Albuquerque, New Mexico-based InkSoft, a supplier of software for creating e-commerce websites and Web stores, discusses its forthcoming “Design First” initiative. The initiative comes as the company continues to expand staff and evolve the software platform it offers users.

“As we're evolving our product and learning more about our customer base, we're realizing that design is critical,” says Michael Wolf, director of UI/UX at InkSoft, adding that the current focus for the company is researching what challenges users face, and relaying that information back to the design team.

While part of the shift for InkSoft involves improving the platform for sellers, the concept also focuses on improving the overall user experience for buyers, stresses JP Hunt, InkSoft's co-founder. Hunt says this focus includes “everything from styling and branding, to (refining) the method of helping a user set up an e-commerce store.”

The latest initiative by InkSoft continues a trend of growth at the company in 2016. In April 2016, the company opened a new 10,000 square-foot office location in Tempe, Ariz. and has since expanded its workforce.

The company plans to officially unveil the end product of the Design First initiative in Jan. 2017.