Overview
Blackbird & Rain was a natural skincare e-commerce business that I founded and built from scratch. This project showcased my ability to combine technical development with business acumen, design sensibility, and user-centered thinking.
Role & Responsibilities
As the founder and sole developer, I managed every aspect of the business:
- Custom Theme Development: Built a custom Shopify theme from scratch, tailored specifically for the natural skincare market
- UX Design & Research: Led all UX design decisions and conducted extensive customer interviews to understand user needs and preferences
- Conversion Optimization: Implemented A/B testing strategies to optimize conversion rates and improve the customer journey
- Product Management: Managed the full product lifecycle from formulation and sourcing to branding and packaging
- Digital Marketing: Handled all aspects of digital presence including photography, content creation, and brand positioning
Technical Stack
- Shopify (Liquid templating)
- Custom CSS and JavaScript
- A/B testing tools
- E-commerce analytics and optimization
Business Impact
- Successfully launched and grew a profitable online business
- Developed deep understanding of e-commerce best practices and conversion optimization
- Built strong skills in customer research and user-centered design
- Gained valuable experience in entrepreneurship and full-stack business management
Skills Developed
This entrepreneurial venture was instrumental in my transition to software engineering, teaching me:
- The importance of user research and data-driven decision making
- How to build and iterate on digital products
- Project management and stakeholder communication (customers, suppliers, manufacturers)
- The technical skills that eventually led to my career in frontend development
Duration: September 2017 - October 2020