Hyping up BIPOC-owned businesses
backBIPOC
backBIPOC is an in-house passion project at LARO Studio; a directory of BIPOC-owned small businesses that lives on a website and Instagram.
The Ask
The visual identity that allows photos of featured brands to take center stage, while still using elements that are standout enough to evoke the unique experience of shopping with small brands, especially those that pride themselves on handmade products and/or products inspired by their owner’s culture.
The result
A brand and website feel that pairs a soft beige with accent greens and oranges, a bold yet soft display font, and templates to make the posting process more efficient.
Services
Creative Direction
Brand Identity
Web Design
Web Development
Automations Setup
Social Media Templates
Additional assistance from Naff™ and Neil Standerwick
The first version of the website, first launched in 2021.
In 2024, I decided to refresh the brand visuals along with a site restructure that would allow for easier and quicker website updates, based on the friction points that I was experiencing with the first version of the website (it was my first Squarespace website after all!) and brand templates. Learn more about the decisions made in the rebrand
Featured by Squarespace, ilovecreatives Internet Gems, and more
“This BIPOC-owned business directory leans heavily on its display font (i.e. large-scale fonts made for headers) for its psychedelic, retro vibes. Love the fun cutout graphics on hover. This isn’t your standard yellow pages (do those things still exist?!). Helpful tags and photography keep this directory succinct and engaging, so you can shop mindfully. ”
— ilovecreatives
Designed for Efficiency
When a small business is submitted via the site form, the information is converted into HTML that can be plugged directly into the website to reduce manual work that was a friction point before the redesign. Easier process — no AI needed!
