La Onda Latin Mex Case StudyRestaurant owners Alex and Maria approached me to design a new website, a helpful refresh that would enable them to take on catering and consolidate their brand image into one format.
Being responsible for the layout, design and build of the website, I was able to extend the existing brand while giving them the tools to manage it for future usage.Branding, UX/UI, Typesetting
01. ResearchShared with me where the stories and beautiful culture that inspired La Onda, so I utilised the existing branding but wanted to move into a bolder direction by using colourblocking and the underused character graphics to create pages with a fun energy, and something that doesn’t immediately feel like a restaurant but more like a space to show La Onda’s inspiration.
I paid attention to the use of colour in their branding and their existing photography to make every touchpoint as consistent as possible. SKETCHBOOK IMAGE/SLIDESHOW (3)
02. RealisationWe landed on bold use of colour and stylised typography, and went to work laying the groundwork for how the user would traverse the website. Using Squarespace as an easy to use platform, it allowed us to have lots of customisation through coding style sheets and HTML codes to give the website that extra flair through custom buttons and animations. SKETCHBOOK IMAGE/SLIDESHOW
03. RefinementAfter establishing the structure and the initial visuals, we where able to see where we could add usability and interest into the website. We added integration for catering as well as redesigned printed menus that could be used in the website and store to keep things consistent.
One thing I was told about that was nowhere to be seen in the original branding or original website was the history behind all of the illustrated icons, like the influence of Cantinflas and Chespirito on western popular culture, or the power of salsa from Celia Cruz.
I was really intrigued because I had learned something new, and I wanted to give people the ability to also learn about these figures and celebrate the latin culture through learning about the history. What I did was include all of the icons at the bottom, and create secret pages that could only be discovered when clicking on the icons, and this added a sense of mystery and value when a user could discover these pages, allowing them to learn the history and have a tighter connection to the brands values.SKETCHBOOK IMAGE/SLIDESHOW
04. ReleaseWe released the website and it was a success, as more catering orders came through, events/classes that where hosted at the restaurant could also be seen on the website which helped with visibility and attendance rates.
You can view the completed website hereSLIDESHOW05. ReflectionThe design of the website was an awesome opportunity for me to help business owners Alex and Maria have a main base to design any deliverables, and act as a guide to make the visual choices that align closer to their brand image and values.
Through the design of the website, I was able to also give them the autonomy to have control over the website through going through the system in person, showing them how to add pages or make small edits.
I wanted them the be able to have responsibility over it and not rely on my services to make simple changes, and focus more of their resources and time to help the business itself.SLIDESHOW