My Favorite Bespoke Websites and What You Can Learn From Them

I frequently visit websites whose layouts resemble one another, often made from popular, ready-made services like Squarespace, GoDaddy, and WordPress. Yet, occasionally, I discover a bespoke web design that captures my attention with its cool animations, unique functionality, and seamless transitions.

Content is king, but how it’s presented, the site’s functionalities, the layout, and personal touches amplify its impact, making it truly memorable. This was my experience with the Emonomies website, which ultimately won me over with its creativity.

Entering the site felt like tuning into a quirky, glitchy TV channel, sparking an immediate interest and anticipation for what was to come. But it’s not just about first impressions. The site’s navigation is unique, requiring you to use keyboard arrows to move through the content, which unfolds one page at a time — just like a book.

Bespoke design goes beyond aesthetics, creating a unique and engaging user experience. In this article, we'll explore the world of bespoke websites, delving into the behind-the-scenes of these digital masterpieces and showcasing examples that redefine online presence.

• What is bespoke web design?
• When would you want a bespoke web design?
• My Favorite Bespoke Web Designs

What is bespoke web design?

So, what makes a website bespoke? A custom-designed website based on your audience’s purpose and business goals is considered a bespoke web design. There are steps to creating one that stands out. Let’s check out a few below:

• Research and plan. The research stage consists of defining your project, your target audience, and your business objectives and goals.
• Brand. The brand stage is about defining your brand and determining the colors, the logo, the mission statement, etc. This stage is where you define the memorable aspect of your idea.
• Design. The design phase involves drawing or creating wireframes of your website’s look and feel. For inspiration, check out our article, The 29 Dominating Web Design Trends for 2023.
• Build. The build stage consists of building your website’s front and back end, business logic, and functionalities.
• Test. During the testing stage, you will test the website to ensure you like how it looks and serves its intended purpose.
• Live. Once everything is good to go, it’s time to go live for your audience to enjoy.

Creating a bespoke web design isn’t cheap or quick due to the many players and processes involved. However, the investment is worth it if you want 100% control over your website’s narrative.

For example, you can create this functionality if you want a modal to pop up when a particular button is clicked. But a bespoke website is not the only way.

If you are on a budget or need a quick web presence, consider an out-of-the-box option like WordPress. Out-of-the-box websites typically involve templates with predetermined components, layouts, and functionalities. Compared to Template options, Bespoke designs are the best route if you plan to expand, want greater SEO visibility, and want to optimize your website continually.

The following section will discover a few scenarios that call for a bespoke web design.

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When would you want a bespoke web design?

Before becoming a software developer, I created websites for small businesses using templates. But there were times when I had to put my client’s needs first and recommend that they contact an agency that could completely design their website from scratch.

I specifically remember a seamstress who sold boutique fashions she had created independently. She was selling her fashions globally via Instagram direct messages but wanted to pivot to selling from a website.

Not only was her vision for the website design very unique, but she also had a 5 - 10-year business plan that projected a large growth. She needed a website that could scale with her. Her needs were a clear indicator that she needed a bespoke web design.

The available templates would not work for her business needs. I suggested she contact an agency that offered more skilled services.

Another scenario that may call for a bespoke web design is a global brand with a huge following. Think about a brand like Chipotle. They have a custom brand image that is consistently shown around the world.

Additionally, they have a service to provide to customers. They need certain functionalities on their website to fulfill customer needs. They also need performance to be available and quick at all times. A bespoke web design would be more beneficial for global brands similar to Chipotle.

A company that offers a SaaS product will also likely need a bespoke web design. The company will need to design the website tailored to their customer needs.

They may or may not need to include custom integrations or technology. As their demand grows, they will need to be able to scale their application. And, of course, their performance must always be top-tier to keep customers interested.

Now that we have explored a few of the best scenarios for a bespoke web design, let’s check out some live examples.

My Favorite Bespoke Web Designs

When searching for a bespoke design, I look for unique layouts, color themes, animations, how grouped content is organized and displayed, and elements and functionalities that I have never seen before. 

The Frank Body

The Frank Body Brand offers clean body and skincare derived from natural ingredients. The story behind the brand is super cool. As five friends sipped coffee, they thought about how cool it would be to create a clean skincare coffee made of delicious coffee beans to liven up the skincare industry and soften the skin.

But before I fell in love with their product, I was captivated by their digital presence. The customizations make Frank Body a great candidate for a bespoke web design.

What I love: Their wordplay, bright pastel color theme, and marketing images are enough to make anyone want to give their products a try.

Herbalife

Herbalife is a global corporation that creates and distributes dietary supplements to individual distributors for sale. The site is full of content supporting the items they offer.

Distributors and their clients can view recipes, supplement benefits and ingredients, information about Herbalife, and much more. The website incorporates custom components strategically designed to showcase Herbalife’s content but, most importantly, to gauge the interest of independent distributors.

What I love: Their custom color themes, grouped information and images in carousels, and video slideshows are unique.

Legacy Food Hall

Legacy Food Hall in Plano, Texas, is basically a mall of food. It is a huge space with food selections like lobster rolls, pizza, hibachi, ice cream, tacos, fried chicken, and more. They have weekly entertainment for a night out and great vibes.

With so many options, Legacy Food Hall needs a bespoke web design to communicate all it offers to potential customers. I like how their website includes options to RSVP for upcoming events, order food, and read their blogs.

What I love: The ability to order food from all food companies under one cart. This custom feature makes it easy to checkout without entering my credit card information multiple times, being that there are multiple food companies in the hall. This functionality makes a bespoke design worth the time, investment, and effort for a space like Legacy Hall.

Dallas Web Design & Development Solutions

Dallas Web Design & Development Solutions’ name says it all. They are a web design agency committed to helping businesses develop stellar website designs and attract a profitable audience.

What I love: This website’s design showcases their abilities. Their potential customers get to see firsthand how creative they are. From its animated logo to its middle section that groups an overview of its primary services with sleek transitions, this web design agency’s website is one of a kind.

Meta

Meta is a technology company that builds applications and platforms to keep people connected. You probably know it for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Meta’s About page creates an engaging and dynamic experience that should inspire your bespoke website.

Sections of the page load on scroll, with gifs and editorial photos from various Meta platforms appearing onscreen. You can scroll through a carousel of impressive metrics that show the reach of Meta’s platforms. (For example, over 700 million people use their AR apps monthly.)

What I love: Meta’s website integrates still photos, videos, and gifs across the page. There’s always something engaging to catch your eye.

Create Your Bespoke Web Design from Scratch Today

As the internet grows and more companies establish their digital presence, bespoke web designs will always be a strong choice.

Creating a digital solution that resonates with users and supports the business’s unique objective goals will remain a priority for most brands. If your team is interested in building your website from the ground up, start researching and creating your plan to build your custom website today.