WWW.ADAMSMORIOKA.COM
An interesting discovery helped drive the new design for the Adams- Morioka website: More than half the site’s traffic comes from students and fellow designers. And unlike a current or potential client, these visitors are strictly in the market for eye candy. The new site contains an archive section—essentially a giant database of the design firm’s past work—to give these fellow creatives just what they’re looking for.

Overall, the new effort is straightforward but sophisticated.

“The old site was too designed,” says partner Sean Adams. “It was attracting the wrong kind of clients. The best clients we have are the ones who like our thinking.” To that end, the firm focused on meaningful text and less imagery in the case studies section, and simplified the site design. The largely black-and-white palette, for example, lets the firm’s colorful work speak for itself.

And there’s the home page declaration: No hogwash. This oversized text reinforces the firm’s commitment to speaking plainly and showing real results. “It’s a little bit on the edge,” says art director Volker Durre. “It’s sort of borderline offensive. I think in design you have to take risks.” And those risks are exactly why so many other designers take the time to stop by the site.
Michelle Taute

AdamsMorioka
CREATIVE DIRECTORS: Sean Adams, Noreen Morioka
ART DIRECTOR: Volker Durre
DESIGNERS: Durre, Monica Schlaug, Christopher Taillon
PROGRAMMER: Welly Lo
CONTACT: www.adamsmorioka.com