Case Study

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CASE STUDY

Challenge

Blockbuster's relationship with its public has always been mediated

by the retail environment. Yet with the recent advent of online rental services, the question became how to translate that balance of authority and familiarity into the digital market.

Blockbuster came to frog to conceptualize, design, and create a new user-friendly website that would raise online capabilities to the quality of service the brand was known for. The company sought to provide a space for users to manage their own DVD subscription services, with easy access to the tools that make that possible: informative features like film summaries, recommendations, new release information, and reviews.

Discover: Online Connections

frog's strategists recognized that what would distinguish Blockbuster from its competitors were the same features that always had: up-to-date industry knowledge, ease of navigation, and a personal touch. If the movies we watch are a representation of self, much as our iPod playlists or the books on our shelves, the website and its rental queue take on new importance in terms of identity. The website needed to be geared towards connecting individuals with the movies that are right for them, not only by helping them locate the films they already want, but by alerting them to those they are bound to enjoy.

By researching disparate media purchasing platforms, frog identified two areas of focus for the website overhaul: ease of navigation and sense of community. By improving these features, Blockbuster would give users the satisfaction of managing their own web experience: easily altering their movie queues, reading and writing reviews, and soliciting recommendations.

Design: Simple Usability, Complex Functionality

A multi-disciplinary team of digital media designers, analysts, and technologists worked closely on the project, combining their varied knowledge to push the boundaries of web design. With the design and the back-end code developing in parallel, no capability was left unexplored.

The team created a powerful