Buy From Tasmania
Meet Janelle Larkin—born-and-bred Tasmanian, local business champion, and founder of Buy From Tasmania. What started as a Facebook group to support local makers during COVID lockdowns quickly became something bigger: a multi-vendor platform that now connects Tasmanian small businesses with customers across Australia and beyond.
Driven by community spirit and the desire to create sustainable pathways for future generations, Buy From Tasmania isn’t just about sales. It’s about showcasing the soul of the island—one beautiful product at a time.
The Project Brief
Janelle came to us with a bold idea:
“What if we built an Etsy—but it’s just for Tassie?”
The platform needed to be:
A multi-vendor eCommerce site with cart, checkout, and vendor tools
Capable of handling custom shipping, vendor-specific rates, and flexible fulfilment
Integrated with social media, vendor bios, blogs, and a seasonal interface
Optimised for mobile-first browsing and purchasing
Designed to feel both familiar and fresh, proudly Tasmanian but avoiding overused clichés
Absolutely no thylacines. No gum leaves. No “already done” Tasmania tropes. This was something new.
We delivered
BRAND DESIGN
Vintage-inspired, seasonally versatile, and unmistakably Tasmanian.
We created a broad, earthy palette inspired by the Tasmanian landscape across all four seasons—because Tassie is one of the few Australian states that truly experiences them:
Warm ochres and oceanic blues, grey sand, chalk blue, and kelp forest green
All tones were balanced to evoke depth, richness, and gentle nostalgia
The logo uses Indigo Moon, a high-contrast serif with a preserved texture that adds softness and a sense of history
Paired with Optima, a clean, precise sans serif, the brand is both inviting and legible
It’s comforting and classic—but with its own modern twist.
WEB DESIGN
A living, breathing digital space with Tasmanian roots.
The website isn’t just functional: it’s seasonal and interactive, giving users a sense of place, not just product.
Home page elements change with the seasons, and users can “stamp” around the screen to explore
Vendors are discoverable by category and story: click through to learn more, follow them on socials, and connect as people, not just shops
The site’s structure prioritises simple, intuitive navigation, especially on mobile
Neutral tones and grey sand colour blocks help break up the layout and guide the eye without feeling busy
Blog and story integration adds depth and personality, grounding the experience in community and celebration
Home Page
Store List
Once upon a time, during a period called COVID19 lockdown, I shot a message to a girl named Sarah Crawford at a company called A Lined Design. The message was a curveball that went something like “I have an idea about a new way to shop local and support small business”… she was on the phone in a flash with THE best ideas that mirrored by enthusiasm.
Really, the rest is history, Sarah and her team are professional, easy-going, creative, proactive, thought-provoking, groundbreaking (and any other adverb that describes bloody awesome). Not only does the way they do things create the most amazing websites but they also help you work through your business strategies, where/how you want your business to grow and the list goes on. I cannot recommend A Lined Design more highly. If you need a website done right the first time – this is your team!
I cannot thank you enough for listening to my vision and creating something that was beyond even my high expectations. Thank you from Buy from Tasmania!