Redshift Agency Website
Creative Agency Rebrand & Website
I led design for Redshift's website rebrand, establishing the visual style to go with their new logo. When early explorations weren't standing out, I spent a weekend developing a bold new direction: monochrome 3D environments for each case study on the homepage—a kitchen for a cooking app, etc. I created the 3D scenes, directed wireframing and interior page design, built animated prototypes, and worked with dev on image optimization.
The Problem
Redshift had a new logo but no visual language to go with it. Stakeholders weren't aligned on what they wanted, and the initial directions they gravitated toward felt safe—they didn't differentiate the agency. With time running short, I needed to find a direction that would be both distinctive and achievable.
The Results
The site launched to a 35% traffic increase and strong user engagement. The monochrome 3D environments gave the homepage a distinctive look that stood out from typical agency sites. When color exploration started getting subjective and eating into the timeline, I called a vote and moved forward with the majority choice to stay on scope.
In the highly competitive world of creative agencies, having a distinctive and compelling online presence is crucial. Redshift's website needed to not just inform visitors about their services but also encapsulate the essence of their brand. The rebranding offered an opportunity to position Redshift distinctively in the market. However, the challenge lay in translating the new brand into a comprehensive visual language that could be applied across the website. The project involved an in-depth exploration of the user experience, starting from flow and wireframes to final design executions.
The objective was to create a website that was not only visually striking but also super usable, reflective of the agency's design ethos. This entailed considering not just aesthetic elements but also practical aspects such as page load speed, especially given the proposed use of hi-res 3D environments. My role was pivotal in guiding this transition, steering the design team through various phases from conceptual sketches to final execution, and ensuring the project stayed within scope and timeline constraints.
Redshift had recently rebranded themselves and were looking to update their homepage as well. They wanted the new site to show off some new work but also express their new brand. The problem was, they had a new logo, but didn't have a new visual style established to go with it. They weren't in full agreement on what they wanted and needed to see some options.
A handful of agency websites were researched, all-in-all about 25 different sites. After some brainstorming sessions and looking at some favorite agency sites, rough sketches were created representing a gross of about 30 unique concepts.
The response from the stakeholders was to simplify the concepts. Entering the visual phase, some simple variations were produced. The stakeholders responded positively to a couple of options but I felt the options they were gravitating towards didn't communicate their brand very well or make them stand out from other agencies.
We were running low on time so I decided to take a risk and spend the weekend coming up with a bold new direction. The new brand they were working on utilized a lot of color. I had an idea to create monochrome 3d environments per case study. Each case study feature slide would display a device showcasing the work in the setting the app or website would be used. So for Yumavore, a cooking app for example, the environment would be a monochrome kitchen, etc. The stakeholders and the rest of the team were excited with the direction and I was tasked to bring it to life.
I directed a UX designer to establish the UX for the homepage, case studies, about, and careers pages. I started by sketching a couple variations of the site in pen and paper, and laying them down on the floor so myself, the UX designer, and the stakeholders could get an aerial view and weigh in with feedback before moving to high fidelity. I tasked another designer on the team to start creating the case study pages based on the direction we finalized on paper.
I spent the next week creating the 3D environments and adjusting them with feedback from the creative director. I rendered the scenes in white, and composited them in photoshop with color. Color exploration was tedious and began moving down a subjectivity feedback loop. I took a vote on colors and made a decision based on majority vote in order to stay within scope.
With finalized 3D environments, menu, case study pages, about, and careers pages, I created animated prototypes to demonstrate page transitions etc. I worked closely with the development team to provide optimized image assets so the page would load quickly, which was an important consideration given the size and extent of the 3D environment imagery.
