The project vision was to create a responsive website online presence focusing on the studio's creations keeping the user needs upfront and center. Images are lead, and text is brief to sustain and give the minimum details required. Exquisite spaces and volumes need just a stage to showcase in all splendour the compositions and proportions that define a project. That is what we wanted to do for this project - let the architecture speak for itself.
1. Challenges:
1. Choose a direct approach without introductions.
2. Design an intuitive and clear, user-friendly interface.
3. Create a minimalistic UI to present the project
4. Display a straightforward process for each project.
2. Meet The Users:
Initially, we employed the goal-oriented methodology, which proved effective for our users. To support this approach, we utilized the qualitative research technique, which proved to be suitable. Our research methodology encompassed various tools such as competitive analysis, stakeholder interviews, industry literature, team meetings, and crucial persona creation.
3. Website Sitemap:
After we chose the objectives, we learned about the competition and having a clear understanding of the users and clients, we started to put pen o paper drawing the structure of the website. The needs and offers dictated the website's main navigation and bone structure. Here is the site map of the Arkhitekton Studio.
4. Low-Fidelity Sketches and Wireframes
In the ideating Phase, I interacted with architects, designers and stakeholders, which helped to understand their valuable professional points of view about industry trends, business objectives, client interactions and much more. In addition, all the data we collected in the Empathy Page, Ideate Phase and Define Phase helped us shape the first sketches and the low-fidelity wireframes in the Prototype Phase.
5. Usability Tests & Concepts Iterations
To improve the design concepts, we tested them on ten users by asking them 15 questions and asking them to perform different tasks on the prototypes. Our collected feedback was used to adjust the concepts as new iterations.
• MODERN – Users receive the contemporary look of the website very well, but they also want content. As a result, we establish a good balance of information and visual images.
• STRAIGHTFORWARD – We wanted the users to read and understand the message quickly and precisely. Unfortunately, some users reacted negatively, from the boring message to the complex issues. As a result, we improved the message (text and visual) to be relevant.
• TOO MANY CLICKS – Users had more than one click on some actions to get the information they sought. As a result, we reviewed and enhanced the one-click message where possible.
6. Corporate Identity
LOGOTYPE - is made from 2 elements - icon and text. For example, the letter "A" is made from 2 different shapes - a circle and a line. The two work together as a logo and separate as an icon.
WEBSITE ICONOGRAPHY has an essential look with clean lines. But, like Arkhiteckton's creations, the icons show just the essence that helps to convey the message.
WEBSITE TYPOGRAPHY has a rich look, and a very easy-to-read font cut offers viewers a message that matches the style of shapes shaped by Arkhiteckton.
7. Conclusions
Creating the website and company identity for Arkhitekton Studio was a remarkable opportunity to showcase creativity. In this project, we followed a goal-oriented design process and emphasized the creation of persona hypotheses to align with the objectives. However, even with this, we learned that designing solely for business goals could lead to unsatisfactory outcomes and eventual failure.
