Inmark Packaging located in Atlanta, Georgia is a perfect example of a longer engagement for our team. We began with a Discovery Phase in Jan 2010, and the project officially kicked off one year ago this month. The scope of work spans 9 websites across 4 different divisions of the company, focused on both Retail and B2B customers.

Long engagements take a tremendous amount of planning, strategy & heavy lifting. It also requires our team to be patient through the process, motivated and focused on the end goals. We like results, and seeing the fruits of our labor with engagements like Inmark’s is a true test of endurance and organization.

Here’s a peak into this holistic solution we’ve been building.

Identifying & Planning the Big Picture

Inmark is an established company of 35 years, with an existing customer base that extends Internationally. Yet, they also have untapped markets with tremendous opportunity. Through months of research, analysis and brainstorming, we finalized a plan to build 9 different websites (focusing on different markets) coupled with a CSR tool and custom Content Management System. All these solutions tie into their new Enterprise Resource Planning system, a multi-million dollar investment that will dramatically change their business’ operations.

Different Audiences + Different Needs = Different Websites

Corporate Re-Branding & Division Sub-Branding

Brand cohesiveness across all 4 divisions was imperative. There needed to be a common element, yet possess a uniqueness to differentiate them. We used color + iconography to embody Inmark’s International outreach and emerging markets.

Asset Creation & Art Direction

Our creative team works with a variety of photographers. Sometimes clients have their photographer of choice, and others lean on us to recommend and coordinate this effort. We had the great pleasure of collaborating with Don Matter in Atlanta. We were the bridge between client and photographer to assure style and composition aligned with the big picture.

Designing the User Experience

We’re heavy into the development phase for 4 of the 9 websites currently, looking to roll these out steadily this Fall. We targeted the B2B websites first to learn about their existing customers, and then apply this valuable knowledge to the new customers targeted within the Retail market.

We constantly remind ourselves that “we’re not the user” in our web persona development. By getting in the heads of Inmark’s existing customers, we began to understand the industry, needs & behaviors of these users. Even though the actions of the Retail audience will contrast those of B2B, we inhaled critical knowledge about the world of packaging and Inmark’s own products &  services along the way.

Rigid Container Packaging division’s homepage

Custom Content Management System + CSR tool (Customer Requests, Customer Mgt, Forums, Knowledge Base, Live Chat)

Complexity takes Time, Energy & Resources

Our long and complex engagement with Inmark exploits the very uniqueness of Caxiam Group. We helped define their problems, set a strategy, plan, organize and build 9 websites targeting very different audiences. We’ve become Inmark’s greatest ally in utilizing the web to solve business problems and amplify their brand. That takes a firm with a diverse palette of talent that can understand the challenges of mid-sized businesses and remain highly focused on the end results.

Does your business have an overwhelming challenge that needs a web-based solution? Not sure where to even begin? Give us a ring at 407.838.3158 or Contact Us today. Lets see if we can help you out!

This is a question that needs to be asked, and answered, early in the process. Getting to know the website’s target audience is a foundational element in building a successful solution. Without this information, there would be zero guidance and we’re now risking building a website that is based solely on what we (and/or the client) want, rather than the end user.

It’s vital to a website’s success for it to speak directly to the intended audience and for customers to realize that…you are not your users. Business results are derived from and depend on your users. How do you ensure you always keep the user in mind? At Caxiam Group, we develop Web Personas during our Strategy & Planning phase.

What is a persona?

“A persona is a realistic character sketch representing one segment of a Web site’s targeted audience. Each persona is an archetype serving as a surrogate for an entire group of real people”

- Steve Mulder from “The User Is Always Right: A Practical Guide to Creating and Using Personas for the Web“

Through qualitative and quantitative research the user persona exposes details about each segment of the targeted audience. Some important information that is researched and identified during the development of a persona includes:

• Demographics (age, gender, education)
• Technical details (what browser, platform and devices they utilize to access the web)
• Their motivators, intent and goals

So where do User Personas fit in the process of developing a website?

