Building a Brand. Building a Business.

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Building a Brand. Building a Business."

Arlene Wade
5 years ago
Views:

1 1 CASE STORY Building a Brand. Building a Business. A new ecommerce business was brought to life within the Hanes ecosystem, offering custom apparel design. Turning Big Ideas Into a Reality Our multidiscipline project team worked with the Hanes business, marketing and technology teams plus all external partners from day one. We started and completed this engagement as one integrated team at the enterprise level. We represented the user and contributed ecommerce expertise throughout an intensive discovery process which began with numerous stakeholder workshops. Business, marketing and technology project requirements were established to help guide the project forward. INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT APPAREL MARKET RESEARCH MOBILE STRATEGY TECHNICAL STRATEGY INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE, CONTENT STRATEGY UX DESIGN UI DESIGN VISUAL DESIGN COPYWRITING USER TESTING FRONT-END DEVELOPMENT ECOMMERCE INTEGRATION ACCESSIBILITY ASSESSMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE TESTING STRATEGY Our project management team then took an agile approach working alongside four key stakeholder groups to create a sprint plan. We worked through 20 twoweek sprints to complete the UX design, visual design, UI design and front-end development for the project.

2 2 The Origins of a Brand Based on audience research and positioning exercises, our branding task was clear. Create a brand that conveys creativity, fun and simplicity. We developed a color palette, photographic style, typography and voice guide for the brand. These were used to create the copy, visuals and UI design for the entire ecommerce experience and supporting brand materials. The design team also proposed a fresh, new logo that conveys the creative potential of the service. Evaluating the Competition To ensure we were designing an optimal user experience, we user tested competitor sites. This allowed us to identify pain points that we could remedy to make a superior experience. Architecting a Customer Experience Our UX Designers created detailed documentation to keep all involved teams aligned, cataloging each business, user and technical requirement for the team s reference. Interactive wireframes were created to ensure cross-team alignment around all proposed designs and functionality. We also created the functional and usercentric acceptance criteria that were used for testing.

3 Planning for Long-Term Efficiency Our Development team was challenged with embedding interactive content within the IBM WebSphere commerce platform without using default back-end templates.

3 3 Planning for Long-Term Efficiency Our Development team was challenged with embedding interactive content within the IBM WebSphere commerce platform without using default back-end templates. We wrote a library of custom JavaScript behaviors that hook on to html content within WebSphere. This allowed us to manage code libraries globally leading to better front-end control, flexibility, quality and future enhancements. A Service for Everyone In order to comply with WCAG level AA guidelines, we filtered every design and development decision through stringent accessibility criteria. Since a number of out-ofthe-box modules from the platform were not compliant, we provided recommendations that met the accessibility guidelines. Developing Content with Empathy Along with the brand voice guide we also create a tone guide for the HanesInk marketing team. The tone guide instructs writers how to create branded copy for different situations based on the customer s feelings and mindset. For example, though the overall tone of HanesInk is fun, it would be inappropriate to be lighthearted when bad news (an out-of-stock item) or an error message is presented to a customer.

4 Making a Mascot During the design phase we used a happy, smiling face as a placeholder for t-shirt designs. It symbolized the great creative images that would one day be printable on custom tees.

He represents the endless creative possibilities customers have to express their own style and passions using HanesInk.

4 4 Making a Mascot During the design phase we used a happy, smiling face as a placeholder for t-shirt designs. It symbolized the great creative images that would one day be printable on custom tees. When we wanted to make the brand more approachable, to give it a face, our smiley Hans seemed perfect. He represents the endless creative possibilities customers have to express their own style and passions using HanesInk. Bridging the Digital and Physical World To further connect the digital and physical customer experience, we also advised and designed the packing materials which would be included with each order. The materials included stickers of Hans, each with a unique design to give customers an extra bit of collectible fun. Ongoing Brand Support After the launch of the website, Elevate continued collaboration with the HanesInk team. We designed s, sales presentations, social graphics and event materials to support the brand. Working with Elevate on the HanesInk business launch was a study in how a great agency should operate. Elevate is always strategic in their approach, artistic in their execution, and on time with their deliverables. Most importantly with Elevate, you always know you re working with a true partner. - David Wainer: Senior Analyst, Digital Marketing at HanesBrands Inc.

5 3 A Digital Commerce Agency In today s digital landscape, brands are challenged to grow more than just their ecommerce business. They must engage and retain the customer in the ever-evolving digital commerce ecosystem. For more than 14 years, we ve been entrusted by standard-setting brands such as Redken 5th Ave., Champion Sportswear, Hanes, Giorgio Armani Fragrances & Beauty, YSL Beauté and Lancôme to create world-class ecommerce experiences. Driven by design, we create customer-focused websites that pair world class user experience with a flexible ecommerce platform. Together, we advance your brand by delivering results and establishing a foundation for future innovation. ElevateDigitalCommerce.com 328 S. Jefferson St., Fifth Floor Chicago, Illinois (312)

DESIGN WHITE PAPER EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL. POP IS EVERYTHING.

DESIGN WHITE PAPER EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL. POP IS EVERYTHING. There is no such thing as No Design, only Good Design and Poor Design. Anonymous Pop Art is a one-stop resource for creative services, from