STARFORGE

Launching Starforge Systems on Shopify Plus, with a queue system that keeps limited PC drops fair.

Services

Shopify Plus development
Solution architecture
UX and UI design
App integration

The challenge

Starforge Systems builds custom gaming PCs for players and streamers. The company was young and moving fast, and it wanted a store that looked like it belonged in the games its customers play.

They came to us with a launch date and a lot of ambition. We had to design and build the store, set up the apps behind it, and make sure launch day went smoothly for a community that was already excited.

Tech partners

Shopify Plus
Gorgias
Rebuy
Orderly
Okendo
Back in Stock
Accentuate Custom Fields

The approach

With a short runway, we worked in quick cycles. We prototyped early, showed Starforge new work every few days and adjusted as we went. Our strategists, designers, developers and project managers worked as one team with theirs, which kept decisions fast.

Built like the PCs

Starforge describes its machines as “assembled by hand, designed to last and tested to the extreme.” We used that line as the brief for the store itself: well made, fast, and able to take a lot of traffic.

A store that looks like a game

The design borrows from the look of the games Starforge customers play. A dark palette, clean shapes, product photography that treats each PC like hero gear, and futuristic type.

It had to be exciting to browse and still make it easy to compare specs and pick the right build.

The full store on launch day

The original plan was to launch a smaller first version and add to it afterwards. We ended up shipping the full scope on the launch date. At the same time we scoped, designed and built the queue system for product drops, using sprints for the parts that were still changing and a fixed plan for the parts that were settled. We wrote more about deciding what goes into a first release in MVP scope.

The apps behind the store

Starforge needed tools that would keep a small team efficient as orders grew. We set up Gorgias for customer support, Okendo for reviews, Rebuy for upsells at checkout and Back in Stock for restock alerts, plus Orderly for order emails and Accentuate Custom Fields to manage detailed spec data for every build.

Product drops

Limited releases are exciting right up until the site falls over. We built a queue that holds shoppers in line during a drop and sends each person a unique link to buy when it is their turn. Launches stay fair, and the store is not hit by everyone at once.

Working together

Because Starforge was a new brand, we spent time early on getting to know the team and how they wanted to talk to their community. We ran regular workshops, agreed clear goals and kept in touch constantly, which is what made the tight timeline workable.