Nutmeg Studio is named after the spice that adds warmth without taking over.
That's how I think about design, too. Thoughtful, balanced and never more complicated than it needs to be.
I'm Meg, the designer and developer behind Nutmeg Studio and a Verified Shopify Partner since 2019.
I build beautiful Shopify stores and make the complicated parts of eCommerce feel simpler, for the people shopping them and the people running them.
How this started
My Shopify journey started in 2015, when a bike shop in Pietermaritzburg asked me to build them a 200-product online store.
Shopify was relatively new in South Africa and I had a lot to figure out. The project took months.
Once the store launched, I turned my attention to getting people to find it. I worked on the content and SEO, and soon customers were finding the store through Google and buying high-value products, including mountain bikes, without paid advertising.
That was the bit that hooked me.
A website isn't just a design project. It's part of how a business works, grows and sells.
I've been building eCommerce stores ever since.
Shopify Design Studio - Cape Town
My Approach
Before Shopify, I studied Philosophy and Communications and worked in journalism and publishing in South Africa and the UK.
It might seem like an unusual route into eCommerce, but it taught me something I use every day: how to take a lot of information, work out what actually matters and make it easier to understand.
That's still how I approach every website.
Sometimes the problem is a 500-product catalogue that's difficult to navigate. Sometimes it's a WordPress store held together by too many plugins. Sometimes it's a beautiful brand with a website that simply isn't doing the products justice.
I work out what's getting in the way, simplify what I can, and build the experience around what customers need to see in order to buy.
Then I make it look good.
What drives my work
Good design should make things clearer, not more complicated.
I have a strong eye for simple, impactful design, but I'm not interested in making every website look the same.
The design should feel like your brand and give your products the space to shine. The navigation should make sense. Product information should be easy to understand, without overwhelming. Mobile shopping should feel simple. And behind the scenes, you should be able to manage your own store without calling a developer every time you need to change something.
I work mainly with brands in beauty, wellness, supplements, fashion, fragrance, food, jewellery and homeware, where how a product is presented matters just as much as how the store works.
Beautiful on the surface. Thought through underneath.
That, to me, is good eCommerce.
A small studio by choice.
Nutmeg is an independent Shopify design studio. When you work with me, I'm the person thinking through the structure, designing the pages, building the store and talking you through how it all works.
Every project starts with a conversation. I'll ask questions, understand what's going on with your business and recommend what I think you need.
Sometimes that's a substantial rebuild. Sometimes it isn't.
The discovery call is free, informal and usually about 30 minutes.
A little background
Shopify
Building Shopify stores since 2015. Verified Shopify Partner since 2019.
Before eCommerce
A background in journalism, communications and copywriting, with a degree in Philosophy.
Based in Cape Town
Working with brands across South Africa and internationally.
Brands I've worked with:
