The new Hickman Design website shop is live, bringing together a fresh design, a lighter technical foundation and practical tools to make ordering your supplies easier.
We’ve rebuilt the site around a simple idea: less time searching and organising, more time making prints.
Alongside the redesign, we’ve introduced Saved Baskets, Quick Order and easier reordering from your account. We’re also improving product information and category filtering, with more features planned.
Here’s what’s changed—and what’s coming next.
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Built for faster, lighter browsing
Some of the biggest improvements are behind the scenes.
We’ve focused on optimising the website’s code and reducing unnecessary bloat. Rather than adding another layer to the old design, the rebuild has given us an opportunity to simplify how the site works.
Removing unnecessary code means less for your browser to download and process, helping support faster loading, lower data usage and a more responsive experience. That’s particularly useful when browsing on a mobile connection.
Our aim is straightforward: keep the features that help you, without weighing down the website with things you don’t need.
New homepage for easier navigation
Designed with resource efficiency in mind
A lighter website is about more than speed.
Reducing unnecessary data transfers and processing can support more efficient use of resources and energy. It’s one reason we’re paying attention to what the website loads, rather than focusing only on how it looks.
We haven’t measured an energy or carbon saving from the rebuild, so we’re not attaching an environmental figure to it. Instead, efficiency is an ongoing priority: less unnecessary code, less avoidable data usage and a more considered approach to adding features.
A cleaner design that puts your supplies first
We wanted the new website to feel clearer and easier to navigate, without losing the character of Hickman Design.
The focus is on what matters when choosing materials: understanding the product, finding the right option and knowing where to go next. We’ve also kept mobile browsing in mind, whether you’re checking supplies in the studio or putting together an order between classes.
The shop brings together clear routes into lino printing supplies, specialist equipment and printmaking papers, alongside our own range of tools.
The intention is to make browsing useful whether you’re choosing your first kit or restocking materials you already know well.
Quick Order: build a mixed order in one place
Dont waste time looking through the site when you can use our quick order form
Our Quick Order form provides a spreadsheet-style way to build an order. Search for a product, select the exact variation, enter your quantity and continue to the next row.
It brings together:
- Flexible searching and filtering: find products by name, product code or barcode, with category, brand and stock filters.
- Clear pricing: see unit prices, line totals and totals including and excluding VAT.
- Planning tools: use Workshop Mode to calculate per student, revisit recently ordered products, load Saved Baskets and print or save an order sheet.
Add everything to your basket when you’re ready. Shipping, discounts and checkout adjustments are calculated there. Stock is not reserved, and printed order sheets are planning documents rather than invoices.
Saved Baskets: prepare your regular supplies once
Save baskets for repeat orders or workshops to save time going through our shop
Our new Saved Baskets feature lets you keep named selections of products and quantities for future orders. Sign in to save your lists and return to them later. Hickman Design
You might create a basket for a beginner lino printing workshop, another for regular studio supplies and a third for a particular project.
When it’s time to restock, you have a prepared starting point instead of another shopping list to build from scratch.
Better product information and more useful category filters
We’ve also been improving how our product information is organised.
That includes adding and refining product attributes: the details that describe an item, such as its size, colour, paper weight, roller width or blade type. Keeping these details consistent gives the website a stronger foundation for filtering products.
Extra filters in the shop sidebar
On category pages, filtering options include brand, price, colour, size and availability, alongside specialist attributes such as paper weight, roller width and blade type. The relevant choices depend on the products you’re browsing.
For example, when browsing printmaking paper, you can narrow your selection using details such as size and paper weight, rather than opening every product individually.
We’re continuing to expand and tidy this information across the range. The goal is to make it easier to find products that meet your requirements—not simply show you more products.
Clearer information for search engines, too
Extra product attributes and helpful infomation
Alongside these customer-facing attributes, we’re expanding the website’s structured data.
This is information in the background that helps search engines interpret product details, such as prices, availability and product variations. It can support more informative search listings, although search engines decide when and how those details appear.
The two improvements serve different purposes: product attributes help you filter the shop, while structured data helps search engines understand what we sell.
Easily reorder previous orders from your account
Easily add to cart the same order at the click of a button
Need more of something you’ve bought before? You can also reorder through My Account.
Find a previous order in your order history and use the reorder option to bring items back into your basket. Before checking out, review your selection, adjust quantities and check current prices and availability.
It’s useful for repeating a studio restock, buying favourite materials again or finding that paper you loved but can’t quite remember the name of.
Saved Baskets keeps prepared lists ready for the future; reordering lets you start with a purchase you’ve already made.
Smarter search: find products without the exact name
Broaden your search with synonyms and related terms
We’ve improved our website search to recognise synonyms and related terms, so you don’t need to use the exact product name to find what you’re looking for. For example, searching for “carving blocks” can bring up lino blocks, helping you discover relevant products even when you describe them differently. Whether you’re new to printmaking or simply know a material by another name, the improved search makes it easier to find your supplies and spend less time hunting through the shop.
What we’re planning next
The launch is a starting point. We’re exploring more ways to help customers choose supplies and prepare orders without adding unnecessary complexity.
Build Your Own Lino Printing Kit
One of the next features we’re exploring is a Build Your Own Lino Printing Kit tool.
The idea is to guide you through choosing cutting tools, lino, a roller, ink and paper, keeping your selections and running total together.
Perhaps you already have carving tools and only need the remaining materials. Perhaps you’d prefer a particular ink or want to build a setup around your budget. A flexible kit builder would let you put together something suited to your needs.
This feature is planned rather than available today. For now, you can browse our existing lino printing kits and sets.
More help choosing the right materials
We’re also considering guided product finders, clearer comparisons and project-based shopping lists.
These would build on the improved product information and sit alongside our existing printmaking guides, bringing practical advice and product selection closer together.
Not every idea will become a feature. We’d rather develop a few useful tools than fill the website with extras that get in the way.
The same Hickman Design, with a more useful website
The design has changed, but our focus remains the same: helping you find the tools and materials for the work you want to make.
Explore the new shop, try Quick Order or prepare a Saved Basket for your next workshop. When something feels awkward, doesn’t work as expected or could be more helpful, please get in touch.
Your feedback will help shape what we improve next. You can also join our mailing list to keep up with new features, products and updates.
Thank you for supporting Hickman Design. Here’s to less time organising supplies and more time making prints.
