Client
Cuttime

Goal
Create an MVP of a web based analytics tool that delivers an affinity score between Celebrities and Brands. Enabling both to create informed partnerships and ultimately creating more public awareness through collaborations.

Process & Methods

User Research:
Music and Brand industry insiders were interviewed in order to establish if there was a need for this potential product. That research supported that there is a hole in the market and helped to develop the initial capabilities of the tool. Other analytics tools were evaluated in depth as well.

Establishing the MVP:
The CEO, CMO, & CTO defined the initial scope based on the user research and what they were comfortable accomplishing technically. Once I dug in and started working on the site flows, issues and questions arose which led to adjusting the scope and changing the approach regarding sign-ups and account creations. I also made suggestions to trim back further, encouraging them to focus on the part of the technology that will be the most valuable to learn and iterate from.

User Stories, Site & User Flows:
Using the initial user research and user stories developed by the CMO, I started with a full site flow in order to work out site needs and general pain points. I was able to highlight those issues and help the team ideate through the changes. User flows were then developed further off of the initial site flow and user stories.

Prototyping:
The affinities feature of the tool is currently being prototyped.

User Testing:
A select group of music industry and brand leaders have been identified and are ready to be beta testers as sections of the tool are developed, starting with the affinity searches and sign-up flow.

Outcome
This is pending final initial MVP launch.

Credits
UX, Design, Research: Myself

Client
Tamar Collection

Goal
Create a fully functioning direct to consumer e-commerce site in 7 weeks. This included a full integration with a 3PL, social integrations, database marketing integrations and 2 brand photo shoots. One with Tamar Braxton in LA, the collections namesake and two, all fifty styles as well as marketing assets. 

Process & Methods

User Research:
Initial market research was done to identify the customer. Since we were advertising through Tamar’s social properties, we used the analytics we had access to in order to develop personas. We also held several focus groups regarding the product and the site experience. It was determined very quickly that the majority of the customer base would be shopping with their phone.

Establishing the MVP:
With only 7 weeks from start to launch, I needed to identify what was imperative and what could be phased in. I focused on a simple user experience, not over engineering it with too many custom integrations. I wanted to learn about the customer before I phased in content programs and additional experiences. Mobile came first, ensuring I have a first attempt at a simple shopping and checkout experience.

User Testing and Iteration Since Launch:
I’ve held several user-testing sessions where we observe how people interact with the site on mobile, tablet and desktop. This resulted in adjusting where the cart was on the mobile experience, removing unnecessary features on checkout and learning about how to message marketing initiatives. A road map of integrations and feature testing was developed.

Outcome
-       The 7-week deadline was hit and the site was launched having zero functionality issues.
-       Within 90 days we were cash flow positive.
-       Through strategic sign-up placement and initiatives, we grew our database from zero to over six figures in 6 months time.
-       We have an 80% conversion on mobile.
-       Our repeat customer rate is staggering and averages over 25% in less than a year of being launched.

Credits
UX, Design, Research: Myself, Fancy Boys
Development: Rocket Code

Client
Columbia Records, Bob Dylan

Goal
Incentivize long-term or new curious fans to purchase catalog material by offering them a unique storytelling / exploratory experience with never before seen content in a tablet and mobile app.  

Once we started digging into the project we realized there was an opportunity to approach this as a product that could be pitched to other catalog rich artists. We proceeded in a partnership with Columbia and co-financed the creation of the app.

Process & Methods

User Research:
Record Industry Executives, Artist Managers and Super Fans of artists with deep catalogs were all interviewed. We aimed to understand what content was actually available on average from the Artist and what content would be most appreciated by the fan.

Establishing the MVP:
The goal was to create an easy to use, but content rich experience. We determined it was less about how many features and more about how much content there was for fans to discover. It was about personal connection and new insight into music they likely already have a connection to. We provided one free track so anyone who downloaded it could understand the full value of the product. You could purchase individual songs or the full album through the app.

