Interview

(CEO, Blaine Suque)

Hi Blaine, 

My name is Christopher Soares and thank you kindly for allowing me to work with your company in redesigning your online presence. As the landscape of the way people look for creative services and the way they consume it is constantly improving, it is imperative that your website is a reflection of that growth. My goal is to get a better understanding of your needs as well what you are looking to achieve with an updated design. Although I have some thoughts I can share, I am interested in your feedback first. 

Before we get started, I would like to advise that I will be recording this conversation to serve as meeting notes. Is that okay with you? 

Great, let's get started.

How long have you been filmmaking? 

12 years. Started as a hobby shooting friends Skateboarding and Surfing and turned into a career in Action Sports. Over the past 5 years I have been moving away from that and focusing more on Documentaries, Music Videos, and Short Films. 

I have a passion for photography. Just out of curiosity, what is the first camera you began shooting on? 

Sony HVX. Now I am shooting on Blackmagic exclusively. 

What is a memorable project that you have worked on? 

A profile piece I directed for undefeated female boxer Seniesa Estrada. She has a cool upbringing coming from East Los Angeles and is 21-0. 

How did you come up with the name Medium Rare? 

Really it just came to me and stuck. In my opinion things are cooked best Medium Rare and liked the way it sounded. It’s a bit unique and I like it that way.  

What are some of the creative services Medium Rare offers? 

Video Production (Videography and Video Editing), Branding, Production support, Photo services, and eventually equipment rentals. 

In terms of your current homepage, what inspired the design? 

I wanted something very simple and directly showcased my reel. I did not put too much thought into the design. I just knew I wanted to show my services and work. 

When thinking of a redesign, are you married to any of the original design elements? Are you open to change? 

Yeah forsure. I am open to a new design. Something that clients can look at and get inspired. I want to add more to the website since right now it’s just the homepage and a contact page. I want to make it fuller. 

What is more important to you: Design or Functionality? 

Design. 

Are you open to a new Logo? Right now the logo is Medium Rare text. Have you considered incorporating an Icon? 

I would be open to the right icon. Something minimal. I don’t like flashy and would still like to use the same pink color scheme. 

Why is your main demographic visiting the website? 

New clients looking for creative services. That is really it. Specifically brands and bands.

High-Level Design Goals and Objectives

Target Audience

Flow Chart

Faye knows exactly what she wants. The goal with this flow chart was to simplify the journey and provide Faye with useful information, as well as a direct line of communication to Medium Rare. From viewing previous work, learning about the company, and getting familiar with their services.

Low Fidelity Wireframes

One thing was certain, PINK. I knew when getting into the design phase that this shade of pink resonated with with client, so I wanted to ensure that it was shown in early wireframes. Imagery was another point that was going to be used heavily. I decided to use a large hero image on the homepage, minimal distractions, and dark tones as we got into the high-fidelity designs.

High Fidelity Designs

Given that Medium Rare is a full service media company, using the right images was important. However, I was very cautious on using images that did not distract the audience and kept the flow seamless. I started to incorporate dark tones in this design and the client loved it!

What I learned