DD2 is an architecture firm in Whakatane, which was designing their first website. They had previously tried with squarespace but found it didn’t allow them enough flexibility with their layouts, or the display of elements.
Many of the details within the design are derived from the visual language of traditional architectural elements. We exposed the grid to evoke a feeling of structure in the site, and as a nod to classic architectural drawing paper, common in architecture in the past.
DD2 didn’t have the correct layout and formatting of their logo for web. I took their old logo and adjusted it into a few different layouts, in order for it to display correctly on the webpage. We also used an alternative logo layout as a short splash animation at the top of the homepage.
The goal of the site is to prompt people to get in touch with DD2 for their architectural needs. We have a float down menu that keeps the contact button always visible, no matter where you are. The orange in the contact button is also the only element with this bold colour within the design, this is to draw the attention of the user here, as that is the place on the webpage we want visitors to end up at.
The guide arrows on the headings are another detail derived from traditional architectural planning. It was also a design element also used heavily on the DD2 site logo previously, so using it for the site endured branding continuity.
As with all the sites we build at Select, mobile optimization is very important. We scaled this site to different screen sizes while making sure to keep all of the core design elements of the site front and center.
By providing DD2 with a managed CMS, it allowed them to make any simple changes to their website content effortlessly. Using a CMS is great for removing part of the barrier between clients and their websites.