We get to know a project’s target audience(s) by collaborating with the client and developing 3-5 User Personas after determining the website’s business objectives and before any pixel is designed or line of code programmed. Who is the end user? Why did they come to the website? How can we influence their experience to increase the likelihood of conversions?

While we’ve had experience using and creating Web Personas over the last few years, we wanted to strengthen our knowledge and refine our process so we can proffer a more in-depth analysis. Our team has been reading The User is Always Right: A Practical Guide to Creating and Using Personas for the Web by Steve Mulder with Ziv Yaar. This book delves into methodology and best practices for developing robust, accurate and instrumental User Personas.

My Takeaways

There is so much in the book that was eye opening and exceptionally useful, but I’m going to highlight just a few of my favorite nuggets of wisdom:

“Teams assume that their users think and act like they do, so they end up designing for themselves rather than for the users“

“Goals begin the conversation between your users and you, so you need to fully understand why they come to the site and what they’re trying to do”

“Users have different goals than I have. Users don’t care as I do. Users aren’t all alike.”

Those takeaways have become like a mantra when we develop websites, and putting a name to user group by doing User Personas has helped us keep focused on a website that can reliably create conversions.

Learn more about Caxiam’s web design process or contact us to start a conversation about YOUR website’s audience!

Wireframing is a big part of our documentation process, but finding the right tool to create wireframes with has been a long and ongoing process.

Visio

Microsoft Visio was one of the first tools that I put into my wireframing belt.  I started out here because I was already familiar with Visio for documenting process flows and I liked the simplicity that it had for quickly mocking up basic page layouts and step-throughs of process flows.  I still think Visio is a great tool for quick mockups, but it has limitations that prevent it from being a tool we can all use.  For one, licensing would get expensive quickly for more than a handful of users.  Any wireframes that I created in Visio I could only share with clients or other team members by exporting an image format, or somehow convincing them to install the Visio reader plugin on their workstations.  Visio also did not support any interactive features and although I could save a grouping of shapes, say for a “header”, if I needed to make updates to the grouping the changes where not communicated out to the other pages of the wireframe without me manually copying/pasting.  Not incredibly efficient.

Axure

We purhased an Axure license to try and circumvent the problem of non-interactivity with our wireframes, which somewhat crosses the line into Simulation.  Axure was (and still is) a great product for creating interactive wireframe simulations of web pages/applications and allowing client review by providing the wireframe as a click-thru experience.   One of the best redeeming qualities of Axure was the ability to create re-usable “includes” for common page elements (like headers and footers) that would automatically propogate updates to the master includes out to the wireframes that referenced them.   The frustrating thing with Axure was that one of its greatest assets; the ability to export an HTML simulation, made it frustrating to use for pure wireframing and offline reference.  The wireframe/simulations that Axure creates have to zipped into a multi-file folder for distribution, and the end user must unzip them and know to click the index.html file to bring up the simluation.  It is not the most intuitive experience for the non-technically savvy.

And so, the journey continued…

iRise

I will be honest and say that I didn’t spend a lot of time with iRise beyond a few hours of evalution.  The software is vast and seemingly without end!  My one impression from the time I spent with it was that it was not the right tool for the job. Where I needed a simple phillips screwdriver, iRise was an entire store full of tools.  Perhaps I will revisit iRise in the future as needs dictate.

Balsamiq

Balsamiq has been an outstanding wireframing tool.  The interface is simple, the shapes available are logical and appropriate to web application development.  One of the great advantages of Balsamiq is that it is so easy to build wireframes with I can use it in real-time during a client meeting and still participate.  For this same reason, the entire team can use the same tool and the licensing is very reasonable.

