filter their extensive catalogue.

We used subtle animations and transitions to create a luxury feel and strategically placed trust marks and calls to action to maximise conversions without undermining the brand.

James McCabe product collection webpage design

Digital storytelling + commerce

Throughout the Shopify e-commerce experience, the product never falls from focus. This is product storytelling.

After research led us to understand the rich narratives around the inception and development of James McCabe products, the pairing of product and experience was a seamless one. The strategy and design brings its craftsmanship, attention to detail, and distinct personality to the fore.

James McCabe brand webpage imagery used on Superrb website design
James McCabe blog page as designed by Superrb

Clearing the path to purchase

We instantly recognised the key role social media would play in driving traffic to the website and elevating the brand, so we created a stunning blog as the hub for their content marketing with landing pages for social campaigns. 

This gave them a platform to support their marketing activities, and keep the main user journey focused on conversions.

Responsive design of James McCabe website homepage as appears on tablet
UX & UI design for James McCabe by Superrb

Truly responsive e-commerce

As website traffic was dominated by mobile devices, we created a truly seamless experience across all common devices from day one. Using specialist software we were able to monitor and analyse behaviour and fine tune the mobile shopping experience to generate a significant uplift in conversions.

James McCabe product mini cart design
James McCabe product detail page design
Responsive web design of James McCabe homepage for mobile by Superrb
James McCabe watch product imagery used for website design
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