Nordstrom
Visual Design Archives
Role: I was hired as the art director for a new product rebrand of Brass Plum which was converted to BP NORDSTROM (not that other BP) and spun into an interactive "magazine." I worked on a 4-person team with a developer, a project manager, and a writer. I also hired and managed another Flash designer to help with the volume and upkeep that a content-heavy site required.
Challenge: This project was designed to gauge how the tween set would interact with a new online format. While the microsite was being developed, an interim non-Flash solution had to be maintained on the Nordstrom.com portal. In addition, I had to coordinate with the on-figure and product photography team to ensure that the right shots were taken for the games, ads, and features with attention to the online real estate. This also required a crash course in learning the workflow of the fashion industry from its seasonal trends and preview fittings to accepting that, at the time, this was an industry slow to adapt to online technology.
Solution: A plan was created to maintain parallel sites that would dovetail into one Flash site that would take over as the portal for the BP Nordstrom brand. In one year we had created a Love Match horoscope game; a BP brand tile match game; a dressing room outfit match game; and a BP Radio Station. We also created an advice column called Ask Aidan, event promos, videos, polls, and product giveaways. It was a lot of work and a lot of fun.
Results: This project was well received internally due to its novelty and embrace of technology. It was sunsetted after 2 years primarily due to the cost of upkeep. It required an entire content team to keep it fresh and a social media and events team to keep up engagement.
BP Nordstrom Interactive Site
BPNordstrom Portal
This portal was maintained until the microsite was under development. It linked out from Nordstrom.com. This site including the games, quizzes, and polls was eventually relaunched in the interactive microsite.
BP Fashion Match
This game created BP brand awareness while being fun. It allowed you to compete against yourself through a time challenge as well as ranking you against other players by displaying high scores.
The BP Dressing Room
This game allowed you to create outfit combinations using the latest fashion trends. The business goal was satisfied using links to purchase directly from the game.
