27th Letter Books
Reimagining the Indie Bookstore Website: Our Project with 27th Letter Books
We recently wrapped a project that’s close to our hearts: a full website redesign for 27th Letter Books, an independent bookstore in Detroit. At Orso Design Co, we specialize in branding and websites for small businesses and nonprofits, and working with 27th Letter was the perfect blend of mission, design, and challenge.
Updated homepage design creates a magazine-style display for easy browsing of common categories like Bestsellers, Staff Picks, and more.
The Indie Bookstore Website Problem
If you’ve ever browsed the website of an independent bookstore, you may have noticed... they kind of all look the same. And not in a good way.
There’s a reason for that: most indie bookstores rely on a platform called IndieCommerce. It’s robust in terms of inventory management and backend functionality, but let’s just say its design capabilities are very limited. Think rigid templates, clunky user experiences, and sites that feel outdated.
When we started working with 27th Letter, they were on IndieCommerce too. While the platform serves an important role, it quickly became clear that if we wanted a site that truly reflected who they are — unique, whimsical yet serious, simple and homey — we needed to find another solution.
A Platform Shift and a Design Challenge
Moving off IndieCommerce was no small feat. Bookstore online ordering is a complex patchwork of software for inventory, ordering, customer accounts, and more. We get why so many stores stick with it — it’s hard to leave.
But we like a good challenge.
Our team got to work designing a custom site that not only looked beautiful but functioned beautifully, too. We prioritized usability, for customers and for the 27th Letter team, while ensuring that all the vital e-commerce pieces stayed intact. The result is a site that feels like walking into the store: warm, welcoming, a little offbeat, and full of personality.
We couldn’t have done it without the collaboration and trust of Drew and the entire 27th Letter team, and the support of Design Core Detroit, whose business assistance grant through Michigan Central made the whole thing possible.
We created an easier navigation page for selecting a genre, complete with custom illustrations for each.
Why This Project Matters
27th Letter is more than a bookstore. It’s a community hub, a safe space, an artist space, a place for connection and conversation. And sadly, like many small businesses right now, they’re facing tough times. With the current economic climate, they’ve fallen short of revenue goals and are asking the community for help to stay afloat.
If you’ve ever visited, you know how special it is. If you haven’t, now’s the time to discover it. Donate here or simply stop by the store and show your support.
We’re incredibly proud of this project; not just for the design win, but for what it represents. At Orso, we believe good design can help small businesses and nonprofits do big things. And Detroit deserves beautiful, functional, mission-driven spaces online and off.
Let’s keep indie bookstores alive. 💛
Support 27th Letter. Support Detroit.
We added an immersive design for their beloved Ampersand Book Club page, highlighting each monthly book selection.
