#013: The Magic Slab
Summer is here (for some of us), so why not enjoy the bold and funky visuals of this ice cream shop website.
We’re back with a new edition of Web Wizards! This time we’re bringing something funky and something fresh, with this cool website template for an ice cream shop! What better way to entice people to try out some cold treats than by making everything look larger than life? This edition breaks down exactly how you can think outside the box for your next website.
Got a cool website you’d like to see featured? Let me know by replying to this email or reaching out.
An Intro
As the founder of BTB Studio, I specialize in creating impactful brands and websites for businesses looking to grow and thrive in the digital world. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, I've honed my design skills and learned how to build websites that not only look amazing but also deliver real results for my clients.
➤ Kaela’s Socials: Twitter, Instagram
About the Site
The Magic Slab is a one-page website template designed and built in Webflow for ice cream shop owners and other food-based businesses to showcase their products, services, and special offers. It features a dynamic 3D style menu, appealing images with vibrant colors and a user-friendly layout to provide an enjoyable browsing experience for visitors.
Collaborator(s): Kaela (Designer/Developer)
Tools: Webflow
Q&A
What did your concept ideation process look like for this project?
My process for designing templates is definitely different from my normal client intake process. With templates, I give myself significantly more creative freedom, and I try to think a bit more outside of the box. I start thinking about my different passions or businesses I would love to start, and an ice cream shop stood out to me the most! Aside from being delicious, I knew I would enjoy creating something unique that could also be easily adapted to other business types. So I started by researching various ice cream and food-based websites to gather inspiration for the design and functionality of the Magic Slab, as well as brainstorming different layout options I could build within Webflow. Then I put together a quick style guide to nail down fonts and color palettes, which helps get my creative juices going. With this particular template, I already had a vision in my head; so I jumped right into Webflow and started experimenting. No Figma this time (shocker!)
How did you strike a balance between creativity and functionality in this website design or build?
Sometimes it is difficult to have both when you’re creating something for the community to use, as well as potential DIYers out there who need a similar website template. Having a balance between the two comes from researching key sections that a website like this would need, and figuring out a way to remix it or bring a unique flair to it. I wanted to do something that would catch your eye as soon as load the page or see the thumbnail.
What challenges did you have whilst designing/building this site?
So many! My first big hurdle was the menu slider at the top of the page. Since this was one of my first templates, I didn’t have much experience building sliders of any kind, aside from a basic image slider. I jumped in figuring it out as I went, with a huge amount of Youtube and Google searches. It worked out but it was a headache at the beginning!
What are some of your favourite elements/features on the site?
The interactive menu and the marquee section in the middle would be my favorite features for sure!
What’s one new thing you learned during the entire process?
I learned a LOT about the native slider in this process, but aside from that I think I sharpened my Webflow skills overall, and I’m so grateful for that. I also didn’t expect that almost 400 people would want to use this template, I was so thankful for how it was received. It also brought a few clients our way!
If your creative process for this project had a lead single, what song would it have been and why?
If I had to choose, it would be “Happy” by Pharrell, I just love the way it embodies the fun and playful vibe I was going for.
Thanks for tuning in to this edition of Web Wizards! Definitely reach out if you’d like to be featured or would like to recommend a site to feature.
Till next time ~