VEJA

This redesign explores how VEJA could create a modern, fluid, and responsible e-commerce experience that better reflects their sustainable ethos.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

VEJA - A sneaker creator that respects people, the planet, and craftsmanship (Concept project)

VEJA is a French sustainable sneaker brand known for its strong ethical values, eco-friendly materials, and zero advertising policy. However, their existing e-commerce website wasn’t fully aligned with their mission: the UX was confusing, the UI was harsh, and the digital carbon footprint was surprisingly high.

Scope

  • The Master Key Rebuild
  • Visual Identity Refresh
  • Website Redesign

THE CHALLENGE·

Although VEJA leads in sustainability in the physical world, its digital presence didn’t reflect these values:

  • High carbon footprint compared to similar websites
  • Heavy use of pure black & white, causing eye strain and high energy use.
  • Confusing navigation — key categories like “Vegan” or “Outlet” weren’t visible in the menu.
  • Product pages felt cramped and unclear.
  • Newsletter section was almost invisible and not GDPR-compliant
  • No headers on key pages, poor hierarchy, and missed opportunities for engagement

A brand that’s built on clarity and responsibility offline needs the same online — both visually and experientially.

RESEARCH & INSIGHTS·

I analyzed the existing site and competitor experiences, then focused on 3 pillars:

Eco-Responsibility in Digital

  • Website Carbon, Green Web Foundation & EcoIndex reports showed the site was more polluting than average.
  • Switching from pure white to softer tones and optimizing media were key.

Visual Alignment with Brand Values

  • Current palette felt sterile. VEJA’s mission needed to be reflected in a softer, warmer, and more human interface.

User Journey Optimization

  • Simplifying navigation, improving visibility of categories, clarifying product pages, and emphasizing repair/vegan sections were critical.

THE STRATEGY·

Goal: Align VEJA’s digital presence with its sustainable ethos and deliver a seamless, modern shopping experience.

  • Develop a new design system inspired by VEJA’s materials (cotton, leather, rubber).
  • Reduce digital energy use through color palette, asset optimization, code minification.
  • Rework information architecture for a more intuitive flow.
  • Create a consistent visual language across pages.
  • Make key ethical categories more discoverable.

THE PROCESS·

  • New palette using Cotton (#F5F1EC), Cuir (#E7E0D6), and Caoutchouc (#523C2A) for softness and energy efficiency.
  • Typography kept Helvetica for brand recognition but optimized hierarchy.
  • Accessibility contrast checked for all combos (minimum 7.86 contrast ratio).
  • Sitemap & wireframes created in Figma.
  • Reworked homepage structure to highlight key categories (Vegan, Outlet, Projects).
  • Added headers to all pages for clearer context.
  • Optimized imagery (WebP, compressed assets).
  • Clearer product pages and improved newsletter signup flow.

THE OUTCOME·

Sneakers that respect the planet deserve a digital experience that does the same.

  • A fully redesigned e-commerce experience that reflects VEJA’s sustainable mission online.
  • Softer, energy-efficient UI aligned with eco-responsible values.
  • More intuitive navigation, making ethical categories easy to find.
  • Clearer product pages improving readability and purchase flow.
  • Optimized performance through image compression, code minification, conscious plugin usage and better color usage.
  • Improved newsletter signup clarity and GDPR compliance.

LEARNINGS & REFLECTION·

1

A brand’s digital presence is part of its sustainability story — UX and UI choices can directly affect energy consumption.
2

Small visual changes (like color palette) can have real environmental impact and improve usability simultaneously.
3

Navigation clarity is crucial for ethical brands where users have specific purchasing intentions (e.g., Vegan, Repair, Kids).