Purl Soho is a seller of yarn, fabric and other craft making supplies. The website was launched in 2003, and Suzerain Studios redeveloped the site (and its API) until 2015, during a period of consistent growth. We were involved in all aspects of development, from design to programming, from planning and architecture to system administration.
Visually, the goal was to retain the company’s focus on color and simplicity, while providing unique interfaces that allowed customers to shop for different product types in their own way. Technically, we optimized for high availability, simplicity and build CMS tools in addition to an API, to be used for internal projects. Technologies used included PHP, JavaScript, Apache, OrientDB, and libraries including Zend, Raphael, Slim and jQuery. In addition, custom bridging code integrated with outside service providers for credit cards, gift cards and email management.