Introducing a New Animoto Homepage

We are excited to be launching a new homepage design at Animoto.com for select users. We sat down with designer, Lauren Stec, to learn more about the design and the story behind it.

Why is Animoto including a video on the homepage?

There were two goals we were aiming for. The first goal was to inspire people–not just to inspire people to use our product, but to highlight moments in people’s lives that resonate with them and form a connection. Having a video background has become a trend in web design. We wanted to make sure that if we went that route, we made it relevant and true to our brand.
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The second goal was to show people what Animoto as a product can do. What sets our video apart from others using a homepage video is that we used Animoto to produce it. It was extremely important to us to create a human connection while simultaneously presenting ourselves to our customers in a genuine and honest way.
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How did you decide what videos to include?

We put a lot of thought into the variety of ways that people can use Animoto to highlight and share these important moments in their lives. From filming your child’s birthday, a dinner celebration with friends, or promoting your small business, we wanted the video to encourage people to create and share their own experiences. After shooting roughly 8 different scenes, we chose the clips that felt the most powerful and genuine. The footage we had was amazing and it was very difficult to narrow it down. The first time I saw it, I smiled from beginning to the end.
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How does this better reflect the Animoto brand?

Inspiring people with video has been part of Animoto’s vision from the beginning, and I always return to that idea as the driving force behind everything we design and produce. I believe it’s a lot easier to show people what you are about, rather than trying to tell them. I think having this video front and center on our new homepage is a great reflection our brand.
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What was the inspiration?

There are a lot of companies out there who are using photography and video on their website in a very prominent way. As a designer, I value that web design trends are moving to a more photo-centric place. But what really got me thinking and inspired for this project in particular, was looking at brands that do a great job of encouraging people to use their product. I don’t mean by creating an illusion of a certain lifestyle, but more of showing a general appreciation for design aesthetics and making good design easily accessible to everyone.

If I had to name names, I think that Squarespace does an excellent job of this. I always say that I could make a website on my own, but something about the aesthetic of the Squarespace brand and website makes me want to use their product and inspires me to want to build a website. I think that is a valuable asset for a brand, and I tried to bring that inspiration back into our design.

Take a look at the new design and let us know what you think!

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