UX / UI case study
Sunrise Bakery redesign
A start-to-finish redesign plan for a 40-year-old, family-owned Portuguese bakery and coffee shop in New Bedford — from discovery and strategy through branding, information architecture, wireframes, and usability testing.
- Role
- UX strategy, IA, wireframing
- Context
- Harvard Extension — DGMD E-23
- Deliverable
- Full website project plan
- Type
- Local-business redesign
(export from the project deck)
The challenge
Sunrise Bakery has served authentic Portuguese pastries and breads across two locations for over 40 years, with a loyal following and a 4.3-star reputation. Its website didn't reflect any of that: not responsive, images rendering unevenly, unstyled links, an empty Cakes page, menus that were just images with no pricing, no online ordering, no social links, and no analytics — all while Dunkin' sits literally next door. The goal was a refresh that matched the quality of the product.
Discovery & strategy
I ran a discovery assessment of the current site and competitors, then set three goals: enhance the experience through a refresh, grow traffic via SEO, and drive in-store visits through social. I defined the audience — local regulars first, then tourists and coffee enthusiasts searching nearby — and tied it to measurable KPIs: usability feedback, site visits, and social brand awareness. A SWOT framed the bet: a strong 40-year reputation and loyal base (strengths) held back by an outdated site and no online ordering (weaknesses), with e-commerce and SEO as the clear opportunities.
Branding direction
The brand personality I defined was friendly, warm, and community-focused — told through real photos of the team and customers rather than stock imagery. The palette leaned into warm earth tones (brown, cream, soft gold) with playful pastel accents, and the voice was conversational but professional. It all rolled up into a value-proposition statement centered on family, community, and craftsmanship.
Information architecture
I mapped the homepage around clear messaging and three primary calls to action — "Call Now," "See Our Menu," and "Visit Us" — then outlined the full page: a hero with the tagline "Authentic Portuguese Delights in Every Bite," an about section, a product gallery, specials, testimonials, and an integrated map with hours. Wireframes progressed from hand sketches to lo-fi to hi-fi for both the homepage and the menu page.
Usability testing
I tested the current site against the lo-fi prototype with participants from the target audience, measuring task completion, time on task, errors, and satisfaction across four key tasks. The findings were decisive: every participant disliked the existing site's confusing navigation and ad clutter, and every one preferred the prototype — locating the "Call Now" CTA and the location/hours with ease. Their suggestions (online ordering and a dedicated specials section) fed directly back into the plan.
Technology & launch
I recommended a pragmatic, client-maintainable stack — WordPress on SiteGround with SSL, Yoast for SEO, and Google Analytics for the tracking they'd been missing — plus a launch plan covering cross-device and cross-browser testing, a staging-to-live review, an in-store and social announcement, and a month of post-launch monitoring.
Why it matters
This was the capstone for my Harvard Extension "Planning Successful Websites and Applications" course, presented as a full client-style project pitch. It shows the part of UX that happens before the visuals: research, strategy, and validation that make a redesign defensible — the thinking I bring to every build.