01 Homepage
Rooted in tradition
The first screen leads with the brand promise and the cans, with a single clear call to action: view the beers.
← All work
29 Brews: Designing the digital home of a tribal-owned craft brewery
A research-led redesign of the 29 Brews website for the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians: helping taproom visitors choose a beer with confidence and turning the partner sales deck into an interactive B2B experience.
7breweries audited
14features compared
31pages mapped
6pages designed
29 Brews brews its beer for Taproom 29 inside Spotlight 29 and Tortoise Rock casinos. The goal: put users first with a design-thinking approach, aligning business goals (telling the brand story, driving taproom visits) with user needs (easier beer selection, clear information), across two sites. The B2C site serves drinkers; the B2B site replaces the sales deck for bars, restaurants and distributors.
Three audiences, one brand
01
Locals & casino visitors
Mostly 30+ Coachella Valley residents who visit Spotlight 29 for dining and entertainment.
02
Casual beer drinkers
Not craft-beer experts. They pick familiar, approachable styles and lean on staff recommendations to decide.
03
Hospitality partners
Bars, restaurants and distributors who need specs, brand story and marketing support to confidently carry the beer.
Listening first, then looking around
Stakeholder interview
A 20-minute session with the brewmaster on vision, brand identity, tribal heritage, popular beers and where the product is sold.
Consumer interviews
15–20 minute conversations with 2–4 participants: casino visitors, Coachella Valley residents and occasional 29 Brews drinkers, covering beer discovery and website expectations.
Competitive analysis
A UX review of 3 local breweries (Las Palmas, Coachella Valley, La Quinta) and 4 national ones (New Belgium, Dogfish Head, Stone, Sierra Nevada).
Feature checklist
How the current 29 Brews site compares with 7 breweries across 14 UX features.
| Local | National | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Brews | Coachella Valley | La Quinta | Las Palmas | New Belgium | Dogfish Head | Stone | Sierra Nevada | |
| Clear navigation structure | — | — | — | — | ||||
| Beer selection guidance | — | — | — | |||||
| Reviews | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Detailed beer product pages | — | — | — | — | ||||
| Beer finder / distribution tool | — | — | ||||||
| Event calendar | — | |||||||
| Taproom information & location | — | |||||||
| Brand storytelling | — | — | — | |||||
| Visual product photography | — | — | — | |||||
| Community engagement | — | — | ||||||
| Clear homepage CTA | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Newsletter | — | |||||||
| Accessibility features | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Search bar | — | — | — | — | — | |||
The gap is clear: 29 Brews had none of the 14 features, while every national brewery covered most of them.
The problem
Customers and potential partners struggle to understand 29 Brews’ beers, quality and story because there is so little information online. Customers fall back on staff to choose a beer, and partners can’t confidently evaluate or distribute the product.
- How might weGuide users to discover new 29 Brews beers?
- How might weShow what makes the beer high-quality without overwhelming people with technical details?
- How might weTurn the sales deck into an engaging, interactive experience that converts partners?
- How might weGive partners everything they need (specs, story, marketing support) in one place?
- How might weStand apart from competitors with similar ingredients but without the same story and process?
What the new site needs to do
01
Simplify beer discovery
A structured tap list with photos, tasting notes, ABV and IBU, plus a beer finder that filters by style or flavor.
02
Clear navigation
Simple sections (Our Beers, Taproom, Events, Story, Shop), a fixed nav and clear calls to action like “Check the tap list”.
03
Lead with the story
Bring the tribal heritage forward with an “Our Story” section, community imagery and beer names tied to history.
04
Events & taproom info
An events calendar and upfront hours and location inside the casino, to drive taproom visits.
05
Mobile first
Most visitors are on phones: large tap targets, readable text, optimized images, maybe a taproom QR menu.
06
Social proof
Untappd ratings, testimonials and an Instagram feed to build trust and community.
07
Fast & accessible
Compressed images, alt text, contrast and keyboard support, and a Spanish-language option.
Brainstorm, structure, flow
Each how-might-we question became a column on the board, and the ideas under it became the features of the new site.
29 Brews · IdeateBrainstorm
How might weGuide users to discover new beers?
Detailed product page
- Beer photo with ingredients
- Mood tags
- Sweet ↔ Bitter slider
- ABV, IBU, style
- Brew-team video
- You might also like
Beer comparison
- Compare beers side by side
Taproom details
- Hours
- Happy hour
How might weShow quality without the jargon?
Brewing process
- Process → benefit
- “Low cohumulone hops → smoother bitterness”
- Behind-the-scenes snippets
Storybook brewing
- “Crafted with intention”
- Care + consistency
How might weStand apart from competitors?
Immersive “Our Story”
- Chairman’s vision
- Tribal roots
- Team of 3
- See the beer being made
Cultural details
- Naming stories
- Tap handle story (the rattle)
- Spent grain → local farm → chickens
Blog & pairings
- Stories for SEO
- Connect to Red Falcon & Taproom
- Food pairing
How might weTurn the sales deck into an experience?
“Why partner with us”
- Awards
- Casino presence
- Top-performing beers
- Testimonials
Scroll-based storytelling
- Brand → product → distribution
- “Become a partner”
- Downloadable one-pager
Custom partner pages
- Volume & price quote
- Marketing materials
- Distributor info
How might weGive partners everything in one place?
