A minimal, elegant identity and Squarespace website for Dublin wedding dress designer Olwen Bourke, honouring the ancestral traditions of Irish lace for the
modern bride
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Olwen Bourke
(A) Category_Design
(B) Project Type_Brand & Website Design
Olwen is a maker of beautiful things and a gentlewoman to the core. It’s clear that her work comes from the fabric of her being. From her Dublin atelier, she designs bespoke wedding dresses, each piece shaped around the client and their unique story. She’d built the brand herself over the years and came The Nice Things knowing it was time for it to catch up with the calibre of her work. The visual language we developed together is minimal by design, deliberately quiet to let the fine details hold the eye without distraction.
Olwen's practice is informed by tradition. Her work with Carrickmacross lace makers draws on the techniques and materials of her ancestors, a living connection to heritage that might otherwise be lost. We treated this not as backstory but as subject matter, threading it through the website with use of archival imagery, so that the history of the craft becomes inseparable from the experience of the brand.
Alongside the visual work on brand and Squarespace, we brought the same considered approach to SEO on the back end of the website, ensuring the site was structured for optimisation with keywords woven through to perform as well as it looks.
(C) Scope_Brand Strategy, Logo & Identity, Squarespace Website Design, SEO
THE RESULT
Beauty without visibility is a missed opportunity. Since launch, Olwen ranks on the first page for her four primary search terms, with growing visibility across a wider constellation of related searches. Traffic has increased, and the enquiries that follow speak for themselves.
“I feel very fortunate to have discovered The Nice Things through word of mouth. Working together was such a joy. Marion knew exactly how to refresh my website in a way that felt fresh and contemporary but still staying true to my brand identity. From start to finish, I trusted Marion's advice completely, and felt like she truly understood my work, my story and my ethos. She listened to what I wanted, made excellent observations and suggestions throughout the process, and was completely invested in the project.
Marion is dedicated, talented and fun to work with. Redesigning my website felt like a truly collaborative process, where ideas bounced back and forth and creativity flowed. It felt amazing to work with someone who completely understood what I was about, and somehow knew how to translate that message in a way that felt clear and thoughtful.
Since working with The Nice Things, I'm really proud of my website, logo and overall online presence. My SEO has increased dramatically and I'm now showing up on page 1 of Google searches. I have noticed an increase in traffic to my site and overall customer engagement. It feels like my brand identity has been elevated, and I'm excited about where my business will go from here. I can't rate The Nice Things highly enough. Thank you Marion for your creativity, hard work and talent! ”
Olwen Bourke, Founder at Olwen Bourke