Penguin books used to be the leading publisher in actual paper-based books. Jan Tishold , of Bauhaus fame, made Penguin famous for his consistently applied cover grid. Yet, today’s fast-moving tech seems to have stunted Penguins legacy somewhat and that seems to have left Penguin in the dark-ages.
The aim of the brief was to re-design the South African Penguin website, and also change the website to being a eCommerce site where the users could purchase books directly from the site rather than being lead to third parties such as Amazon and Exclusives to buy the books. The objective is to improve user experience, interaction as well as the interface of the website so that users can easily navigate through the site without becoming lost. Information Architecture and visual hierarchy was considered when designing the website. The main aim of the website is to get users to purchase books on the site and not go to third parties. The strategy implemented in the re-design was for the website to make use of large visuals and expressive typography to create visual interest and attract the users as well as have them remain on the page. The target audience is women in their forties to fifties, this is based off the research conducted by Penguin Random House. Women tend to be more advent book buyers than men and therefore the website is aimed towards women primarily.
The Home Page
The website makes use of the Penguin branding colours which is the orange, which is acting as an accent colour to highlight the links and buttons in the website. The navy blue which is the primary colour used in the website contrasts well against the orange and provides the feeling of trust, calmness and professionalism. Therefore each page layout follows a similar layout to create consistency so as not to confuse the users. The home page function is to get users to explore more about certain books that the see on the page, as well as get them to use the mega menu. The mega menu was used because it effectively contains all the information that the users need to navigate through the site and it was the best option in presenting a lot of information without overwhelming the user and hiding this information.
Responsive Layouts of the Home Page
The Category Page
The content page makes use of a second filter navigation to help the user further refine their search and therefore leading them to the book purchase page. The category page makes use of a pull quote as an effective visual relief so that the user is not pounded by too much of similar information. The book purchasing page is clean, minimalist and displays the book in a simple manner to make it easy for the user to understand the information and therefore make the decision to purchase the book.
Responsive Layout of the Category Page
The Book Purchasing Page
The format options are presented as a slider so that the user can see the information at their leisure instead of being overwhelmed by all of it. The buy button is then placed at the bottom of the prices in the intense orange of the penguin brand, this is to nudge them into buying it. The orange is load and vibrant as well as exciting therefore it works well as the accent colour, and helps with accentuating all the links that lead the user further into the website as well as the buttons that could lead to a conversion.
Responsive Layout of the Book Purchasing Page
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