Fresh Labs
Defeat B.O.C.O.
To illustrate the importance of creative consensus, we created an immersive narrative website
The Challenge
For those unfamiliar with the field, UX design can be complex. In creating an engaging educational tool, Fresh designers set out with a critical objective: to explain user experience design in the form of a story. We also sought to showcase modern web design capabilities with an internal project, illustrating what we can do for clients seeking to convey their brand and service offerings in creative ways.
Our Solution
Fresh designers and content strategists storyboarded four separate worlds, each representing a different design phase, and outlined an immersive journey where site visitors are protagonists. We handled all creative output internally, from sketching initial concepts to designing high-fidelity assets and writing customized copy. Developers brought the story to life with modern web development technology, seamlessly incorporating cutting-edge microinteractions, motion, and other visual effects in an optimized format.
An antagonist emerges
Successful products are hard to come by, but success becomes a lot more likely if you follow a vetted process. The challenge comes when there are a diversity of opinions and preferences among stakeholders. While some things are objective, design can often feel subjective, leading to disagreements and roadblocks without an obvious solution.
We named the villain: the Beast of Conflicting Opinions, or B.O.C.O. Our thesis is that by following a process and using data to support conclusions, the roadblocks inherent to product development can be more easily bypassed and success can be more readily realized.
Mentors join the team
Drawing inspiration from Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, we created mentors: the fictional equivalent of consultants.
The UX researcher arms users with knowledge about requirement gathering and product analysis. UX and visual designers impart knowledge on how to give ideas form, and developers and engineers provide insight into making functional products. At Fresh, we have a holistic consultation model. The different mentors that users encounter embody the approach we take with all of our services.
Following a vetted process
In creating Defeat B.O.C.O., we abided by the same advice we impart to clients and partners: stick to the process.
The project began with research and analysis, eventually progressing to creative ideation and design. Developers were pulled in to bring the story to life in an engaging, interactive way, collaborating closely with other team members. The finished product stands as a testament to the value of a consistent, comprehensive process.
From foundational research to a flying finale
As users progress through the site, they eventually dive into the chasm of self-doubt, which often arises at the end of the design process. But we believe that the journey itself can provide you with the confidence needed to forge forward despite uncertainty.
The journey ends with product owners soaring at a high-level, appreciating their work while still considering questions around scalability, product evolution, and market adaptation. Defeat B.O.C.O. concludes, but UX design doesn’t have a definitive ending: products are a series of projects. Design is a circular process, and successful products are continuously iterated upon and improved using the same methods as products change and adapt.
