Around October of 2010 we decided to look further into WordPress theme frameworks. We hadn’t really explored them and we were curious about how they would impact our workflow. Continue
Wow , it’s messy around our site. Not to fear inbetween clients we’re updating the look of our site. Check back next week for a fresh new look. We’ll even have working links, ohhhhh.
A few weeks ago we embarked on a site redesign for The Windmill Winery in Florence, Arizona. We wanted to try and bring the flavor of the local area to the look and feel of the new design.
Having never been to The Windmill or even Florence, Arizona we learned all we could from pictures and talking with the client. We got a good sense of the atmosphere and history of the property and the historic barn which is the visual cornerstone of the winery.
The Windmill is more than just a winery though. They host a number of events and weddings throughout the year. So the site needed to reflect that and be more than just about wine. We really wanted to give visitors to the site a sense of stepping onto the Windmill property and feeling the upscale rustic setting.
For the design we went with the idea of a wine label. We wanted the user to feel as if they there looking at a label on a bottle. It’s very important that the user understand that the Windmill is a winery which is perfect for their event or wedding. Rather than a place to have a wedding that also does some wine. There needed to be a clear message and brand established in the redesign.
This message distinction was especially important when it came to promoting and marketing for weddings. People want to have their wedding at someplace unique and special. To say, “We do so many weddings a year so you should check us out,” doesn’t exactly sell the property and features. Instead we changed the message to be about the winery and the location that is perfect to host a wedding.
Check out the new Windmill Winery site.
“Practice makes perfect” are words often uttered in locker rooms and on the sidelines of losing teams. However in our case, we’re uttering them in front of a computer screen and not because we’re losers. It’s just a really applicable phrase.
In any creative endeavor, especially creative ones that put food on the table and pay the bills, practice is essential, necessary, and always worth the time invested. I don’t think I’ll ever feel the sense of having “arrived” creatively. In many ways I hope I never do. There will always be something else to learn and conquer, always.
The below video named “AT” is a small side project aimed at practicing some 3D and post-production techniques. I took a list(current at the time) of our Twitter followers and used their usernames as textures and particles. I found Dave Trautz through The Wire and he graciously agreed to compose a score I could work with. Dave has a ton of talent and I hope to work more with him in the future.
Moving Forward
Stay tuned, more side projects in the works.