Esmé's Extraordinary Website
Project #1: Market Research
I've chosen to redesign the Los Angeles area restaurant Earth Wind & Flour, a staple in Santa Monica.
Research & Analysis
Visual Design
- The design is generally clean but lacks personality or a point of view.
- The site uses a lot of stock images, which feels impersonal.
- There is not a consistent color scheme or use of design elements which results in a lack of brand recognition.
Content
- The navigation and home page cover all of the basic information that a potential customer would need.
- The navigation is a little busy and could move some elements for a cleaner user experience.
- The restaurant's long history is highlighted well, which could be a selling point for customers looking to support independent local businesses.
“Call to action” on home page
- There is large and very noticeable "Order now" button on the top right of the page. However, another CTA could be added to the body of the home page.
Navigation
- Overall, the navigation is clean and easy to digest.
- The hours are listed in the nav and look like a link but don't lead to a page. This is confusing and should be moved elsewhere.
Functionality
- The site is pretty functional on a laptop. It's simple and doesn't have an flashy animations or videos.
- Some pages (like the community page) show snippits of code, an issue that should be resolved.
- There are a few issues on mobile including line-heights that are too small and make the text look squished and sometimes misaligned.
Community building (social media)
- Social media is clearly listed in the footer, which is fairly standard.
- There is a community page highlighting their commitment to local nonprofit organizations.
Goals & Target Audience
What questions need to be answered in order to complete this project?
- Who is the target audience?
- Families (local and tourists) looking for an affordable, high-quality meal and a friendly environment
- Adults 21+ who want to hang out at the bar with friends
- How do we give the website a refresh while sticking to the roots of the restaurant?
- Use personalized photography and other design elements
- Continue to hightlight the history of the restaurant throughout the site
- What are the client's business goals for the site?
- Increase the number of diners and take-out customers
- Increase visibility in the local community (Santa Monica)
What tasks do we need to complete in order to successfully design this website?
- Create a brand identity that makes Earth Wind & Flour stand out from their competitors
- Fix small issues throughout the site to achieve consistency and a good user experience
What issues need to be solved?
- Unnecessary elements (i.e. code snippets) need to be removed
- The site needs to be fully optimized for mobile
What is our schedule?
- Mar 22 - Project #1: Market Research
- Apr 5 - Project #2: Sitemap
- Apr 26 - Project #3: Style Tiles
- May 3 - Project #4 Wireframes
- May 10 - Project #5 Design Comprehensives
- May 17 - Restaurant Website Redesign Prototype
- May 24 - Project #6: Revised Design Comprehensives
- Jun 4 - Final Project: Responsive Restaurant Website
Competitive Analysis
Fritto Misto
Visual Design
- There's not much in the way of brand personality but utilizing food photography well
Content
- Has standard features like their story, menu, and locations highlighted on the home page
“Call to action” on home page
- There is not a large CTA on the home page, only a small button in the bottom right corner
Navigation
- Clean navigation with all of the important links easily accessible
Functionality
- The site is very functional and doesn't seem to have any glitches, broken links, etc.
- Optimized for mobile
Community building (social media)
- Social media is clearly listed at the top of each page
Forma
Visual Design
- There is a nice use of brand colors throughout the site
Content
- The home page features a great video showing how their pasta is made
“Call to action” on home page
- CTA below the fold on the home page (they don't cover the video)
Navigation
- The navigation is clean and straightforward, highlighting their menu first
Functionality
- Utilizes animations and videos while remaining fuctional
- Optimized for mobile
Community building (social media)
- Social media is clearly listed at the top of each page
Milo + Olive
Visual Design
- Utilizes photography, fonts, and colors to create a recognizable brand image
Content
- Has standard information about the food, location, and events clearly visible
“Call to action” on home page
- There are large CTAs for reservations and online orders on the home page
Navigation
- The top menu is simple and straightforward
- The sidebar is more prominent than the top menu (encouraging orders)
Functionality
- Great sense of spacing throughout
- Optimized for mobile
Community building (social media)
- Social media is clearly listed at the bottom of each page
Colapasta
Visual Design
- Interesting use of photography (food and lifestyle) to create a sense of history and family
Content
- The farm-to-table philosophy is highlighted on the home page and throughout the site
“Call to action” on home page
- There is a CTA for the menu and for reservations and takeout below the fold
Navigation
- The navigation is clear and highlights their menu and food first
Functionality
- There are no animations or videos and the site is very functional overall
- Optimized for mobile
Community building (social media)
- Social media is clearly listed at the top of each page
