Aerial Dragons Website

Overview

Aerial Dragons Productions is a high-end entertainment company based in Tampa, Florida. They specialize in aerial arts, acrobatics, stilt walking, fire performances, and character portrayals. They also provide event production services, including planning, lighting, sound, and decor.
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The Product

A responsive website that allows users to book events

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The Timeline

Est. 2024, Roughly 3 months

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Tools & Deliverables

Deliverables: developed website

Tools:
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The Problem

The existing website lacked the energy, color, and elegance that matched their live performances. The site also lacked clear structure and responsiveness, making it difficult for potential clients to explore their offerings or inquire about bookings.

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The Goal

Create a visually engaging and functional platform that reflects their high-energy performances and diverse offerings. Allow for easier bookings and contact, and clear event information.

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My Role

Designer & Developer: website branding, layout, typography, visual content, site build

Background & Process

Getting Started - Branding Adjustments

While I inherited this project from a previous designer, I made the decision to completely redesign the site from the ground up. Their initial site had a pastel blue-purple-pink gradient, and previous designer's version relied heavily on black and white; both of these felt too dull and didn’t align with the client’s lively brand. I turned towards their original site colors for inspiration, but with some adjustments. I kept their lavender color from the initial site, and introduced a dark purple and gold that better reflected their high-energy brand.

Laying the Foundation - Navigation Improvements & Content Organization

My colleague created a sitemap/lo-fi wireframe in Octopus.do to assist with content organization, and laid the groundwork for the project's copywriter.

Key Improvements:

  • Updated navigation menu to make it easier for visitors to explore services and galleries.
  • Clear call-to-action buttons strategically placed to allow for quick bookings and inquiries.
  • Dedicated pages for aerial acts, fire performances, stilt walking, and production services to help users quickly find what they need.
  • Engaging galleries and embedded videos to give potential clients a real sense of the company’s expertise and entertainment value.
  • Social media integration to showcase live updates and strengthen the brand’s online presence.

Before & After Navigation Links

Further Design & Development - Telling Aerial Dragons' Story

  1. Determining the layout: After hashing out the branding, I worked on the layout. I followed the sitemap while refining it to create a smooth user flow. I also had a copy document to guide the design & establish hierarcy.
    1. Homepage: I used the homepage to play around with different elements (fire borders, sparkly backgrounds, buttons, etc.) and establish the general feeling of the design.
    2. Sub-pages: After experimenting with some slightly different layouts, I determined I wanted to use static hero images as the primary feature of the design, because it highlighted each service with a stunning visual.
  2. Picking the images: The client provided many stunning performance photos. This helped bring the site to life and make it more immersive.
    • At this point, I collaborated with a graphic designer who was familiar with the client to select and edit impactful hero images that effectively capture the essence of their performances. I wanted to make sure I accurately reflected their brand and picked out the best images to be front and center.
  3. Refinement & introducing a mobile layout: I went through a couple of rounds of edits with the client, primarily focusing on image swaps. I also made sure the website was responsive so the experience on different devices was relatively seamless.

Research

Personas

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User Journeys

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Design

Wireframes

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Final Product

The redesigned Aerial Dragons Productions website successfully encapsulates the company’s vibrant energy, artistic excellence, and extensive service offerings. The result is a high-impact digital presence that effectively showcases Aerial Dragons’ brand and services.

View the old website on Wayback Machine. View the live website at aerialdragons.com.

Takeaways

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Impact

Organic search clicks increased by 69% in the first three months post-launch, and the click-through rate nearly doubled (from 1.8% to 3.3%). The new design appears to have attracted more relevant users who were more likely to engage with the site, as reflected in the significantly higher click volume and CTR.

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What I Learned

This projects was one of my favorites to work on. Typically clients don't provide many assets, but Aerial Dragons was an outlier. It made me excited to be able to go through and meticulously curate their gallery. The collaboration that I did was also very enjoyable. I knew this already, but experiencing it made it even more clear: two heads are better than one.