Case Study: Selah Pottery Studio (Cobble Hill, BC)

When Lauren came to me to build a website for Selah Pottery Studio in Cobble Hill, she didn’t have an existing site to fix.

She had something more difficult.

A brand new business, a lot of moving pieces, and no clear way yet for people to book, understand her offerings, or even know where to start.

The Challenge

Selah isn’t a typical service-based business.

It needed to support:

* Multi-week classes

* One-night workshops

* Drop-in studio time

* Memberships and passes

* New client onboarding (studio orientation)

All without feeling overwhelming or complicated.

On top of that, the studio itself is very intentional. Calm, welcoming, community-focused. The website needed to reflect that without becoming overly styled or hard to use.

The Approach

Instead of trying to build something complex, we focused on making things feel simple.

We structured the site around how people naturally think:

* “I want to take a class”

* “I want to try a workshop”

* “I just want to come in and create”

From there, we built clear pathways for each.

Key Decisions

A few things made a big difference:

1. Separating Classes, Workshops, and Drop-In

Rather than one long list of services, each category has its own page. This keeps things easier to browse and less overwhelming.

2. Simplifying the Drop-In System

Instead of building a complicated booking structure, we created two clear options:

* Wheel (limited spots)

* Table / hand-building

This keeps capacity controlled without confusing the user.

3. Service-First Booking Flow

Users choose what they want to do first, then pick a time. It sounds small, but it makes the experience feel much more natural.

4. Designing for Real Use

Most people will be booking on their phone, often quickly. So the focus stayed on:

* Clear navigation

* Minimal clicks

* No unnecessary steps

The Result

The final site feels like the studio itself.

* Calm and uncluttered

* Easy to move through

* Clear next steps at every stage

It supports bookings without feeling like a system.

And just as important, it’s something Lauren can manage and grow over time without needing constant help.

What This Project Reinforced

You don’t always need more features.

You need the right structure.

When a website matches how people actually think and move, everything gets easier. Booking, browsing, even just understanding what’s offered.

Thinking About Something Similar?

If you’re building or reworking a website for your business in Cowichan Valley or nearby, and you want something that feels clear and easy to use, I’m always happy to chat.