Fresh From The Field: Abel Fragrance — By Studio Almond
Studio Almond works with ecommerce brands to create solutions the drive innovation, autonomy, and scale. In this edition of Fresh from the Field we discover how Studio Almond distilled Abel Fragrance’s identity into a digital experience and the strategies they implemented to bridge a sensory gap.
Fresh from the Field is a weekly article series sharing fresh and inspiring work from the Design Assembly community. Want to submit your work to Fresh From The Field? Fill out the form here.
The brief
With a renewed sense of identity, Abel Fragrance approached Studio Almond to translate their evolution online.
Studio Almond brought Abel’s new positioning to life with a bespoke Shopify Plus experience—designing and developing a site that embodies the essence of Radical Fragrance while empowering the team for their next phase of growth.
Empowered by the new Radical Fragrance positioning, Abel had distilled their identity to its most essential, distinctive elements presenting a bolder, edgier, more emotive brand. Studio Almond applied this same philosophy when translating their new vision and visual direction to the site’s design, leveraging data and insights to strip away anything superfluous. The result is a focused and cohesive brand experience that amplifies Abel’s position as leaders within luxury perfume.
The primary challenge lay in communicating fragrance through a digital lens. Without the ability to rely on scent, creative strategies were implemented to bridge the sensory gap, making the experience as immersive as possible while driving conversions.
Designing for Depth and Discovery
Studio Almond took a stripped-back yet emotive approach, mirroring Abel’s own philosophy of distillation—removing anything superfluous to create a site that was both elegant and functional. The result is an online experience that is not only visually captivating but one that guides users through moments of discovery, ensuring every interaction reinforces Abel’s expertise in natural perfumery.
Focused Moments of Discovery
Each fragrance was given its own moment. On collection pages, a dynamic expanded view presents the mood, scent notes, and an immediate add-to-cart function. Soft, ethereal blurs—activated on scroll—create an immersive transition, drawing users deeper into the brand’s world.
Interactive Scent Exploration
Recognising that fragrance is deeply personal, Studio Almond developed an aroma selector, allowing customers to explore by scent notes rather than product names. This feature introduces a more intuitive and emotional way to connect with the fragrances, enhancing user engagement and product discovery.
Layered Product Education
Transparency is at the heart of Abel, and this needed to be seamlessly embedded into the site experience. Instead of overwhelming users with detail upfront, Studio Almond delivered information in layers—a short scent description on entry, followed by a subtle fade revealing the product shot. A flyout modal offers a deeper dive into fragrance notes, synthetic comparisons, and a full ingredient list, reinforcing Abel’s stance on radical transparency.
Crafting Behavioural Shifts Through Design
Beyond aesthetics, the site was designed to subtly shift customer behaviour—encouraging users to explore and ultimately choose natural perfumery.
Education Through Comparison
A flyout modal within collection pages presents a glossary of synthetic perfumes alongside their Abel alternatives, gently guiding users toward natural choices. A dedicated perfume guide provides further insight, reinforcing the benefits of Abel’s formulations.
Strategic Upsells
Conversion-focused features were integrated with a shipping upsell mechanism in the cart, visually indicating how close a customer was to qualifying for free shipping—an approach proven to increase average order value. A separate cart upsell strategically promoted the new 6ml size, enhancing accessibility and encouraging trial.
The Outcome
What began as a visual and functional overhaul became a true extension of Abel’s philosophy—a site that doesn’t just sell perfume but deepens customer engagement, educates through experience, and reflects the bold defiance of Radical Fragrance. Every interaction is considered, every detail intentional, ensuring that Abel’s next chapter is not just seen, but felt.
The Design Team
Alex Murton
Monica Murton
Dan Bisley
Kelly Rayner
Gina Kelly
Ahmad Bilal
https://www.almond.studio/
https://www.instagram.com/studioalmond_/
Fresh from the Field is a weekly article series sharing fresh and inspiring work from the Design Assembly community. Want to submit your work to Fresh From The Field? Fill out the form here.
