Woven Nook by Brickspace Lab: Winners of the Outstanding Shop Award for best Superstore store

When Thomas Kimura graduated from school in 2015, he decided to gain some real-world experience in web design and development as a freelancer through Storetasker. In just two years he rose through the ranks, earning the title of Storetasker Expert and a loyal client base. A year later, Kimura decided it was time to build something of his own, so he founded Brickspace Lab. 

An award-winning project

The Toronto-based ecommerce design and development brand was born from an entrepreneurial dream and now has a team of seven taking on projects from all types of ecommerce businesses. One project in particular recently won Brickspace Lab and their client Woven Nook the Outstanding Shop Award for best online store using Pixel Union’s Superstore theme. 

The Brickspace Lab team gave Woven Nook a fresh new look with a minimalist design that lets the store’s products shine.

“We applied a minimal treatment to the UI to really let the content and great photography take center stage,” says Kimura. “My favourite part of the new design is how well everything fits together!”

Making a large product line easy to shop

A challenge Brickspace Lab had with this project was grappling with the homeware brand’s large product inventory and the different ways in which each product was sold. 

“Woven Nook has a variety of products and sells their inventory in different formats,” explains Kimura. “Some pillows are available in bundles and some are single packs. This was a unique situation which pushed us to really evaluate the content structure.”

By prioritizing information architecture and choosing the right theme for product organization, the developers were able to ensure a simple shopping experience while showcasing everything the brand has to offer. 

“The Superstore theme has been great for flexibility right out of the box,” says Kimura. 

Passion projects make it worthwhile

It’s been a long road for Kimura to get Brickspace Lab working at their current capacity. 

“It has been a slow, gradual process growing Brickspace Lab to what it is now,” says Kimura. “It has taken a lot of luck and a lot of long hours but it has been super rewarding.”

What makes it rewarding, according to Kimura, are the entrepreneurs behind the brands they work with. 

“We love to work with merchants who are excited and passionate about their products,” he says. “It’s extremely refreshing to work with clients who have a clear vision and are willing to trust us to bring it to life.”

Take a risk, Google the rest

When all is said and done, Kimura is most proud of his decision to forgo a steady job and start freelancing in the first place. 

“It’s the decision that would eventually lead to what is Brickspace Lab today,” he says.

While he warns that entrepreneurship can be difficult, Kimura encourages fellow entrepreneurs to believe in their interests and make a career out of it.

He says,“If you’re excited about the idea and are passionate then the rest is a Google search away.”