La Bicicleta cafe website design
About the client
La Bicicleta Cafe is arguably Madrid's coolest coffee shop. It's located in the heart of the buzzing, hipster neighborhood, Malasaña. Time Out calls them Malasaña’s hipster temple. Conde Naste Traveler says they have one of the best brunches in Madrid. La Bicicleta Cafe is not only popular with locals, but it is also a hot spot for international students and tourists alike. Their success with their first location has given them the opportunity to open not one, but two new locations in Madrid.
The challenge
The client needed a website to use as the hub of all information related to La Bicicleta Cafe and its three locations. As they have received a lot of press over the years, there was nowhere to rely on a true source of information other than their social media pages. Having a website allows them to provide customers a reliable source of information and own their brand rather than rely on outside sources to get it right.
Structure
There was no previous website to base the structure on, therefore we started from scratch. The challenge was determining the best way to organize the information as there are three locations, different menus, and in both English and in Spanish. The fact that it needed to be a bilingual site already posed interesting challenges when it came to content organization and user experience.
Content
As there was no preexisting content (except for the menu items), it was up to us to determine how to talk about the new locations, what they represent, and ensure the overall website tone matches the brand's personality.
Design
Capturing the essence of La Bicicleta, but online, proved to be the most difficult challenge of this project. A lot of what makes La Bicicleta Cafe special is that it appeals to all of your senses. How do you capture the aroma of fresh coffee brewing? The clinking of cups, and the low buzz of people chattering? The warm ambiance and the coziness of that worn-out sofa in the dark corner?
La Bicicleta is more than just a coffee shop. It's a place where people from all walks of life somehow mesh together. An unforced, no-judgment zone. At La Bicicleta, you'll find Madrid's uber-hipsters chatting over drinks, furrow-browed digital nomads huddled around the coworking table, awkward Tinder dates making small talk over an artisanal beer, and Stepford wives having one too many mimosas during weekend brunch.
What on earth could all of these people have in common? It's inviting and eclectic atmosphere, delicious seasonal menu, and eco-sourced coffee are all factors that contribute to its success. But how do we bottle that character and transfer it to something intangible?
The solution
Structure
We created a cover page that first divides the users by language. Therefore when you land on the homepage, you're asked if you'd like the English or Spanish version of the website. That helps create a relevant customer experience for the user.
Upon selecting the language, the user is taken to a welcome page with information about the three locations, plenty of photos of the food and atmosphere, as well as their famous coffee menu, "not coffee" menu, lunch and evening menus. The food menu is also in the navigation to ensure people don't have to scroll all the way down the page to find what they're looking for as the menu is the most sought out item.
Content
Working closely with the owner, we went through several rounds of content revisions until we nailed the tone. It had to be a balance of informative and inviting; hip, yet not trying too hard. Once the content was finalized in English, we translated it (with help) to implement it on the Spanish side of the website.
Design
To try and capture the essence of La Bicicleta online, we spent a lot of time finding the perfect photos that clearly represent what it stands for. We used a combination of large, screen-spanning photos of their seasonal menu items, the ambience of the interior, people gathered to share moments with friends, laptop-lovers working on their next big project, and of course, shots of their famous coffee.
Take a look at the website here >
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