Project One

Research (Redesign Rename and Rebrand)

CLIENT: Fork-In Aussie Pie Kitchen

LA-based Dessert and Australian Savory Pies with full espresso service. (LA based with 12 locations)

www.forkinpies.com

The current website is responsive and on the Squarespace platform. The website doesn’t communicate much of brand identity, it’s very busy and the logo is very difficult to read. The top of the home page is dominated by a full width looping video background showing two employees plating pies. There is a narrow frame at the top with a call to action with “get some pies at work” linking to a page for delivery partners. The primary navigation is a row of white text links on either side of the logo. The tagline “The Pie. Reinvented.” is the largest type at center screen with the two location addresses appearing below. Two small Yelp rating embeds seem out of place and do not align with any of the other page elements. The content in the main nav appears to be one long scrollable page divided by anchor tags linked to the nav descriptions. Many of the linked anchor tags in the menu appear out of date as the previews that appear while hovering are incorrect. The secondary navigation is in the footer as a row of links for content that does not appear on the main page. Just above are two rows of social media icons, the same icons appear twice for no apparent reason. The sheer amount of content on the main page layout is overwhelming. The layout of the menu section is a balance of images and text lists that are appropriate content, but the catering section is weighed down by text and probably belongs on it’s own page.

Competitive Analysis #1: The Pie Hole

LA-based Desserts and Australian Savory Pies with full espresso service. (LA based with 12 locations)

www.thepieholela.com

The current website is responsive with a home page dominated by a slide show of desaturated food photos that reinforce the brand through use of the logo. The logo is typical vintage coffee shop style, contrasting type on a geometric shape with a grunge treatment. A purple and white color scheme appears throughout the site. The closest thing to a call to action is the nav link titled “Order Online”. Primary navigation is at the bottom of the home page, but becomes a top nav bar with different behavior on all other pages. The first item in the nav bar is titled “menu” instead of “menus”, this could be confusing. A user won’t know if “menu” refers to a navigation menu or a food menu unless they click. It’s not clear that different locations have different menus if a visitor skips the “menu” page by choosing “locations” from the nav bar. A “Rewards Program” element obscures the copyright information in the lower right corner. The social media icons not sharp and show aliasing.

Competitive Analysis #2: Simplethings Sandwich and Pie Shop

American-style casual restaurant. Serves dessert pies and chicken pot pie. (LA-based with 3 locations)

www.simplethingsrestaurant.com

The current website is responsive and on the Squarespace platform. The home page is a dominated by images and illustrations that appear in slideshows and grids. The layout appears down one long scrolling page. White gray and yellow are used along with stripe and circle elements, all to providing a slightly busy look. The primary navigation is at the top in a row that is awkwardly split in half by a very “simple” logo. The food menus do not appear in the main nav, instead they are located midway down the page, linked to large circle elements. The subpages are generally well ordered with an emphasis on photos. The online ordering link leads unexpectedly to an external site.

Competitive Analysis #3: Republic of Pie

LA-based Breakfast and Lunch Cafe with bakery items including sweet and savory pies. Full espresso service (1 location)

www.republicofpie.com

The current website is responsive and on the Squarespace platform. The home page is a full width image of a latte. The logo is similar in style to the Pie Hole. The website uses a light blue background with a black footer. Navigation is a row of links aligned right at the top. The same links appear in the footer in a column. A large calendar of events is a notable feature on the home page. The community link in the nav bar sends the user to a page that further reinforces this aspect of the business. Local artists and musicians are invited to contact the business and past performances appear in embedded videos below. There is a page with menu information and another with a gallery of food photography. A shopping cart and online ordering round out the nav bar. It’s a basic website that doesn’t go overboard with content.

Goals + Target Audience

Fork-In Aussie Pie Kitchen has a very disjointed website. It’s unclear who the target audience might be. They are a small operation that does have a catering business. The target audience would appear to simply be new customers as they have such a small presence. The site does a poor job of explaining the product and doesn’t inspire any confidence in how the business might be managed.

  1. What percentage business is catering vs dine-in?
  2. Move some content to blog and eliminate unnecessary content.
  3. Rework Information Architecture.
  4. Schedule as yet undetermined.