Your name

Dominic Jacob

Your creative role

Founder / Creative Director

Website Link 

https://www.sneakinpeace.com/

Tell us a bit about yourself, your role, and how you found your way to a creative career

I began my career in luxury e-commerce, initially on product photography, which gave me a strong eye for detail and aesthetics. Over time, my passion for visual storytelling naturally led me to web design, where I could combine creativity with technical skills to craft engaging online experiences. I also freelanced during this journey, gaining diverse projects that honed my design abilities and client collaboration. More recently, I co-founded a design agency, Not Studio (www.not.studio), blending my experience in luxury branding with cutting-edge web design.

How did this project come about, how did you start working with this brand, was it just the website you created for them, how long did it take

This project started as a side initiative during the Covid period when I was looking for a creative outlet. I launched Sneak in Peace because, while there were many sneaker affiliate sites, none really focused on the niche of luxury sneakers. My goal was to create a platform that prioritized design and user experience over immediate revenue. Although the project is always evolving, especially with additions like Sneak TV streaming, the initial website took about three months to build. Since then, we’ve been fortunate to work directly with some of the biggest luxury brands, including Gucci, McQueen, and Loewe, as well as renowned stores like Mr Porter, Net-a-Porter, and Ssense.

What was the main inspiration - visual or thematic - that guided you in the process of this website?

The inspiration behind the website evolved gradually through small, thoughtful iterations. Initially, the core idea was to create a dynamic, constantly updated “wall of sneakers” that sneaker enthusiasts could explore effortlessly. Over time, we integrated Sneak TV, our white-label live streaming technology, to highlight exceptional fashion films that often get lost online. This addition was driven by our desire to combat short attention spans typical of platforms like TikTok by offering engaging live video entertainment. Ultimately, the site became a unique fusion of video editorial content and shopping, providing a richer, more immersive experience for users.

Branding and web: Were you the one who created the brand design as well, or were there already branding assets to work with? What were the leading principles in implementing the brand experience within the digital design and web experience? 

I was primarily responsible for the site and overall design, bringing the brand vision to life with a focus on simplicity and elegance. For some of the more complex technical features, I collaborated with friends—most notably, the Sneak TV live streaming was developed alongside a former BBC iPlayer andMixcloud engineer, who brought invaluable expertise in streaming technology. In terms of branding, we intentionally keep the design minimalistic to let the luxury sneaker brands themselves take center stage. Our goal was to create a subtle yet sophisticated digital experience that supports and enhances the product storytelling without overwhelming it.

Share any tech details, special tools or web-design features you included, or any behind-the-scenes information

Technically, every page on the site is almost entirely custom-built, initially using the Shopify Debut theme as a foundation. We employed various “smoke and mirrors” techniques behind the scenes to ensure the site feels much snappier and more responsive than typical Shopify builds. The homepage features our bespoke Sneak TV video streaming, which is built completely in-house. This live streaming component is a work in progress, with ongoing development focused on expanding video shopping features to create a seamless blend of entertainment and e-commerce.

Walk us through the design process of the product page

Since new visitors often land directly on product pages, our priority was to make these pages as clean, fast, and easy to navigate as possible. SEO played a significant role in shaping the design to ensure strong search visibility. Multi-currency support was essential for our international audience, so we invested considerable thought into presenting currency options clearly and intuitively. Additionally, product images are maintained at pristine quality to ensure a consistent and polished look across the entire site, reinforcing the luxury feel.

What are the main challenges specific to designing an E-comm website?

One of the main challenges in designing an e-commerce website is resisting the temptation to overload it with too many features. We focused on stripping the design back to its essentials to create a fast, enjoyable experience that users want to visit every day. Balancing functionality with simplicity is key to keeping the site both engaging and user-friendly.

Thank you Dominic !