Challenge: Communicating value and expertise
The original Sound Advice was outdated, offered poor visual and listening experiences, and made it difficult to to reach the team. The founders had little to no control over the content on their site and had fallen out of touch with the developer managing it.
Solution: A modern, focused experience for their target audience
A simple, direct, and visually attractive experience that would appeal to their core audience: media marketing executives. From out strategy discussions we identified the need to put content front and center, clearly communicates their value and experience, and make it easy for clients to learn about the team, what they do, and easily reach out.
Strategy
Before we could start designing I needed to understand two things clearly:
- The internal needs of Sound Advice
- The external needs of potential clients
The Sound Advice team needed an attractive visual overhaul with an intuitive backend that allowed them to focus on great content.
I examined the existing site, what it was doing and where it fell short. Next, I met with the team and outlined desired changes. A critical element of a successful site would be their ability to maintain it themselves. To make this possible I sorted content into two categories: dynamic and static. Dynamic content would employ a content management system, using pre-styled elements for repeat content like audio spots.
Marketers wanted critical info at a glance to instill confidence and start a conversation.
- Prominent client list of big name studios + testimonials
- Audio samples immediately available
- Information about the team
- Easy contact from any page
A new content structure, based on identified user needs, provides essential information on one scrollable page. Supplementary pages contain additional information.
Visual Design & Branding
Until now appearances hadn't been a priority, but their audience demanded otherwise. We agreed to start fresh, retaining key brand assets like their logo and primary orange.
Direction 1: Hi-tech - Sophisticated with a dark cinema theme and fine details. While we liked the professionalism, it lacked an essential friendliness.
Direction 2: Billboard - Punchy and loud with impactful type and imagery. The boldness and conversational tone worked well, but it didn't feel welcoming.
Direction 3: Startup - The perfect balance of bold and friendly, with large scannable typography and fun graphic elements match the studio's personality.
Development
Figma page layouts and design system were replicated in Webflow then optimized for responsiveness on all screen sizes.
Created content management system with custom SoundCloud integration for an intuitive listening experience.
The final site communicates the quality and craft of audio design by putting the Sound Advice's content front and center, explaining their capabilities, and positioning them as an an essential partner for premium entertainment marketing.