Prototyping:
Due to the limited amount of time given by Columbia for launch, we could only do quick prototyping in order to get the flow and feeling down of how to move through the content.

User Testing:
A small group of user testers were put together out of our larger staff and Record Industry client base.

Outcome
-       89% iTunes sales increase in Bob Dylan’s catalog
-       82k installs right after launch
-       Webby Award for Best App
-       Clio Award for Best App
-       Press coverage in USA Today, LA Times, Vogue, The Guardian, and Billboard to name a few. 

Credits
UX & Design: AJ Annuziata, Julia Murphy, Eddie Velez, and Danielle Mironov
Development: White Widget

Client
Topshop

Goal
The client asked for a proposal that would bring brand awareness to the US. They were struggling with the average American’s brand perception and price assumptions.

Process & Methods

User Research:
We researched in a variety of ways. We did on the street video interviews in different shopping districts in NYC. We asked women and men of different ages what they understood of the Topshop brand and what motivates them to shop.

We brought together a large panel of industry insiders and discussed brand perception with them as well. We wanted to understand how influencers could potentially help position the brand.

Our marketing team pulled all available analytics on Topshop and created a comprehensive deck positioning them against other well-known American brands.

I have experience in Fashion Design and marketing, so I put together a fashion marketing cheat sheet for the team. This was for them to understand economic, environmental, and psychographics that makes a person buy from a brand. 

Establishing The Pitch:
We knew we had an advantage, a long-standing relationship with the world’s biggest record labels. It put us in position to create different ideas of collaboration. We came up with a video content series that would star artists and fashion influencers and an app that would work to help identify what products customers were excited about and opportunities to score free music by participating.

User Stories, Site & User Flows:
We put together several personas based on the market research.

The Pitch:
We presented all of our market and user research directly to Philip Green, the owner, followed by a comprehensive walk through of all of the designs.

Outcome
We won the app pitch, winning over the biggest, long time established Ad Agencies in the world.

Credits
The entire design & marketing team came together in a true effort of collaboration for all of the presented ideas.

UX, Design, Video Pitch: AJ Annunziata, Julia Murphy

Client
AMC: Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, & Better Call Saul

Goal
Create official stores for their three top shows, providing products and bundles direct to the consumer. Additionally, developing new physical products to sell.

Process & Methods

User Research:
We started by gathering super fans from our own company on each show. We brainstormed and discussed the most pivotal moments of the show and what type of products and bundles would most relate to that. We developed a list of our top discoveries and presented the ideas to Vince Gilligan and AMC. Using their market research on who watches the show, they culled the list down to what would have the most impact.

Site Development:
We launched this site on our own proprietary commerce platform called MyPlay Direct. This enabled us to spin up a site quickly and concentrate on creating bundle experiences and new products that would keep the fans excited.

Product Development:
We partnered with companies in China to help us make the physical products. My team created the designs and specs and I oversaw the product development and approvals in conjunction with the E-Commerce leader.

Outcome
The store was doing so well, they integrated it into the Talking Dead and Talking Bad shows. They highlighted products and gave away items to the studio audience as prizes. Even after the show stopped airing it stays one of the top revenue producers on the MyPlay Platform.

Credits
Design, Marketing and select other Generator staff members collaborated to get us to the end result. 
Product Design: Myself, Amy Stein, Eddie Velez

Client
3SIX5

Goal
To launch the 3SIX5 Athletic Brand, including branding, an e-commerce experience, and a digital marketing strategy.

Process & Methods

User Research:
After extensive competitive market research, it was determined there was a hole in the market. There weren’t many athletic brands positioning themselves as clothing you could wear 24/7. The motto was clear: Bootcamp To Brunch!

Establishing the MVP:
Once the branding was done, a very easy to use e-commerce site was designed, ensuring a great mobile experience and focusing on large, clear product imagery.

