Megan and Nate had the food, the following, and the farmers market momentum. What they didn't have was a website that looked like they did. 86dsd needed to grow up digitally — without losing the grassroots energy that made people fall in love with it in the first place.

Understanding Pain Points & Defining Goals

During the discovery call, I identified the founders’ challenges with their existing site and their goal to grow 86dsd from pop-ups into a full-time food business. With momentum from local markets, they needed a more robust platform than WordPress to support catering inquiries, orders, and brand credibility. I proposed a focused redesign centered on intuitive navigation, curated menus, and conversion-driven inquiry flows- capturing the authentic ethos of 86dsd as a San Diego-based food brand.

The brand needed to feel bold without losing its street roots

During the beta testing phase, I shaped a cohesive brand identity such as defining the color palette, typography, navigation, photography, and founder storytelling. To elevate their online presence, I recommended professional food photography and drew inspiration from Asian fusion brands and local pop-ups to create a bold, polished identity that still felt maintained 86d's grassroots energy.

Client collaboration kept the brand from drifting

We collaborated on a weekly basis, with the exception of holidays, to ensure quality control and alignment on deliverables. I documented each meeting with clear expectations and next steps to keep the project moving smoothly. In addition, I partnered with a fellow designer on the brand’s new logo, experimenting with and advising on color palette options to support 86d's evolving identity.

Ghostwriting the menu copy was the last piece – the language had to match the brand

In order to effectively communicate their story and branding, I chose a visual-first approach – photos of the founders and a ticker scroll featuring their food and services to immediately engage the users. In addition, I designed their menu and ghostwrote the food descriptions to ensure the language matched the bold, fusion-forward identity of the brand.

86dsd found a permanent home in North Park. The site came with them.

As my time with Nate and Megan neared the end, I ensured that their domains were transferred over and was on retainer for 30 days to ensure client satisfaction and to troubleshoot any potential issues with their website. As of the current, 86dsd has found a permanent residence catering Asian-Latino fusion food in the heart of North Park.

Landing Page

The 86dsd redesign translates the brand’s bold, fusion-forward food into a confident digital experience led by strong typography, high-contrast color, and immersive food photography. The streamlined layout prioritizes visual clarity, clear navigation, and strategic CTAs, guiding users toward ordering, catering, and founder storytelling. The result elevates 86dsd from a pop-up presence into a cohesive, growth-ready brand rooted in community and craft.

The About Us perfectly encapsulates the dynamic between the duo where Nate crafts bold, inventive flavors, while Megan brings the organization and strategy that turns vision into reality – together shaping a distinctive Asian fusion experience.

Inquiry & Catering Request

The catering and inquiry forms were designed to minimize friction while capturing high-intent leads. Clear input hierarchy, mobile-first layouts, and purposeful field selection ensure users can submit requests quickly, while giving the team the information needed to respond efficiently and convert interest into bookings.

Menu & Location Page

The menu and location poster were designed for speed, clarity, and adaptability – making it easy for customers to understand offerings and find the pop-up across digital and physical touchpoints. Strong hierarchy, legible typography, and brand-forward visuals ensure the system scales with 86dsd’s fast-paced, pop-up-driven operations.

Key Takeaways

1. Designing for early-stage brands requires clarity over pretty pixels

With 86dsd still in the nascent stage of establishing their identity, the focus was on creating a clear, confident foundation prioritizing strong visuals, straightforward navigation, and direct CTAs to drive conversions as opposed to sweating the details. In this case, less really is more.

2. Visual storytelling makes or break food-businesses

It goes without saying people eat with their eyes so naturally strong photography and branding were essential in establishing social proof and aligning with the 86dsd's mission.

3. Brand voice and UX are inseparable

Ghostwriting menu descriptions and refining copy reinforced that tone, language, and hierarchy play just as large a role as visuals in shaping trust and personality.

4. Constraints can sharpen design decisions

Working within a lean timeline and early-stage content pushed intentional choices, resulting in a site that feels bold, focused, and scalable as the brand grows

What I'd Do Differently

Given more time, I would've expanded usability testing and second-round iterations on a grassroots level with their direct clientele at live events. This would include user interviews, surveys, and observational testing to validate navigation clarity, identify friction points, and refine key flows.