Sisu, Inc. | Design and Technology Solutions for Web, Mobile, Print and Identity » Web

Paramount: Paramount.com Site

Uncle Sisu — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:15:48 +0000

When you think of Paramount Pictures, you imagine the great mountain peak swirling with clouds and stars and a long history of outstanding movie making. To honor this heritage, the Paramount.com redesign had to reach the heights of design and technical innovation. It also had to effectively present a large organization composed of multiple studios, support services and lines of business.

To meet these goals, Sisu conducted a top-down review of all site content, reorganized and streamlined elements, and introduced new features and technologies to better support Paramount and spread the site’s viral reach. The resulting site leverages key elements of the Paramount brand — the iconic mountain top logo, a rich blue-hued color palette, and an atmospheric environment – as well as leading edge technology and features to create the perfect package.

The fresh look and feel is supported by interactive experiences such as “The Vault” which allows users to visually explore the extensive Paramount back catalog and its myriad of interconnected themes. Interested in Jack Nicholson? Enter his name to receive hovering images of Chinatown, The Two Jakes and other great Paramount pictures. Then, you can navigate the other related keywords that appear or click through to purchase. Other interactive features include a robust media player as well as widgets that allow you to rank and share your favorites on your social networking profile or blog.

For the site build, we merged Flash elements and the open source Drupal content management system to provide a stable but dynamic platform capable of supporting high traffic, extensive rich media content and multiple administrators. The CMS integrates with legacy backend systems such as the title catalog, a Flash media server and hosting environments.

The new site now better delivers on the Paramount brand, supports diverse business needs and provides an outstanding user experience. Next up? Internationalization of the site so that all Paramount divisions can share in the improvements.

Toyota: History of Tailgating Site

Uncle Sisu — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:50:59 +0000

For our friends over at Saatchi & Saatchi LA, we once again delivered on a critical, super-charged project for their marquee client, Toyota. Toyota’s Great Moments in Tailgating History introduces users to the rites and rituals of America’s proud tradition of the football tailgate. The interactive Flash piece dovetails with on-air promotional segments that run during the half-time show of NBC Sunday night football.

Our efforts focused on creating the 3D Flash tome on tailgating that users flip through to see details, diagrams, and animations on lofty topics such as Chicken Wings, the Seat Cushion (alternate name “Cushy Tushy”), and the Rain Poncho. As a next step, we integrated with Facebook Connect to enable users to create a tailgating icon and upload the activity to Facebook.

We worked with multiple Agency and Client touch points including Saatchi & Saatchi, Toyota and the NBC technology teams to make sure work was executed on time and on spec. We were able to deliver a home run in record time. (Oh wait, is that the wrong sport?)

ABC: The View Site

Uncle Sisu — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 23:56:37 +0000

With the redesign of the show’s site, there’s a whole lot more View to be had these days. We worked with ABC to design a new, more powerful site that drives visitors to watch the show then come back to the site to discuss what they saw. It offers tons of video, lively forums, more editorial and of course, all the insight you want from Barbara, Whoopi, Elisabeth and Sherri.

We customized a Drupal CMS backend to work cleanly with ABC’s existing systems and custom modules. It enables the ABC team to manage a constant flow of user input and tease upcoming shows while providing a highly-usable experience to site visitors.

Sands Bethlehem Casino Resort: Site

Uncle Sisu — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 23:46:52 +0000

Our amigos at Vladimir Jones introduced us to Sands Casino last fall, and a fine friendship soon flowered. Taking inspiration from the magnificent building rising up from the former Bethlehem Steel Mill as well as VJ’s superlative brand work, we designed a new site for Sands that is modern, elegant and impactful.

A visual balance of imagery and iconography entices users with a great choice of options, and features throughout the site reinforce the brand without sacrificing usability. Users are encouraged to circulate through the site via well-placed cross-promotions, and business goals are reinforced with relevant, fresh content. In short, the site’s myriad user types can get all the info they need to have a winning trip to the Sands.

eBay Global Classifieds: Branding & Web

Uncle Sisu — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 23:39:59 +0000

When eBay wanted to relaunch one of their newest, fastest-growing business lines, they came to us to create a brand mark, print collateral system and website to tell the world about it…and so the look of eBay Classifieds Group (ECG) came to be.

