rick barron: logitech web design brief

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Logitech.comCreative BriefPrepared for John Bauer, Director of Internet MarketingObservations/Suggestions

By: Rick Barron

September 8, 2006

Logitech Corporate Web Creative Brief September 8, 2006

Written by: Rick Barron

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Table of Contents

Introduction 3

Overview 4

Site Goal 4

Key Attributes 4

Observations 5

Look & Feel 6

Consistency 7

Home Page 8

Missing A Sale? 9

Dead End 10

Banners 11

Selling The Brand 12

Brand Message 13

Defining branding 14

Brand Attributes 15

Best Practices 16

Best Practices-Style 17

Best Practices-Product Pages 18

Best Practices-Home Pages 19

Best Practices-Promos 20

Suggestions 21

Home Page 1 22

Home 23

Home Page 3 24

Mood board: Photography 25

Staging Promos 26

Futures 27



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Introduction

The purpose of this creative brief is to provide some quick observations and suggestions to the upcoming redesign of Logitech’s web site. Currently the services of Sapient have been hired to help with the redesign of the sites web architecture. This document provides a snapshot of what I see as areas for enhancement, along with examples of ‘best practices’.

While I was not hired to perform such duties, I confess that design is where my passion is, in addition to wanting to contribute to the success of Logitech.

Rick Barron



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Overview / Site Goal / Key Attributes

Key Attributes:

• Intuitive

• Visually attractive

• Friendly design but yet professional looking.

• Easy-to-find-solutions

• Simplistic

• Improved imagery/colors

Overview: Logitech engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of personal interface products for personal computers (PCs) and other digital platforms. The company’s products include Webcams, mice, trackballs, and keyboards for the PC. Other products include interactive gaming controllers, multimedia speakers, headsets, headphones for headsets for mobile phones, headsets, headphones, and speakers for mobile entertainment, communication platforms, and advanced remote controls. The company’s mission: understanding customers needs and desires, and deliver innovative products people will want to buy and love to use.

Site Goal: The purpose of this Creative Brief is to address observations and suggestions for lifting the Logitech web site to the next level. Areas observed that would lead to that level, cover three areas from my review:

1. Improve the look/feel. Make the site exciting and instill a sense that Logitech is not just ‘another peripheral company’ but rather a company that designs great products, enhances other company products, and gives the user the freedom to do more.2. Enhance the navigation such that it’s not easier to find information across all core areas, and information that will help the user get the most from their purchase. 3. Strengthen the branding of the Logitech name by instilling emotion, fun and visually displaying product pages that are engaging and exemplifies Logitech’s strong suit…design.



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Review of site

- OBSERVATIONS -



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Look & Feel:Products Page

Experience Page

Support Page

Review of the site displays various web template structures, a landscape that is simple in appearance but lacking in excitement and not presenting products in their best light. First impressions gives one a sense that Logitech is just another ‘peripheral company’, and doesn’t differentiate itself from their competitors. The Logitech brand appears weak and lacks strength.

Downloads Page

Partners Page

About Logitech



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Consistency: With so many variations of menu bars, links, titled pages, graphic layout, color tone; it appears that pages are built in a ad hoc manner. There’s a lack of uniformity.

Closer Review:

1. Two of the six topic pages have titles, while the others do not.

2. Three of the six main pages have secondary links even though the topics are identified in the body of the page.

3. Variations in height of green header bar.

4. Use of graphical layout is inconsistent throughout.

5. Color tone is not the same.

Products Page

Experience Page

Support Page

Downloads Page

About Logitech Page

Partners Page



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Home Page: 1) Home page lacks an engaging look/feel 2) Color tones are on the dark side thus not calling out easily that something new is being stated. 3) A lot of white space left unused. Information appears jammed together. 4) Banner sizes are not uniformed, thus look out of alignment.

1

2

3

4



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Missing a sale?: 1) Home page identifies product in subtle manner under ‘What’s New’. 2) Link takes you to a page titled ‘News’ (?) which provides information about the topic. 3) What the ‘News’ page doesn’t do is after calling attention to the product, provide a link to take the customer to the product called out. It appears as a dead end. Potential sale lost?

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No link off ‘New’s page to product page.



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Observation: Dead End

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No link off ‘New’s page to product page.

1) Link call users attention to information that calls speaks to the value add about the product… 2) Only to be taken to a dead end. This type of ‘Product or Page Unavailable’ appears in many areas. Need a QA process if not one already.



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Banners:

Too much content

Out of alignment and two many links on one banner

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1) Banners need to be short and to the point and engaging. 2) There needs to be a standard by which there is no more than one to two lines of text, and photography needs more polish and professional/exciting tone to it. 3) Promos need to be staged more strategically so that they are visible, thus above the fold.

What’s visible above the fold…on a 21” screen. Unless one scrolls all the way to the bottom, promos are missed and perhaps a sale.



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Review of site

- SELLING THE BRAND -



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Best Practices: Branding

“A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.” Source: Jeff Bezos, Chairman and CEO of Amazon



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Best Practices: Defining importance of branding

A brand or branding often means different things to different people. This is in part due to the fact that a brand embodies so much. Sometimes it is easier to talk about a brand in terms of what it is not — or not only.

