§ Avandiz Studio • Case Studies

She had the art.
We built around it.

Bringing commissions, direct sales, classes, and studio services together in one digital home.

Vicki Schneider is a flameworking artist, educator, and founder of Expressive Glass, a working glass studio in Buffalo, New York.

Her business had evolved considerably over the years. She’s been creating commissioned glass sculptures for collectors and galleries, teaching students, renting studio space, and selling smaller glass creations.

Vicki’s website, however, had not evolved with her business.

Dating back to around 2010, the site no longer represented the visual quality of Vicki’s work or the way the studio operated. Information had accumulated over the years and become difficult to navigate. Commissioning artwork was complicated. Classes relied on an outdated, expensive scheduling service that didn’t provide clients with automated reminders. Smaller pieces were sold through Etsy, where marketplace fees reduced margins. Hosting and other digital services were costing more than they needed to.

This was not simply a website that needed a new look.

The digital side of the studio needed to be reconsidered as a whole.

After: The redesigned homepage gives Vicki’s art room to shine, with a clear structure and large, immersive imagery.

Before: The old site lacked a clear structure and used images that were too small to showcase Vicki’s art in its full beauty.

The Challenge

Expressive Glass had several interconnected problems.

An outdated visual experience

Glass is an intensely visual medium, yet the old website gave Vicki’s work relatively little room to speak for itself. The design, image sizes, typography, and layouts no longer reflected the detail, color, and craftsmanship of the artwork.

Content that had grown complicated

Years of additions had left the site with a lot of valuable information, but the structure had become convoluted. Visitors had to work to understand what Vicki offered and where to go next.

Fragmented sales and business tools

Smaller pieces such as Murrini beads and glass seashells were sold through Etsy rather than directly through Expressive Glass. Classes relied on a separate scheduling service. Hosting, email, commerce, and scheduling were spread across different providers.

The studio has a strong real-world business. Its digital infrastructure simply hadn’t kept up.

A difficult commission process

Vicki’s signature glass flower sculptures are an important part of her work, but the old commission process relied on a tier system that was not intuitive to someone encountering the work for the first time.

Before: The process for ordering commissioned work was too complicated. Visitors had to follow multiple links and navigate a lot of information before making a decision — and then contact the artist by email to place an order.

After: A simple inquiry form now lets clients choose what they’re interested in and start a commission request right from the website.

Phase 1 — Structure Before Design

We didn’t begin with colors or layouts.

We began by restructuring the website.

We mapped the different sides of the business and developed a new site architecture around the things visitors actually come to Expressive Glass to do: discover the artist, explore her work, commission a piece, take a class, buy something, purchase a gift certificate, or use the studio.

From there, we created a complete text prototype of the new website.

The structure, messaging, and copy went through several rounds of revisions with Vicki before we moved into visual design. This allowed us to solve the content and user-experience problems first and let the design grow from a clear foundation.

The result was a much simpler content system in which every major part of the business had a clear place and purpose.

Phase 2 — Refreshing the Identity

Vicki was very clear that she wanted to preserve the original Expressive Glass identity, so we kept the existing shapes and character of the logo while giving it a careful refresh.

The original version was very light and tended to get lost within the website, so we strengthened the colors and refined the artwork to make the logo more noticeable and visually confident.

The result is a cleaner, more polished identity that still feels unmistakably like Expressive Glass, but works much better within the new website.

The original logo

Refreshed colors, stronger presence

Phase 3 — Letting the Art Lead

With the structure established, we designed a contemporary, image-led website around the artwork itself.

Large photographs, generous spacing, cleaner typography, and simplified navigation replaced the denser presentation of the old site.

Instead of treating images as illustrations for the text, the new design lets the artwork become part of the experience.

This was especially important for Vicki’s signature body of work: her glass flowers.

Phase 3 — New Website Design

We created a clean modern website that immediately positioned the company as the installer for Western New York.

UX priorities:

  • trust at first glance

  • easy mobile browsing

  • simple service understanding

  • clear navigation

  • fast quote requests

Conversion upgrades included:

  • CTA buttons throughout the site

  • clear contact opportunities on every major page

  • service-focused page layouts

Phase 4 — Smarter Lead Intake

We added a project inquiry form allowing visitors to describe:

  • project type

  • timeline

  • site conditions

  • scope needs

  • budget direction

This gave the installer stronger leads and reduced back-and-forth communication.

After: inquiry form that helps turn visitors into conversations

Before: limited contact information and no structured lead flow

Phase 5 — Case Studies & Proof

We added project case studies so prospects could see real completed work.

This is one of the strongest trust builders in construction and installation industries.

People want to know:

Have you done work like mine before?

Now the answer is visible.

Phase 6 — Migration & Technical Cleanup

Our project also included full migration from the previous hosting environment to a modern platform.

We ensured continuity through:

  • redirect planning

  • broken link prevention

  • legacy URL handling

  • smooth domain continuity

  • mobile optimization

  • performance cleanup

This prevented old traffic from landing on 404 pages and protected existing search value.

Phase 7 — Local SEO Growth

We optimized the site for local search visibility so nearby prospects could find them when searching for relevant services.

Focus areas included:

  • Buffalo / WNY location relevance

  • service keywords

  • technical SEO structure

  • metadata improvements

  • image optimization

  • page hierarchy

  • internal linking

Goal:

Appear where buying intent happens — Google local search.

Results

Immediate Wins

  • Clear local installer identity

  • Stronger first impression

  • Easier quote requests

  • Better user journey

  • Higher trust through case studies

  • Modern mobile-friendly experience

Business Impact

Instead of losing prospects to confusion or competitors, the company now presents itself directly and professionally as the regional team customers need.

Long-Term Value

  • Search visibility asset

  • Stronger franchise positioning

  • Better lead quality

  • Scalable marketing platform

  • More independence from parent-company referrals

What Changed

Before

An experienced installer hidden behind an outdated manufacturer-style website.

After

A clear, modern local brand positioned to win trust and generate leads.

Our Role

  • Brand Positioning

  • Website Design

  • Conversion Strategy

  • Copywriting

  • SEO

  • Case Study Development

  • Migration & Redirects

  • Lead Form UX

Final Thought

Many great local companies are excellent in the field — and invisible online.

This project turned real-world credibility into digital credibility.

Now let’s build your presence.