Shots: A case study
Shots is the world’s leading commercials magazine, published by Emap. Aimed at creative directors, agency heads and producers, it features news and inspiration on the latest commercials, campaigns, creators and agencies.
What we did
MintTwist worked with Shots to redesign and develop their existing website. With thousands of page views a day and countless videos and users, developing this epic site was a serious challenge that we relished.
The mission
- Create an experience that met the same expectations as the offline Shots brand to increase subscriber numbers and existing customer loyalty
- Support the brand’s “creative connections” by seamlessly linking video, editorial and the directory
- Improve the navigation and layout to make the site more “sticky” and increase page views
- Develop an advanced search functionality
- Create a flexible content management system (CMS) so Shots could easily update and manage the site
- Integrate a third-party video management system
“Exceptional work by a highly talented and responsive team who deliver professional, on-time results and are a pleasure to work with.” — Sean Berry, Emap
Consultation
Developing a larger and more complex site required in-depth consultation to draw-up a comprehensive set of requirements, and select the right CMS and video platform.
We analysed systems and recommended that Shots opt for a bespoke CMS. Ooyalala was chosen as the third-party video platform to integrate with the site.
We then created a requirements and technical specification to set the project scope to ensure the project would be delivered successfully.
The wireframes
A core deliverable for the site was to improve the user experience by making content easier to find, navigate and read. Dynamically linking the videos, editorial and directory listings would give users a richer experience and encourage them to explore the site.
Creating wireframes before design allowed us to maximise the engagement of each page, understand the user journeys and provide users with the most relevant content.
The design
Shots’ printed magazine had been rebranded to present a more modern and attractive image. We designed the site to incorporate the new brand elements, making the site consistent and unique.
“Far and away one of the nicest and most creative web design companies I have had the fortune to do business with.” — Sean Berry, Emap
The CMS
We created a bespoke CMS to deliver a more flexible, easy-to-use system for Shots. This allowed them to run reports on subscriber data to manage subscriptions more effectively and use the data to improve service. We also imported thousands of subscription records without any loss of data or service in the run-up to launch.
Action!
The site has attracted almost one million visits and over 2.5 million page views since launch. We continue to work with Shots advising and supporting them in improving the site for new and existing subscribers.
- Services
- Consultancy
- Design
- Development
- Support
- See also
- Fastlane
- KABA Group
