CLIENT
Zevia All Natural Soda
YEAR
2011-2023
DURATION
12 Years
CATEGORY
Beverage
ROLE
As Zevia's primary designer and creative lead during the company's early growth years, I helped shape the brand's digital presence and consumer experience from the ground up. Over a 12-year partnership, I led the design of Zevia's first website and five subsequent redesigns, creating award-winning digital experiences that successfully competed against work from some of the leading design agencies in the United States. I was responsible for user experience, visual design, e-commerce, mobile optimization, product storytelling, digital content, and SEO, ensuring the brand evolved alongside its rapidly expanding product portfolio.
My role extended beyond web design into advertising, marketing, social media campaigns, email communications, and consumer engagement initiatives. I developed interactive experiences including Zevia's "Find Your Flavor" tool, store locator functionality, and even designed and coded a branded online game to drive engagement and strengthen the brand's personality. By combining strategy, design, technology, and marketing, I helped create a cohesive digital ecosystem that increased awareness, supported significant business growth, and established Zevia as a leader in the natural, zero-sugar beverage category.
APPROACH
My approach was to help Zevia evolve from a niche diet soda brand into a lifestyle-driven beverage company with broader consumer appeal. While the product's zero-calorie and zero-sugar credentials were important differentiators, we recognized that long-term growth would come from positioning Zevia as a positive, modern alternative to traditional soft drinks rather than simply a beverage for health-conscious consumers. The goal was to make healthy choices feel more mainstream, aspirational, and relevant to a younger generation.
To support this shift, we developed a more vibrant and engaging digital experience that celebrated flavor, personality, and lifestyle alongside product benefits. Through bold visual storytelling, interactive experiences, social campaigns, digital advertising, and ongoing website evolution, we expanded the brand's appeal beyond the diet aisle and connected with a wider audience seeking healthier everyday options. Every touchpoint was designed to reinforce Zevia's mission while creating a fun, approachable brand experience that could grow with an expanding product portfolio and an increasingly diverse customer base.
SOLUTION
We developed a comprehensive digital platform that blended brand storytelling,
e-commerce functionality, and customer engagement into a seamless experience. Across six major website iterations, we introduced enhanced product navigation, mobile-first user experiences, SEO-driven content strategies, social media integrations, geotargeted advertising campaigns, and interactive tools including a custom "Find Your Flavor" experience and store locator. The visual direction embraced bold color, energetic graphics, and a distinctive "flavor burst" aesthetic that helped communicate the variety and vibrancy of the Zevia product line while differentiating the brand from both traditional soft drinks and health-focused competitors.
OUTCOME
Over a 12-year partnership, Zevia evolved from an emerging health-conscious beverage brand into a category leader in naturally sweetened drinks. The digital strategy helped significantly expand brand visibility, increase web traffic, and support substantial business growth as the company broadened its portfolio to include sodas, teas, energy drinks, sparkling waters, mixers, and kids' beverages. The work was recognized with a Web Marketing Association WebAward in the Beverage category, highlighting the strength of the digital experience and marketing approach. Zevia's growth became so significant that the rise of natural soda brands was discussed by major beverage manufacturers as consumer preferences shifted away from traditional soft drinks and toward healthier alternatives. Together, we created a scalable platform that connected consumers with the brand, strengthened customer loyalty, and helped establish Zevia as one of the most influential names in the zero-sugar beverage market.
HOW WE DID IT
Success came from continuously adapting the brand's digital presence to support changing consumer needs and business goals over more than a decade. Through ongoing collaboration, we combined strategic planning, user experience design, search optimization, paid media campaigns, content marketing, and conversion-focused website development to create a connected brand experience.
By closely monitoring performance data, refining customer journeys, and introducing innovative tools that helped consumers discover flavors and retail locations, we built a digital foundation capable of supporting rapid growth while keeping the brand approachable, engaging, and easy to navigate.