Development of an e-commerce site for a brand at the intersection of art and design
JCP Universe presents objects of wonder and discovery from an imaginary alternative reality. It is an unconventional brand that goes beyond the usual commercial framework to make culture accessible to everyone, transcending market trends and moving beyond mere variations on familiar styles with pieces that have their own unique identity.
Such a bold positioning does not allow for a website built like any ordinary shop. The target audience does not buy a table or a lamp: they buy a designer piece, often knowing the designer before they know the object. This is why the catalogue can also be browsed by designer, with pages dedicated to the designers behind the collections, alongside the breakdown by product type.
It is a choice that overturns the usual hierarchy of the furniture industry, where the designer is, at best, a footnote in the product description. Here, they are the gateway, because those who follow this type of design are looking for that very name.
Around the catalogue, the website builds a cultural framework that underpins the brand’s positioning: the ‘jcpaedia’ section serves as an encyclopaedia of the brand’s world, whilst events and news items document its presence on the design circuit. There is also a showroom page, a customer care section, a customer login area and an accessibility statement.
When the designer matters as much as the object
On most furniture websites, the designer is merely a footnote at the bottom of the product page. For a brand that straddles the worlds of art and design, this hierarchy is misguided, because those who follow that world look first for the creator and then for the object.
With JCP Universe, we have therefore made the designers a standalone navigation category, alongside product types. It is a decision that may seem minor but actually conveys the brand’s positioning better than any text: it tells the visitor that here, the pieces have a creator and an identity; they are not simply variations from a catalogue. The same applies to the brand encyclopaedia, which builds a cultural context around the collection.
NewVisibility was founded in 2013 based on an idea by Andrea and Luca, lifelong friends who had already been building websites for several years before giving themselves a name. Since then, we have worked with over three hundred clients. We are a team on a human scale: you speak directly to those working on the project, without intermediaries, even after publication.
Read our manifesto
NewVisibility, a web development agency in the province of Como, which designed the catalogue structure and developed the brand's platform.
An unconventional brand presenting design objects from an imaginary alternative reality, going beyond the usual commercial framework with pieces that have a unique identity.
Because those who follow collectible design look for the creator first and the object second. Making designers a navigation key in their own right meets exactly that kind of search.
An encyclopaedia of the brand's world, building a cultural context around the collections that the catalogue alone could not convey.
Because a collectible piece is assessed in person and the brand lives on the design circuit. Events and showroom connect the online presence with the physical one.
Here the product sold is not a functional item but an object with an authorial identity. This changes the catalogue hierarchy and the weight of cultural content.
Yes. We are based in the furniture district between Como and Brianza and are listed on the Lombardy regional register of incubators and accelerators for fashion and design.
Special Kudos
The jcpuniverse.com website has received the Special Kudos, Best UI/UX, awarded by CSS Design Awards, an international benchmark in the web industry that recognises the best websites for design, usability and innovation. The platform, developed by the team at our web development agency in the province of Como, is based on Magento, one of the world’s most widely used CMS platforms for e-commerce: thanks to its endless customisation possibilities, Magento has enabled us to create a unique e-commerce site with meticulous attention to every detail, such as the distinctive ‘glitch’ effect applied to the images on the homepage.
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