Presenting Problem

DUST is an innovative architectural design studio rooted in the master-builder tradition. Their work attracts much attention from major architectural media outlets and after they were recognized with several prestigious awards and were included in a Netflix documentary, they recognized their website had not kept up with the expansion of their practice. Their previous site had been constructed internally on a DIY platform that had limitations and, for visitors, was not easy to use. As a result, the firm’s primary interface with the public wasn’t doing what they needed it to do: generate new work. The principals came to us looking for a professional site that would equal the sophistication and skill of their award-winning designs.

Solution

We created visual identity standards in order to define a visual language that was clear, structured, and consistent with the austere aesthetic of the architecture. We did not want the website design to interfere with the firm’s work so we formulated an elevated presentation that mirrors the designers’ aesthetic and enables the architecture to speak for itself.

Project highlights

Technology was an important component. The firm had archived a significant amount of site videos showing their design-build process, which we incorporated into the online portfolio. As with any image-heavy site, it was vital that pages load fast and navigation tracks smoothly to create a good user experience.