After 60 years in the furniture business and several years with a dated website, Watson Furniture Group approached us to give their new website a total overhaul.

Where the old site was a nested, fixed-sized relic with small images and a lot of disconnected copy, the new site is image-focused with a very simple long-form narrative structure that unburied specification information with a bold but clean aesthetic. Working with lots of different image types and style, we added new humanistic photography, giving context and richness to their products, and created a bridge between their existing isolated renders with the flat line drawings of their technical specifications and construction drawings with the introduction of 2.5D iconography.

Our biggest organizational challenge was usership—the old site was not user-friendly, either by potential customers or by Watson employees. Capturing past experiences through interviews with their team, partners, clients, and customers in directed but casual discussions allowed us to create user personas that illuminated what information customers were actually looking for. A Clean concise organization with an aesthetic that elevated and differentiated their product lines became our number one objective.

We created a color palette that distinguished between each line and complemented the featured product’s accessories and finishes. Introducing a new image style—photography—allowed us to dress and style the pieces to showcase their functionality, versatility, and function, while using color and props to differentiate between lines. Art Direction by Urban Influence, Photography by Amos Morgan.

We also brought their guiding principles and commitment to sustainable business and environmental practices to the forefront, highlighting their efforts to source locally, recycle their own industrial byproducts, and reduce land-fill contribution to below 4% (and shrinking).

The Watson Furniture website has been nominated for an Awwward, CSS Design Award, and CSS Winner. Visit the Watson website, vote for our design, and check back in a few weeks for the full case study on our new website!