Fairylake
Web design for a San Francisco business
01
What is Fairylake?
As a small neighborhood pet business that has served the community for over 50 years, Fairylake Aquarium is a hub for pet owners and fish-enthusiasts alike. They specialize in fancy gold-fish, angelfish, and prized discus.
02
Why?
Although Fairylake Aquarium was first founded over fifty years ago, the company had yet to establish an online presence. For most of its existence, word-of-mouth was enough to spread influence. But with an increasing proportion of young customers, Fairylake decided to make the change. My goal was to create a digital space that unites the stories of this family-owned business’s past with the technologically engaged state of its present. This website refines their message and showcases their impact through its interactions and visuals. Each component of the website was designed to strike a balance between fun and professional.
03
How?
Visuals
The owners of Fairylake Aquarium wanted to preserve a sense of privacy in the presentation of the “about” section narrative. This meant restrictions on photography usage. I chose to design graphical portraits for each staff member to fulfill this need. This same hand-drawn style is kept throughout the about section and catalog page.
Generative Art
The generative art programs were designed to add a dynamic component to the site that piqued the user’s interest through motion. Both the “flocking fish” on the Home page and the “shy seaweed” of the About page were designed to capture the meditative feeling of observing and keeping fish.
