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How AI is Changing Shopify Builds: Workshop Recap

Here's a taste of what we covered in our recent live workshop. In the replay we go into a lot more detail on all of these topics, so we still highly recommend watching!

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Meet Luna Templates

We’re Chloe (Shopify designer) and Hana (Shopify developer)—the co-founders of Luna Templates. Together we’ve:

• Built over 80 Shopify stores

• Helped brands from startup to multi-million dollar revenue

• Taught over 100 designers in our course: Design Freedom on Shopify

• Sold 2,000+ Shopify section templates used with any theme

Our mission? Help designers build beautiful, high-converting stores—without unnecessary stress.

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Major Shopify Updates You Need to Know

Let’s start with what’s new.

1. Shopify’s Horizon Themes

A few weeks ago, Shopify rolled out 10 new free themes—collectively known as Horizon. These themes:

• Look clean and polished

• Include features once limited to premium themes

• Are all variations of the same structure, just styled differently

Key features in Horizon:

• Slide-out cart

• Stock counters

• Quick buy buttons

Important: Although Horizon is free and flexible, it's still new and buggy. We don’t yet recommend using it on live client projects.

2. True Drag-and-Drop Flexibility

Horizon themes now allow designers to:

• Drag and group elements on the page

• Reorder page content more freely than before

• Add custom layouts on collection and product pages

This update pushes Shopify closer to a true page builder experience, similar to tools like Webflow.

3. AI-Generated Sections in the Theme Editor

This one’s big. You can now:

• Use AI prompts inside the theme editor

• Generate new blocks and sections with zero code

• Include image prompts to guide styling

Even better: this feature isn’t limited to Horizon—it can be used on any theme using Shopify’s new Sidekick assistant.

4. The AI Theme Generator

Still in beta, this tool builds a basic store based on a few text prompts. It’s currently:

• Only available on paid plans

• Limited to the Dawn theme

• Great for merchants who want to launch quickly

We expect this to evolve dramatically over the coming year.

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Should You Use Horizon on Client Projects?

Not yet. Here's why:

• Horizon is still very buggy

• Many key functions don’t work as expected

• Premium themes remain more stable, tested, and customizable

We love where Horizon is heading, but we recommend waiting a bit longer before using it with clients.

Will Premium Themes Get These Features?

Not anytime soon. Most theme developers aren’t planning to rebuild their themes to include these updates. The Horizon codebase is completely different, and there’s currently no smooth upgrade path.

So for now, you’re either:

• Sticking with premium themes that don’t support generating blocks within existing sections, nor nested blocks

• Or testing Horizon carefully in your own projects

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What Does AI Mean for Shopify Designers?

Let’s talk big picture.

Do clients still need us?

Yes—but we need to evolve. Clients now have more DIY tools, but they still need strategy, clarity, and conversion expertise.

Is it still worth learning code?

Absolutely. More on this below.

Will design jobs disappear?

Not if you adapt. Entry-level, task-based roles may fade, but expert designers who understand ecommerce, UX, and business goals will be more valuable than ever.

Designers who embrace AI (rather than fear it) will speed up their workflow and increase their value.

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Conversion Still Wins

When it comes to ecommerce, the best design is the one that converts. And almost every major brand proves this.

From Glossier to Topicals to Tower 28, high-performing Shopify sites share the same traits:

• Clear hierarchy

• Beautiful, branded imagery

• Minimal distractions

So even though Shopify is offering more design freedom, more freedom isn’t always better.

Here's what actually helps conversion:

• Headlines with scannable info

• Static heroes (not sliders!)

• UGC and human photos

• Mobile-first layout

• Predictable structure

• Easy-to-read prices

• 4–6 nav items (no more!)

• No unnecessary clutter (like quantity selectors)

Think of it this way:

Great ecommerce design is not about pushing creative boundaries—it's about making buying easy.

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Custom vs. Templated: Where AI Comes In

Premium themes are fantastic—but sometimes you need a custom section.

That used to mean:

• Writing Liquid and JSON from scratch

• Spending hours creating responsive layouts

Now? You can use Shopify’s new AI assistant: Sidekick.

What Sidekick can do:

• Generate custom sections based on prompts

• Accept screenshots or Figma exports to guide styling

• Create layouts that get you 75% of the way there

Limitations of Sidekick (currently):

• Doesn’t support dynamic blocks (e.g., testimonials with reordering)

• Can’t revise code after saving

• Wipes content if you regenerate

• Styles may not match your theme

That’s where code knowledge comes in.

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Why Code Is Still Your Superpower

AI can’t replace code—but it can complement it beautifully.

If you understand HTML, CSS, Liquid, and JSON, you can:

• Fix bugs in generated code

• Improve layout responsiveness

• Match styling to your theme

• Add custom animations or transitions

• Create repeatable blocks for clients

Bottom line:

You don’t need to be a developer. But learning the basics will:

• Speed up your workflow

• Help you troubleshoot AI output

• Let you bring your creative vision to life

Code turns AI from a shortcut into a real design tool.

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How We Teach This in Our Course

We’re launching a fully updated version of our Shopify course: Design Freedom on Shopify.

You’ll learn by following a real-world project for a fictional client: Sienna, founder of Raye Beauty.

Inside the course, you’ll:

• Join discovery calls with Sienna (and hear real client feedback)

• Design her store in Figma

• Build it with Shopify

• Use custom code and AI tools to finish it

What’s included:

• 8 modules (dripped over 4 months)

• Shopify Launch Kit (checklists + intake forms)

• Code customization library

• Live monthly calls

• Discord community access

• Replay library (30+ trainings)

• 30% off our section templates for 12 months

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Student Results

"This course gave me the confidence to finally raise my prices."

"I’ve onboarded 4 new Shopify clients already."

"I took another Shopify course before—this one actually clicked."

We’re seeing our students:

• Land better clients

• Launch faster

• Charge more

• Ditch the guesswork

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Want In?

Enrollment is open now. Go lunatemplates.co/course to join.

Got questions? DM us on Instagram @lunatemplates.

Let’s get building!

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