I don't like this redesign. Exec just launched, and they are still in the phase where they are trying to teach early adopters what the site is and what it can do for them. This doesn't do that.
Just because something is pretty doesn't mean it's targeting the right group of people or telling the right story. I've gone through four rounds of revisions on the new web startup I'm doing in the last couple weeks for this reason. With every revision it's actually getting significantly uglier, but also more closely aligned with telling the story we want to tell to the users we see as our early adopters, so ultimately better.
There's always time to make the website pretty later once you nail the story and have a core group of users it resonates with, but making the website pretty for the sake of having a pretty website is always a huge mistake.
Additionally, the way you write a good design brief is by figuring out what you want the site to subconsciously remind people of, and then finding a bunch of design elements from other sites that meet this goal. To me this reminds me of one of those 'me too' social networks for video gamers because of the dark colors, the slick gradients/shadows, and the flash-game style UI. It emphatically does not remind me of FreshDirect, which would be a much more appropriate type of website to borrow design inspiration from.
As a definite-future-customer, this is my interpretation of EXEC: a VIP-like personal concierge service, ready 24/7 to provide assistance. I designed to that vision; I didn't work aimlessly. Thanks for the feedback, though. Much appreciated.
It's $25/hour. There are landscapers that cost that much. Our cleaning service costs way more. Is this really a VIP service? Why would they want it to be? Isn't what makes stuff like this interesting that it uses technology to make personal assistants available to normal people, not just VIPs?
It's more about "you too can feel VIP with your personal concierge", and less about "you need to be wealthy to use this service". I will agree that the product positioning isn't 100% clear.
That makes sense. That said, I see Exec being positioned more on the basis of things like transparency, quality, and personal connection, though I could be wrong.
Just because something is pretty doesn't mean it's targeting the right group of people or telling the right story. I've gone through four rounds of revisions on the new web startup I'm doing in the last couple weeks for this reason. With every revision it's actually getting significantly uglier, but also more closely aligned with telling the story we want to tell to the users we see as our early adopters, so ultimately better.
There's always time to make the website pretty later once you nail the story and have a core group of users it resonates with, but making the website pretty for the sake of having a pretty website is always a huge mistake.
Additionally, the way you write a good design brief is by figuring out what you want the site to subconsciously remind people of, and then finding a bunch of design elements from other sites that meet this goal. To me this reminds me of one of those 'me too' social networks for video gamers because of the dark colors, the slick gradients/shadows, and the flash-game style UI. It emphatically does not remind me of FreshDirect, which would be a much more appropriate type of website to borrow design inspiration from.