With an easy to digest brand POV, it was easy to create photo assets and start marketing the brand in a very clear tone of voice.

The site was fully integrated with a 3PL, making it effortless to scale up as we grow.

Outcome
In only it’s 6 months, we have an excellent amount of bloggers and celebrities already wearing and commenting publically about the brand.

Credits
UX & Design: Myself
Development: Rocket Code
Photography: James Farrell
Brand Art Direction: Myself

Client
Legacy Recordings

Goal
To re-ignite interest in Legacy’s deep catalog of Christmas music that somehow included the internet’s favorite thing – CATS!

Process & Methods

Brainstorming:
We knew we had the opportunity to come up with something really outrageous. Let’s face it, Christmas music is only so exciting, so we wanted the concept to be undeniable. I led the team of designers and marketers in a brainstorm that got outrageous pretty fast.

We came up with 10 ideas. 4 were ones we knew Legacy would be very comfortable with, 5 of them pushed boundaries, but in a less frightening way, and the last one was just plain weird. It was our favorite. Luckily, it was Legacy’s favorite too!

The Project:
We pitched the idea of a three-day live stream that featured a fully improvised display of an elderly, but sassy Grandma and a plucky Elf. The Grandma had a house full of cats, all up for adoption thanks to collaborating with the Humane Society.

Outcome
Tons of press looks in top publications like Vogue, LA Times, Buzzfeed, Good Morning America and many more!

We reached 250,000 uniques in 3 Days and the total social media impressions were in the millions!

We won a Clio Award.

Credits
UX, Design, Casting & Set Design: Myself, Eddie Velez
Development: Mike Conley
Photography: Davey Wilson

Client
The X-Factor / SYCO 

Goal
To create a special Omni-Channel experience for fans of launch of The X Factor in the US and to find unique ways for the sponsors to be seamlessly integrated into the those experiences.

Process & Methods

User Research:
We gathered all available analytics from viewership to site traffic. There were interviews with Simon Cowell and executives at Fox.  

Defining The Components Of The Project:
It was important to Simon that we pushed the envelope. With that in mind, we started with defining content programs about music, style, backstage, bringing music to schools, and overall focusing on a more in depth look into the entire show. Extending it before and after the show. The mobile and tablet app was an important part of the strategy, giving fans insight by creating a second screen experience. We did several “first to” experiences, here are some highlights:

-       Users could start online and in the app with the streaming Pepsi-sponsored digital pre-show one hour prior to each live televised broadcast. Users from around the country discussed everything from their favorite performances to contestant’s fashion and song choices.
-       Users could tweet questions live to the hosts and their guests and some fans were selected to join the live-stream via Skype.
-       They could read contestants’ and judges’ live tweets, tweet back their support and opinions, get access to backstage cameras, read song lyrics during performances, view galleries from past performances, learn about contestants’ hometowns and download contestants song choices as they were being performed.
-       We were the first to do SMS voting through an app. 

Prototyping:
The app was built in stages, testing the experience internally before we opened it up to official user testing.

User Testing:
Focus groups and user testing groups were brought in to go through the app experience and the site experience.

Outcome
The launch went off without a hitch! We sold an exceptional amount of music each night after the show as well as letting fans participate and connect with their favorite contestants.

We Won Three Awards:
-       Cannes Lion Bronze Award for Branded Content and Entertainment
-       Webby Award for Branded Content
-       Webby Award for Best Mobile App

Credits
UX & Design: Todd Ryan of Aardvark Brigade, Myself, Levi Bahn
Development: Sony & Fox combined their tech teams to pull off this elaborate technical feat!

Client
Beyoncé / Columbia Records

Goal
To expand Beyoncé’s digital profile, creating a unique visual experience that extends beyond just her beauty and her music.  

Process & Methods

User Research:
We pulled all existing site analytics to determine what content was most valuable to fans. We also discussed marketing initiatives with both the management team and label. Lastly, we spoke with her brand ambassador / stylist to gain unique insight into who Beyoncé wants us to bring forth in the experience.

