The Free People Style Guide includes a mosaic gallery demonstrating appropriate style choices for a variety of occasions. The gallery design has the effect of making the user feel like wandering down the page, through the looks, and into the details, which are accessible through the image zoom feature. Beautifully executed and inspired.
It’s one thing to talk about your product’s selling features. It’s another thing to show it. The full-screen homepage slider from Norweigan Rain does a good job of mixing close-up photography demonstrating product features, with lifestyle images showing it in use.
Melissa Joy Manning has always had beautiful jewelry. With the redesign of her website, you can really see it. The site is dominated by large, clear, clean images of her products. The detail view offers even more visual delight with further detail, and ability to edit settings such as metal and stone selection. When the product is all about looks, a website that can get out of the way, and let the product shine, is a beautiful thing.
If you’ve ever tried to navigate the mess, that can be Amazon Search, you’ll appreciate the related products feature, which does an excellent job in helping users pick out products other users have viewed or purchased. Nuances such as style, manufacturing material, quality level etc. come forward in related products much more easily than through search. To find it, scroll down in any product view and click: related.
Anthropologie is helping users tap into a larger shopping community with their #AnthroStyle section. Images from their lookbook, and end users tags show together in a gallery view. Shoppers can view images, and shop looks they find inspiring. For users looking for ideas, without a real sense of focus, this feature is amazing. It helps to show outfits in context with different looks, and on real bodies.
Oakley sells glasses. Expensive, prescription glasses. Their interactive feature demonstrating the impact of cycling lenses on the cycling experience is top notch, and accurate.
Drag the circle left, or right to see the improvement in the viewing experience. Rose colored glasses, literally.
Houzz’s 3D “In Room” features allows shoppers who use their mobile app to position furniture and decore within their personal space. This feature, which was shaped with feedback from Houzz users during early testing, is available for over 300,000 products sold on Houzz. To use it, download the app for iPhone or iPad.