Pencil and Paper

The old standbys are what I started with are still some of the best go-to tools in the belt.  Pencil and paper tend to be less obtrustive in a meeting that sitting and tapping away at a laptop, with the added benefit of being able to scribble random addenda in the margins as the flow of the meeting dictates.  Most of my pencil and paper wireframes end up being rendered out in Balsamiq for final presentation.

Ready?

Once Ethan and I started to outline the long-term vision of our collaboration and the benefits of a merger in early 2004, establishing a new company was the next big challenge on our list.

Now I’d love to reveal some elaborate brainstorm that lasted months, and I hate to disappoint my inquisitive readers, but the CAXIAM name was truly an overnight phenomenon. It came to me as I was burning the midnight oil for a client in the home office of our shared town home. I energetically hopped to the whiteboard (yes, adrenaline can exist at 2 am) and the ideas began to outpour.

Ethan had cashed in earlier in the night, so it was just me, my initial ideas & a burst of excitement that kept me up for another couple hours. I knew he would awake first in the morning, so I needed to “sell” these ideas to my new partner through a narrative e-mail (which we’re both notorious for) & this whiteboard session below.

Name Game

Pronounced “KAX-EE-UM”, this unique word was actually derived from the names of our freelance companies established back in 2001. A2M Interactive (Mine) & Code Axis (Ethan’s). It simply made sense to form an uncommon identity by extracting letters (see below) from 2 companies that will now share services under one umbrella. Even the foundation of our company name speaks into the spirit of our collaborative approach.

Thankfully, our companies had many letters to choose from (22 to be exact) and the name game generated a handful of ideas. It was a balancing act of pronunciation, uniqueness, availability & opportunity potential.

• Google Search (“caxiam” & “caxiam group” generated zero results) – Check.
• Sunbiz.org name check (unique business name) – Check.
• Domain Name (caxiamgroup.com, caxiam.com was available) – Check.

After spending the next few days discussing more thoroughly with Ethan, it was then decided to append GROUP to Caxiam. It rolled easily off the tongue, unlike some other options (Corp, Org, etc.)

Color Selection

Deciding on the primary color of the Caxiam brand was an effortless process, but not because Ethan is color blind (I like to toy with him periodically – it’s solid entertainment).

Both the A2M Interactive and Code Axis color palette played in the cool area of the color wheel. So, we each contributed 50% of our hue and met right in the middle – literally (see below).

Interesting enough, 6 years later a similar turqoise was Pantone’s “Color of the Year for 2010″.

“Turquoise is a color that most people respond to positively.”

“It is universally flattering, has appeal for men and women…”

“Turquoise adds a splash of excitement to neutrals and browns…”

www.pantone.com/pages/MYP_mypantone/mypInfo.aspx?ca=75&pg=20706

Tag line

On my initial whiteboard brainstorm, I played around with the phrase “Assembling Success”. I was keen on the word “Assembling” because it best represented the vision of the company.

• Company execution dedicated to process & phases
• Connecting talent together to provide the best possible solution
• Professional employees with specific instructions & unified goals

“Success” expressed our earnest desire to succeed in three particular areas. Our clients, our employees & our ever growing industry.

• Problem solving for our clients, bringing the most ROI
• Bringing happiness to our talented team through culture, challenging projects & diverse clientele
• Having a forward thinking to benefit from industry trends & shifts in technology

The next morning, Ethan’s initial response to my ideas (below) were enthusiastic, but the tag line was missing something. He quickly suggested “Assembling Success on the Web” and it stuck immediately. After 4 years, we then shortened it to “Assembling Web Success”.

The downside to having a unique company name is people don’t necessarily know WHAT you do specifically (i.e. Web Design Group). The bulk of the solutions we wanted to design and develop for our clients were web based. Building Websites, Web Applications, Ecommerce & helping clients Market Online was going to be our focus. Assembling WEB Success gave our tag line context and helped our branding emphasize we have professional services in an industry that was:

• Unlimited in its potential
• Dynamic & forward thinking
• Constantly evolving, challenging

Caxiam Group, Assembling Web Success

So there you have it! Thanks for enlightening yourself with our history, we appreciate the read. If you enjoyed this blog post, be sure to check out our Company History

Ok, if you insist.

