John Noe co-founded ROKKAN in 2000, with partner Chung Ng whom he met while working for Web design/development firm Proxicom.

05.16.07

The Proof Is The Swoosh

What's currently your favorite site/project?  This is probably a very obvious answer, but I think Nike does an incredible job of communicating its brand, product, and spirit online. Sites like Nike.com, Nike+.com and the original NikeiD.com all show how Nike has been able to make use of the online medium with a balance of innovation, powerful design and thoughtful consideration to detail.

What's the subject/topic of it? Specifically, the sites are product related, but newer sites like Nike+ are extended experiences that allow users to connect with the company and other Nike consumers in a more community/social networking sort of way.

What's so great about it? With every year, every campaign, every site, the brand continues to invent and reinvent online while always looking like Nike, compounding its recognition and leadership in the interactive space. Granted, not all brands have the benefit of global recognition with a single unmarked swoosh, but Nike clearly makes for a good, best-case practice example for online communication.

Nike+ is an example of innovative thinking and experimentation with content and functionality. What I like the most about the site is that it's simple and straightforward. The design is elegant and simple, yet striking. The user experience is easy and avoids excessive, unnecessary animated clutter. Both design and experience support and serve the site's purpose extremely well.

What makes it technically compelling? User generated content can sometimes be used liberally without thoughtful consideration to purpose and value. I find the Nike+ site compelling in that it uses technology to serve a purpose that's unique and targeted. As a result the content becomes more constructive and collaborative.
 
How would you improve it? Or would you? I like that the site is simple and light. Browsing, searching, refining and sorting are all easy to do and the content is quick and simple. I wouldn't necessarily want to over-complicate the site or its content.

Where do you work?/What's your job? I serve as CEO of ROKKAN, a full service interactive agency, currently located in SoHo, New York, which I co-founded with Chung Ng, in 2000. We're 20 people large and growing and depending on which day I'm asked, my responsibilities range from account management, business development to creative.

If you have a degree in what field is it? I graduated from Cornell University's School of Architecture, Art and Planning with a Bachelor of Architecture degree.  

How did you get involved in this industry? While in college I had a great passion for 3-D design, modeling, rendering, animating and video. I was hoping to get into product/furniture design but ultimately found myself at a Web design/development company called Proxicom. After a couple of years I left to start ROKKAN with Chung Ng whom I had met at Proxicom. In fact, I currently work with a number of people I met at that first job.    

What's your biggest Web (design) turn-off? I dislike when sites try to be different or unusual to the point where usability and clarity are lost. One of my design professors in college told me to be wary of trying to reinvent the wheel. I think a lot of sites out there try to be different without considering how the end result will impact the site's performance, sustainability and overall user experience.
 
Who, in this industry (or not), has been your biggest inspiration? It's a very exciting time for interactive agencies. Small boutique shops are making tremendous headway working with major clients and creating incredible work. Evident in their work is a sincere passion for quality and innovation, imagination and creativity. Agencies that consistently impress me are Big Spaceship, North Kingdom and Group94. But I've also been inspired by the mentors in my professional life: Steve Tempini, once partner at Investcorp and now lifetime off-shore fisherman and Dror Liwer who served as managing director of Blast Radius New York.

What's the weirdest thing you've bought online? Refurbished golf balls, which I immediately donated to several golf courses across the East Coast via errant drives and miss-hit iron shots.

What do you do in your spare time? Play golf.

What music are you listening to right now? My current play list has an assortment of songs from the '80s, Hip Hop from the '90s, and some newer music like Mat Kearney and Dashboard Confessional.

What product can you not live without? My BlackBerry Pearl. I've always been a Blackberry fan, but now that I have one I can fit in my pocket I'm never without it.

What's your dream computer set-up? I want one of those tiny laptops the size of a portable DVD player but upgraded to be more powerful than my current desktop set up.