Studio Lovelock
When you first enter the site, you are met with big text saying, “Branding to engage and inspire”. I like this as it’s a short bio about their company which lets users know what work they do. This page also has their wordmark and logo which shows off their unique brand. Overall, this page is simple and aesthetically pleasing which will engage users.
Users then have the option to scroll along the bottom which brings them to recent work. They can also access this through the menu bar to the left. I like that it can be found through multiple areas of the site as it makes it easier to find and gives users a choice.
In the menu, they have many recent work examples to look through. This is something I want to do with my site as it shows off different skills. I love the layout of this site as you go through it horizontally until you click on a piece of work which then allows you to scroll down to find out more.
The case studies start with a graphic showing the branding of the company they worked with. This provides a nice visual for users as they begin looking at the work. As you scroll down it includes text explaining, background, challenge, strategic and creative approach, and the solution. It then goes on to show brand guidelines, videos, and screenshots of their process. These are all things I will consider adding in my own content. I think it is structured well and the content is enjoyable and easy to read. Each case study sticks to the colour pallet of the work they were creating which I really appreciate.
The about us section includes a short and longer bio telling people about themselves and their approach to work. This is important as it shows their tone of voice. They describe themselves as open-minded, smart, and creatively restless. I think this makes them seem more trustworthy and welcoming.
They then go into more detail about the services they provide. They describe their process when working with people and the skills and support they provide. This makes them more trustworthy and professional as it shows that they know what they are doing. Seeing this has inspired me to consider including my skills and what I can do in my site as it improves reliability.
Lastly, they show some of the companies they have worked with. There are some big recognisable businesses which further proves their reliability and ability to provide excellent work. This page has a call-to-action button, encouraging people to get in touch. Having this here and in the main menu provides multiple ways to access their contact details.
The get in touch screen is simple and straight to the point. I think this is effective as it makes it easy to find what you are looking for. They have multiple forms of contact such as, email, phone, address, and social media. These are all things I want to include in my site as it gives users options.
Overall, I really like the structure of this site as it’s easy to navigate. I really like the transitions and animations as you scroll through the site as it makes the experience more enjoyable. It showcases their work very well and shows their process as well as the end product which is something I will incorporate into my own site.
Dockyard
Dockyard uses more of a traditional layout with the navigation along the top and the contact details in the footer of the page.
The first thing my eye was drawn to is the illustration when you first enter the site. I like their use of illustrations throughout the site as its engaging, shows their personality and helps tell their story.
The “our work” page displays short paragraphs giving an overview of the work they have done for different companies. I do think this section looks quite busy and overcrowded, however, it does show the huge amount of work they have done with big companies. This makes them more trustworthy.
For some of their work, they have gone into more detail in case studies. I think this is important as it shows users their approach, process and skills which is what I hope to achieve with mine.
On every page they have a call-to-action button saying, “connect with us”. This repetition encourages users to get in contact with them and makes it easier to do so.
Olivia Truong
Olivia is a product designer and freelancer working in New York. The home page of her website is very minimal which I like. As you scroll down you can see her recent work and clickable case studies to find out more. I like this layout as it prevents the page being too busy and allows users to easily find what they are interested in. It is image-led which will grab people’s attention.
When you click on the case study, there is lots of information regarding her process including, the objective, receiving feedback, improvements, challenges etc. This has given me a better idea of what should go into a case study, and I will add these to my own.
At the bottom of the screen, you can click to move onto the next case study. I like this as it encourages users to continue looking through the site and makes it easier to navigate.
One thing that really drew me to this site was that she included side projects. I think this is effective in showing that she is passionate about what she does, making her more trustworthy. It also shows her interests and personality. Again, I love the layout of this as its image-led followed by case studies were you can find out more.
