Crema
A platform focused on the entire supply chain of coffee
Project overview
Crema is A platform focused on the entire supply chain of coffee Crema is an online retailer of specialty coffees. Add a vast selection of coffees from the most incredible artisan coffee roasters to your Coffee Playlist. Taste. Rate. Repeat. Built with high standards for performance, security, and intuitive user experiences, the platform is engineered to support mission-critical workflows and seamless scale.
What was the problem or pain point
Client Dilemma & Technical Bottleneck
Crema, an artisan coffee marketplace and direct-to-consumer roaster collective, wanted to modernize the coffee subscription experience. Customers were frustrated by rigid, inflexible monthly subscription boxes that didn't accommodate irregular consumption rates, brewing preferences (espresso vs. French press), or tasting notes. On the merchant side, coordinating fresh roast dates with multiple independent craft roasters across the country was prone to inventory miscalculations and stale beans arriving at customers' doorsteps.
What we suggested to the client
Solid Sphere Architectural Recommendation
Solid Sphere proposed building a headless e-commerce subscription engine on Shopify Plus and Next.js. We recommended designing an interactive coffee personality quiz that maps user taste preferences to roaster flavor profiles, paired with a custom subscription scheduling engine that allows subscribers to pause, swap roast profiles, adjust shipment frequencies, and synchronize orders with each roaster's weekly roast schedule.
What made this project challenging
Building a custom coffee subscription algorithm that learns taste preferences (the 'Spotify of coffee')
Managing complex multi-roaster marketplace shipments directly from independent craft roasters
Handling flexible recurring subscription cycles, skips, and flavor profile adjustments
Achieving sub-second e-commerce page load speeds with rich media storytelling
What was implemented and how it was implemented
Step-by-Step Technical Execution
We architected a headless storefront using Next.js, TypeScript, and TailwindCSS connected to Shopify Plus via the Storefront GraphQL API. We built a dynamic coffee flavor quiz that evaluates acidity, body, roast level, and brewing methods, recommending curated roaster selections with 94% taste accuracy. On the backend, we engineered a custom subscription orchestration service using Node.js and Stripe Billing that integrates directly with independent roaster portals. When a customer's order is due, the platform schedules the order fulfillment to coincide with the roaster's designated batch roast day, generating automated shipping labels and tracking notifications. The responsive storefront features lightning-fast static page generation (SSG) with incremental static regeneration (ISR) for instant catalog browsing.
How we delivered
Engineered bespoke headless commerce frontend using Next.js and GraphQL connected to Shopify Plus
Developed interactive flavor quiz matching customer taste preferences with curated roaster beans
Built automated roaster order dispatch portal syncing shipping labels with UPS and USPS
Implemented flexible customer subscription portal allowing one-click frequency and bean changes
What did we use to implement it
Technology Stack & Technical Rationale
Next.js provided server-side rendering and static page optimization for lightning-fast e-commerce shopping and superior SEO. Shopify Plus served as the robust e-commerce and checkout foundation. GraphQL allowed lightweight, performant querying of product catalogs and variant availability. Node.js orchestrated complex subscription cadences and roaster dispatch schedules. Stripe Billing powered recurring payment management and automated card updater tools. TailwindCSS enabled a sleek, artisan brand aesthetic.
Key outcomes
300% increase in subscription retention over standard e-commerce models
Partnered with 65+ top independent craft coffee roasters
Over 500,000 bags of specialty coffee shipped
Sub-800ms average page load time
Have a project like this?
Share your goals and constraints. We'll respond with next steps and a practical proposal.