New Balance

WEB DESIGN | FALL 2023

Redesigning New Balance Web Experience

MY ROLE

Prototyping

Wireframing

Branding

TEAM MEMBERS

Individual

TOOLS USED

Figma

TIMELINE

1 month

Illustrator

Photoshop

About
New Balance

New Balance Athletics, Inc., an iconic brand born in 1906 on the vibrant streets of Boston, Massachusetts, has always embodied a commitment to excellence. Over the decades, the brand has steadfastly upheld its commitment to creating premium athletic footwear and apparel that transcends fashion trends. While New Balance may not have been initially designed to capture attention with flashy designs, its exceptional quality and unwavering dedication to the needs of athletes and active individuals have earned it a devoted following worldwide.

Since its inception, New Balance has focused on producing the best running sneakers on the market. They weren’t made to turn heads. They were made to perform. Despite their mundane appearance, they accumulated enthusiasts of all ages, who were fond of the grey suede and mesh sneakers and their functionality. The brand’s Made in USA line became a company hallmark known for producing some of its highest quality offerings.

Problem

For the longest time, New Balance struggled with its reputation as a shoe for older people. But for many people, it is what New Balance has been able to do in the last three years that has captured their attention. New Balance rebranded by tapping into streetwear culture through collaborations, attracting a younger and more diverse audience. However, this cultural shift is yet to be fully reflected in their website's design and functionality.

Solution

Proposing a website redesign to bring New Balance's vibrant rebrand to life. This entails enhancing the visual aesthetics, improving accessibility, and creating an engaging user experience that mirrors the brand's newfound appeal to a diverse, younger audience. To achieve this, we will focus on modernizing the website's design elements, ensuring seamless and intuitive navigation, and integrating interactive features that resonate with our target users' evolving tastes and expectations.

Scope of Work

Main Tasks & Challenges

After analyzing the existing New Balance website, and their competitors, we pinpointed 3 main tasks to be achieved:

Mood board

Existing

Envisioned

The current website provides users with a rather unstimulating and uninspiring experience. The intention with the new mood board is to inject a sense of nostalgic futurism into the site's design, creating a visually engaging and captivating atmosphere that resonates with a broad and diverse audience. This rejuvenated aesthetic seeks to balance the familiar and the futuristic, offering users a fresh and appealing online environment to explore and enjoy.

Composition Exploration

In these compositions, I delve into user experience through interactive motion and horizontal scroll. These deliberate choices aim to make the user's interaction with the website more intuitive and enjoyable. Interactive motion elements bring a sense of life and fluidity to the user interface, making it feel responsive and engaging.