When approaching my research, I wanted to look through the eyes of both the digital creator and its consumer. It was imperative to see if there were any parallels between the two, but also where there are misunderstandings and potential ‘lost in translations’, how this is resolved through effective web design and communication. As a creative myself, I felt I already had an angle of what I wanted to see in these agencies and knew what would entice my creative taste buds, however the more I leaned into the research journey I found the positioning of brand identity, the value of my time and simplistic approaches in design to be leading factors in winning me over.
1. The missing piece
No matter how big or small, all agencies seem to be missing one thing! From independent agencies to big brand corporations, I found one common thread that runs throughout: a major lack in social media presence! This led me to question: how can a creative agency that leads in communication and engagement with its consumer be so absent online? Some of the biggest agencies with globally recognised brand collaborations have a noticeably small amount of instagram followers, this paired with most recent posts as old as 6 months. Although these agencies don’t ‘seem’ to be struggling in winning clientele, it is something to question if a strong online presence is essential for brand awareness, reach & winning sales.
Another thing I spotted was the lack of individuality in larger agencies. When comparing them to independent studios, you can see how they have positioned more towards a polished approach in their design style and a choice of muted colour palettes. It’s fair to ask if this type of design could potentially drive away the more independent brands, who are seeking a personable feel and community lead collaboration.
Although this type of layout can seem generic and lacking in individuality, the intention behind it seems effective: the broader the design style, the broader the reach. This is evident in these agencies having an ever growing portfolio and impressive client history. Choosing a more commercial layout invites a sense of familiarity, as this design style is so far removed from attracting a specific niche or fitting into a certain box. This leads me to further question: is personality driven content a necessity when you’re reaching a wider client base?
2. TMI vs Brave Simplicity
Does an over informative web design chase away the pragmatic clientele? When auditing some of the larger agencies, the excess pages of extensive information were quite a task to get through. I felt like I was being over-educated page by page. This can be hard to digest for many users, and can also give the impression that the client needs to be well-read and educated before getting in touch – but when is it too much education?
If an agency wants to hyper inform, it’s not if the user enjoys such detail, but rather how the user enjoys this detail. Something I’m learning at Hopeful is that hierarchy plays a key role in how you serve the user content, one step at a time, sensitive to their desire to either skim, or deep dive.
‘Time is money’- I began to realise my time spent on each website quickly became the one thing I valued most. Streamlining content and prioritising the information became a default need when proactively scrolling.
3. Intrigued or Fatigued?
When auditing the many different design agencies, I found that simplicity and accessibility were traits I looked for straight away. When browsing through each website, no matter how grand the portfolio or enticing the design was, if the layout was difficult to navigate, it was lost on me! I had a lot to get through, so usability was extremely favourable.
Scrolling page by page, I began to ask if the client would feel intrigued, or fatigued? My search then became focused more towards finding agencies that had a perfect blend of innovative design paired with simple and user friendly navigation. I soon discovered that some of the agencies with the more impressive design and clientele could easily be outshined by smaller studios using minimalistic techniques and seamless navigation.
I found some agencies to be more than efficient when it came to prioritising time and catering towards the client experience. One agency in particular seemed to have perfected the balance of having artistic & creative expression, whilst also articulating information and categorizing the pages. From time stamping news articles to organised tab links and content services, the site was both fun and easy to use.
From people focused, community lead agencies to big brand collaborators, the pursuit in connecting with their audience was to be found in all.
Coming to an end, It’s easy to see how effective usability is in web design and ultimately, how a company doesn’t have to compromise on either personality or production value to communicate with their audience and effectively win clientele.
Thanks for reading,
Saz Murray
