Discovering Design
BBK Studio, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2004
Description
Herman Miller for the Home launched a campaign to promote authentic furniture designs to stave off the increasing prevalence of knock-offs, and wanted a website to help carry the message. The campaign targeted furniture buyers who may not know the difference.
We recommended developing a site that would outlive the campaign but continue to promote its ideals by educating potential customers about the evolution and history of mid-century American modernism. Customers who had a deeper understanding of the people and events related to these original designs would place a higher value on authenticity.
Our design solution balanced the 1950s graphic aesthetic from the era with contemporary immersive web paradigms. The site was designed with a flexible, nonlinear navigation scheme that emphasizes the relationship between things and encourages browsing. We planned for and have launched several updates to the site, creating periodic promotional opportunities. The site has grown in content and functionality as planned, and the Discovering Design identity has grown to become a broader campaign for Herman Miller for the Home retailers. The site continues to increase its traffic and readership, continuing to position Herman Miller as an integral expert in American modernism.
Juror Notes
Credits
- Design firm
- BBK Studio
- Creative director
- Kevin Budelmann
- Art director
- Alison Popp
- Designers
- Kevin Budelmann, Alison Popp
- Developers
- Scott Krieger, John Winkelman
- Photography
- Herman Miller archives
- Production director
- Alison Popp
- Production artist
- Marie-Claire Camp
- Picture editor
- Alison Popp
- Editor
- Clark Malcolm
- Writer
- Clark Malcolm
- Copywriter
- Clark Malcolm
- Content strategist
- Clark Malcolm
- Project manager
- Dianne Garone
- Client
- Herman Miller