While many websites for creative companies try hard to give users a sense of the company’s style and talent, few succeed on the level that yU+co.’s (http://www.yuco.com) new website does. Unveiled in conjunction with their 12-year anniversary creating memorable design, motion graphics and visual effects for film, TV, gaming and multimedia, yU+co., the award-winning studio led by Creative Director Garson Yu, has rebooted their website with a dynamic look that gives voice to its work, putting their wide variety of work in the spotlight.
Thanks to robust backend architecture and a brilliantly executed front-end design, users have easy access to an archive of nearly 200 individual projects that showcase the story-driven sensibility that has been the company’s hallmark for the last 12 years.
Hired to launch the yU+co.[lab] U.S. division, Chief Information Architect Julia Tsao’s first assignment was to redesign the yU+co. website. She and web designer Adam Guzman’s primary goal was to focus the site on the ‘moments’ from yU+co. projects and make all the images that captured those moments big, bold and dynamic.
“Fundamentally, we wanted to let the personality of yU+co. shine through,” Tsao says. “yU+co. has a very particular approach to design that we wanted to carry through to the experience of the website. The company is known for its focus on story and character over flash and gimmicks, and the site needed to reflect that ideal. Moreover, the design of our site will keep evolving over time. This is just the beginning.”
All the company’s best-known work is on full display -– from its first official assignment for the main title sequence of Tony Scott’s “Enemy of the State” to its Emmy-nominated show open for “Desperate Housewives.” You can also see more recent work including the 2010 Census ad campaign, Turner Classic Movies’ 31 Days of Oscar promotion, videogame cinematics for Resident Evil 5 and title sequences for blockbuster films like “Shrek Forever After,” “Hot Tub Time Machine,” “Watchmen,” and “300.”
But more then merely show the work, the new site cleverly organizes the work with an attention-grabbing navigation device, featuring vertical drop down bars that function both as a bit of dynamic playfulness, and as a means for navigating through the site. All projects are color coded to correspond with the navigation bars. On individual project pages, those top navigation color bars travel down as a system, letting you know what part of the site you are in and what type of project you’re viewing.
In addition to its technical sophistication, smart design and deep archive of work, the site also features some timely functionality — such as its interactive timeline complete with highlights that pop-up as you scroll over each year of the company’s existence, and an active blog section for all of yU+co’s talent to participate in and share via all popular social media outlets.
The new yU+co. site also takes users on a detailed journey through yU+co.[lab] — the company’s satellite offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai that focus on experiential design ideas and multimedia interactive installations. It is an aspect of the company that for founder Yu is a key component to its future. Since launching in 2006, yuco[lab] has worked on exhibits for the Urbanian Pavilion at the 2010 World’s Fair in Shanghai and a projects for the 2008 Beijing Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
The combined work of yU+co. and yuco[lab] is significant. Together they function as two-sides of the same forward-looking coin — one that envisions an expanding demand for interactive and immersive experiences for museums, exhibits, tradeshows, expos, retail outlets, kiosks and more, yet creates experiences that are rooted in the company’s core story-and-character driven philosophy.
“Designing for immersive experiences is a fairly new industry,” Yu says. “It involves interactivity, meaning that we are not only designing screen-based content, but also designing a physical space for viewers to participate in. This is a breakthrough for us to be able to transform our motion graphic thinking into designing engaging interactive and immersive experiences.”
While the new site offers a dynamic look at yU+co.’s best known work and accomplishments, it’s clear Yu has his eye on the future of the business.
“Figuring out how to use new technology to engage audiences and communicate ideas drives my creative passion,” Yu adds. “Over the last 12 years, we have evolved from a traditional motion graphics company into a ‘transmedia’ design company, working across multiple platforms, whether its television, film, gaming, or commercials. We’ve extended our creative reach into new media, interactive and experiential design. But no matter how we transform, telling a great story will always be the most important focus of our work.”
About yU+co
Recognized as an industry leader in visual design and motion graphics with offices in Hollywood, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, yU+co. (www.yuco.com) specializes in main and end titles for film and television, visual effects, TV show opens and network graphics packages, theatrical logos, game cinematics and commercials. For more information, contact Director of Business Development Dianna Costello (323-606-5050, dianna@yuco.com).
