Designing a rebellious competition microsite for 19 Crimes wine
Project Role:
Lead Designer
Agency:
The Digital Maze
Client:
19 Crimes, Treasury Wine Estates
Skills
UI Design
Prototyping
Adobe XD
Email Design
Web Design
Developer Handoff
The intersection of historical storytelling and digital design creates fascinating opportunities
With 19 Crimes' competition microsite, we found ourselves translating the gritty narrative of 18th-century British convicts into a contemporary treasure hunt. The concept was beautifully simple: find the elusive 19th crime cork, enter its code, claim your share of the bounty. But the execution needed to honour both the brand's rich historical aesthetic and modern user experience principles. The challenge wasn't just technical – it was about maintaining the delicate balance between thematic authenticity and intuitive functionality.
Sometimes the most straightforward solution isn't the most appropriate one. While a standard code entry form would have functioned perfectly well, it would have missed an opportunity to immerse users in the 19 Crimes narrative.
Instead, I designed a digital safe dial interface – a design choice that transformed a simple input mechanism into part of the story. This approach married form and function in a way that felt natural to the brand's identity, while still maintaining the simplicity users expect.
Breaking Convention
When Standard Forms Don't Tell the Right Story
It's a testament to how thoughtful UI decisions can elevate a simple interaction into something memorable.
We also crafted an email notification flow that extended the thematic elements beyond the website, ensuring that whether users were winners or not, every interaction felt like part of the 19 Crimes world. This cohesive approach turned a simple competition into an engaging brand experience.
This website was designed from scratch by hand in Figma, and brought to life in Framer (Not a template in sight).
(All works shown are copyright of either the employer or the client and are exhibited for informative purposes only)
Website design is copyright James Walsh © 2025