California Pizza Kitchen — Website Refresh
Fresh by Design
The Challenge
California Pizza Kitchen partnered with Code and Theory to refresh their website through a full content and UI overhaul designed to bring the brand's California-inspired energy into the digital experience. As Art Director, I helped establish the visual tone and direction — then led the production effort to bring it to life through studio photography, lifestyle shoots, and storytelling-driven imagery.
The challenge wasn't just creating more content — it was building a cohesive visual system from the ground up that could carry the warmth and personality of the brand across every surface of the platform, from hero moments down to individual menu items. That meant getting the art direction right before anything else.
My Role
- —Co-led art direction for the overall site tone and visual identity
- —Established the mood, color direction, and inspiration framework
- —Led studio photography of 120+ menu items
- —Collaborated with food styling and photography teams
- —Directed lifestyle photography across multiple CPK locations
- —Shaped the content ecosystem across mobile ordering and brand experience
75%
Faster conversion — from 20 clicks to 5
+2.5x
Increase in conversions
100%
Increase in loyalty signups
120+
Menu items shot
01 — Art Direction
Before a single photo was taken, we defined the visual soul of the site. Bold, sun-drenched, and vibrant — our direction was inspired by coastal California architecture. Pink warmth, golden energy, and crisp modern white. Built on clean lines and playful color, the goal was an experience that felt simple to navigate yet rich with personality, echoing the California spirit of effortless style and bright optimism.
Mobile ordering should feel inviting, flavorful, and fresh. I sourced key reference imagery to anchor the team's creative instincts early — establishing a shared visual language that carried through every touchpoint of the platform, from hero moments to menu thumbnails.
02 — Studio Production
One of the biggest challenges was rebuilding the visual language of CPK's entire 120+ item menu — including every pizza variety — within an extremely compressed production timeline. Working from a custom-built studio setup inside one of their restaurant locations, I collaborated closely with the production, photography, and food styling teams to capture the full menu in just a few days while balancing consistency, appetite appeal, and enough variation to give each item its own identity across the digital experience.
03 — Lifestyle Photography
Beyond the studio work, I also helped expand the system through lifestyle photography captured across additional CPK locations — documenting the rhythm of the kitchen, food preparation, and guest experience to create a more human and immersive layer throughout the site.
04 — Digital Experience
The final result was a modernized content ecosystem that elevated CPK's digital footprint and transformed the website from a simple menu destination into a richer, more engaging brand experience — one that carried the energy and freshness of California-inspired dining into every touchpoint of the platform.
Credits
Agency
Code and Theory
Creative Director
August Kreowski
ACD
Laura Polkus
Art Director
Jon Sontag
Executive Producer
Ashley Heltne
Producer
Rob Ernst
Studio Photographer
Ken Carlson
Lifestyle Photographer
Jon Sontag
Food Stylist
Marah Abel