“From all the entries of creative studio websites this year, Waaark stood out in its approach with a lighthearted, visually compelling statement about its studio and aesthetic.” —juror Keri Elmsly
“The literal fluidity of transitions and designation of on-screen space make this site feel organic and unique.” —juror Nathan Moody
Overview: A bright, fresh color scheme, playful illustrations and smooth animations welcome visitors to the site for French web design studio Waaark, formed by animator, art director, designer and illustrator Jimmy Raheriarisoa and animator and developer Antoine Wodniack. On this fully responsive site, Waaark puts its best foot forward by making use of innovative techniques. Every pixel deliberately presents Raheriarisoa’s and Wodniack’s talents, focusing on their animation, illustration, development and design projects with just as much brilliance as the two creatives infuse into their work.
•The site’s animations utilize HTML5 Canvas and Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG).
•Wodniack built the site in WordPress.
•From naming to launch, Waaark’s site took fourteen months to complete.
Comments by Jimmy Raheriarisoa and Antoine Wodniack:
What are some of the project’s core design elements? “The art direction was inspired by what we like: a kawaii-style color scheme and isometric vector illustrations. We wanted to do something colorful and happy for our site, with a simple navigation structure that kept the essentials. Our goal was to attract clients with our creativity and personality, rather than with long copy.”
What software was used to create the animations? “We used After Effects and then exported the animations to SVG with Hernan Torrisi’s plug-in Bodymovin. Bodymovin will change the web design industry by giving motion designers more important roles in website creation. We also used GreenSock’s library for more general animations, Canvas and some CSS animations.”
What was the response to the site? “We were featured on many websites and won several awards, and we gained 1,000 followers on our Twitter account in two weeks. The site received more than 300,000 visitors during its first five months—we still can’t believe it!”
