We love challenging projects, and this one was no exception – a captivating client with an intriguing-but-unfocused story to tell about a specific marketplace niche he was trying to fill.
The client, in particular, was a fascinating individual – a successful Fortune 50 exec, accomplished surfer, spiritual advisor, Harley rider and doting family man. Equal parts astute businessman, cool cat and nice guy. Moreover, the new consultancy he was launching reflected his unique and diversified approach to life. He was offering a blend of coaching, training and business expertise – augmented by an extended network of consulting partners, an inspirational radio show and a focus on giving back.
From the moment we began crafting the launch strategy we knew his web site would be the most important tactic in the plan – the place where the whole story came together in a compelling, persuasive way. We also knew the site had to give visitors an intuitive sense of what it was like working with the founder and the company. It had to feel like .
As we developed the site map, we agreed with the client on a set of primary principles to drive the user experience – the site should feel warm and peaceful, with visitors feeling inspired and curious. We also discussed elements to avoid: boxy or constrained artwork, overtly formal images and heavy blocks of text.
All of this input was used to make some very conscious design and content choices. We used imagery with varieties of yellow, orange and tan to reflect the warmth, supplementing those colors with shades of cool blue (from the company logo) and deep green (to reflect the “living” reference in the company name).
We had developed the message framework for earlier tactics, which was then tailored for the site – massaging the content to complement images we had already selected, or finding photography that illustrated the carefully crafted descriptions. Realizing we lacked some of the photography we needed, we orchestrated a photo shoot to capture elements that were critical to bringing specific elements of the story to life. The final touch was the creation of The Living Room – a warm, comfortable place within the site where visitors are invited to connect, share and inspire one another.
In the end, it was a classic win-win scenario. The client loved the site and we are proud to showcase it as part of our portfolio.
Categories: Mini Case Studies
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