Deus Ex Machina

Creating the digital archive of a cultural icon

UX/UI Design,
Unified Commerce Strategy,
Shopify POS Implementation

Two people riding dirt bikes on a desert track with mountains in the background.

Website

deuscustoms.com.au

Deus Ex Machina possesses an elusive quality to which many brands can only aspire: its identity transcends product. This is no accident, nor is it the pay-off of some master plan, but rather the natural result of a brand driven by its authenticity above all else.

Spanning motorcycling, surfing, snowboarding and apparel, Deus’ products defy categorisation, inspired by values of inclusivity, enthusiasm and the embrace of all things fun. When exploring the future of the new online store, it was essential that this diversity be celebrated while remaining easy to navigate across different journeys.

Sharing an understanding of this duality – expressing the brand’s history, lifestyle and passions while delivering a smoother shopping experience online and across their global flagship stores – Deus selected The Working Party as the perfect partner for this important project.

Screenshots of Deus Ex Machina's mobile website

Brand personality roams free

Infusing Deus’ authentic personality into its website required a cross-disciplinary approach. The Working Party designed a pared-back design system with an industrial edge to allow Deus Ex Machina’s incredible 20-year archive of editorial-style imagery to shine throughout the site. The brand’s distinctive tone of voice – cool, casual and creatively rebellious – is weaved in new and engaging locations throughout the site from product descriptions to the comprehensive Culture section of the website. To empower the team with limitless creative control long after the build, The Working Party developed the design as a totally flexible Shopify 2.0 theme.

Complete customisation with Shopify 2.0

Ideal for Deus’ extensive Culture portfolio, the Shopify 2.0 upgrade allowed blog ‘magazine’ pages to be flexibility built to showcase the requirements of each story. Custom landing pages spotlight design collaborations and explore the brand’s different interests – whether that's bringing together motorbike products, motowear and the latest moto-articles on one page, or creating personal profile pages for each member of Deus’ surf team. The in-house team is free to add, remove and reorganise sections with every new campaign to be as extensive or as simple as required.

Person riding a dirt bike in a dark, foggy environment

Person holding a large bouquet of yellow flowers against a green background

A connected shrine to Deus' iconic 'Temples'

Deus’ global flagship stores, known as ‘Temples,’ are more than retail spaces – they are cultural hubs celebrating motorcycling, surfing, and the creative spirit. These immersive destinations are intrinsic to the brand and required more than a simple online directory. To go beyond, The Working Party integrated Shopify POS into five store locations and developed custom landing pages to showcase the store portfolio to online users, as well as dedicated deep dives sharing each Temples’ history, key details and more impactful high-quality photography taken at each location.

Omnichannel brand building

Interconnecting physical and digital experiences is more important than ever but many brands view this strictly through the lens of cross-selling. Although Deus is connecting omnichannel customers by adopting Shopify POS, the purpose of showcasing the Temples isn’t solely to drive sales but to establish a consistent brand identity across channels, deepen brand loyalty and connect with its global community. The shrine of Temples appears across Deus’ six global sites.

Screenshot of the Deus Ex Machina desktop website featuring a men's jacket.

Person wearing a motorcycle helmet with 'Deus' branding

Understated UX improvements

To keep within the brand’s authentic and unpretentious style, Deus and The Working Party were strategic about which UX improvements to engage. Rather than confront users with sales-led messages, such as on-page pop-ups, every decision was made by asking the question: does this improve user journeys? To deliver, The Working Party simplified browsing and navigation by introducing a new, clean information architecture, decluttered category pages through interactive design, and reduced friction between sizing information and purchase.

Less clutter, more functionality

Top line navigation was simplified into four key categories, Men, Women, Culture and Sale, using clear second-line drop downs to narrow search. Quick add-to-cart functionality and size availability were added to category pages, supported by a custom toggle that allows users to browse with or without the model reducing the need to click through. While on product pages, unique size comparison charts lets users hone in on the size information relevant to one item, rather than defaulting to reviewing the full comprehensive size guide on a separate page.

The Working Party has been exemplary at every stage of the process to update our online presence globally. From the detailed conception to the seamless delivery, their team has been in step with our requirements and their precise, efficient communication at each stage allowed us to feel confident throughout the project. As we look to set up the next phase of our digital evolution we're excited to continue working with The Working Party and what we can achieve together.

Gabe Knowles

Global Digital Director, Deus Ex Machina

Services

Design and Creative