Massif Studio is a DTC brand creating personalised, data-driven art prints for endurance athletes — turning race data into beautifully framed visual keepsakes. While the product itself was distinctive, the website struggled to communicate what it was, why it mattered, and how to personalise it.
Traffic was reaching the site during early test events, but no one was converting.
The issue wasn’t just interface design — it was clarity, narrative, and emotional positioning. Massif needed a website that could educate first-time visitors, build desire, and guide them confidently from discovery to personalisation and purchase — all while laying the foundations for long-term growth.
I was brought in as the lead UX/UI designer and strategic partner, owning the project from discovery and research through to visual execution and developer handover.
The objective was clear: turn confusion into conviction.
Through stakeholder workshops and UX audit, we identified key friction points:
With limited analytics available, decisions were driven by structured research, behavioural UX principles, and close collaboration with the founders.
Strategically, the repositioning centred around a core brand phrase developed during discovery:
Achieve. Create. Cherish.
This became the anchor for messaging, flow, and visual hierarchy — shifting the focus from “data artwork” to something far more meaningful: identity, memory, and personal achievement.
Success wasn’t defined purely by short-term revenue. It was defined by:
The delivery phase began with a complete restructuring of the site architecture and customer journey.
We simplified navigation, improved filtering by event type, clarified the path from homepage to product to personalisation, and prioritised mobile-first optimisation — recognising that the majority of traffic would come via mobile.
The personalisation flow was redesigned to reduce cognitive load and remove unnecessary decision friction at the most critical conversion point.
Alongside UX strategy, a key layer of the project involved refining the art direction.
Most endurance brands showcase athletes mid-performance — conquering, sprinting, pushing limits. But Massif’s product exists after the race. It’s about reflection, memory, and pride.
During discovery, an insight emerged:
Athletes spend thousands of unseen hours training alone.
The art direction concept shifted accordingly.
Instead of action shots, we explored imagery rooted in quiet moments:
The foreground shows effort.
The background shows meaning.
This approach elevated the product from decorative infographic to daily reminder — a silent medal on the wall.
This art direction influenced:
The final output wasn’t just high-fidelity screens — it was a structured design system, narrative framework, and scalable foundation that could evolve as the brand grows.
While the site launched as a soft release ahead of full marketing activation, the impact was immediate at a strategic and operational level.
The new experience:
Most importantly, the founders gained clarity and confidence — not just in the website, but in the positioning of their brand.
Massif moved from selling “data prints” to owning a space around athletic identity and achievement.
Director & Many Creative Hats
Whether you have a clear brief, a loose idea, or just a sense that something isn’t quite clicking, it starts with a conversation.
A focused 30-minute call to understand your product, your goals, and your customers. From there, we shape the positioning, clarify the journey, and design an experience built to convert.
No pitch deck. No pressure. Just clear thinking, a defined outcome, and a path forward that makes sense for your business.