The Pitch:
We aimed to make a digital magazine called “On Beyoncé”. This would be a content driven site with a fully integrated e-commerce experience. We created several content programs, a monthly guest editor that would tell the content through their lens of Beyoncé, a way to make custom versions of her videos and this is all in addition to the music and tour content fans would be looking for.

Visual Exploration:
After winning the pitch, we started working on various visual treatments. I worked closely with her personal creative director to steer the look and feel in the right direction. Away from precious and pretty and towards strong, edgy and forward. 

Outcome
We won the pitch and started expanding the designs and developing the site.

Credits
UX & Design: Myself, Eddie Velez (Principle AD), Todd Ryan, Mike Calamusa, Laurel Gerber, Jessae Brown
Development: Shawn Gregg

Client
Our Creative Strategy / Relentless Generator Design Principles

Goal
Though creativity should run free, I believe there are constructs a designer should have in mind to better execute against all of their ideas. During my time at Relentless Generator (Now MyPlay), I created basic principles chosen to work best in that environment. Most are translatable to any design team.

I believe it’s important to have a well-defined approach as designers. I put together this list for the team based on my years of experience and what yields the best product. This is a cheat sheet for them to keep at the top of mind when approaching their daily work. 

Client
MSG / THE KNICKS / THE RANGERS

Goal
To create a marketplace to sell all of the MSG products, re-design both the Rangers and Knicks sites as well as identifying other digital marketing opportunities to bring awareness to both teams.

Process & Methods

User Research:
A team at MSG was assigned to provide us with marketing data and discussed who their fans are, what programs worked in the past and that there was an untapped opportunity to reach casual fans in way they have yet to.

The Projects:

MSG Store:
A market place for all of the MSG products and additionally, a source of news about the teams as it relates to the product.

The Knicks – NY Made:
A social media campaign to excite all New Yorkers. We wanted to get everyone talking about what makes you #NYMADE. This program is sponsored by The Knicks, but not solely about The Knicks. It was intended as an engagement program to bring awareness to the team and create a culture of unity.

The Knicks Site:
A full re-design for the team utilizing the existing Drupal platform. Though it created limitations, we were able to push the boundaries further than any of the other team sites on the platform.

The Rangers Site:
We used the same approach as we did for The Knicks site.

MSG 366 Moments:
An archive of historic moments that have taken place at MSG. This isn’t just about sports, but any event that has taken place there. QR codes placed around the venue will unlock content via the MSG app. Media and commentary is available along with the ability to share snippets of content socially. Kiosks around the venue allow you to watch recorded moments and respond with your own video. Your response along with others can become part of the archive, telling the story through the fans perspective.

Outcome
A strongly established relationship and continued collaboration with MSG.

Credits
UX & Design: Levi Bahn, Priscilla Giler, Eddie Velez
Development: Marcus Webb, Shawn Gregg

Client
A$AP Rocky / RCA Records

Goal
To create a fully custom A$AP branded e-commerce experience as well as develop and produce branded fashion items to sell.   

Process & Methods

User & Brand Research:
We spoke in depth with the label and management. Pulled all available analytics to understand the demographics of his fan base as well as reviewing the data from the current e-commerce store that was selling music product and t-shirts.   

We then worked closely with them to develop clothing ideas to sell.

Outcome
We won two awards:
-       Interactive Media Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Fashion & Style
-       Interactive Media Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Retail

Credits
UX & Design: Eddie Velez
Development: Shawn Gregg, Richard Liriano
Merch Designs: Eddie Velez, Julia Murphy, Priscilla Giler
Photography: Davey Wilson

Client
The MyPlay Platform & Re-Brand

Goal
To soft launch our then 6-year-old proprietary e-commerce platform publically, advertising all of the e-commerce properties that we hosted. This would be used as a marketing tool to gain more clients. Eventually it was meant to be a destination for music lovers, creating a marketplace for direct to consumer bundles.

