Final website

Final website link:

http://home-1.arts.ohio-state.edu/~braunlin4/ZBrew/index.html

Midterm Presentation + feedback

Midterm Presentation slides

notes from client/class:

can there be faster ways to reach things? for example, social media links readily available.

colors in direct contrast to OSU--stand out in a sea of scarlet.

on visual direction 2: red highlighting spots could be more prominent.

maybe took off-kilter too literally in visual direction 1

logo is better from initial one.

interesting secondary page with diagonal connection of red... but is this practical in implementation?

contrast colors from page to page maybe... the homepage doesn't need to exactly match all of the sub-pages.

Geoff: less sharp angles: make it more organic, friendly, rounded.

Class: like the "ohio beer" background from the slide show... maybe bring it into the website to reinforce the Ohio flag in the mark.

bring in contrasting hues, ie. dark blue with light green, or dark green with light blue.

don't have a scroll down in the beer menu part. click on the beer and then it tells you about it.

avoid maize and blue.

Midterm Visual Direction

Visual Direction 1:

Visual Direction 2:

Revised Site Diagram

First Visual Direction

Wireframes

About Us

Homepage

Merchandise

Community

News & Events

Our Beers

Beergarden

Site Architecture

Research - Interviews

I interviewed several people as research for the Z brewery site. All of the people interviewed were in the specified target audience of people ages 21 to 35. Most said that they do not visit brewery sites often, if at all. One person even said that they couldn't think of anything at all that would get them to go to a brewery site. Most people initially confessed that they would need an incentive to go to a brewery site, such as discount to the restaurant or a good chance to win something. A few people responded that they know what kinds of beers they like to drink and would need a good reason to try a new one. One person doesn't drink at all, but indicated he might be interested in going to the beergarden for food with friends and would perhaps use the site to find directions and menus. A majority of people said that they liked to try new beers and would be excited for a new brewery and beergarden in town, and would visit a website to find out more about the beer and restaurant. When these people were asked about what they generally like in a website, all of them said they like sites that are easy to navigate. A majority also said that they like clean sites with good graphics and high visual appeal. Flashy ads and pop ups were among the most disliked web features.

Competitive Research

From looking at the websites of Dogfish Head, Sierra Nevada and Stone Brewing Co., I noticed some patterns that seem to be logical navigation components for most brewing company sites. All had an informational section about the beers themselves, including sections on seasonal brews and limited selection brews. Additionally many had a section about a related restaurant. This relates to Z Brew because of the proposed beergarden. It was also common to have some sort of community or news section. The file is available on google groups.

Project Charter

What is the mission of your organization?

Z Brewery will be a brewery and beergarden in the Central Columbus area. The brewery will target males and females ages 21-35. The brewery seeks to engage customers and develop a community feel amongst them. The company will continue to evolve and change with the times creating new, hip and interesting ways to engage in the product and in the community. Z Brewery will have a flavor and personality that is hip and edgy but still relates to the average Joe and has a local authenticity. The beer will be continental European with an American spin. The beergarden will serve as a local area for drinking beer, lingering and meeting new people. The atmosphere there will be friendly and open; there will be inexpensive, quality food for sale at kiosks.

How will creating this web site support your mission?

The web site will develop a community around the brewery by displaying local brewery events and tastings as well as recommended Columbus area events and locations. People will visit the website to get ideas for where to meet their friends for drinks or to find out what cool events are happening in Columbus. The owner is interested in producing low-budget mini-comemercials that will give a face and personality to the company. The website will also promote the beergarden by having pictures of the location and people having fun there. The site will also focus on the beers themselves, giving information to visitors and making them eager and excited to attend a tasting and join the brewery community. The website will be frequently updated in order to maintain the company's image of changing with the times and being on top of the latest hip places and events.

What are the two or three most important goals for the site?

1. develop a friendly and relatable feel to the site that is also hip and edgy

2. develop a site that people will visit to find cool and fun local places to hang out, giving the brewery a community of sorts.

3. promote the beergarden and the beers themselves so people will become faithful followers of the brand.

Who is the primary audience for the web site?

Males and females aged 21-35 who enjoy drinking beer in a social environment, meeting new people and staying on top of what is hip in local culture.

What do you want the audience to think or do after having visited your site?

After visiting the site, the audience will have gained an insight into Z brewery and its products. The audience will have up-to-date information about what kind of local events are going on involving Z brewery, its products, and its administrators. The audience will be even more interested in Z brewery, and wish to go to its location to try out the atmosphere and products.

What web-related strategies will you use to achieve those goals?

Interactivity will be a main factor in achieving these goals. This will include linking to and using the resources provided by social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blogs, etc. to create a continual dialogue between the organization and its customers. In addition, a clear, concise navigation system will be used to enable customers to find the information they seek in a fast and effective manner. The content of the site will be kept relevant and up to date.

How will you measure the success of your site?

The success of the site will be measured by a combination of results, including how many people visit the site, how many people visit the physical location, and how many people attend other events sponsored or attended by Z brewery. We will also use scientific testing to determine such things as the amount of time each viewer spends on the page, and how many pages each viewer clicks through before leaving the site.