Archives: Websites

Caran d’Ache is a Swiss manufacturer of writing instruments and fine art supplies, founded in Geneva in 1915, selling fountain, roller and ballpoint pens, mechanical pencils, colored pencils such as Luminance 6901 and Museum Aquarelle, pastels, gouache and acrylics. The site states its heritage directly: it is “committed to creating and developing writing and drawing instruments combining the finest materials with the most advanced, innovative skills,” including hand-applied Chinese lacquer. Prices span from CHF 2.45 sharpeners to CHF 148 pencil sets, with free delivery over CHF 80.

Website Design

A custom office typeface built for the brand. Body and interface text run on Carandache Office Sans, in Regular, Bold and Black weights, a typeface named for the company itself rather than a licensed stock font, with a display face called Red Velvet used elsewhere on the site.

A dedicated icon font. Navigation and interface icons are drawn from a custom icon font rather than image sprites, a detail more common on larger, actively maintained retail platforms than a single-brand boutique site.

Muted, functional chrome. Interface elements such as the image carousel use a dark neutral gray (#333) rather than a brand accent color, keeping the visual weight on product photography of the pens and art materials rather than the UI.

Shopping Experience

A wide span, one catalogue. The same storefront carries everyday sharpeners and erasers alongside premium pencil sets and fine writing instruments, spanning a CHF 2.45 to CHF 148-plus range within one navigation structure split into Writing, Colour and Accessories.

Collection and collaboration lines. Beyond core categories, the navigation surfaces named collections such as Ecriture and Haute Ecriture alongside designer collaborations, including a Paul Smith line and a Damier pattern range.

A free delivery threshold. Orders over CHF 80 ship free, positioned alongside the personalization and gift options rather than as a separate shipping policy page only.

Brand Storytelling

A specific, named craft skill. Rather than a general “handmade” claim, the site names “the exceptional art of authentic Chinese lacquer done by hand in the ancestral manner” as one of the rare techniques used, giving the heritage story a concrete, specific anchor.

The founding date repeated as proof. “Since 1915” and the Geneva workshop location recur across the site’s copy, tying the brand’s premium pricing to a specific, long-running manufacturing history rather than a general luxury tone.

Notable Features

Free gift wrap and a personalized message. The site states “FREE GIFT WRAP AND PERSONALIZED MESSAGE” as a standard checkout option, alongside engraving and a corporate pen configurator for bulk or branded orders.

A named loyalty program. The Caran d’Ache Club offers member discounts and a stated birthday offer, giving repeat shoppers a formal incentive structure.

Creative Class workshops. The site lists both online and in-store Creative Class sessions, extending the brand beyond product sales into instruction on using its own pencils, pastels and pens.

Caran d’Ache Shop Category page example

Caran d’Ache Product page example

Caran d’Ache Checkout page example

Caran d’Ache footer example