THE BRIEF:
Venture Capital firm Accel approached HAUS to redesign their website. Their previous site was dark and felt unapproachable. They wanted to brighten the site, relying more on white as a primary color, and elevate the experience to feel more spacious and inviting.
THE PROJECT:
Their only brand colors were deep red and various shades of gray, which partly contributed to the feeling of darkness. I reintroduced a teal that had been part of an earlier Accel brand identity, which helped significantly to brighten the look and feel.
One of their most important aims was to appear humble. They didn’t want flashy animations to muddle the message of authenticity. Instead of shining a light on Accel itself, they wanted to shine the light on the funded companies and their founders, focusing on the entrepreneurial story.
With that goal in mind, I created an interactive carousel of founder images on the homepage. The focus on the founders, rather than the companies, gives the narrative a more personal connection, telling a story that is human and relatable.
THE COLORS:
In order to make the entire site more friendly and engaging, I incorporated pops of bright color, which I pulled from the brand colors of the various Accel-funded companies. While providing some playful visual variety and surprise, it also helps to visually shift the focus to the companies and their founders.
MODALS:
Modals were a major component of this site. When presenting additional information in a modal, I didn’t want to lose the context of the parent page or distract from the flow of the user journey. By sliding in from the side and only partially covering the screen, the tray modal retains the context of the parent page and helps the users to orient themselves.
RESPONSIVENESS:
The site is fully responsive, and works beautifully at all sizes, on all devices.
LANDING PAGE ANIMATIONS:
For the landing page, I wanted to focus on the entrepreneurial process. The final solution was a series of five cinemagraphs, randomized on refresh, that tell that entrepreneurial story. Each animated image communicates a different quality or aspect of entrepreneurship.
1. COLLABORATION
This image, set in a conference room with traffic moving past, emphasizes the dedicated teamwork it takes to build a company.
2. TECHNOLOGY
With the focus on typing hands and scrolling code, this cinemagraph highlights the importance of technology in most startups today.
3. CULTURE
This animated image conveys a sense of community and social interaction.
4. MOVEMENT
This image, taken at Facebook, shows people bustling to and from different engagements, which instills in the scene a sense of energy and activity.
5. FOCUS
With the faces hidden and the camera pointed down at the table, the attention is on the work.
CREDITS:
Lead Designer: Maureen Perry
Creative Director: Stephen Hernandez
Cinemagraph Animator: Vanessa Maia
Company: HAUS
