PARACOSM
I led the research, design, and building of a small production company's portfolio site. The focus was something streamlined and simple that would put all the attention on their films and other video projects.
Research
The Problem
Creating a portfolio site that is engaging but also gives enough information to users visiting.
There's a lot of information and data behind film projects. Narrowing in on what Paracosm's clients would want to see and would be important to them up front was the biggest challenge. We needed to keep it simple without being boring.
Competitive Analysis
Employing a user-centric approach, the analysis involved in-depth navigation through a number of production companies that are either a comparative aesthetic or similar stage in size of company. Once this was done I was able to identify commonalities between their portfolio sites.
Start With Reel
Almost every site starts with some kind of reel or visual that grabs the user as soon as they visit the site. Even the larger companies have moving images to avoid stagnation at the outset of visiting the page.
Main Takeaways
Creative UI
Being creative hubs, the sites use their UI in creative ways whether it's with hover interactions shifting the background or in their button design. Like a creative agency they want their users' experience to be memorable.
Unique Scrolls
Many use scrolls or visual interactions that stand out. Whether it's a lengthy site with a lot of information or short and sweet, they stand out with every inch of their site's design.
Design
Concept Sketching
My initial sketches were heavily image based and keeping the information displayed as simply as possible. I quickly discovered a lot of the iteration would come with how the little information I was displaying would be displayed without being too simple.
Button to take you to main page
Reel that plays automatically on loop
Logo
Landing Page
Scrollable
Menu
Title of project image viewing
More info button for each project
Work Page
Wireframes
From my solution sketches I developed greyscale mid-fidelity wireframes. Once these were fined tuned, brand colors were injected into the design and imagery was added.
MidFi
Built out basic wireframes based on initial sketches
HiFi v1
Injected brand logo, color, & imagery
Delivery
Final HiFi Design
Our final design, carefully honed through rounds of refinement, seamlessly marries the brand's aesthetic with the initial sparks of inspiration from our concept sketches. While retaining the core of our original vision, this design reflects strategic enhancements, incorporating valuable subtractions and additions. These nuanced adjustments are aimed at not only refining the user experience but also spotlighting key information deemed paramount by the brand.
Notes & Adjustments:
- We simplified the landing page navigation to just be 'Reel' & 'Work'. At the end of the day this was the most vital information they wanted their users to see along with being able to reach out to discuss their projects at greater length
Notes & Adjustments:
- From HiFi 1 to HiFi 2 we decided to discard of a the 'More Info' button, opting to give simple information of Title, Type of Project, and Link.