The Weather Window
Challenge:
Hearst–Argyle positioned local media outlets across the country to provide users with an online source for local weather information. But they had a hard time competing with national giant Weather.com.
So they asked Armchair to create a web interface that would stand out with its look and ease of use, and draw people in and away from national competitors.
Solution:
Armchair decided on a stripped-down approach that would allow users to find key information up front and easily dig deeper where they pleased.
We created a simple modular dashboard—pre-iPhone—to provide users with essential information at a glance—radar, alerts, forecast—everything they needed to plan their day.
Visitors could drag and drop the modules to prioritize their personal preferences, and by clicking on any of the boxes they could find more detailed information about the module’s content.
The background and color scheme of each page would transform in real-time to reflect the current conditions and temperature.
Results:
By simplifying the data and making the site user-friendly in an original way, Armchair was able to raise awareness and appeal of previously buried content. By requiring less searching and fewer clicks, the site attracted more visitors.
In its first month, the site’s page views leapt more than 200%, and live radar views increased more than 1100%.