Most of the startups Caxiam works with typically fall within our Web Application Development services. An idea is born, capital is raised, and our team is brought in to help the idea come to fruition on the Web. Most of the time the client has also engaged our Discovery Phase to generate detailed requirements and construct a framework for strategy & execution. Basically, by the time mood boarding kicks off, we have a great understanding of who the customer is, how they think, and what their needs are.

I’ll get to your eagerly asked question in a second, but first, remember if you will the old Atari game Asteroids (gamer or not, you have to appreciate this classic that helped spawn video games for decades to come!)

Remember how berserk it was to have all those asteroids coming at you? From multiple angles, various speeds & of different sizes. It seemed to be pure chaos in the moment – until you started eliminating asteroids with your little spaceship. One at a time, away they go. 1 down. 2 down. 5 down. The process of elimination was not only required, but very rewarding (especially for a country boy who could only play the Atari at his Aunt’s house!)

To answer your question (finally), I pretty much like to throw everything but the kitchen sink at them. That’s what I like to do with startups during our mood boarding process.

Client = “Spaceship”
Caxiam’s mood board options = “Asteroids”

This analogy may be a bit corny for you, but here’s what’s certainly not. From our experience, clients hiring us to build startup applications feel really good about eliminating numerous concepts during our mood boarding. The business idea was born, its purpose easily understood, but visually they need options and careful guidance throughout the creative process.

Take a New Dirt for example, a startup client of Caxiam’s with a unique idea for a custom web application for the commercial real estate industry. With a full branding effort needed, we set our sights on locking down a color palette (that would appeal to their target audience) and an adjective cloud (that would help guide our logo design). We also spent numerous hours clicking through existing websites (in & out of their industry) to get grip on specific aesthetics that the client found appealing.

After throwing 12+ color palettes at the client (Adobe Kuler is a tool we use routinely) we finally discovered that New Dirt carried some green initiatives and was searching for a fresh, vibrant & modern palette to appeal to their target audience. The asteroids were destroyed and we triumphantly moved on (ok, I’ll stop with the analogy now).

A parallel step in the mood boarding process that helps shape our color choices is the Adjective Cloud. Though this step doesn’t require heavy lifting, it may be the most important (and a personal favorite of mine). Our job is to help examine & extract words that describe the solution and its value to its audience.

• What associations will the Brand itself carry? (e.g. It’s a Targeted application)
• How will we shape the User Experience? (e.g. Encourage users to feel Connected & create tools that are Easy within a Trustworthy online environment)
• How will existing customers speak of the solution? (i.e. Viral & Word of Mouth marketing)

With a solidified color palette & adjective cloud, we can than proceed into the highly anticipated logo development phase. As you can observe below, options are plentiful and the client continues to feel heavily involved.

With sign-off on a selected logo, we’re then full steam ahead with a typography mood board. Sticking with the three pillars of web typography (Legibility, Hierarchy & Expression) it made sense to stick to a clean, san-serif font (we chose Vegur).

With these carefully orchestrated mood boards, we have now laid the creative force behind the project and setup our designers for success. In a collaborative effort with our UI developers, the visual design should (and was) a home run.

In reference to my (Mood boarding Part 1 post), the mood boards for New Dirt vs. The Foundation for SCPS took on different meanings to the client. New Dirt entered our world ready to focus on the areas that would shape their application’s value, marketing efforts & overall perception. A refined adjective cloud, spot on color palette, and logo design was delivered to a hands on client. Contrarily, The Foundation was a casual mood boarder that presented a brand new set of challenges. Their branding was cemented, and vision/purpose heavily exposed to the community already. Their focus was encouraging website users to take action and facilitate understanding in a easily digestible format. Different high level mission statements, similar solution oriented activities within the mood boards.

