cultureblog

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the newly redesigned Sauvage Swimwear website at www.sauvagewear.com!  Sauvage produces some  of the world’s most elegant and glamorous swimwear for women and men.  They came to us to produce an online showcase for their brand and a rich online experience for their customers.

We started by designing a clean user interface that focuses on showcasing the products in an effective and eye-catching way.  It can be difficult for design teams to create a website that is restrained and minimal, but when the products are as intricately designed and the photography is as stunning as Sauvage’s, those aspects must always take the center stage.  So with that in mind, we applied a classic look with a black, grey, and white palette and pinstripe lines as separators.  We used large images to maximize their effect, and let the products do most of the design “work.”

We applied this design in several ways to create a rich user experience for Sauvage.  The site begins with a Flash introduction, and then employs a javascript-based gallery, a MIVA Merchant shopping cart, and a WordPress platform for the company’s news and media features.  The result of using these different components is a multi-faceted experience of the Sauvage product line.  Customers can view products in a gallery without the additional information that a storefront provides, and they can then move into the MIVA shopping cart component of the site to learn more about the product, see additional views, and make a purchase.  As the customer moves from one area of the site to the next, the design elements remain the same to create a cohesive and seamless transition.  Our goal in constructing the site was to create an experience that was as close as possible to being in the front row on the runway and then walking right into the retail shop.

To create the retail-store experience for Sauvage’s online store, we customized their MIVA Merchant cart to allow for large imagery with a zoom option, alternate images, related products, products with several cuts that can be purchased as separates, a detailed and prominent size chart, a “favorites” section for shoppers, hassle-free shipping options with an order tracking feature for customers, and the ability to offer promotional codes at Sauvage’s discretion.  The result?  A comfortable shopping experience with a high level of detail.

It may be December, but it’s always swimsuit season with Sauvage.

Durrani Design is excited to announce the launch of the new website for Gregg Visintainer at vizisart.com! Self-taught artist Gregg Visinitainer, whose artistic alias is Viz, creates highly detailed pieces of artwork, using only pen and ink. Within each one of these sophisticated doodles, which are Viz’s signature style, there are hidden pictures, words and messages that all reflect a larger theme.

In the last year, Viz has been gaining recognition and momentum in the San Diego community. He recognized it was time for an updated, fresh web presence and a home to sell his prints online. He came to Durrani to redesign and develop a professional site that would give him an online showcase for his art, while also utilizing a MIVA Merchant e-commerce platform.

We were challenged to create a strong e-commerce site, but also showcase a product that is personal and reflective of the artist’s taste and talent. We applied a dark, clean design to highlight Viz’s art without taking away from his colorful, intricate pieces and created the Online Store to have the look and feel of a gallery. Durrani’s goal was to make it is as easy to purchase Viz’s art as it is to browse through his prints—giving users an effortless, pleasurable online shopping experience. We’ve successfully captured Viz’s artistic personality while also providing him with an efficient shopping cart—fitting for a progressive artist in the 21st century.

We’d like to extend a very heartfelt thank you to the clients who have joined the Durrani team for a new website design and development project since October 1. Thank you for choosing us as your full service creative agency—we couldn’t do this without you!

Our latest clients…

Traveltrust, a travel management company headquartered in our hometown of Encinitas that develops corporate travel policies, negotiates supplier contracts and monitors traveler satisfaction.

Flip N Fit, designs and manufactures high-quality, fashionable leotards and apparel for gymnastics, cheer and dance.

On-Site Tech Support is a San Diego-based company offering computer repair and networking services to residential and business customers.

National Housing Relief, a brand new company whose online resource center will educate homeowners about their foreclosure prevention options.

Airverter, a leader in the industrial spray finishing manufacturing and distributing market for nearly 30 years.

KiddieCorp, national provider of high quality child care programs for all types of events—from trade shows and conventions to meetings and weddings.