ECG is comprised of seven classified businesses from around the world. The disparate names and styles (Kijiji, mobile.de, Gumtree) are now joined under the umbrella site found at here. The new logo extends the famous eBay mark with a bold black and white badge, set at an angle that gives life to the grid. The base ECG font, Typ1451 is highly legible and modern without being sterile, and the color palette makes a subtle nod to the vibrant eBay logo without being overwhelming.

We designed a full suite of print collateral that balanced playful and professional, starting with business cards, passing through PowerPoint templates and easing into fact sheets and beyond.

Last but definitely not least, we attacked the website. A PaperVision-infused homepage drives site visitors to learn about the various companies under ECG as well as the corporate whole. Each group provided insights and first person perspectives into the historical background and corporate lifestyle of their individual groups as well as career info. The site leverages a Drupal backend to power the content, making distributed updates possible.

Sony: CES 2009 Mobile & Web

Uncle Sisu — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 02:32:20 +0000

For several years running, Sony has looked to Sisu to create an innovative web presence to support their efforts at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. This year we collaborated to construct an interactive experience that pushes beyond the confines of the traditional micro-site by leveraging an integrated approach that includes social networking, content aggregation, and mobile.

The new Sony CES website features an interactive Flash experience on the home page including extensive, sharable content pieces such as blog posts, embeddable videos and product demos. It also pairs with a Facebook profile, Twitter feed, YouTube channel and mobile WAP site – all of which are updated directly from the floor of the show.

The full package gives attendees, press and fans an unprecedented, in-depth look at all things Sony at CES while enabling them to access and use the content in the way they prefer. The result supports Sony’s theme for CES 2009 “Believe that anything you can imagine, you can make real”; enriches and extends the Sony booth experience; and drives visitors directly to SonyStyle.com for purchasing options.

Veneto Hotel & Casino: Site

Uncle Sisu — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:06:02 +0000

As part of the Veneto Hotel and Casino’s rebranding effort, Sisu stepped in to redesign the website from the ground up. Emphasizing an exciting, 5-star experience in the middle of Panama City, the Sisu team built an internationalized site on the Cake PHP platform. The site offers both English and Spanish versions, with the ability to expand quickly and easily.

Vladimir Jones: Site

Uncle Sisu — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:55:42 +0000

After 38 years as PRACO (Public Relations Advertising Company), Colorado’s oldest advertising, public relations and strategic marketing agency decided it needed a brand identity and website to reflect new directions in organization and philosophy. They chose the name “Vladimir Jones“.

Why Vladimir Jones you ask? Is he a real person? Well, yes and no. Vlad’s creative chief explains, “He is the very real person inside everybody who struggles with the great dualities of our business. Is it art or commerce? Do we engage the heart or head? Do we go by research or our gut? Are we about winning sales or souls? Vladimir Jones is our way of saying we choose both. He represents the fusion of discipline and soul, or precision and emotion.”

Got it? Good.

With this in mind, we set out to create an online persona (without actually showing him) that communicated the dualities of their core business. Our solution was to create a site that embodies his spirit and gives people a glimpse into his world. The first stop on your journey is his den, replete with artifacts he has collected over the years. Interacting with these elements will plunge you into different environments that help tell the story of our dear friend.

The biggest question to date has been about the origins of the dog who seems to pop up just about everywhere. It’s a long story that we can tell you over a cocktail or two. Until then, just think of him as a tour guide.

CBS: CSI Scene Creator Viral

Uncle Sisu — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:14:04 +0000

We just put the wraps on a fun new project for our friends over at CBS/Paramount Home Video for the release of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 8 on DVD. We built a viral application that allows people to upload their photo, frame it in a CSI backdrop, add in characters from the show and create a custom CSI “Scene” that they can share with friends, family and perps alike.

