Improv: From Blank Canvas to Live and Taking Orders
Improv had a product and no store. We built one that makes the first order a multi-pack and the second order automatic.
About the client
One packet and one shot make a cocktail with 3g of sugar and electrolytes from coconut water.
Company:
Improv Mixers
Location:
Industry:
Food & Beverage (cocktail mixers, DTC)
Timeline:
6 Weeks
Start Date:
Live Site:
Visit the siteAbout the collaboration
Services:
Brand-led web design (Figma), custom Shopify development (Liquid)
Platform & Apps:
Shopify, custom Liquid sections, Recharge, Klaviyo
Challenge:
A new brand with a product and a strong voice, but no store, in a crowded category.
Solution:
Hero variations in Figma, full designs, a custom Shopify build, bundles and Recharge subscriptions, then a design and accessibility audit.
Impact:
Live and taking orders, with a store built to make the first order a multi-pack and the second automatic.
Improv makes powdered cocktail mixers with electrolytes from coconut water: 3g of sugar, gluten-free, low-calorie. Add a shot and cold water and it's a margarita. Founder Alex started it after years of loving a good cocktail but not the morning after, with a career and four kids to show up for. The brand promise says it plainly: built for people who have sh*t to do tomorrow.
Improv came to Gleam with a product, a strong voice and no website. Its audience is design-literate and decides whether to trust a new brand from the storefront, long before tasting anything. So the store had three jobs from day one: look like a category leader, explain an unfamiliar product fast, and make a bigger first order the obvious choice.
How long did it take to build Improv's store?
6 weeks, from the first Figma frame to a launch-ready store.
How custom is Improv's Shopify store?
Seven custom-coded homepage sections, from the hero slider to the footer wordmark, give Improv its own presence, and each one is editable in Shopify's customizer.
How do Improv's bundles and subscriptions work?
A bundle builder lets shoppers mix up to four flavors for up to 15% off. Two packs get 10% off and free shipping, three get 15% off, and Subscribe & Save through Recharge gets 25% off.
Can Improv's team change the store without a developer?
Yes. Every section is editable in Shopify's customizer, so new flavors and offers don't need a developer.
How was the store checked for accessibility?
We audited it against WCAG 2.1 AA before launch: scans of 9 page types on desktop and mobile, a code review of every custom section, a keyboard-only purchase, a screen-reader check and 200% zoom. The first round of fixes cleared all 234 elements flagged in our theme code.
The Problem
- A Crowded Category and Zero Presence: Better-for-you drinks are a packed shelf, and Improv had no store, no digital brand and no audience. Its shoppers read design as a trust signal, so a stock theme would have made a new brand look like every drop-shipper in the feed.
- A Product Nobody Can Taste Online: A powder can't be sampled in a browser, and a cocktail from a packet needs explaining. The site had to sell the flavor, the ritual and the ingredients before the first sip.
- One Pack Couldn't Carry the Business: At $34.99 for a 15-pack, one-off orders wouldn't build a business. The store had to make multi-packs and subscriptions the natural choice from the first visit.
- A Range Still Taking Shape: Two flavors in stock, with Tropical Margarita and a Variety Pack on the way. Improv needed shoppers to mix what exists and commit to what's coming, instead of waiting for the range to fill out.
Asking the right questions
Heavy motion on a mobile-first store
Improv's brand needed movement: a rotating hero, a recipe that lights up as you scroll, and a flavor slider that repaints the section for each cocktail. Heavy animation is the fastest way to slow a mobile store, and it can make some visitors unwell. So the motion was built with an exit: visitors who ask their device to reduce motion get the full content without the animation, and the store carries its own accessibility policy.
The GamePlan
Start with hero variations
Explore the first screen in Figma before anything else, so the brand's look is settled at the top of the page.
Design the full store
Carry that direction through home, product, collection, about, FAQ and contact.
Build it in Shopify
Code custom Liquid sections, each editable in Shopify's customizer, so no page looks like a theme.
Add bundles and subscriptions
Wire in a mix-your-own bundle builder, a savings ladder and Recharge subscriptions, so every path leads past a single pack.
Audit design and accessibility
Review the whole store before launch, with scans, a code review and hands-on keyboard and screen-reader tests.
Report and ship
Hand Improv clear reports on what was tested and fixed, then ship the store live.
The Solution
We started with hero variations in Figma, designed the full store, built it in Shopify, added bundles and Recharge subscriptions, audited design and accessibility, and shipped it.
We Started With Hero Variations
Improv had a strong voice and no digital presence, and its shoppers read design as a trust signal.
We opened in Figma with variations of the hero section alone, working out how Improv's voice and palette should land on the first screen. That direction set the look for everything after it, and became the "Made for good nights & good mornings" hero.
Then the Full Store Design
A powder can't be sampled in a browser, and a cocktail from a packet needs explaining.
A recipe that lights up as you scroll (1 packet, 1 shot of tequila, 5oz cold water, shake & enjoy) explains the product at a glance. A "Why Choose Improv" comparison and a breakdown of coconut water, Himalayan salt and organic agave do the tasting for the screen.
Built in Shopify, Section by Section
A stock theme would have made a new brand look like every drop-shipper in the feed.
Seven custom-coded homepage sections, from the hero slider to a full-width footer wordmark, give Improv the presence of a category leader. Every section is editable in Shopify's customizer, so new flavors and offers don't need a developer.
Bundles and Subscriptions With Recharge
At $34.99 for a 15-pack, one-off orders wouldn't build a business, and two of the four flavors hadn't shipped yet.
A bundle builder lets shoppers mix up to four flavors for up to 15% off, and upcoming flavors sell as pre-orders. The savings ladder makes the math obvious: 10% off and free shipping at two packs, 15% off at three, and 25% off with Subscribe & Save, powered by Recharge.
A Full Design and Accessibility Audit
Automated tools catch roughly a third of real-world accessibility problems, and the rest can stop a real shopper from buying.
Before launch we reviewed the whole store's design and audited it against WCAG 2.1 AA: scans of 9 page types on desktop and mobile, a code review of every custom section, a keyboard-only purchase from home page to checkout, a screen-reader check and 200% zoom. The first round of fixes cleared all 234 elements flagged in our theme code.
Reported, Shipped, Taking Orders
Improv got the findings in plain-language reports: what we tested, what we fixed and what needed their team. Then we shipped it. The store is live at drinkimprov.com and taking orders.
The Results
Improv is live and taking orders, with the presence of a much bigger brand. Shoppers learn the ritual in four steps, see exactly what a second pack saves, and can subscribe from any product card or pre-order flavors that haven't shipped yet. Improv's team can launch flavors, change offers and run campaigns from the Shopify customizer, with no developer in the loop.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will it take to get my website live?
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