To persistently remain agile to the diverse clientele Caxiam serves, it’s crucial for our team to understand which mood boards are valuable to the project. We strive to collaborate within a general framework, and then provide a little wiggle room for further exploration & massaging of the overall process. Give us a holler today if you would like further information. We can promise you solutions to your creative challenges, but not without some corny analogies along the way!

A type of poster design that may consist of images, text, and samples of objects in a composition of the choice of the mood board creator…mood boards are often used by graphic designers to enable a person to illustrate visually the direction of style which they are pursuing.

Our creative team brushed the surface of utilizing “official” (as in, clients were aware & understood it’s part of the overall Caxiam process) mood boards over 5 years ago. It might not have completely stuck because we didn’t layer the process of choosing adjective clouds, color palettes, typography, imagery & textures in a convincing way. Or, maybe the value wasn’t organized in a way understood by the client. Regardless of the failed attempts, we kept massaging the process (realizing its potential) and have found tremendous success in making it officially part of the CG approach. Mood boarding, when done properly & involving the client strategically, can be very useful in creative collaboration.

Two recent projects at Caxiam were put through some successful mood boarding, and I wanted to highlight that success we shared with these clients. I picked these two particular projects because:

• they are vastly different in nature (one is a non-profit, the other a custom real estate application)
• one involved a thorough logo design, the other had established branding
• one client was very hands on, the other was what I call a “casual mood boarder” (they’re there for the ride)

The first of the two projects I’ll highlight is The Foundation for Seminole County Public Schools. We’ve had the pleasure of working with this great organization, and have really enjoyed guiding their online initiatives. The creative possibilities for this website were dramatic, and mood boarding truly set the tone for the project’s vision.

A vital objective for the Foundation, as with many non-profits, was the actual donation piece to the website. From a technical perspective, no sweat for the CG team. The key was not only providing an online environment for users to donate, but INSPIRING them to donate. Donate Time,  Resources and/or Money.

The Foundation was that “casual mood boarder” I spoke of above. Decision making was done by a large committee, which can be challenging sometimes, but the marketing team loved our ideas from the get-go. They quickly got on board with our proposed concepts to inspire users to take action right from the homepage. The Foundation was certainly there for the ride! (this is not to underscore their amazing input & feedback)

The key step in the mood boarding process for the Foundation was when we took inventory of their existing imagery assets. We quickly came to the realization that:

• their point-and-shoot photos were extremely limiting & lacking quality
• using stock photography meant less personalization & little control over shot composition

With a distinct vision to utilize their “BE INSPIRED” off-line campaigns & existing branding (red apple), we took some of their existing point-and-shoot photos and suggested ideas like this:

Which then convinced the Foundation to hire a professional photographer (marcharmonphoto.com rocks!) and have Caxiam art direct shoots like this…

…which lead to amazing shots like this…

…and then worked into our visual design mockups for the homepage (below)

With telltale images (using actual students from SCPS) + distinct call-to-actions to donate (in this concept, donating time to their mentorship program) + familiar settings (shooting on-site at SPCS), the website now generates a platform to clearly communicate The Foundation’s purpose and vision, and hopefully inspire their audience to take action & DONATE!

Check out FoundationSCPS.org in a few weeks after launch to see our ideas in action!

Continue reading Part II of this post where I highlight an aspect of another client’s mood boarding process.

See what others have been saying & doing with moodboards around the world of Web Design:
fuelyourcreativity.com/moodboarding-methods-for-web-designers/
webdesignerdepot.com/2008/12/why-mood-boards-matter/

Apache JMeter was perfect for what I needed. It takes a little bit of research and time to set up a “Test Plan”, but it was worth it. And it’s free!

You can set it up to run any number of simultaneous users, and you can specify how many times to run the test (in loops), or to run in indefinitely until you stop it.

Pretty slick.