If you’ve ever dreamt of being shoulder to shoulder with Gil and his band of sexy crime fighters, this is your chance!

Nonesuch Records: Site

Uncle Sisu — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:07:54 +0000

The new Nonesuch.com elevates the standard for all music labels. Powered by the Drupal content management system, the redesigned and reconfigured site reflects the Nonesuch brand ethos of openness, quality and creativity while supporting the full Nonesuch artist roster with advanced features, design elegance and rich information.

A Shifting Environment
Nonesuch Records is a respected music label with a 40+ year history. Part of the Warner Bros. Music family, Nonesuch has an eclectic artist roster that includes luminaries and innovators in classical, Broadway, world music, alternative, and other genres. Nonesuch has been successful by bucking trends, fostering artists and encouraging creative exploration, whether it be David Byrne with The Knee Plays or Wilco with Sky Blue Sky.

Many labels have seen revenues plummet of late, as digital downloads, file sharing and websites eclipse the record bin and local store as the hub of influence and sales. With the redesign of their website, Nonesuch was looking to address this change in consumption patterns, applying their exploratory approach and pioneering attitude to the marketing of their artists and the sales of their catalog. The aim was to leverage the tools and interactivity available to build stronger one-to-one connections with their fan base and to provide their full roster of artists with the best possible means for taking advantage of the new technologies.

Strategy
Nonesuch’s strategy for the web site redesign was to extend their approach of openness, innovation and creativity to the website, with the dual goals of creating a gathering place for their fans while improving marketing support and online sales for the full Nonesuch roster. Furthermore, they wanted to create a place that each artist could consider their online home, especially if they didn’t have their own standalone sites.

User Interface Design
Sisu worked with Nonesuch to bring their goals to reality through a complete overhaul of the site’s content, features, design and technology. Sisu and branding partner Axiom Design Communications created a look and feel that is open, light and modern to meet the brand’s heritage. Sisu extended this into a full design system capable of presenting Nonesuch’s extraordinary depth of content in an intuitive framework that fosters cross-pollination of artist information and exploration of the site’s content.

Content and Features
For the re-imagined Nonesuch.com, we added a large number of new content and features while other sections saw radical transformations.

The custom Flash media player offers videos and image galleries while driving users to the Store.
The new Nonesuch Radio is an online radio station with multiple ‘channels’ such as World Music, Classical or Recent Releases. The Nonesuch staff curates the channels via quick updates in the CMS.
On the roster page, a “ThinkMap” provides a visual, interactive exploration of the artists’ connections to one another. Nonesuch updates the Map through the CMS, and a custom algorithm balances editorial preferences, release dates and how artists are related.
The individual artist’s page now serves as a proxy for a complete artist website. With search-friendly and easy-to-recall URLs, a fan can go directly to this page to find photo galleries, videos, history, a discography, and, of course, links to buy either physical or multiple digital formats of the artists’ recordings.
The blog, known as the Nonesuch Journal, has been ported over and modernized, allowing Nonesuch and their artists to discuss new projects, tours and upcoming releases.

Technology
The entire site – including the new Nonesuch Radio and all Flash applications – are powered by a highly customized Drupal-based content management system. Drupal, an open source solution, is known for enabling rapid development of custom sites. It is preferred by the Warner Bros’ internal technology teams and is a favorite of Sisu’s as well. Sisu’s developers created administration tools that are elegant, extremely easy to use and able to power every feature on the site. Additionally, the tools did not compromise the design vision for the site and enabled us to set a new design standard for a Drupal-based site.

Results
The final product fulfills the aim of providing the label and its artists with a robust, attractive new platform to directly interact with fans — introducing them to new artists and genres; supporting their exploration via blogs, radio players, videos and music tracks; and then driving them to purchase. And all on a platform that can be supported by Nonesuch’s own resources and that can foster an active, engaged new type of audience.

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