case
study
Cacique International Website
DATE Janurary 2008
WEBSITE OBJECTIVE
As we immersed ourselves in the Cacique culture, we became more educated not only about the company, its long history and many sub-brands, but also about the market, the industry, and the competition. We developed our impression of the past, present and the future of the Cacique brand and identified an immediate need for a new website to reach their international markets.
Our goal is to create a website that embodies the Cacique experience and the many facets of the company (Food and Art / Cacique international/ ) while also serving as a useful and informative tool for the user. We incorporated original imagery, interactive animation, a fluid navigation scheme and dynamic digital video clips.
Another concern for us was the search engine optimization and finding a balance between dynamic interactivity and indexed content. In order to preserve search engine visibility, we decided to combine static content (HTML text) and dynamic content (slide shows, etc.).
The site will be an HTML platform; we are also incorporating flash, interactive galleries, slideshows and video. This combination would add interactivity to an HTML website and keep a high ranking in the SERP (search engine result page).
ENTRANCE
Usability is as important as impressing the viewer. We offer the user/viewer two entries into the site. It will also provide an alternative for those with slower bandwidth. This increases usability and functionality. In addition to the dual entrance, the ‘enter page’ will also have an interactive logo. The logo will react to the mouse with a color variation giving the user a preview of the intro.THE
WORLDS
GENERAL INFORMATION: includes information about the Bahamas and the company.
CACIQUE: includes DMC services and events
FOOD ART: includes info about events & design, catering, weddings, etc…
JUST IMAGINE: Shawn’s newsletter, recommendations, recipes, etc.
We developed our approach to content organization giving the large amount of information and area to be covered in this website. The structure divides the content into four separate sub-sites or worlds. These worlds may function individually, but are still interconnected, creating a seamless synergy of information in the site.
COLOR
SELECTION
WEBSITE
INTRO
The intro is multi-dimensional and encompasses much of the symbolism that Cacique embodies. Our goal was to illustrate Cacique’s worlds coming together through the expression and movement of graphical elements on the screen.
We used a non-traditional, dynamic type of animation designed to immediately engage
the visitor. The animation is non-linear and reacts to the users movements of the mouse.
Thus, allowing the visitor to become a participant in the Cacique experience, versus just
an observer. This is not commonly seen on the web.
MENU
We developed a VERTICAL navigation bar . A different approach
where each distinctive world is defined by a color.
The navigation is a flash menu. When you click on a colored bar, the main
navigation panel will expand and open the options for that respective category.
CACIQUE
WORLD
TOURS &
EXCURSIONS
SECTION
Shown above is an example of the ‘Excursions’ page including a sample of a tertiary menu.
TRANSPORTATION
SECTION
HISTORY
SECTION
Shown above is an example of a content driven page.
WEATHER
SECTION
FOOD
ART
WORLD
Shown above is an example of the intro page to the ‘Food Art’ world.
There is an image slide show animation and info content.
EVENTS &
DESIGN
SECTION
Shown above is an example of a content page ‘Event & Design’
utilizing the image slide show animation and the info content.
SPECIAL
EVENTS
SECTION
Shown above is an example of a content page ‘Special Events’
utilizing an image thumbnail preview component.
Please click the link below to access a “work in progress” site.
This working version is ‘to scale’ and it includes an animated intro.
in the upper right to navigate through the additional page layouts.)
launch site +