How do you build a digital experience for one of the most beloved, well-known and visually-compelling entertainment franchises and its three decades of fans? Traditionally, and throughout the making and release of Episodes I, II and III, StarWars.com was built around news and a text-heavy design. This new site is a complete overhaul with a revamped content strategy, more epic visuals and more accessibility, allowing fans of all ages to explore, play, watch and connect as they navigate it.
By improving usability and adding more visuals, it speaks to the way the Star Wars films originally spoke to the audience—with epic, eye-popping visuals and heroic storylines. The navigation is action-driven, and simple for users of all ages, which is especially helpful for kids, who visit frequently to check out what's new with The Clone Wars. At the center of the digital experience is a growing Encyclopedia of Star Wars lore, the characters, locations and other details of the movies and television shows, redesigned to be more visual and interactive. In addition, popular videos, images and online games are now presented in higher quality and in more locations throughout the site.
• This initiative updates the online presence of Star Wars (not just StarWars.com) and is just the beginning of how Star Wars/Lucasfilm will change its online communication.
• After research, the site took about eleven months to execute, beginning with a thorough UX process and an explorative look-and-feel design period.
• A custom backend, named “Gonk,” was built by Lucasfilm's Online team.
• During development certain functionality and features were reshaped to align with Lucasfilm’s backend system, which already housed thousands of pieces of content.
• Where applicable, the site uses CSS3 animations in exchange for JavaScript for faster processing; videos are currently being converted to HTML5 for mobile-friendly devices.
• The commenting system is currently being overhauled for a simpler user flow.
By improving usability and adding more visuals, it speaks to the way the Star Wars films originally spoke to the audience—with epic, eye-popping visuals and heroic storylines. The navigation is action-driven, and simple for users of all ages, which is especially helpful for kids, who visit frequently to check out what's new with The Clone Wars. At the center of the digital experience is a growing Encyclopedia of Star Wars lore, the characters, locations and other details of the movies and television shows, redesigned to be more visual and interactive. In addition, popular videos, images and online games are now presented in higher quality and in more locations throughout the site.
• This initiative updates the online presence of Star Wars (not just StarWars.com) and is just the beginning of how Star Wars/Lucasfilm will change its online communication.
• After research, the site took about eleven months to execute, beginning with a thorough UX process and an explorative look-and-feel design period.
• A custom backend, named “Gonk,” was built by Lucasfilm's Online team.
• During development certain functionality and features were reshaped to align with Lucasfilm’s backend system, which already housed thousands of pieces of content.
• Where applicable, the site uses CSS3 animations in exchange for JavaScript for faster processing; videos are currently being converted to HTML5 for mobile-friendly devices.
• The commenting system is currently being overhauled for a simpler user flow.
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