1. [Work](/work) 2. / 3. [Studio Palms / Assembly Digital](/work/studio-palms-assembly-digital) 4. / 5. Earnest Ice Cream ![Earnest Ice Cream logo](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Fwriting%2Fstudio-palms-assembly-digital%2F01-58b825c5.jpg&w=3840&q=75) # Earnest Ice Cream Utility-first site with a flavour board and locator Date 2016-10-24 Company Earnest Ice Cream Role Founder, Assembly Digital Read time 2 min Scroll to read Read with... Pick an agent - [ChatGPT](https://chatgpt.com/?q=Read%20this%20case%20study%3A%20Earnest%20Ice%20Cream%0AURL%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.assemblydigital.com%2Fwork%2Fstudio-palms-assembly-digital%2Fearnest-ice-cream%0A%0APage%20context%3A%0ASummary%3A%20Utility-first%20site%20with%20a%20flavour%20board%20and%20locator%0A-%20Company%3A%20Earnest%20Ice%20Cream%0A-%20Role%3A%20Founder%2C%20Assembly%20Digital%0A-%20Highlights%3A%20Reduced%20support%20load%20with%20a%20daily%20flavour%20board%20\(one%20less%20staff%20person%20per%20location%2C%20per%20day\)%20%7C%20Increased%20page%20views%20by%2066%25%20after%20launch%20%7C%20Increased%20Google%20search%20traffic%20by%2027%25%0A%0AReturn%3A%0A1\)%20The%20business%20problem%20in%20one%20sentence.%0A2\)%20The%20operating%20moves%20that%20mattered.%0A3\)%20Reusable%20lessons%20for%20a%20similar%20team.%0A4\)%20One%20question%20to%20ask%20before%20applying%20this%20pattern.%0A%0AUse%20the%20page%20as%20the%20source%20of%20truth.%20Keep%20it%20concise%20and%20specific.) - [Claude](https://claude.ai/new?q=Read%20this%20case%20study%3A%20Earnest%20Ice%20Cream%0AURL%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.assemblydigital.com%2Fwork%2Fstudio-palms-assembly-digital%2Fearnest-ice-cream%0A%0APage%20context%3A%0ASummary%3A%20Utility-first%20site%20with%20a%20flavour%20board%20and%20locator%0A-%20Company%3A%20Earnest%20Ice%20Cream%0A-%20Role%3A%20Founder%2C%20Assembly%20Digital%0A-%20Highlights%3A%20Reduced%20support%20load%20with%20a%20daily%20flavour%20board%20\(one%20less%20staff%20person%20per%20location%2C%20per%20day\)%20%7C%20Increased%20page%20views%20by%2066%25%20after%20launch%20%7C%20Increased%20Google%20search%20traffic%20by%2027%25%0A%0AReturn%3A%0A1\)%20The%20business%20problem%20in%20one%20sentence.%0A2\)%20The%20operating%20moves%20that%20mattered.%0A3\)%20Reusable%20lessons%20for%20a%20similar%20team.%0A4\)%20One%20question%20to%20ask%20before%20applying%20this%20pattern.%0A%0AUse%20the%20page%20as%20the%20source%20of%20truth.%20Keep%20it%20concise%20and%20specific.) - [Perplexity](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/new?q=Read%20this%20case%20study%3A%20Earnest%20Ice%20Cream%0AURL%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.assemblydigital.com%2Fwork%2Fstudio-palms-assembly-digital%2Fearnest-ice-cream%0A%0APage%20context%3A%0ASummary%3A%20Utility-first%20site%20with%20a%20flavour%20board%20and%20locator%0A-%20Company%3A%20Earnest%20Ice%20Cream%0A-%20Role%3A%20Founder%2C%20Assembly%20Digital%0A-%20Highlights%3A%20Reduced%20support%20load%20with%20a%20daily%20flavour%20board%20\(one%20less%20staff%20person%20per%20location%2C%20per%20day\)%20%7C%20Increased%20page%20views%20by%2066%25%20after%20launch%20%7C%20Increased%20Google%20search%20traffic%20by%2027%25%0A%0AReturn%3A%0A1\)%20The%20business%20problem%20in%20one%20sentence.%0A2\)%20The%20operating%20moves%20that%20mattered.%0A3\)%20Reusable%20lessons%20for%20a%20similar%20team.%0A4\)%20One%20question%20to%20ask%20before%20applying%20this%20pattern.%0A%0AUse%20the%20page%20as%20the%20source%20of%20truth.