Projects / DYS Architects

The Brief:

DYS Architects has recently added several partners to the management of the firm. They have also moved to new larger offices and undertaken a new marketing initiative to re-brand and re-focus the firm.

As a part of this process they also want to redesign their site.

The Big Question:

ADGi was invited to work on this project as a part of a virtual studio with Emplus Communications (who completed the visual design work) and Engine Digital (who completed the code development and CMS work).

After initial client meetings and a presentation by the market research firm, we determined that:

  • The vast majority (+95%) of site visitors arrive at the site by entering the URL
  • The purpose for coming to the site is (in this order) to review the DYS portfolio, to learn more about the firm, to find out about the partners
  • The story behind the various projects, the firm and the people is as important as the ‘facts’

ADGi has worked with both Engine Digital and Emplus several times and our process is collaborative and flowing in spite of the fact that we work in separate spaces and at a distance.

The Solution:

In discussing the priorities and what we knew of user needs we knew we had to focus on the portfolio. We also know we needed a means to highlight the story behind the facts without getting in the way of the facts and the traditional way that architects discuss their projects. The solution needed to be bold and creative yet not flashy. It needed to stay within the character of the firm (high integrity, confident, casual, yet somewhat conservative) but also speak to the new branding.

The final solution sees a flat, matrix-driven structure rather than the typical hierarchical structure. After typing in the URL users are taken immediately to a project page and can then navigate through other projects in similar categories or can go to a project index page.

Visit the DYS Architects site.