My “10,000-hour rule” web design version

Jun 9

“Throughout his book(Outliers: The Story of Success), Gladwell repeatedly refers to the “10,000-hour rule,” asserting that the key to achieving true expertise in any skill is simply a matter of practicing, albeit in the correct way, for at least 10,000 hours”—National Institute of Health.

Almost everything includes a website of sorts nowadays. Having the luck of being there since the beginning, I remember the days we had to beg the clients to do a website. There were so many, many, many sites, pages, and hours in front of the screen… so many discussions and learnings about usability and storytelling that later became best practices.

With 20+ years in the industry, any of my colleagues will find we are way past the 10,000-hour rule.
Here are the highlights of some of my all-time faves from my work. 😎

J.M. Smucker’s, Cafe Pilon. What good coffee tastes like. A website with the sweet taste of memories.

Heritage Kitchen By Crisco. This is an example of mouth watering simple yet smart heirloom recipes website. When was the last time you visit a cooking website like this?

J.M. Smucker’s Millstone Coffee: The Perfect Cup
Millstone Coffee, a hidden gem in the coffee aisle, needed to stand out more after updating its packaging. It felt like the perfect chance to try something different and creative.

We designed the product pages to keep the coffee front and center—literally. The product image stayed fixed on the left while users scrolled through all the details on the right, including a handy map to help them find it in stores. It was a simple but fresh idea that worked beautifully.

This project was so much fun to bring to life and a great reminder of how creative design can make a big impact.

Hungry Jack. Be your Own Jack. Lead by Grey. With the new campaign being about hardy breakfast, I wanted people looking at the website wanting to lick their screens.

J.JILL. When we redesign their web experience, we came up with a “stylist-assiant” to help user pair up the right outfits and help the user find what they need easier and faster.

Jack Daniels. This one is one of my all-time favorites. Working with iconic brands is always fun and challenging. To help with the mood of the website, I used a simple 2 column layout, and to break the grid, I used some lyrics from Bob Dylan's “ Marchin’ to the City.