Scallop Bay: A coastal New England farmers market website design
The inspiration & project scope
For this concept project, I imagined a beautiful small town tucked away on the New England coast. A historic place known for a local product and a charming market selling just that and more. So, bippity, boppity, boo: we have Scallop Bay Farmers Market!
For the Scallop Bay Farmers Market brand and website, I wanted to create something as charming as the place (as fictitious as it is), but also clear in its purpose.
The first step of any design process is to get to know the brand and what it should represent and evoke. For this specific project, it’s essential to get to know the place, too. But before jumping into image and inspo searching, I considered the more abstract characteristics I knew I wanted the brand to have. Things like: classy, classic, charming. That will help guide what images I actually select. Then off to search “new england”, “rhode island coast”, “harbors”, “scallops” and “nantucket” for images that felt representative of the place and atmosphere held in my mind.
the vibes
Building the brand with intention
From all the vibe-heavy inspo gathered, plus the same brand questionnaire that I send to all my clients, I distilled some of the visual elements and intangible feelings I wanted the brand to evoke:
muted natural tones
scallop iconography
cozy, classic vintage & a timeless feel
For the logo, I took heavy inspiration from a specific sailboat name I spotted in a photo during my vibe dive. For the accompanying header font, I searched for something that looked like it belonged in a vintage newspaper. In addition to the main logo, I like providing a logo variant that can be used in smaller places or as additional adornment in design. For this, I wanted to play off the look of a seal to really evoke a classy feel.
To bring this visual brand home, we need some assets. Using Creative Market, I tracked down hand-drawn ink sketches of vegetables and shellfish that were reminiscent of lithography. These types of illustration, as opposed to a more digital-looking or geometric style, further develop the classic and timeless vibes we want here.
the brand
Strategy-informed website design
We can’t build a website of purpose without knowing what that purpose is. So to that end and to give myself a clear direction, I created a small brief:
“Scallop Bay Farmers Market is a seasonal coastal market offering local seafood, shellfish, produce, and handmade goods. Originally a town tradition that faded over time, it’s recently been revived by a group of passionate residents who want to reconnect the community with local food and each other. Now that the market is gaining momentum, they’re looking for a website that helps convert interest into a true revival that grows visitorship and funding.”
The goals for this dream market were goals I see a lot of markets have for themselves: more attendance and raising more funds. So those are top of mind throughout the entire sketching, designing, and refining processes.
Goal 1: Market attendance
I put essential info instantly available right on the home page. You can get directions with the click of one button, or immediately see what’s happening this week at the market and add it to your calendar. Practical information is often what people are looking for right before they click on a market website. So I want to “read their minds” and deliver it on a silver platter 😉
Of course we want continuous and repeat market attendance, and that requires relationship building. So first off we’ve got prominent email signups for that all-valuable direct line of communication to the customer. Then to really send it over the top, this site has a market vendor directory. When well-maintained and rich with up-to-date info on ways to buy, this has the power to really foster those vendor-customer relationships and lessen the friction when buying local. Especially when weaved into in-person conversations vendors have with their customers on market days.
Goal 2: Raising funds
A classic mistake I see on local food websites of all sizes is missing or buried crucial information.
“Oh! I can donate directly to the market? I had no idea!”
“Oh! You offer partial season CSAs? Darn, I would have signed up if I had known.”
“Oh! You sell starter plants, too? Shoot, I need to come see you earlier in Spring!”
You get the idea.
So there is an entire section on the homepage summarizing the ways that someone can give to the Scallop Bay Farmers Market and leading them to the option relevant for them.
the design
A market locals and tourists will flock to
Branding that feels like salt air and old brick paired with business goal-oriented design, delivers a website that answers the two big questions many markets ask every year: “How do we get people to show up, and how do we keep this show running?” Quick-grab info for day-trippers, an email funnel for loyal locals, a vendor directory for shopping beyond market days, and donation links that aren’t hidden behind five clicks.
Scallop Bay may be imagined, but the strategy is real. And the process behind it is exactly how I tackle client projects: start with strategy, design with intention, and make sure every pixel earns its keep. If you’re after that same mix of story, strategy, and practical results, apply for a consultation call to get started!
