CIELO | Premium Hemp-Derived THC Retailer

The Problem

The hemp-derived THC industry is crowded, with many brands failing to meet consumer expectations for quality and trust. CIELO needed to stand out by showcasing its commitment to transparency, reliability, and top-tier product offerings. The challenge was to design a brand identity and website that communicated these principles while driving customer engagement and sales.

Design Process: Nature Meets Sophistication

The design process began with the core inspiration behind the brand name, CIELO (Spanish for “sky”), which symbolizes clarity, openness, and natural beauty. These principles informed every aspect of the design:

Logo Design: A minimalist yet sophisticated design inspired by organic shapes and sky elements.
Color Palette: A calming combination of soft blues and natural greens to evoke trust and nature.
Typography: Clean and modern fonts that balance professionalism with approachability.

The website design was kept simple yet elegant, prioritizing user-friendly navigation and clear product categories to enhance the customer experience and drive conversions.

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Research: Understanding the Market

To ensure the brand resonated with its target audience, I conducted an in-depth analysis of the hemp-derived THC industry. This included examining consumer behavior, identifying gaps in competitors’ branding, and understanding regulatory nuances. Insights from this research shaped the tone, style, and structure of the CIELO website and brand messaging.

Key findings included:

Consumers prioritize product transparency, including lab testing results and ingredient sourcing.
Aesthetic, modern branding enhances trust and improves sales in the hemp and THC markets.

User Personas: Shaping the Experience

I developed two key user personas to guide the design and content strategy:

Knowledgeable buyers seeking premium products with clear sourcing and testing information.
Newcomers to hemp-derived THC who value educational content and an intuitive shopping experience.

These personas influenced the structure of the website, ensuring both audiences could easily find products, learn about their benefits, and trust the brand.

Wireframing and Prototyping: Elevating the E-Commerce Experience

In the wireframing stage, I focused on creating a streamlined shopping experience:

Product Pages: Highlighting key features such as lab testing certificates and clear descriptions for Delta-8, Delta-10, and THC-O products.
Conversion Funnel: Designing an intuitive flow from product discovery to checkout.
Educational Sections: Adding resources about hemp-derived THC for new users to establish CIELO as a trusted authority.

Prototyping allowed us to test these features with stakeholders, ensuring alignment with both user needs and business goals.

What I Learned

This project underscored the importance of building a brand that balances transparency with visual appeal in a highly regulated and competitive industry. By aligning CIELO’s identity with its core values, I learned how to craft a design that not only looks good but also builds trust and drives business outcomes. The experience reaffirmed the power of research-driven design and the value of simplicity in creating meaningful user experiences.

Building the brand identity and online presence for CIELO, a premium hemp-derived THC retailer, with a focus on transparency, quality, and reliability.