Generating Credibility & Trust Through Thoughtful Design

Project Summary

Date

08 February 2020

Client

Diff Eyewear

Tags

Art Direction, Digital Design, Retouching

The Mission

Have you ever experienced writer’s block? You know, that debilitating feeling when you begin a project, stare at the blank page in front of you, and think, “what have I gotten myself into?” Building a successful business from scratch can seem so intimidating, especially when your primary customers are not people, but established, successful corporations. This was the problem the Diff Eyewear wholesale team faced last fall. The new director of Wholesale decided to elevate the brand to build trust and sell more glasses to large retailers like Nordstrom, QVC, Free People, Buckle, Dillards, and more. The realization that developing strong, long-lasting relationships was the key to earning trust and, consequently, money.

The Outcome

We asked the Wholesale team key questions and used the answers to develop our strategy moving forward. To increase brand trust and sales, we updated the aesthetic for every creative asset in the catalog, including lookbooks, matrices, one-sheets, table-top signage, and the tradeshow booth itself.

The Impact

The effects of the re-brand were felt almost immediately. The consistent, clean, elevated aesthetic brought instant credibility and trust to the eyes of our clients, and the sales followed suit. Large retailers like Nordstrom and QVC made large purchases, and the Wholesale department experienced a 100%-plus sales increase year-over-year.

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Sales Increase

Wholesale experienced exponential growth which was attributed to vastly improved design.

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YOY revenue increase

Year-over-year sales increased significantly since the launch of the new campaign,

The Goal

Spacious and inviting, the design aesthetic draws the use in with its perfect balance of information and beauty. The inviting, warm tones create a feeling of depth and comfort that is at once trustworthy and inspiring. The print and packaged materials are thoughtfully organized and laid out for maximum usability. Plenty of space surrounds every element, and nothing feels cramped. The cream tones and sans serif fonts lend an air of effortless elegance to the entire design with purposeful details like product information with monograms to beautifully inform the πuser of important information without disrupting the rhythm and layout. The fonts were selected because of their complementary nature. Optima is a humanist sans-serif designed by Hermann Zapf, possessing many of the qualities of a glyphic serif. The other font, Opens Sans, does most of the heavy lifting in the designs, its neutral, friendly appearance helping users feel welcome and trusting. Most imagery is displayed in smaller frames surrounded by plenty of open, creamy space accentuated by subtle leaf shadows, which bring the whole composition together to feel warm, luxurious, friendly, and approachable.

The Gap

Designing for mobile is one of the most critical factors in any digital campaign. Through crucial metrics, the team at Diff knew our customer base primarily consumed our content through their mobile devices. With that in mind, we designed all content with a mobile-first priority.

The Gamble

When the New Year, New View campaign was launched, it was an immediate success. Diff’s existing customer base latched on to the concept of buying their prescription frames online. New customers came in droves to purchase as well, with over 5,000 prescription purchases in the first six months and 50,000 new subscribers added to our retention list. The prescription campaign became a reliable revenue driver and was a catalyst for further company growth in 2019.