Where it’s available
- Casinos, events, partners
- How to order
- Inquiry form
Ready-to-use materials
- Product photos
- Logos
- Menu copy
- Brand guidelines
Help partners sell
- Social highlights
- Example captions
- Event sponsorship
Information architecture
Two sitemaps share one structure. Customers get Contact; partners get a profile with curated support. Switch between them to compare.
29 Brews
Homepage
- Hero section
- Beer card
- Our story snippet
- Partner with us
- Beer finder
- Events
- Social media preview
Our Beers
- Beer list
- Filter: style & tasting notes
- Awards
- Beer finder
- Partner with us
- Product page
- Beer pictures & details
- Beer availability
- Awards
- Reviews
- Partner with us
- Beer finder
Our Story
- Brand story & tribal heritage
- Brewing process
- Awards
- Brew team
- Sustainability values
- Partner with us
Events
- Upcoming events
- Previous events
Contact Us
- Form
- Partner with us
- Beer finder tool
- Social media preview
Blog
29 Brews (B2B)
Homepage
- Hero section
- Beer card
- Our story snippet
- Partner with us
- Beer finder
- Events
- Social media preview
Our Beers
- Beer list
- Filter: style & tasting notes
- Awards
- Beer finder
- Partner with us
- Product page
- Beer pictures & details
- Beer availability
- Awards
- Reviews
- Partner with us
- Beer finder
Our Story
- Brand story & tribal heritage
- Brewing process
- Awards
- Brew team
- Sustainability values
- Partner with us
Events
- Upcoming events
- Previous events
Partner profileB2B only
- Testimonials & ongoing partnership
- Curated marketing support
- Curated launch support
- Curated price quotation
- Contact us
Blog
User flows
How each audience moves through the site, from first visit to the action that matters.
- Lands on the 29 Brews site
- What’s their goal?
- First visit: homepage, beer finder, blogExplore a beerRead the story: heritage, team, brewing
- Know what they want?
- Yes: straight to the product pageNo: browse, filter, view details
- Interested?
- Checks availability & taproom details
- Visits the taproom
- Lands on the 29 Brews site
- What’s their goal?
- Evaluate a partnershipExplore the beers: is it a good fit?Learn the brand: does it earn trust?
- “Partner with us” page
- Convinced?
- Become-a-partner form
- Needs more: catalog, distribution, launch supportReady: submits the form
- Becomes a partner
- Returns to the 29 Brews site
- What do they need?
- Order: beer list, filter, product pageSupport: marketing & launch materialsReview: testimonials & price quotationContact: submits an inquiry
- Gets what they came for
Six pages, one story
A warm cream and deep brown system with gold accents, built around the beer, the brewery and the people. Six moments that carry the research, then every page in full.
02 Homepage
Heritage in every pint
The tribal story sits right after the hero, so it’s the first thing people learn, not something buried on an About page.
03 Beer page
Taste at a glance
Style, ABV, IBU and flavor notes, plus sweet ↔ bitter and light ↔ heavy sliders, so anyone can pick a beer without asking staff.
04 Beer page
Epicurean pairings
Food from the casino’s kitchens matched to each beer turns a drink choice into a dinner plan.
05 Homepage
29 Brews near you
Every casino, venue and partner pouring the beer, answering the question people asked most: where can I get it?
06 Our Story
Brewing sustainably
Spent grain goes to local farms, a small story that sets 29 Brews apart from competitors with similar recipes.
Explore every page
Pick a page, then hover (or scroll) the frame to move through the full design.
Research, designed in
- InsightBeer discovery relied on staffDesignAn “Our Beers” page plus a detail page per beer: tasting notes, ABV and IBU, the brewing process, awards and food pairings.
- InsightThe tribal story was invisibleDesign“Rooted in Tradition” leads the homepage, with Heritage in Every Pint and a full Our Story page.
- InsightNo taproom or availability infoDesign“29 Brews Near You” maps every casino, venue and partner where the beer is poured.
- InsightQuality wasn’t communicatedDesignBrewery of the Year 2024 & 2025, award badges and “Heritage on the World Stage” put the proof up front.
- InsightNo community or social proofDesign“Follow the Journey” brings the social feed onto the site, alongside events.
- InsightPartners had only a sales deckDesign“Partner with us” sections on every key page lead into the B2B flow.
What's next
Usability testing to see how people navigate the new site and spot any blockers before launch.
→ Keep exploring
More projects
Aether Renova: Building the Digital Home of a Clean-Energy Group
Creative direction, brand and website for a Nepal-based clean-energy group developing hydropower, solar and pumped storage, presenting a 500 MW portfolio to investors, partners and future hires.
500 MWEnergy portfolio
30Pages shipped
JUNI: The Atmosphere for Connection
Brand, business strategy and website for JUNI, a private members' society for Kathmandu that brings the right people, places and ideas into one fabric through curated gatherings, tiered memberships and a collection of physical brand pieces.
400KCore audience
5Revenue streams
Metrics That Matter: Leapfrog's Portfolio Management
A platform that replaces scattered spreadsheets with intelligent dashboards. Executives monitor progress by project, managers understand how work connects, and teams stay updated. Converts messy project information into actionable insights, saves time, and keeps everyone on the same page.
86%Efficiency Boost
2xFaster Decision
Meltdown: All-in-One Fitness & Wellness Companion
Meltdown is a digital fitness subscription that gives employees one QR code access to multiple gyms, offering multi-location access, reward programs, and community-focused team well-being sessions.
97%Navigation Success
2xFaster Check-in