Success Factors

Empirix had a solid internal working group in place to drive the messaging and content of the new website, including the re-alignment of its extensive product offerings with its new solutions framework. In addition, Empirix was developing a new logo and brand identity elements that would be incorporated into the new website. PixelMEDIA identified 3 key elements needed for a successful outcome:

Message Architecture

PixelMEDIA experience designers worked with the Empirix team to focus the company’s value proposition and to articulate a set of proof points for audience segments that needed to design, test, and deploy large call centers and customer service operations. The message architecture stressed a broader solution-based approach built on a proven portfolio of products, and was used by the Empirix team as a guideline for copywriting for both online and traditional media.

Information Architecture

The experience designers at PixelMEDIA created a full inventory of the Empirix website and worked with Empirix to determine which content best supported the new positioning and where content would need to be edited or created. Using the inventory, PixelMEDIA created a new site architecture that put solutions at the forefront while providing a clear and logical organization of the Empirix product portfolio.

Content Design

The goal of the architecture was to present products in the context of a customer challenge and Empirix solution, and to help customers focus on the content that was relevant to their situations. A set of detailed wireframes was created for each level of the website to visualize how the content would be organized and presented on screen. PixelMEDIA also produced a set of Microsoft® Word® content templates and a style guide to help the Empirix team draft and edit page copy within recommended word and character counts.

Solution

Using the wireframes and the new Empirix design elements, PixelMEDIA designers created the Adobe® Photoshop® layouts that would be used to build the final HTML templates. A clean, 3-column grid provided put the new content front and center, while providing clear navigation and focus areas for related topics and calls-to-action. With the final designs and approved content from Empirix, PixelMEDIA’s development team coded and QA’d the new website and spent a full day with the Empirix developers to ensure they had the information needed for a successful launch.

Results

The new Empirix website went live in November, 2011. The redesigned website gives Empirix a powerful new focal point for its outbound marketing programs and news releases. In addition, the website now supports a sales process that is centered around solutions, and helps Empirix to deliver a higher-level value proposition to higher-value customers at the enterprise and solution-provider levels.

So what should be on your mood boards? Anything that g­­ets your creative point across. This can include colors, typography, imagery, illustrations, white space (or lack thereof), and messaging. If you are working with a content strategist or copywriter, we highly suggest adding taglines, slogans, brand attributes (adjectives), or a vision statement. This helps the client to not only visualize the proposed style, but to see how the verbiage can support the overall experience.  Sometimes we even take it a step further and add atmospherics that engage other senses as well, like smell, touch and hearing . By introducing more tactile elements like texture, music or scent, you can envelope the participants in a full sensory experience.

Mood boards can be extremely helpful when you’re searching for an overall tone or visual language, but they can also expedite the approval of a creative direction before heading into interface design. In the past, we have noticed that separating initial creative ideas from the mechanics of the site allows the client to make clear and concise design decisions without impacting time or budget.

There are a few things to keep in mind when creating mood boards.

• Choose an orientation that best fits the subject matter.
• Take into account the audience and how you’ll be presenting to them. Your mood boards can be digital or printed (or both) depending on whether your meeting is virtual or in person.
• Try and create boards that use similar elements. For instance, if one board includes brand attributes and color swatches, be sure that the other options do as well. This creates points of comparison that can aid in decision making. It’s always easier to compare apples to apples.
• And finally, have fun. Creating mood boards is not a rigidly define activity.  Use whatever pieces you can to express your vision, whether it is cutting and pasting magazine bits to Gatorboard or adding minute details and a custom polish to every serif.

Mood board examples:

In all, each member of the board had a slightly different definition but it was evident that each description was cut from a similar cloth. Surprised? Not really. Comforted? Yes.

Toby Bottorf, Director of Design, WGBH Interactive, had an interesting observation. He stated that we don’t design a user experience; we design for a user experience. I couldn’t agree with him more. In reality, we are just setting the stage. What happens in the hearts and minds of the audience is relative to their own past experiences, knowledge, environment and, of course, expectations. Since we are trying to mimic physical interactions within a virtual environment, defining expectations is paramount to creating a positive user experience. Much discussion was centered on the ability to enhance the experience by aligning expectations. Chauncey Wilson, Senior Manager, AEC User Research, Autodesk, Inc., discussed user experience in a similar manner to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Using a three-tiered pyramid, he defined the base as “relative and expected” functions that one would expect for choosing the experience. The second layer represents comfort. I equated this to factors like ease-of-use and thoughtful design. Third, at the top of the pyramid, is delight. Here, expectations are exceeded and the experience becomes an pleasurable one. But, the top tier is a moving target. Technology, design, and culture can easily push what was once a delight to a comfort. (see diagram)

