IPG-X Agency website
In 2022, McCann Milton Keynes rebranded.
Moving forward as “IPG-X” - the agency needed a new website that could show what it did best. This was an opportunity to explore boundaries and create something profoundly different.
The BRIEF:
IPG-X’s move into the luxury space meant building a new, more bespoke body of work.
The agency’s growth into the luxury space needed a platform that it could build upon.
IPG-X needed a digital experience to match the prestige of its clients. My goal was to create something bold and fresh that encouraged play and exploration.
The approach
In order to design a site that was filled to the brim with interaction opportunities, I first scoured the internet for inspiration. Resources like awwwards.com and The Webby Awards provided amazing insight and direction to explore.
Using IPG-X’s mantra of “creative connectivity” as a basis, I then explored how this sentiment could be communicated across layout and design elements.
The exploration
I wireframed out designs that explored directions that stepped away from the norm. Down is not the only way a user can scroll, and I found some really cool sites that proved that sentiment.
I felt confident in knowing that as long as I could prove I could get a user from A to B in a prototype, I could work with a developer to make the magic happen.
I designed prototypes based on findings from my research and art direction from our Head of Design to explore a number of ideas that explored actions triggered by user scroll, page transitions and animation sequences.
You’ll find a gallery of GIFs and experiments below.
The infinity wall
The portfolio section of the site, affectionately dubbed “The Infinity Wall” was a creative solution designed to mask the fact that IPG-X’s body of luxury brand work had only just begun.
It was an elegant solution that allowed us to show more work than we actually had, whilst also establishing an engaging digital content platform to showcase work for the long-term.
It’s the most interactive part of the site that encourages exploration, which contributes to user dwell time as well as creating a moment for them to play - which was a core pillar of my initial goals I had listed when digesting the brief for this site.
Ambition… Meet Budget.
The agency identity was still being developed while I was exploring digital options and working up experimental prototypes. This was a challenging approach, but did give me the freedom to be expressive with ideas.
I presented some prototype ideas to our McCann Bristol team, who helped us reign in a plan that fit IPG-X’s budget.
Once the agency’s visual identity had been firmed up and signed off, and we had a clear idea of what would be out of reach due to cost, the design team and I regrouped to tackle some key areas as a combined team.
Here’s the final prototype that I animated using Adobe XD and After Effects for internal sign-off:
Teamwork makes the dream work
Working with developers has been a huge part of my role since I became the sole digital designer at IPG-X. It’s something I’ve come to really enjoy, and I treat it like a creative negotiations process.
In order to be able to bring a prototype to life, I need to fully understand the parameters the developer I’m working with is having to stick to.
Once the developer had the initial build live, I worked with him closely to ensure that the level of craft that was put into our final flat designs could be delivered on a live site.
This meant treating the live build with the same level of scrutiny as I would any other form of design work - like a digital art director. Where I had tweaks I wanted making to typography, spacing, the way responsive elements are behaving, etc - I’d flag adjustments with the developer and we’d run through some testing to get it where we wanted it.
This approach to digital design and development is something I’ve been widely praised for, as my approach to a solution is to find something that keeps every party happy.
And here's how it turned out
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And here's how it turned out 〰️
Explore the site for yourself here: ipg-x.com