superpowers combined: design + development
July 17, 2023
written by
Chantel Keith
More often than not, clients come to us for help because they’re looking to fix something specific–perhaps it’s the need for a new communication strategy or to improve the rankings of their site on search engines. Or maybe, it’s that they just haven’t figured out yet how to effectively translate their brand into their digital strategy. Whatever the need, we love how inevitably pieces of the puzzle come together in different combinations for the 3FO all-star team — strategy, UX, design, development, copywriters, social and search engine marketing– to create magic.
Lead Developer Chantel Keith and Art + UX Director Greg Ciro Tornincasa frequently collaborate on client projects to do just this. Greg envisions the design for a website and Chantel works her developer magic to add code and together they make the beauty of what our team dreams up reality. They sat down to reflect on a recent project done for our client Personalis.
Chantel: Which of our recent projects are you most proud of?
Greg: “The Personalis website was a solid collaborative effort all around — strategy, UX, design, development, copywriters, SEO — everyone pulled serious weight and flexed their skills and dedication to the work. It really exemplified what we’re capable of as a team.”
Chantel: What were the project requirements?
Greg: “I’ve been working on biotech projects since before Roche bought Genentech, but each project is slightly different. With Personalis, we not only had to understand the client’s needs, their business goals, and brand positioning, but to actually dig in and learn the science, identify and understand target and future user groups (hospital oncologists / clinical researchers / biopharma), and use that to influence everything from user journeys to information architecture and user experience. They needed a website and digital campaigns that enhanced their visibility and clarified what they offer to make them the strongest contender in their marketplace vertical. ”
Chantel: What was the most fun/challenging part of the process for you on this project?
Greg: “Lots of preliminary research, I find that so satisfying. We took the time to get to know the client and their particular methodology. The end user isn’t always a scientist – sometimes it’s a board member or it’s a patient. Knowing that we couldn’t fully understand every aspect of their industry, we worked with the client as a team member—they helped us make sense of some really complex information, in turn helping us make it easier for the average user to understand the science behind our custom infographics and iconography. ”
Chantel: What creative inspiration did you find to have the most influence?
Greg: “Precision, relevant animation, and user interaction examples. Users researching cancer are not interested in the most robust animation for animation’s sake. They want to know information as quickly as possible. We took a thoughtful approach, using subtle animations to help guide the user through complex information easily and efficiently.”
Chantel: What do you attribute to this project’s success?
Greg: “All of the above.”
Working with amazing clients and amazing creatives is one of our favorite parts of the job. It’s what sparks that one-of-a-kind immersive brand experience that we deliver and our clients love.
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