Bernie’s Pretzels

Year

I led UX strategy for Bernie’s Pretzels, designing and building a custom website that reflects the brand’s identity and meets B2B and B2C user needs.

Results

I delivered a cohesive, user-friendly website that effectively communicates the brand’s personality and product offerings. I implemented an iterative design process that supported content clarity, improved navigation, and created a flexible foundation for future updates as the business grows.

2025

Services

Scope

Project-based (short-term)

Methods

Heuristic Evaluation, Competitive Analysis, Wireframing, Photo Editing, Website Building

User Experience, User Interface, Website Building, Brand Alignment

Figma, Adobe Express, Squarespace

Role

Tools

The Problem

Bernie’s Pretzels, a 63-year-old company in the midst of expansion, partnered with me to design and build their first website from the ground up. The business owner’s primary challenge was the lack of a website, which limited visibility and required staff to repeatedly answer questions about hours, pricing, and product availability.

Without a digital presence outside of social media, Bernie’s struggled to showcase its full range of offerings, both retail and wholesale, and missed the opportunity to share its local legacy and brand story. There was no centralized way for customers to explore the menu, ask questions virtually, or apply for open positions. A website was needed to streamline communication, reduce consumer and business frustrations, and support business growth.

The Process

I led the UX design process from competitive analysis to implementation, developing wireframes, refining brand visuals, and building a flexible Squarespace site that’s intuitive, consistent, and easy for the business owner to manage post-launch.

Research & Discovery

To understand user expectations and identify opportunities, I began with foundational UX research:

  • Met with the business owner to document and discuss their concerns, expectations, stakeholders, and brand

  • Conducted a competitive analysis of identified competitor to understand user mental models and industry standards

  • Performed an informal heuristic evaluation to identify pain points and layout patterns

  • Collected feedback from the business owner about features they liked/disliked on competitor sites to guide design direction

Wireframing & Strategy

Using research insights and business input, I moved into layout exploration:

  • Created wireframes in Figma based on competitor structures and user expectations

  • Iterated designs based on the business owner’s feedback to align with both user needs and brand goals

  • Translated approved wireframes into a low-fidelity Squarespace build to begin testing layout and structure

Imagery Integration & Visual Refinement

When photography assets were delivered, I adapted the design for visual clarity and consistency:

  • Identified image sizing issues and inconsistent backgrounds that disrupted layout harmony

  • Presented multiple solutions, adjusting both layouts and imagery, to maintain flow and cohesion

  • Used Adobe Express to edit and standardize photos, ensuring seamless presentation aligned with user mental models

Brand Cohesion & Customization

With no formal design system in place, I ensured brand recognition through creative problem-solving:

  • Contacted the original logo designer to confirm brand fonts, but was unable to locate them

  • Used Adobe Font Finder to identify and match typefaces, then embedded them via custom Squarespace CSS

  • Extracted hex codes directly from the logo to maintain visual consistency across the site

  • Reused the pretzel icon from the logo to support a cohesive visual identity throughout headings and key sections

Content Integration & Flexibility

As new content needs arose, I continued to build the site with flexibility and usability in mind:

  • Added new tabs and content areas based on updated business needs

  • Ensured each addition preserved the site’s intuitive structure and visual balance

  • Built the site to be easily editable within Squarespace, empowering the business owner to manage updates post-launch

  • Assisted in selecting a custom domain that aligned with the company’s name and social media presence while ensuring availability

The Results

Starting from no website presence, I built a brand-aligned website that now features fully functioning menu and contact pages to address the most urgent B2B and B2C user needs. Through consistent use of colors, typefaces, icons, and local Delco pride, the design reinforces trust and recognizability at every touchpoint. Bernie’s Pretzels now has a centralized information hub that resolves the business owner’s initial concerns and is easily editable, enabling self-sufficiency and empowerment after project completion.

Let’s Connect!

Schedule a free 1:1 virtual coffee chat with me to discuss your UX design needs.