We started with branding the product MyPlay, originally called M2.  

Process & Methods

User Research:
We looked at the blended analytics of the stores currently on our platform to get a deep understanding of the average customer across multiple genres. We developed several personas of users and found multiple commonalities between them. We then pulled key concepts and simplified them to words in order to drive the visuals.

We worked with marketing, product and sales to make sure we were setting the brand up appropriately.

Designing The Brand:
This was truly a group effort! I put 3 designers on it to start. We got in a room and put the strongest ones up. We then brought in selected team members in other verticals to identify which logos felt closest to the defined brand words. We then iterated on those logos, swapping out 1 designer and moving in another. We then repeated the process with team members, honing in on the brand by blending ideas from multiple designers. Once we did this 4 times, we had logo that was picked and the brand guidelines were finalized.

Outcome
The company felt like it was their logo. Bringing in team members from other disciplines excited them and the participation gave them a sense of ownership and pride in the process.

Credits
Design: Levi Bahn, Eddie Velez, AJ Annuziata, Julia Murphy, Priscilla Giler

Client
Michael Jackson / Epic Records

Goal
To create a visually dynamic digital experience for MichaelJackson.com with a seamlessly integrated e-commerce experience.

We were also tasked to create unique products to produce and sell through the site.

Process & Methods

User Research:
My design team had worked on the last 2 Michael Jackson sites and Direct to Consumer stores and we had a wealth of user information and analytics from doing so.

We also spoke to the estate and Epic Records to gather information about what products were selling on other channels.

Prototyping:
This was our first full integration with our e-commerce platform. We developed an API.

Outcome
Increased product sales and time on site.

Credits
UX, Design & Product: Myself, AJ Annuziata, Priscilla Giler, June Lim, Eddie Velez, Laurel Gerber, Amy Stein

Goal
To increase social engagement and turn those conversations into conversions and brand loyalists.

Process & Methods

User Research:
We analyzed all of the market data provided by HSN, to have an understanding of who their customer is: The Consumer Mom. We then dug deeper by researching lifestyle, interests, and extracted opportunities to fulfill her needs that were currently not addressed.

Establishing The Need:
We came up with three insights: Make Her Care, If She Cares – She Shares, and Connect Her To Her Home

An idea for a concierge service was born! We wanted to connect Moms to each other, help them get their daily household problems solved, and create content programs that keep them engaged.

This was not just in the form of an app, but also using a full Omni-Channel approach: TV, an online destination, an app, live events and using social media.

Outcome
HSN LOVED the idea! They weren’t prepared to spend quite this much, so we were tasked with tailoring down the program with a potential to scale up if it was successful. Unfortunately we were not given financial parameters prior to the pitch, but intentionally crafted an experience that could start small and grow if proving successful. 

Credits
Design Boards: Myself, Daniel Frydman, Todd Ryan, Mike Calamusa

Client
Garth Brooks Digital Ecosystem Pitch

Goal
To reboot his entire digital ecosystem, bringing his brand to social media and giving longtime fans access to digital downloads of his music for the very first time!

Process & Methods

User Research:

We spoke to the Label, Management, Garth and key members in his camp to understand who he really is and what it means to the fans. Complete authenticity and relating the “every” man (or women) was paramount.

We pulled all available data on his fan base from management and with that developed several personas to work off of.

Establishing the Pitch:
Knowing that this was a complete reboot of his online presence and that it would be highly publicized with Garth finally releasing his music digitally, we pitched several large content programs that would give his fan base the deepest insight they’d ever been given. It was his moment to shine online.

