Looks Like a Plan
Across our planning activities we also identified opportunities to shift focus to key sections – Buy and Sell – of the new site. Additionally, Gorringe’s crucial request-a-valuation service would benefit from both greater prominence and a simplified process.
We’d make site search – a valuable tool for visitors perusing lots – even more powerful and focused too.
And in completely redesigning the site’s look and feel, we would pay close attention to use of art-directed images, plus considered use of colours and shapes. The previous website would therefore enjoy a complete transformation.
An Elegant New Direction for Gorringe’s
In redesigning the Gorringe’s website, we sought to create a unique aesthetic; a standout design that would consistently enable art and objects to display at their maximum potential.
Leading the way were bold and elegant hero images. Giving flight to our homepage, and to site-wide secondary pages, these images presented carefully chosen assets, always thoughtfully paired or gathered together in an elegant composition.
Colour and Movement
Creating a colour story for each and every hero shot, a palette of complementing tones was matched with the colours and elements of the pieces themselves. These tones manifested as backdrops to objects as well as filling panels holding page titles.
Where appropriate we applied a subtle rollover effect to images: a delicate device, but one that added movement and invited interaction. Action was introduced also via a series of carousel assets. These held carefully chosen images that linked to key pages including Upcoming Auctions, News, and Departments.
Looking Great. Working Hard.
So our hero assets looked terrific. But they also worked hard. To this end, we designed our homepage hero to be easily updatable. This meant the very latest sale items could feature front and centre: a powerful, visually-driven way to publicise the next auction sale.
Related to this, Gorringe’s homepage could keep pace with other shifts. The seasons, for example. Or with items related to a themed sale of one artist’s paintings. Or perhaps a specific asset class like rare books or ceramics.
These updates would provide ongoing appeal and indicate a vibrant auction business, alive with fascinating new consignments. Updateable too was a further homepage carousel. Via gorgeous, curated rollover shots of eclectic assets this displayed notable recent sales.
Beyond our hero shots, we prepared for the website a muted base palette embracing elements of monochrome. Providing consistency, this scheme relied on a relaxing mix of black, charcoal and beige.
Taking Shape
Across the auction website, use of geometric shapes continued establishing a consistent identity, whilst an animating underline device brought attention to internal links and assisted navigation.
Connected to this, navigating the site was a challenge we had identified in the planning stage. Gorringe’s offers a full auction-house service, and dedicated sections and content included:
- Pages for those consigning items
- Pages for buyers
- Auction pages – incorporating a calendar, results and catalogue search
- Departments – all fifteen of them
- Valuations – for Sale, Insurance & Probate
- Team, Story, News & Glossary pages
Presenting these elements, we created a fixed top menu. A drop-down construction made locating pages a snap, whilst also protecting site design aesthetics.
