Jasmax and creative partner BKA have overhauled the previous Flash-based site, choosing instead a flexible, magazine-based style.
The architectural firm’s top priorities for the new website were catering to about 10 target audiences and making information as accessible as possible.
“We didn’t want to be presumptuous about how people found information,” says Jasmax marketing and business development manager Tara Robinson. “We really wanted to create something so people could get to anywhere they wanted to be in a number of different ways, or take them to a screen they didn’t think they’d go to. The magazine approach allowed us to do that.”
Among the audiences Jasmax needed to cater for were prospective clients who wanted to know more about the company, students doing research, recruitment candidates and even competitors.
“Useability was really high on our list,” says Robinson. “People want to find information quickly. We felt people were coming to the website knowing what they wanted to find out, then we want to keep them on the site.”
The development of the site was a collaborative process with digital agency BKA Interactive, which suggested a number of design options.
The agency created a site using the Umbraco content management system. It allows Jasmax staff to change page layouts and information.
“Jasmax is trying to position themselves differently as architects and be a bit more people focused,” says BKA creative director Maak Bow. “We’ve taken quite a ‘magaziny’ approach so they can build up their pages if they want to. They have a team that has design knowledge and can look after it.”
Robinson says it was important the site struck a balance between creativity and professionalism.
“We’re a creative environment and we’re designers, but it’s not so high end design that it’s not accessible for people who aren’t in design.”