For starters, despite popular opinion, a brand is not a logo. Though a logo is one of several easy and effective ways of representing a much deeper brand meaning.

Indeed, a brand is a company's face and voice to the world. It is how people experience a product, service or corporation. It is a distinctive relationship and personality that relates a promise that is understood by anyone who comes in contact with it. While it is possible to duplicate a product or service, the brand associated with it cannot. A strong brand is capable of staving off commoditization and elevating products and services above their category — becoming more valuable in the process.

Simply put, a brand is trust. A consistent set of differentiated expectations.

Logitech has a good brand, but can be enhanced with improving the imagery, typography, color usage, and engaging web landscapes.

In short, instill the emotion for the customer that they have made an intelligent purchase; and those that haven’t…will.



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Brand Attributes:

ApproachableFriendly, Inviting, Human, Accessible, Appealing, Warm, Positive.

Authoritative Knowledgeable, leading, Smart, Relevant, Solid, Trusted/Respected, Visionary, Certain

FunPlayful, Creative, Youthful, Amusing, Colorful, Happy, Clever, Full of life, Fresh

CoolConfident, Understated, Energetic, Refreshing, In the know, Hip, Full of attitude, Unique

FashionableTogether, Up-to-date, Sophisticated, Cool, Adaptive, Stylish, Imaginative

SelectiveQuality-oriented, Top-notch, Discerning, High-end, Solid, Well-built, Name-brand

Brand attributes are a functional or emotional associations that are assigned to a brand by its customers and prospects. Brand attributes help clarify what you’ll want the site to convey when customers arrive. Below are some attributes that came to mind when thinking about Logitech’s web site.



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Review of site

- BEST PRACTICES -



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Best Practices:



First and foremost you need to stir emotion about your brand. Second, establish an environment that will get the customers engaged. The first few pages of your web site will tell a customer whether or not they want to stay and look around or not. More to the point, give them a reason for coming back.

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Best Practices: Product Pages



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Best Practices: Home Pages



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Best Practices: Promos

Apple Computer

Nike

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2

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1) Promos are simple, teasing in manner and a little text goes a long way. 2) Good use of banner buttons, along with products identified by their iconic symbols. 3) Consistent use of color tone theme, along with simple verbiage. 4) Color theme and rich tone of graphics evokes an emotional stir with the reader.

3Adobe



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Review of site

- SUGGESTIONS -



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Home Page: #1Tease the audience

Simplicity of products

Logitech Harmony 880So easy, it’s child’s play.



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Instill Excitement

Call out the value add

Home Page: #2



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Promote Relations

Get their curiosity

Home Page: #3



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Moodboard: Photography1

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3 Creative

Fun

Photography on the site needs to express many moods so as to help stir emotion about Logitech’s product lines. Think in terms of ‘slick’, ‘must have’, ‘innovative’, a ‘leader’ in the field and not just having the largest market share.

InnovativeFreedom

4



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Good Practices: Staging Promos

Apple Computer1 Sun Microsystems2

Promos are quickly seen and above the fold.



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Futures

Below are just my thoughts for some futures to consider…I have more.

1 Web site should have a page that offers tips [‘So how do I…?’] on using Logitech products. Be ‘the’ source of information for our products. See Apple site for example. Draw information from ‘Logitech Forums’. Identify ‘Top 10’ Trouble Shooting Articles. Provide a FAQ listing for products.

2 Break down products into six categories [Gaming, Internet Communications, Keyboards/Desktops, Mice, Remotes, and Speakers] so as to simplify the breakdown of Logitech’s offerings. The 19 listings stemming from the ‘Products’ pull down is too much to absorb, let alone decipher quickly in the users mind. Go with naming conventions that resonates with the user.

3 Have a web page that promotes Logitech’s engineering design of the various product lines. Celebrate the use of design in our products…your working relationship with the vendor in Oregon, Ziba , design awards Business Week…tote your horn off the web site!

4 Stage links on product pages that helps push other product purchases…’people who have bought this product also bought this…’

5 ‘Home Page’ needs to ‘pop’! Stage new releases that display products in a manner that will engage the user. Call out partnership announcements likeYouTube and Skype [don’t hide them in the ‘What’s New’]. Change featured product/story every 5-7 business days.

6 Consider a blog.

7 A section that covers how Logitech’s products are used in various office/personal environments…define the benefit customers have gained from using Logitech products from mice, home entertainment and more. See Apple Pro and Adobe sites for examples.

8 Go for a Webby. What better way to compliment the new design such that it adds to the credence of the product lines found on the web site.

9 Think about producing podcasts to help customers be informed and engaged. Utilize Web 2.0 and it’s advantages. Adobe follows this practice.

10 Instill a QA program/practice that ensures pages are current with product types, localization, no dead ends, no ‘workarounds’, etc. Conduct a quarterly review with product groups.



http://www.apple.com/support/mac101/

http://www.ziba.com/

http://www.apple.com/pro/profiles/

http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/

http://www.adobe.com/devnet/videos/

rick barron: logitech web design brief

Design

logitech web site

downloads page partners

logitech brand

success of logitech

page titled news

news page doesnt

best practiceshome pages

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