%20Keep%20it%20concise%20and%20specific.) - [Your Claw](https://openclaw.ai) - [Gemini](https://gemini.google.com/app) Gemini and Your Claw use copy and paste. Part of [ Studio Palms / Assembly Digital 2018-06-20 ](/work/studio-palms-assembly-digital) - 01Reduced support load with a daily flavour board (one less staff person per location, per day) - 02Increased page views by 66% after launch - 03Increased Google search traffic by 27% ![](/images/writing/earnest-ice-cream/01-f0dca6d1.jpg) ## [Ownership and scope](#ownership-and-scope) We partnered with Earnest to rebuild their website around two jobs: reduce support load, and make it easier to buy (or visit) without a phone call. * * * ## [Operating problem: flavour availability](#operating-problem-flavour-availability) Earnest’s team was spending too much time answering the same question: which flavours are available today? At the same time, the site needed to carry the brand, not just list information. ![](/images/writing/earnest-ice-cream/02-9439d4e3.jpg) * * * ## [Operating loop: utility first](#operating-loop-utility-first) In this case, the loop drove focus (utility first), conversion moments (flavours and locations), and compounding (search traffic and repeat visits). * * * ## [What we built: flavour board and locator](#what-we-built-flavour-board-and-locator) - A daily flavour board on the homepage so staff could update flavours across locations quickly. - An ice cream locator using HTML5 geolocation and Google Maps to reduce friction for in-person visits. - A custom typeface from an owner’s handwriting to carry the brand from jars to the site. **What changed**: The site stopped being a brochure and started doing real work, fewer calls, clearer intent capture, and a faster path from “I want ice cream” to “here’s how to get it”. ![](/images/writing/earnest-ice-cream/03-490b66c5.jpg) > Thanks to the digital flavour board, Earnest now staffs one less person at each location, every day. #### [Since the platform launched, page views have increased by 66%](#since-the-platform-launched-page-views-have-increased-by-66) ![](/images/writing/earnest-ice-cream/04-a82854ad.jpg) #### [27% increase in Google search traffic](#27-increase-in-google-search-traffic) > When it comes always trust to ice cream, your gut. ![](/images/writing/earnest-ice-cream/05-0f79e5d1.jpg) * * * ## [Results: support load and traffic](#results-support-load-and-traffic) These outcomes come from client feedback and performance snapshots from this period. This page is the primary published record of this work. - Reduced support load with the flavour board (per client feedback: one less staff person per location, per day). - Increased page views by 66% after launch. - Increased Google search traffic by 27%. ![](/images/writing/earnest-ice-cream/06-4e7c1b34.jpg) Deep dives [03TurF2017-08-15 · 1 min→](/work/studio-palms-assembly-digital/turf)[02Loden Hotel2017-11-25 · 2 min→](/work/studio-palms-assembly-digital/loden-hotel)[01LOJEL2018-02-24 · 1 min→](/work/studio-palms-assembly-digital/lojel) Decision support ## FAQ: Fast answers, no filler The objective, outcomes, and next best path in under a minute. 01What is Earnest Ice Cream? A case study on rebuilding an ice cream brand site around utility: today’s flavours, locations, and a faster path from intent to visit. 02What did Michael Preuss do in this work? Built a daily flavour board that staff could update across locations, shipped a locator with geolocation and maps, and carried the brand into the site with a custom typeface. 03What changed? The site stopped being a brochure and started doing real work: fewer calls, clearer intent capture, and a faster path from wanting ice cream to finding it. 04What results are documented? Reduced support load (per client feedback: one less staff person per location, per day), increased page views by 66% after launch, and increased Google search traffic by 27%. 05Where can I go deeper next? Next, read [LOJEL](/work/studio-palms-assembly-digital/lojel).