It provides a very playful and fun aspect that pulls you in and makes you want to know more about them. However, I think that if they are going to do serious work, at least some part of their website should send the message that they are capable of doing good work on a professional level. Their biographies aren’t too enticing; most of them are all jokes with no fact, helpful information, or experience, which are all things that a client would like to know before they work with a designer they know nothing about. Therefore, it may be cute but they should remember that they are dealing with adults and not children. They should put something useful on there website other than free wallpaper. They are also very vague; they kind of leave you wanting more visual info. At least they give out free wallpaper samples…but I think I’ll have to pass. Here is one example below…
http://www.designoftoday.com/clients.html
I understand what you're saying when you say "However, I think that if they are going to do serious work, at least some part of their website should send the message that they are capable of doing good work on a professional level." However, it's sort of like the saying 'dress for the job you want, not the job you have.' Maybe they WANT fun playful jobs! Personally I really like their website, and I do like websites that don't take themselves too seriously.
ReplyDeleteI get your point that they should put professional work on their website, but because there are so established they probably don't feel the need to. People who want to work with them probably already know what they are capable of through here-say and past work so maybe it's Britney Spears explaining to someone what she does. Their work is pretty legit though.
ReplyDeleteTrue, I suppose it is like Britney Spears explaining her job. I'd say anyone with a website like that is pretty credible in my book.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they are established enough to have playful design. Also considering their clients I think it actually works in their favor that they have playful design. Whether or not they are working with clients that are adults companies such as Warner Bros. create things for children so although their design is playful it seems that clients would want to go to them for work like that. I don't think playful means less professional.
ReplyDeleteSome nice work on their website.
ReplyDeleteThey have great design, but their website is so busy showing itself off, it's hard to get to.
ReplyDeleteI personally like the idea of having the whole thing be a joke is successful in its own way. I mean their work is really strong so why not display what you enjoy.
ReplyDeleteAnother school of thought I was thinking about recently, if a designer was so good at what he does isn't it possible that if that designer creates an awful design it could be on purpose, thus being a good design?
I think the design on this site is pretty good! Its mainly hand drawn and I think the joke aspect of it is to show their relaxed and fun environment that they work in. Its pretty obvious by the first page with the logos of their clients like Hershey's, WB, and sketchers rolling off the machine, that they are serious and good designers. They just choose to be light hearted and fun with their work as opposed to serious.
ReplyDeleteI understand what you mean when you mention about the way the site doesn't look as professional as some other design firm sites. I enjoy how the site is animated and the character. Perhaps they are relying on the types of clientele that they have worked with in the past to speak their credibility level for them.
ReplyDeleteI guess this can kind of be related to the saying don't judge a book by it's cover, because this website is going to attract a certain type of client and perhaps this is what this firm wants to do.
I enjoyed looking at the logos that they created. Awesome site!
ReplyDeleteBased on what you have posted, I wouldn't get the sense that they are a big-name branding company. I think it's important to reflect your work and be professional, but maybe they can get away with it since they do work with some pretty important clients.
ReplyDeleteI'm kind of torn on this one...I really like the illustrative, playful quality, but it isn't the easiest navigation, and on some pages, the interactivity is more distracting than anything else.
ReplyDeletei love the robot and conveyor belt. a pleasant surprise.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nina. I felt that at times I didn't know where to look and what to click on. But their work is pretty good.
ReplyDeleteI love the little text in the corner that says "Lost?", and then when you mouse over it, it changes to "Navigation for Left-Brain Thinkers" followed by a pop-up menu of links. I personally really love the playful bios and the overall whimisicality of the site; it makes it seem like they're a really easygoing bunch of designers and I'd like to work at (or work with) a place like that. This was definitely a conscious decision on their part to present themselves like this. Sure, it might turn away some clients, but they might be the kind of clients that these guys don't want anyway.
ReplyDeleteWhile I did enjoy the quirkiness of the site, the navigation and site mapping is a little off to me.
ReplyDeleteReally awesome and inspiring work!
ReplyDeleteI like the fact that they seem laid-back, if people want a more serious company theirs other options out there. I think they're making a statement about themselves and it's one they're proud of.
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