Six years ago we built an online store for the Institute of Trichology. It was finished but never launched. In 2026 we brought it back: the platform moved to OpenCart 3.0.5.1 and PHP 8.4, its modules and integrations were updated, and the original design was kept.
Trichocosmetics
From legacy technology to a modern foundation
A second chance for a digital product
Six years ago, we built an online store for the Institute of Trichology, a specialized institution focused on hair and scalp health. The project was completed but never launched. Other business priorities, followed by the full-scale war in Ukraine, postponed its development.
Years later, growing interest from the institute's patients in purchasing professional hair care products brought the project back to life.
The challenge was not to build another online store. It was to make an existing digital product ready for its intended purpose.
Modernizing what already existed
Technology had moved forward considerably since the original development. The store was running on PHP 5.6, and its platform components required modernization before the project could move forward.
Rather than rebuilding the store from scratch, we updated the existing platform to OpenCart 3.0.5.1, migrated it to PHP 8.4, and updated its modules and integrations. This is what we mean by website modernization, and we describe how such an upgrade is planned in Upgrading an Old Laravel or PHP Site in 2026.
This approach allowed us to focus development efforts on the technical foundation instead of replacing components that did not need to be reinvented.
The modernization also brought a noticeable improvement in site responsiveness, even with a largely unpopulated storefront.
A practical approach to design
Despite being six years old, the original design still holds up remarkably well. Rather than treating its age as a reason for a complete redesign, we chose to preserve the existing visual direction.
Selective design refinements are planned as the store moves toward launch.
We believe digital products should evolve according to actual needs, not arbitrary redesign cycles. When the existing solution remains relevant, improving its foundation can be more valuable than starting over. We weigh that choice in Website Redesign vs New Website.
Preparing for the next stage
With the underlying technology updated, the project is moving toward its next phase: populating the product catalog and preparing the store for launch.
The opportunity lies in connecting the institute's professional expertise with a more accessible purchasing experience for its patients.
For the business, this means developing an additional digital channel around an existing service and an established audience. For patients, it creates an opportunity to purchase relevant hair care products through a dedicated online storefront.
The institute explains in its own words why it is opening the store, starting from the diagnosis rather than the product: why the Institute of Trichology is opening an online store (in Ukrainian).
The value of modernization
Not every digital project needs to be rebuilt to become useful again.
Sometimes, the most effective solution is to understand what already works, identify what has become obsolete, and invest in the changes that make future growth possible.
For the Institute of Trichology, that meant preserving a viable design, modernizing the technology, and preparing an existing investment for a new chapter.
The result is a modernized e-commerce foundation, ready for the next stage of development.
What we did
- E-commerce modernization and platform upgrade to OpenCart 3.0.5.1
- PHP migration from 5.6 to 8.4
- Module and integration updates
- Online store development, the original build
Client: Institute of Trichology. Platform: OpenCart 3.0.5.1 · PHP 8.4. Status: the platform is modernized, the catalog is being filled before launch. Related projects: the Institute of Trichology website and IFHRS.