Features:
-       Live Performances On Demand
-       Circle Of Friends, members only content area
-       Fully integrated commerce experience
-       Custom products
-       Fan Duets, shareable on social media
-       The Soundtrack of Our Lives Documentary Series, fans participate with Garth in making a full history of his music through the telling of personal experiences and how the music has been woven through them.
-       Teammates: The Minors is an extension of his existing charity sports program. It allows any amateur athlete to sign up and crowd fund for his charity.
-       Interactive Tour Diary: App that enables you to stay on the road with Garth. You can experience behind the scenes content, snippets of warm ups, and see what activities are happening on the bus!

Outcome
We won the pitch and started on immediately on a phased approach.

Credits
UX & Design: Eddie Velez, Priscilla Giler
Concepts: The entire UX & Design Team

Client
Generator / MyPlay 

Goal
To create a product for music fans that extends the live experience long after the show and provides access to fans who were unable to go.  

Process & Methods

User Research:
We pulled all of the data we had access to for a holistic insight into the user and how they interact with all of our tour and video pages.

We met with key label partners and interviewed them to get an understanding of what the artist would be willing to expose and the what supporting tour staff would be able to handle in regards to content creation.

Establishing the MVP:
We approached it with the idea of creating a flexible framework that allows for brand customization in design, content, and monetization opportunities. The focus would be on the live experience, but from a fans perspective.

User Stories, App & User Flows:
We established several Personas that enabled us to view the product through the lens of several genre types. We then created user stories around for each personas to find commonalities. From that, we established our core feature set to start with.

Credits
UX & Design: AJ Annuziata, Julia Murphy

Client
Sony Music – A Collection of Artists

Goal
To make best in class websites for Sony Music’s biggest recording artists.

Paloma Faith
UX & Design: Priscilla Giler, Phillip Otterbach

Ozzy Ozbourne
UX & Design: Myself, Laurel Gerber

Whitney Houston
UX & Design: Myself, Priscilla Giler

Foo Fighters
UX & Design: Brad Cohen

- Won A Webby Award: Best Site
- Won A How Interactive Award and was featured in the digital annual magazine

Pink
UX & Design: Manya Kuzemchenko

- OMMA: Best Site Finalist

Pitbull
UX & Design: Joel Wasserman

- OMMA: Best Site Finalist

Jimi Hendrix
UX & Design: Myself, Laurel Gerber

AC/DC
UX & Design: Eddie Velez

The Strokes
UX & Design: Brad Cohen

Christina Aguilera
UX & Design: Joshua Sassoon

Ke$ha
UX & Design: Myself, Brad Cohen

Elvis Presley
UX & Design: Joshua Sassoon

The Fray
UX & Design: AJ Annunziata

Jamie Foxx
UX & Design: Manya Kuzemchenko

Client
beIN Sports

Goal
To create a live streaming online destination for football (soccer) fans at biensportsconnect.tv.  

Process & Methods

Establishing the MVP:
We kept the content approach simple knowing that we would have a lot of technical challenges to overcome. We needed to integrate every cable provider subscription log-in as well as ensure quality playback.

Credits
UX & Design: Priscilla Giler, Eddie Velez, June Lim

Client
Fanta / Coca-Cola

Goal
To re-launch the Fanta Brand through all channels in the US after being dormant for over a decade.

Process & Methods

User Research:
We interviewed key owners of the Fanta Brand at Coke in order to ascertain who the customers were historically. The brand is also huge in Europe, so we were able to get a lot of customer data that was current.

The Project:
We came up with the idea of creating a contest for the 4th Fantana. We casted and hired 3 actresses to represent each of the flavors, leaving the fourth open for the contest winner. We launched a nationwide campaign through commercials that played on TV and before select movies in movie theaters encouraging people to apply or vote. We also had an aggressive digital marketing campaign with rich media banners.

The site allowed you to create your application and including recording a video of yourself. After a period of application times, the site switched to the voting period. The final phase announced the winner.

Outcome
The campaign was a huge success. We garnered a ton of press on Entertainment channels and online news sources. Coke was so happy, they signed us on to do the next year of campaigns as well.

Credits
UX & Design: Myself, James Gilligan, Maria Marulanda