When a well-known San Diego e-commerce company came to MEA Digital for an overhaul of their corporate website, the creative team was tasked with a ground-up build. We needed a new site map to incorporate new content, wireframes, mock-ups and a platform that the client could manage once the site was launched. I worked as Art Director and Designer, interfacing directly with the client on-site to capture and develop content, while maintaining close communication with the account and development teams within the agency.
Objective
While their branded sites like “Pro Flowers” and “Red Envelope” had distinctive looks, the parent company Provide Commerce didnt have much beyond a logo. I worked with the marketing manager of the company to choose fonts, colors and patterns that would reflect the fun, energetic environment at their offices. The main goal of the site was to establish a corporate brand, distinguished from its well-known family of brands, plus highlight the employee-centric culture and attract new talent. The company needed to hire and they wanted to show off their beautiful headquarters, highlight their many employee perks and introduce their leadership team.
The Original Site
The New Build
The site was built on Drupal 7 which provided a robust content management system. We used a Jquery expanding grid to organize the content. Boxes moved into place on each page and content could be expanded or collapsed. There was an element of discovery keeping some of the content hidden and imagery took the focus. The content was still on the page while hidden so the design wouldn’t impact search engine rankings negatively.
Since there wasn’t much content on the original site, I worked with a copywriter and photographer to develop all new content. By visiting the client headquarters and capturing candid shots of real employees and the space itself, we were able to fulfill the clients desire to convey their company culture.
Result
The new site featured leadership bios, a history of the company shown on a timeline, an integration with linkedIn, live weather widgets, plus colorful photos and inviting content. Both teams were very pleased with the end result and the site even launched according to schedule!
In 2014 Provide Commerce was acquired by FTD, which meant the end of the corporate brand and website.
