ZIG (ZIGIDEAS.COM)
The Zig site opens with a “tour guide” that talks with visitors in the first person. After being greeted by Natalie, Emily, or Geoff, for example, you must read the copy to get around, but it’s just the right size and quite witty. There aren’t any flashy, distracting graphics, and it’s interactive-you are asked to type in your name or click on topics of interest, for example. It’s targeted towards new clients, new employees, or just anyone “casing the joint.” The work is easy to get to and I think you really get a sense of the agency’s personality just by browsing. There are nice, subtle transitions, but I do wish the videos didn’t pop up in another window and that they were bigger. I also found it a bit strange that some of the commercials were in QuickTime and some were in Flash format.
Site Design: End Communications Creative director: Kevin Lynch
Cossette (cossette.com)
The site’s opening animation is nice. It helps communicate Cossette’s vision and links viewers to content when they click. The site’s overall navigation is fairly easy to use, with a sub-navigation list that drops down below section headings. However, the typography seems to jump all over, especially when it comes to size and color. As a creative agency, it could have done a better job of presenting its work-case studies are shown as small, square thumbnails, and there aren’t that many images of the actual work. This is a critical area for any agency site. There is also quite a bit of copy for each case study. Being a visual person, I would have liked more images. I can see from the “logo garden” that Cossette has some big clients, but the connection to what it did for each one is missing for me on this site.
Site Design: Fjord Creative director: Daniel Ouellet
GWP (brandengineering.com)
It seems like GWP has chosen its tag line as its web address, which makes me wonder why the agency isn’t just called Brand Engineering? When you enter the site, you are asked if you agree or disagree that “everything is strategic.” If you disagree, you’re led off to a competitor’s website (Rethink)-a strategic mistake. Many users may click “disagree” just out of curiosity, only to be shown “Damn, we could have done amazing things together.” (They’re then offered a “parting gift” of a link to Rethink’s site, see below.) Seems a bit quick to make that leap, especially if I was a potential client just trying to figure out what you do. The animated ants and music are a bit distracting. The work is presented by media type, and shown as small thumbnails or pop-up windows, which doesn’t put it in the best light.
Site Design: Pivot Design Group Creative director: Philippe Garneau
Rethink (rethinkcommunications.com)
The website starts simply enough with a button that says “Website.” When you click it, it opens to reveal the navigation. It’s easy to find Rethink’s work, and move from piece to piece. The interface looks like a menu-a recognizable format and, therefore, easy to use. And, unlike some of the other sites, work opens as a PDF so you can actually read the copy. QuickTime movies of the commercials are embedded in the site, though I wish they were bigger. The Pong! section of the site reveals why ping pong is the agency’s official sport-a nice glimpse into their culture. Even the photos of the partners are fun. One thing I’d like to see is their latest and greatest work featured when I first click into the site, instead of leaving it up to me to find it on my own.
Site Design: Burnkit Creative and Fuse Interactive Project manager: Greg Gillingham
DAVID LAI is CEO/creative director of Hello Design in Los Angeles
