Alana Ruakere
Artist portfolio & e-commerce shop with Google Pay
PROBLEM
Alana is a contemporary NZ artist with original artworks and prints to sell. The existing options were a bad fit — generic marketplaces buried her work behind algorithms, and off-the-shelf Shopify templates made her gallery look like a product catalogue. She wanted a portfolio site that led with the artwork and could take payments directly, without paying platform fees on every sale or losing control of how her work is presented.
APPROACH
Built a custom React portfolio and shop. The design leads with full-bleed imagery — artwork as the centrepiece, not as a product card with a price badge. Stripe handles the payment backend, with Google Pay wired in through the Payment Request API so mobile buyers can check out in one tap without entering card details.
Google Pay required its own merchant registration flow — fully tested across devices before shipping. SEO metadata targets Alana's name and specific artwork titles so she surfaces in image searches.
TECHNICAL DECISIONS
RESULT
Live at alanaruakere.art. Original artworks and prints available for direct purchase. Google Pay working across devices. No monthly fees, no algorithm, no platform dependency — Alana owns her storefront and her customer relationships.
WHAT I OWNED
End-to-end under Build With SDS. Scoping, visual direction, React development, Stripe integration, Google Pay setup, SEO metadata, deployment, and ongoing support.