Whispering Mind: January 2010

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Web Design 2: Strategic Brief

Project Definition
Basically the client now we are working for is The Loaf. The Loaf is a baking company that is operating in Malaysia, but based upon traditional Japanese techniques. The Loaf was first open in Telaga Harbour, Langkawi in year of 2006. Then it was also open in Pavilion, Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur in September 2007. So now we were asked by The Loaf company to redesign their company website which is www.theloaf.net to help them build up their company image and also their business rate. To do that, we have to enhance or bring it to a whole new level for the website by redesigning it, to attract more customers. To archieve that, we try our best to raise up this company.

Current Site's Analysis
Well, basically for this The Loaf website, its main purpose for it is to attrach costumers and also allow the customers to get information about this company. Customers are also able to communicate with the company here. From this website, the customers are also able to get to know more about their bread types. Before we start to redesign this website, we have to do a analysis for this website to find the weak spot. From what we found is that this website have alot of pictures plus the fonts are also pictures, so users are unable to select the text. Another one is the background picture, it can be better, because it downgrades the image of The Loaf. And lastly, buttons problem. Some of the buttons doesn't look clickable, for example the logo of The Loaf, is actually a home button. But some of the users don't seem to know that is clickable. Then to promote this website, we suggested to create some banners to lead the customers to the websites. This can also help to increase the hit rate. We will also try out best to make The Loaf website more tasty and creamy to attract those hungry customers.

Client's Analysis
The Loaf is our current client for this project. To redesign a website that can satisfied our client, we have to research about the client's background, to get to know more about the client. Basically, The Loaf is a baking company in Malaysia and they based on Japanese techniques for their baking. They want to create a unique type of delicious premium bread and pasteries that is available in Malaysia. The Loaf creations are freshly made daily from the finest imported and local ingredient. The Loaf creation are specially for breakfast and lunch and also dinner. For those after breakfast, The Loaf offered a dine-in lunches and dinners. The Loaf was first open in Malaysia in year 2006. The first location in Malaysia is the picturesque setting of Telaga Harbour, Langkawi. The reason is because Langkawi is one of the tourism paradise. Both tourist and local fell in love with their products later then. In September 2007, The Loaf grow another branch in The Pavilion, Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur.
Those attractive bakings in The Loaf wouldn't exist without Grand Chef Yukichi Matsubara. He applies some 20 years of experience in skillfully developing and baking bread and pasteries in The Loaf.

Short & Long-term Site Goals
There are alot of room for improvement for this website. But we must set a few goals for this website. There are two types of goals, one is the long term, the other is the short term. As for the long term goal, The Loaf is a baking company that creates unique type of breads and pasteries. So we would want the customers to enjoy their creations. Therefore, The Loaf will try their best to keep creating something new, something fresh and tasty at the same time remain their baking style. As for the short term goal, we suggest to do an special price promotion, that is during breakfast and tea hour the price of the bread and pasteries will be cheaper. Other than that, sales can be organize during the holiday season like christmas, new year, chinese new year and others. This is when alot of hungry customers gets hungry. Well, from the website itself, the part where it will increase the business value is at the Our Creation page and the Mini U-hu-hu. That is when the customers feel hungry when the browse through these pages. For the Promotion and highlights, Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Christmas is the bes time to do the promotion to feed those hungry customers.

Target Audience
The Loaf primary target audience are young and old working adults and secondary are kids, third target audience are senior citizens. Working adults will come frequently during the morning of weekdays for breakfast. During the evening after their work, they will buy some of the bread or pasteries for their kids or parents at home. Some working adults also will buy them during the weekends before they go back to their home town to meet their parents. Breads and Pasteries are suitable and safe for senior citizens and kids. But those that consume the most are the working adults, because they spend more time outside of the house than the kids and senior citizens. In this website, users are able to involve in some activity. They can browse through the flavour and types of breads to find which is suitable for themselves. Besides that, users are also able to view their Dine-in Menu, before they go to the restaurant. Users are also able to browse through their update events. Lastly, if there is any questions or comments, users are also able to let the company know by leaving a message at the website. For the engaging part for this site, users can engage them throught website banners, newspaper, radio, TV and outdoor advertisement, and ofcourse through friends and forums.