So, what did I gather from all of this? For starters, we all are bombarded with choices and everyone is vying for your audience’s attention. So, when possible, reduce the “noise” level and minimize the need for your audience to make unnecessary choices. This not only reduces the need for complicated information structures but it relieves the stress of making the wrong decision. Second, define your intentions. Set the stage for a pleasurable experience early on. Frustration increases when your message is unclear which then encourages trial and error. And finally, stay current with both your audience and the environment in which the experience is delivered. If technology is the conduit, use good judgment and always precede with proper usability and interaction models. Push the boundaries to drive innovation (think the pyramid’s top layer) but expect to refine them. Some trends are harder for your audience to accept than others.

In closing, I must admit, it was a refreshing to hear others speak about user experience in a way that is subjective and open for interpretation. It’s evident that it means something slightly different to everyone, but with insight, knowledge, and a creative spirit, setting the stage for a captivating experience is well within grasp.

For more information about MITX and upcoming events visit MITX.org

]]> http://www.pixelmedia.com/blog/user-experience-or-user-expectation/feed/ 0 http://www.pixelmedia.com/blog/brian-collins-discusses-what-happens-next/ http://www.pixelmedia.com/blog/brian-collins-discusses-what-happens-next/#comments Fri, 26 Sep 2008 14:19:31 +0000 16 sbabb http://blog.pixelmedia.com/?p=44 Continue reading →]]> Last Thursday I had the pleasure of attending the Ad Club’s Edge Conference. Positioned as “It’s where you go to get inspired,” the conference focused on topics ranging from the effects of technology on the creative process to the extremes agencies go through to retain a large client.

The presenters included an impressive list of industry heavyweights like Baba Shetty, Chief Media Officer at Hill Holiday, Suzie Reider, Director of Ad Sales and Marketing for YouTube, and Lance Jensen, Creative Director for Modernista! All had engaging presentations but the most profound (at least to me) was Brian Collins, Chief Creative Officer and Chairman of COLLINS. His discussion touched on a few, well articulated points, but the most interesting to me was the effect of society and its direct influence on art and creative endeavors.

Brian referenced the early 1960s, when the Russians had beaten the U.S into space. This was a scary time for Americans. The Russians had the edge and, to add to the anxiety, the threat of nuclear war was very real. Enter John F. Kennedy at Rice Stadium in 1962. All of America was watching. And in this difficult time, JFK took the high road, he challenged, engaged, and inspired the nation to come together and put a man on the moon. And we did.

During this time, the world of art, fashion, and architecture began to take a fascinating turn. It started to reflect thoughts of a not-so-distant future and, with that, the hope and aspirations of an inspired society that permeated everyday life. Images in Popular Science illustrated cars of the future. Movies scripted everyday life in space. Fashion showcased a shiny (literally) tomorrow where models looked like the next astronauts and industrial designers and architects used organic shapes and experimental materials to create new and exciting ways to live. There was hope—and the creative minds of the day reflected that.

Brian then went on to discuss the next time America truly came together as a unified nation. It was September 11, 2001. President Bush’s response was not one of hope and encouragement, but of revenge and anxiety. “Shock and awe” became the phrase of the day and a burdened government and fearful citizens created a new vernacular. In the creative community, specifically agencies, terms like war rooms, officers, tracking, capture, territories, and blitzes became prevalent. The Hummer, a vehicle originally designed for battle in the streets of Fallujah, was now parked in suburban driveways across America—GM had done a great job of equipping a soccer mom for any obstacle that might arise on her way to the grocery store. Our society began to look inward and the creative views were a bit more myopic. As a nation, we had lost our sense of control and the images of the day reflected sadness, the quest for power, and the struggle for normalcy.

So what did I take away from all of this? It was an affirmation that art is truly the window into the current state of a culture and society. It penetrates not only the creative minds of the day but it burrows itself into the fabric of society in ways that transcend conventional written history. Single events and micro interactions can impact the output of artists for years and, in turn, cultures begin to reflect these interpretations through fashion, music, film and architecture. Is Brian’s point a new concept? No. But through storytelling and reflection, artists can see why it is so important to our craft and our history to keep creating.