HOW DO YOU HELP A CITY ORGANIZE ITS VAST AMOUNT OF INFORMATION ON THE WEB IN A USEFUL VISUAL WAY? YOU ASK THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS. YOU DEVELOP A BRAND HIERARCHY. YOU LEVERAGE THE MANY ASSETS ALREADY ON HAND. YOU GET TO KNOW THE BRAND. YOU TRANSLATE IT, VISUALLY.
During the Richards administration, the programming team for the City of Rochester, New York and a web programming partner, Nimble User, brought in PAKAN after multiple design strategies for its website were rejected. We met with John Hawk, the creative director of communications, to understand the initiative and challenge and essence of the brand. We discussed ideas for content structure, user experience, tone, and manner. We asked questions to clarify the current articulation of the brand identity to connect the web site to other brand initiatives. We translated these ideas into a search engine based site with architecture and hierarchical driven layouts, color, type, and imagery systems that would provide both detailed information and a visual story of the city. This website is both visually appealing and easy to access — a site that more accurately and authentically communicates the city’s personality.
