Rainbow Wool isn't just another e-commerce brand. It's a small revolution in kindness — built around sheep that would otherwise be overlooked, and customers who believe every purchase can mean something. This is the story of how we turned a social mission into a Clios Award-winning digital product, end-to-end.
Each year, thousands of male sheep are considered "imperfect" by the wool industry — overlooked and undervalued. Rainbow Wool was founded on a simple, powerful idea: what if we built a brand around those sheep? What if every purchase was an act of inclusion?
The challenge wasn't just to build an e-commerce store. It was to translate a deeply human social mission into a digital experience that makes customers feel the weight and warmth of that purpose with every interaction — from the homepage to the unboxing.
"We didn't want to just sell wool products. We wanted customers to feel like co-creators of something meaningful — that every purchase was giving a unique sheep the chance to shine."
As Senior UX/Product Designer, I led the full design scope — from brand identity exploration through to the live product. This wasn't a handoff-and-forget project. I owned the design decisions across every touchpoint.
The brand needed to feel approachable and authentic while celebrating individuality. Three visual directions were developed and tested with the team before converging on a palette and typographic voice that could carry both warmth and credibility.
The palette was built around earthy tones that evoke natural wool — creams, warm taupes, and soft blues — grounded in WCAG AA contrast ratios. Every colour was chosen to work for accessibility before aesthetics.
A serif with warmth and character paired with a legible, accessible sans-serif for body copy. The type system was designed to feel editorial and considered — reflecting the brand's values without being precious.
The brief was clear: the brand mission couldn't live only on the About page. It needed to be woven into product cards, checkout microcopy, packaging, and post-purchase confirmation. Every word, colour, and layout decision asked: does this feel like it belongs to a brand that gives overlooked things a second chance?
A structured 0–1 process that moved from brand foundations through wireframes to a live, accessible, award-winning product.
For a brand built around inclusion, WCAG AA accessibility wasn't optional — it was a fundamental design requirement that shaped every colour, component, and interaction.
Tested on: product discovery, product detail, basket, checkout, order confirmation