Responses by Frost*collective.

Background: The purpose of this site is to share the incredible work our team does with clients both locally and internationally. We believe in the power of design, and our reason for existing is to design a better world. The only prerequisite when deciding to work with a client is that our values align so that our design will be used for the greater good of the planet. We want this to be reflected to our target audience, which spans across past, current and future clients as well as the broader design community and potential future Frosties.

Bigger picture: The redesign is part of Frost* enhancing our strategic platform. It is important to us that we carry the same focus on our own brand strategy as our clients’. Every five years, we redesign our site and tighten our focus and communication.

Our audience is very important to us, so as such, one of our main points of interest when developing a new site is to have greater control of our data. That way, we can use it effectively to better understand what our audience’s wants and needs are.

Design core: The hero tiles, which elevate the presence of our projects in a genuine, no-nonsense way. Also, the horizontal scroll, which enables for a more seamless visual journey and user experience.

Favorite details: The ease of navigation, simplicity in communicating our message and the accessibility in interacting with our work. And that it doesn’t look like a templated site.

Challenges: We are great at designing solutions for our clients, but when it comes to our own brand, it can be challenging to commit to one solution. We were so excited about the potential of design and began to think of a million possibilities before finding one we could settle on.

Divergent paths: If we could start over, we’d bring in our development partners EFront from the beginning of the journey. It’s important that development is involved in the process as it can determine what’s possible.

New lessons: Trust your gut. Don’t underestimate how long these projects can take.

Navigation structure: We wanted to lead users on a journey across the site, like walking through a Frost* gallery with our projects hung on the walls and a business card to pick up at the end of the corridor. The site animates horizontally while the action of scrolling vertically remains the same. This was an early design decision that excited us from the beginning, and looking back, it was definitely the right move. We have never been ones to stay standing still and avoid change.

Technology: WordPress, AJAX page loading, forms and downloadable content integrated with our CMS and CRM systems. The site is split into two parts: one for Frost*collective’s work, and one to promote our design knowledge through Talks & Podcasts. As designers, we believe we have a responsibility to contribute to the development of ideas and encourage participation in that process. We want our Talks & Podcasts to share ideas and find the path to solving problems.