09/2008
The least glamorous exercise in web design is also the most difficult to complete successfully. We are talking, of course, about the arduous task of transposing a print brochure into an electronic format, keeping its fundamental structure, all the while making it interactive and functional.
Why would one want to do that? Why would one want to do that? For many reasons, including the removal of time and distance barriers as new products are launched, not to mention reducing a campaign’s carbon footprint — thousands of copies of a glossy catalogue add up quickly. Keeping the structure of both the print and web editions similar will, then, allow clients, manufacturers and resellers to use the same set of references and facilitate communication between all the parties involved down the line.
When Gucci contacted us to do just that with the latest version of their Timepieces Catalogue, we knew we had to live up to the challenge. Indeed, this catalogue was something of a landmark issue, introducing the recently launched Chiodo line to the world.
The result? A custom presentation built around a Flash object that allows us to faithfully reproduce the print layout. Motion and effects, overlaid on the existing design, keep the catalogue fresh, interactive and surprising, highlighting the best features of every piece. An index allows users to see the entire collection at a glance, flipping directly to one page or another, and an info link replaces the pricing and “tech specs” insert that traditionally ships with the paper version of the catalogue.
We encourage you to take it for a spin. As always, we will look forwards to hearing your thoughts and comments.