Solara SaaS Branding: One design system, two experiences: discovering Solara and learning to use it.
Solara SaaS Branding: One design system, two experiences: discovering Solara and learning to use it.
Solara SaaS Branding: One design system, two experiences: discovering Solara and learning to use it.
A connected redesign of Solara’s marketing site and documentation, helping developers understand the framework and find their way into it.
A connected redesign of Solara’s marketing site and documentation, helping developers understand the framework and find their way into it.
Solara had two problems in one product: a marketing site that undersold the framework, and a documentation portal that read as a wall of text. We treated them as two products on one design system, and monthly downloads rose 1,300% to 170,000 in six months.
Solara had two problems in one product: a marketing site that undersold the framework, and a documentation portal that read as a wall of text. We treated them as two products on one design system, and monthly downloads rose 1,300% to 170,000 in six months.
Solara had two problems in one product: a marketing site that undersold the framework, and a documentation portal that read as a wall of text. We treated them as two products on one design system, and monthly downloads rose 1,300% to 170,000 in six months.
Impact
Impact
increase in monthly downloads, reaching 170k a month
increase in monthly downloads, reaching 170k a month
increase in monthly downloads, reaching 170k a month
higher website conversion rate than before the redesign
higher website conversion rate than before the redesign
higher website conversion rate than before the redesign
monthly active users by Q4 2024
monthly active users by Q4 2024
monthly active users by Q4 2024




Solara's marketing site undersold the framework and its docs read as a wall of text. Rebuilt as two products on one system, monthly downloads reached 170,000.
Solara's marketing site undersold the framework and its docs read as a wall of text. Rebuilt as two products on one system, monthly downloads reached 170,000.




Website showcase video
Website showcase video

Background
Background
My client contact:
Maarten Breddels
Maarten Breddels
An open-source framework whose site undersold it and whose docs read as a wall of text.
Solara had two problems slowing adoption. The marketing site didn't show enterprise evaluators how fast and scalable the framework is.
The documentation portal worked but intimidated: a dense wall of text that hid how easy the tool is to use. Solara needed a site that sells the idea and docs that help people build.
The working file: flows, components and documentation layouts designed side by side.
The working file: flows, components and documentation layouts designed side by side.

A reference prototype with real breakpoints, so engineers implement the layout instead of interpreting a static mock.
A reference prototype with real breakpoints, so engineers implement the layout instead of interpreting a static mock.

The marketing site on mobile, built around one promise: high-quality web apps in pure Python.
The marketing site on mobile, built around one promise: high-quality web apps in pure Python.

Execution overview
Execution overview
Two products, one design system.
We treated the marketing site and the documentation as two products sharing one system. The marketing side got custom Lottie animation and an interactive reference prototype, so an evaluator could see the framework's speed rather than read about it. The documentation went the other way: visual noise stripped out, information architecture rebuilt, so a developer finds an answer in seconds. One design system spans both, which is what keeps the move from evaluating to building from feeling like two companies.
The new interface removed the cost of learning the tool, not just the look of it. With the beta launch, monthly downloads reached 170,000.
The new interface removed the cost of learning the tool, not just the look of it. With the beta launch, monthly downloads reached 170,000.

Referral traffic in October 2024: 96,231 visits from 137 referring sites.
Referral traffic in October 2024: 96,231 visits from 137 referring sites.

An overview of the component library — 100+ atomic components, built as a living system rather than a set of marketing pages.
An overview of the component library — 100+ atomic components, built as a living system rather than a set of marketing pages.

What our client says
What our client says

Maarten Breddels
Co-Founder, Solara




