Chateaux Coutures has been my latest client project, acting as Director of Marketing & Design. As this was a start up company, my role required a diverse range of skills and initiative.
Working with the technology team, I created the full website UX design and branding. All work presented were designed and created by myself, on digital software such as Inkscape & ADOBE Photoshop, using a Wacom Cintiq 16.
LOGO DESIGN
The client’s brief was to design a classic clean logo. The company Chateaux Coutures centres around grace and traditional French elegance. The logo reflects this with classical crisp lines and stylish typography, framing hydrangeas that flourish throughout the gardens.
INDEX PAGE
I designed the Index Page to create an immediate impact for the customer, setting the theme of the site. Something artistic that the viewer doesn't see on a standard website. I created the inksplatter effect made by drawing SVGs in Inkscape, clipping and overlaying my own photographs.
FLOOR PLAN / GALLERY
The brief when creating the gallery of the property was to enable the user to explore the property and grounds beyond single shot photos. The gallery floor plan provides a comprehensive and engaging experience. Displaying exterior, ground floor & first floor layouts, customers click on any room to view their photos - the room selected is highlighted in its true colours. All drawn using SVGs, the floor plan is an entertaining page suitable for the whole family to dream of future holidays.
BLOGS
Whilst continuing the style of the site and the performance of everyday platforms, I designed the website around user ease, originality and conversion rate - intricate SVG drawings were a large part to fulfil these objectives. In the blog section, I included many digital drawings such as this Cognac tumbler mid-pour, avoiding excess images and bringing artistic contrast throughout the user’s experience. My SVG line drawings varied in content throughout the site, to keep the viewers’ attention fresh - however all using minimal vectors to enhance rendering speed.
I had my first taste of animation through chateaux coutures blogs. this stop-motion video played alongside a history section of the local city, moving from roman times, through vikings & middle ages, and finally WWII soldier before repeating. I drew each image in Inkscape using svgs and combined them into an animation.
Working for Chateaux Coutures enabled me to enhance my digital art skills, gaining a much wider understanding of coding animations and changing the way I create my art in order for optimal user experience. Through drawing SVGs and conceptualising creative designs, I helped grow the brand and kick-start the company with a modern stylish website, that is true to the company ethos.
