Although it’s not a database of historical or research information, throughout this week’s readings I couldn’t help thinking about the website of the company I work for currently. I work for Pinnacle Exhibits, a brand management company that specializes in 3D exhibits and installations. We create temporary environments to change minds, motivate behavior and leave a lasting impression. We are a diverse band of branders, builders, designers, makers, communicators, advertisers and engineers united by a hunger to wow people in 3D. Through my position and time with the company I have learned the great importance of each of these roles—it takes all the talents I listed above to complete each project we take on. I really valued the comment in Meirelles, Design for Information: “It is my hope that this book help broaden the dialogue and reduce the gap between two communities—designers and scientists—and foster problem-solving skills in designing information.” I, and my colleagues at Pinnacle, consider bridging this gap our mission. We employ our diverse talents and specializations to create 3D experiences, and strive to connect consumers with brands.
As Pinnacle continues to grow and evolve as a brand management company, so does our own brand. Our rebranding process has been heavily involved in many aspects of the company, but we especially want to produce an impressionable website. The site is a work in progress, but has already greatly evolved since I joined the company. In the past, the site only incorporated “beauty” shots of our work. At first glance the site was very appealing, but it was not interactive or welcoming. We work to connect brands with consumers, and yet online exhibits of our work did not showcase those consumers interacting in the space! So, our solution to this problem was to incorporate more welcoming, human elements in our online exhibits. The section in Data + Design considered the differences between print and web-based media, as well as static versus interactive exhibits. As a company, we are moving towards all digital and interactive presentations for our clients, so it was interesting to read more on this comparison. Moving forward, it our goal to progress with the digital world. Photos are quickly being replaced by gifs, and short videos. Now homepages and backgrounds of websites use video clips instead of still images—and we want to follow that trend. You can check out our first attempt at chronicling our work through video here. Eventually our goal is to create a portfolio of still images and rich videos on our website that fully represent the Pinnacle brand and work.
I relate this experience to the final project we are creating for this class. Instead of creating exhibits of our work, like we do for Pinnacle, we will be creating exhibits of research information—but the principal is the same. We will have to make important decisions about the message we want to convey, and the elements we need to incorporate in our site in order to convey that message successfully.