CS Strong

A custom WordPress website built around a breast cancer patient’s personal journey — merging an editorial blog experience with a WooCommerce storefront, secure donation integration, custom JavaScript development, and a deeply personal brand identity built to honor the individual at the heart of the story.

Dual

Blog + E-Commerce in One Experience

Custom

JavaScript & Code Development

Secure

Donation Functionality Integrated

Full

Merch Line — Logo to WooCommerce Store

Client

CS Strong

Role

Web Designer, Developer & Brand Designer

Platform

WordPress + WooCommerce

Type

Freelance / Client Project

Overview

A platform as strong as the person it was built for.

CS Strong is more than a website — it’s a digital space built around one person’s experience navigating breast cancer, designed to share her story, support her healing journey, and connect with a community that shows up for her. The challenge was building something that could hold the emotional weight of that story while also functioning as a fully capable e-commerce platform, donation hub, and ongoing editorial space — all in one cohesive, user-friendly experience.

The Challenge

The Problem

Three functions. One seamless experience.

The site needed to operate simultaneously as a personal blog, a branded e-commerce store, and a secure donation platform — three distinct functions that each carry different UX demands, technical requirements, and emotional tones. Making them feel unified rather than cobbled together required deliberate architecture and custom development work beyond what any theme provides out of the box.

The Approach

Custom code where the platform fell short

A responsive WordPress theme served as the foundation, extended with custom JavaScript and strategic plugin integration to meet the project’s specific needs. WooCommerce powered the storefront, while the client’s preferred donation platforms were integrated securely — all wrapped in a brand identity built around a single, personally meaningful shade of pink.

Areas of Work

WordPress Development

Built on a responsive WordPress theme as a foundation, extended with custom JavaScript and code to meet the specific technical and experiential requirements of the project — delivering functionality the theme alone couldn’t provide.

E-Commerce Blog Integration

Merged an engaging editorial blog format with a fully functional digital storefront — designing a unified experience where storytelling and commerce coexist naturally without either undermining the other.

Donation Platform Integration

Implemented secure donation functionality through the client’s preferred platforms — ensuring supporters could contribute to the cause easily, safely, and in a way that felt consistent with the site’s overall experience.

Brand Identity & Logo

Designed a custom logo for breast cancer awareness built around a specific shade of pink personally chosen by the individual the site honors — ensuring the brand carries authentic meaning, not just aesthetic appeal.

Merchandise Graphics

Created a range of compelling graphics for branded clothing and merchandise — designed to translate the brand identity from screen to physical apparel with the same intentionality and care as the digital experience.

WooCommerce Store

Integrated the full merchandise line into a WooCommerce storefront — building out the product catalog, store structure, and shopping experience to give supporters a seamless way to purchase branded apparel and items.

Mobile Design Process

Built to reach people wherever they are.

A site centered on a personal story and community support has to work everywhere — and for an audience likely sharing links, reading updates, and shopping from their phones, mobile wasn’t an afterthought. Rather than relying on automatic responsive behavior, the mobile experience was purpose-built to ensure the blog, store, and donation functionality all perform with the same clarity and emotional resonance on a small screen as they do on desktop.

Desktop experience designed for full editorial and storefront immersion
Donation and checkout
flows re-optimized for mobile ease of use

Mobile layout rebuilt from scratch for phone and tablet users
Brand tone and personal story land with equal impact on any screen size

Featured Focus

Design With Heart

A brand built around one person’s story

The most meaningful design constraint on this project wasn’t technical — it was personal. Every visual decision was made in service of the individual at the center of this story and the community surrounding her.

Custom logo incorporating a personally chosen shade of pink — meaningful to the individual, not just the cause

Editorial and commerce unified in a single experience that never loses sight of the human story behind it

Secure donation integration giving the community a trusted, simple way to show support

Merchandise line extending the brand into the physical world — apparel that supporters are proud to wear

Do you like this design? I’d love to the opportunity to create a version for your brand.