Sauvage, designer and manufacturer of some of the finest swimsuits for women and men in the USA.

Stay tuned for the launch of these sites within the next few weeks!

Durrani is excited to announce that KiddieCorp, a national provider of high quality children’s programs at corporate and special events, is teaming up with us for their website redesign and development project!

KiddieCorp has been operating in San Diego since 1986 and has over 175 clients—making them a highly visible and trusted name in the meeting planning industry for over two decades. Their focus on safety, fun activities, consistency and complete service has made them a trusted name in their industry, but now they’re ready to bring their website into the new decade! They came to us looking for a fresh, professional makeover to their site that stays true to their existing corporate branding. For a company that combines a professional service with fun child care, we’ll be creating a new design that really showcases KiddieCorp’s expertise on both!

We’re looking forward to working with KiddieCorp president Chris Tempesta the rest of the KiddieCorp team to take their business to the next level!

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the Durrani team is sharing what we’re thankful for this year.

I’m thankful for the birth of my first baby and that she’s healthy and super happy.” -Matt Harding

I’m thankful all of our clients’ offices are closed the rest of the week so I can finally get some work some done. Seriously, stay closed.” -Joe McDonald

I am thankful for having this amazing opportunity to live in 92008, Matthew Nicholas Basta, my friends and family, Isabella aka Stuffy, and last but not least, Juanita’s Chicken Burrito!” -Brooke Kellestine

I’m thankful for my awesome family and friends.  I’m also thankful for 70+ degree weather in late November!” -Carrie Sinclair

Although my family is thousands of miles away I’m thankful for their unconditional love and support. I’m also grateful for the friends and memories I’ve made here in San Diego—and for a long holiday weekend.” –Michaela McNamara

I am thankful for my baby girl and that I get to be a parent with my best friend/husband.” -Elise Harding

Durrani is happy to announce the launch of the newly redesigned Cruxial website at www.cruxialwear.com! Cruxial is a new brand on the action sports scene, offering shirts and hats with unique design aesthetic. We were excited to give this fresh, young company an equally fresh, young and cool new look for their online showcase.

We were excited to work with Cruxial for many reasons, one being that they are a local company with an industry and a target market that we understand well. Since we’re located in Southern California a couple blocks from the beach, we essentially live in the center of the culture Cruxial represents. As a bonus, when Cruxial first came to us we had recently launched the action sports retail site S.A.W. (www.skullsandwings.com), which gave us even more insight into that industry.

Cruxial’s primary goal for their new site was to have a place to showcase their clothing line for customers and wholesalers to view the product. They also wanted a place to highlight the bands and surfboard shapers who have teamed up with them, as well as a blog and a photo gallery. They also wanted to be able to easily make their own updates and changes to the site. Durrani found a solution for all of these needs in a WordPress website platform. Using WordPress as a Content Management System (CMS), their site is dynamic and flexible, easy to edit and expand.

One of the ways we used WordPress development in this case was in utilizing the array of WordPress plugins that are available today. Instead of starting from scratch to customize something like a photo gallery, we used a plugin and adjusted it to get the results we wanted. The final product is extremely beneficial for the client as well: now they can add, delete, and organize the images in their gallery easily and seamlessly. The moral of this story: Don’t reinvent the wheel if you don’t have to. Use the tools that are available to you to get the results you want.  In this case, WordPress and the available plugins were the tools we used to create a successful site for Cruxial.

This past summer, Durrani launched SkullsAndWings (S.A.W.), our very own online retail division. Now that the site has been live for six months, we’ve seen it grow and take on a life of its own. But with steadfast monitoring, we’ve been able to adjust a variety of factors to make the shopping experience positive for our customers in a fast-paced, ever-changing retail market.

