Domino Magazine

Domino
Kids
Website

Architecture, Art & Design / Nominee

Domino Magazine

Architecture, Art & Design

Nominee

"Digital is so flexible and multidimensional — it’s a really fun opportunity for us to be even more creative with our storytelling." Domino Magazine

Q: Can you describe your project and the concept behind it?

A: Our kids site was a digital extension of our first-ever kids print issue (summer 2020). We wanted to create a digital space that was as fun and inspiring as that print issue, but in an even more interactive way. It coincided with a kids furniture collaboration we did with Crate & Kids as well, so it was the perfect opportunity to launch our kids vertical in this new way.

Q: Tell us about your initial moodboard, wireframe, or prototype. How did things change throughout the process?

A: Originally, this was really just one landing area and then maybe a couple stories below. We weren't sure if it would be feasible to build it out more, let alone maintain it once live. Most of the iterations for this page were around adding more categories, whether that was a shopping/market section or a place to highlight video we had made.

Q: What influenced your chosen technical approach, and how did it go beyond past methods?

A: We have used the Ceros platform for previous projects, including other smaller content hubs, so we were building on that with this project. Ceros offers so much flexibility and cuts down on development support, so we were able to focus more on the design, animations, transitions, etc and really blow that out and make it a fun experience.

When did you experience a breakthrough or an "a-ha" moment during this project?

For me, it was bringing previously static print elements to life in a digital way. So playing with the shapes and circle elements we had been using in our kids vertical, and exploring different animations with them as you move through the experience. It's another layer of the design that adds so much to it and really brings it to life.

Watch

Q: What web technologies, tools, and resources did you use to develop this?

A: This was built and hosted in Ceros, and then added to a page on our site (WordPress).

Q: How did you balance your own creative ideas and technical capabilities with a fair representation of the client’s brand?

A: Because we had so much success with the print edition of our kids issue, it was much easier to bring in a lot of those styles and sell the look and feel across teams and to our partner (Crate & Kids). That said, the ID is pretty playful and kid-friendly but the content is still for our core audience of adults, so we were very careful about how we added in animation and color to keep it elevated and not too childlike.

Q: How did the final product meet or exceed your expectations?

A: Originally, this was going to be a pared back version of what it is now. We were trying to troubleshoot and make it work with just WordPress, but didn't have the dev support to build it the way we wanted. Once we started building it in Ceros, however, we were able to expand it beyond just a landing area, and really create a mini-site with sections to showcase all of the different types of kids content we have in a much cooler way.

Q: Why is this an exciting time to create new digital experiences? How does your team fit into this?

A: Like many publications, we moved away from print and are now only digital, so having the ability to create immersive and unique experiences like this means a lot. These are our opportunities to go all in on the content we love and feature them in a cool way so they don't get lost in the day-to-day of our main site. Plus, digital is so flexible and multidimensional — it’s a really fun opportunity for us to be even more creative with our storytelling.

Domino Kids Website