Singularu Web

Singularu, a leading company in the jewelry sector, sought to improve its e-commerce experience through the development of a new website on Shopify.

Initially, the goal was to create an online store using a headless architecture, a mode that allows separating the frontend from the backend for greater flexibility and performance. In this particular case, Shopify was planned to be used as the backend, combined with a custom frontend solution without using Hydrogen, as it did not exist at that time.

Strategy

To tackle this project, our team proposed the following strategy:

  1. Research and analysis: We evaluated Singularu's specific needs and analyzed the best practices in headless architecture.

  2. Design and planning: We developed a detailed plan for the development of a custom frontend, ensuring it was fully scalable and adaptable to future needs.

  3. Prototype development: We started the development of a headless prototype, using modern technologies optimized for superior performance.

  4. CMS: We decided to use Locomotive CMS for editing and creating pages, which allowed for more flexible and dynamic content management.

Technical Challenges

  1. Integration complexity: Integrating a non-headless CMS like Locomotive CMS with a headless system posed a considerable challenge. The lack of native tools to facilitate this integration required custom solutions and meticulous management.

  2. Immature infrastructure: At the time of development, alternatives like Strapi, Remix, or Shopify's own Hydrogen did not exist or were in very early stages. This meant that the support ecosystem and tools were limited, further complicating the implementation of a headless architecture.

  3. Third-Party plugin integration: One of the main challenges was the integration of third-party plugins and applications, essential for Singularu's daily operations. Many of these tools were specifically designed to work with the traditional Shopify ecosystem.

Project Reorientation

After a series of evaluations and tests, the client decided that adopting a standard Shopify theme would be more beneficial for their immediate operational needs. This decision was made considering the following factors:

  • Ease of use: A Shopify theme would provide a simpler and quicker solution for the Singularu staff, allowing them to manage the site's content and configurations without additional technical complexities.

  • Plugin compatibility: Using a Shopify theme would allow for smoother integration of third-party plugins and applications essential for Singularu, significantly improving the site's operations and functionality.

Finally, we deployed a fully customized Shopify theme that met Singularu's expectations and needs. The result was a robust, easy-to-manage website with seamless integration of third-party plugins.

The decision to opt for a standard Shopify theme, instead of a custom headless solution, allowed Singularu to benefit from a faster implementation and smooth integration of their essential e-commerce tools. This project highlighted the importance of adapting technical solutions to the operational and business needs of clients, thus ensuring their satisfaction and continued success.

You can visit the final result here.

React and functional programming have a steep curve: its documentation isn't entirely up-to-date and its ecosystem isn't as stable as others, yet. Also, since it isn't purely a framework, but a library, in some projects you want to have more guidance in how to build stuff, especially when involving large teams to reduce and limit the project entropy.

Project tech stack

React

React is a free and open-source JavaScript library used mainly to develope component-based user interfaces.

GraphQL

A query language for APIs, developed by Facebook, allowing clients to request exactly the data they need, improving efficiency & application performance.

Locomotive CMS

An easy-to-use and flexible content management system. It is based on Rails, providing a robust platform for editing and creating web pages.

Shopify

Una plataforma completa, robusta y escalable de comercio electrónico que facilita la gestión de productos, el procesamiento de pagos y la administración de pedidos.