You’ve heard it many times: "If you build it, they will come." We know that isn’t enough on the Internet. A website, particularly an e-commerce site, must constantly be monitored after its launch to ensure it’s goals are being met. We like to compare it to a rocket launch. When a spacecraft leaves Earth, the NASA team on the ground doesn’t just pack up and go home. Throughout the journey, they carefully monitor the astronauts, mechanics and external conditions among many other factors to ensure the success of the mission. It’s really no different than launching a website! Well, maybe just a little different.

So with the launch of S.A.W. and subsequent findings, we’ve reaffirmed the importance of constantly keeping track of activity. Here are some our observations:

• Refining the checkout process to ease the customer’s shopping experience is absolutely necessary, and comes with time after learning what works and what doesn’t.
• Measuring analytics often is another important tool— Where is traffic coming from? How long are people staying on a page? Why may they leaving immediately? These are all questions that have arisen from following analytics, and have allowed us to adjust accordingly.
• Offering new promotions and changing promotional banners to reflect sales or new arrivals is key to keeping content fresh for visitors. Fresh content = repeat buyers.
• Monitoring inventory, even inventory that isn’t stored in-house, can be easy by maintaining constant communication with vendors. Staying up-to-date on inventory has avoided hassles.
• We’ve gained momentum by learning what customers want. If a particular product is hot, we’ve featured it on the homepage, offered promotions and begun selling similar products.

Durrani is very pleased with S.A.W.’s success, which we attribute to giving it time to find its way but leading it there in the right direction.

Durrani is excited to announce that AirVerter, a leader in the industrial spray finishing manufacturing and distributing market, is teaming up with us for their website redesign and development project!

AirVerter’s advanced technology and innovative spray gun designs have made them a favorite among aviation and marine industry painting professionals for over 25 years. Their strong focus on worker safety and environmental solutions has set them apart from competitors throughout their history, but now they’re ready to utilize a MIVA Merchant shopping cart to allow for direct purchases online. With hundreds of parts for each spray gun to choose from, we’ll be creating a custom cart that’s tailored to make the purchasing process effortless for both the customer and AirVerter.

We’re looking forward to working with Bill, Mike and the rest of the AirVerter team to take their business to the next level!

GoodSource Solutions is a nationwide organization that specializes in supplying food options to schools, relief organizations, corrections facilities, non-profit food agencies and other alternative markets.  Though GoodSource has been an industry leader for over 20 years, they recognized that they needed an updated web presence.  They came to Durrani to redesign and develop a cohesive site for their multiple divisions and to give them a fresh, professional online showcase for their products and services.

Using a Wordpress MU multi-user platform, we created a customized Content Management System that GoodSource can easily and efficiently maintain in-house.  We applied a modern, clean design and a site structure that incorporates each of their company’s six divisions, housing a unique restricted area for each division so that distributors can access pricing and additional materials which remain hidden from competitors and the general public. 

To correspond with the launch of their new online presence, GoodSource has also launched an email marketing campaign to highlight specific products and specials.  We have handled the process of programming the html emails, coordinating and sending them on schedule, and providing analysis of open and click-through rates.  GoodSource has found email campaigns to be a relatively inexpensive and effective method of online marketing, and Durrani is happy to provide strong solutions that boost GoodSource’s online presence!

Growth in a business is a great thing.  So is the ability to adapt and transform based on changing needs.  Often, we focus so intently on growing and transforming our clients’ businesses that we neglect the active and outward growth of our own.  In the past few weeks, however, we’ve been transforming our "look".  Literally. 

What we’re trying to say is… we’ve gained a few pounds, and we’re planning on gaining a few more.

So far, we’ve put up walls to create a separate work area as well as an area for private meetings, and painted and finished it’s interior.  But we still have a few projects left to complete, including creating a space in the front of our office to accommodate our retail division S.A.W., and changing up our color scheme in here with some new paint.

So if you come in for a meeting, don’t be alarmed by the lumber sitting atop a spare desk or the power tools huddled in the corner of the room.  It’s all a part of the process of adding to our office to transform it into a more effective space that will allow us to grow in new ways.  And we’re excited for that growth!