Competitor's Analysis
There are alot of competitors out there in the baking market for The Loaf. The primary Competitor is Atlanta Bread. They sell almost the same type of baking of The Loaf like breads and pasteries. Plus their brand class range is also almost the same as The Loaf and their website is so much better than The Loaf, it is very attractive too. The second Competitor is Salem Baking, from the website itself, their image is very strongly shown in their site. Both Salem Baking and The Loaf have one thing incommen, they both sells baking products, is just that Salem Baking is more on cookies and The Loaf is more on bread. Salem Baking side product are cheese straws, mainly selling cheese. This can attract more kids instead of just adults. The tetiary Competitor is Grand Central Baking. Both brand, The Loaf and Grand Central Baking sells the same type of baking again, breads and pasteries. But what we found is that Grand Central Baking have one advantage, that is delivery service. They had this service to deliver freshly made bakings to their customers. Plus their website design were also very much neat and simple and also nicer than The Loaf.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Web Design 2: MoodBoard

so what do you think? :D

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Web Design 2 - Redesign Website

Now is Semester 6, lots of newbie subjects this sem, photography, digital vid, marketing and our old friend Web Design TWO! First day, project brief sudah datang.
This time our project require us to redesign a website... me, MC and Ruzafir are taking the same topic... which is www.theloaf.net... BREAD BREAD BREAD...
Here is my Gantt Chart for this project

and my flow chart :DDDD

mmmm, i think we gonna lapar when doing this web, especially when we are in the stage of OT! OAO... So here are the screenshots of the websites :DDD

Problems that i found in this website:
- almost 90% of this website are pictures, including Body Text.
- too much flash.
- the side button of this website should have a rollover effect.
- the colour mood could be better
- the news and event page seems to be very very long and full of data plus not interesting
- the background image of this website could be better, rather than just repeated bread background.

Competitors Websites
Salem Baking
- very good table arrangement
- colour mood is nice and very classy
- not all of this page are using flash
- it gives the bread and baking feeling
- information arrangement are neat and readable
- overall website is very attractive

Grand Central Baking
- very soft colourmood
- it gives a soft feeling in this overall website, plus it is kinda cute
- very good table arrangement
- there are alot of information and text in this website but i find the way they arrange it is very neat and readable plus comfortable for the users.
- picture quality are also clear and attractive
- the typefaces of this website are also suitable and readable

French Meadow
- very clean and neat information arrangement
- colourmood are very soft and it gives the soft bread feeling
- simple flash decoration does make the whole website more interesting
- very neat table arrangement
- the picture quality does attract the customer

Atlanta Bread
- I love the loading page, it makes the whole bread website look more different plus the intro mainpage too.
- Colourmood also suits the whole website, different subpage, different colour. This can help the user to know which part of the website are they in
- Information arrangement are also neat and readable
- Simple rhythm makes the website more interesting and fun

Commercial Websites
Burger King
- love the flash mainpage, can play around with it. This website also suits primary school kids.
- love the flow of this website, very interesting
- i like the concept of the website, is like a digital folder
- not everything in this website are flash, the text are just text instead of flash or pictures

Hello Sour Sally
- very girlish colourmood and cute
- very nice intereactive website, is like a game
- very cute character
- graphics are nice and the information are well arrange
- buttons design are also very cute

Jack Link's Beef Jerky
- very interesting western colourmood and style
- cute loading bar
- information are also well arrange
- products are also well promoted, very interesting interactive in the product page.
- overall website gives a very western, cowboy and beef feeling

Nespresso
- the loading page is simple and yet interesting
- I love the colourmood alot, is golden, red, orange, yellow and black. Sunset mood. Well, actually
- Simple intro animation makes the whole website more interesting
- I like the background music of this website, it suits the product. Plus the rollover sound effect at the bottom of the mainpage. Different page, different background music. This can tell the user that they are in a different page.
- very good interactive.