Running with the giants: global digital content competitions applaud Legat Architects’ new website for outstanding design and brand support.
When midsize firm Legat Architects competes for projects, it often goes head-to-head with competitors with 10 times more employees. Yet, time and time again, building owners choose Legat.
The search for new talent pits Legat against firms with huge HR departments and much larger recruitment budgets. Even so, the firm gets daily requests from job seekers ranging from recent grads to seasoned veterans. Last year, the American Institute of Architects’ Illinois component named Legat one of only six EP (emerging professional) Friendly Firms in the state.
This emphasis on appealing to both building owners and potential employees drove the redesign of Legat’s website. The goal was to revive the firm’s brand and reinforce Legat’s mission to “design with a difference to make a difference.” Leaders wanted the site to echo the beauty and functionality of the buildings the firm designs.
It’s fitting, then, that the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts has honored the site with six Davey Awards, named after the biblical underdog who toppled the formidable Goliath. The new site also received 11 additional awards in three other competitions, and it shortlisted for another.
The international digital media competitions were judged by world-class advertising, visual arts, and marketing professionals. Among the companies the judges represented were Walt Disney Studios, Meta, Netflix, IBM, and many others.
An Intense Revamp
The website’s success comes thanks to Legat’s design and marketing leaders joining forces with creative agency ArtVersion. The team dove into an intense eight-month revamp. Discussions covered everything from font style and captions to site layout and visual hierarchy. The most intense debates focused on displaying Legat’s portfolio. Throughout the process, the team leaned on a few guiding principles: clarity, simplicity, orderliness, and visual appeal.
The resulting site captures Legat’s focus on design from its opening video montage and its whole-screen images to its micro-animations and flexibility across platforms (desktop, tablet, smartphone). The portfolio uses a shape and color to identify three main categories (Learning, Wellness, Community), which break down into 23 subdivisions. Additionally, whereas many architectural firm websites only show executive-level employees, the Legat site shows all employees.
“The new site boils down to two things: attractiveness and user friendliness,” said Legat Director of Business Development and Marketing Jody Boyce. “It’s a tribute to our buildings as well as a nod to the employees who design them.”
Awards Overview
Legat’s website has received the following awards to date:
Four w3 Awards:
- Architecture and Design (Gold Award)
- Best Visual Appeal/Aesthetics (Gold Award)
- Best User Interface (Gold Award)
- Best Visual Appeal/Experience (Silver Award)
The w3 awards, judged by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA), “celebrate creative excellence on the web” and “imaginative and boundary-blazing work.” Only 20% of entries are selected as gold winners.
Three MUSE Creative Awards:
- Best User Experience (Silver Award)
- Branding (Silver Award)
- Business to Business (Silver Award)
This competition recognizes “the inspirational force behind the artistic projects that push boundaries and set new standards.” Learn more about the MUSE Creative Awards hosted by the International Awards Associate (IAA).
Four VEGA Awards:
- Best User Experience (Silver Award)
- Best User Interface (Silver Award)
- Best Practices (Silver Award)
- Architecture (Silver Award)
The VEGA Awards, also run by IAA, honor digital content creators who “pioneer new frontiers of creativity and innovation in an ever-evolving digital landscape.” This competition received more than 1,300 submissions from 24 countries.
Six Davey Awards:
- Best Use of Video or Motion Graphics (Gold Award)
- Best Visual Appeal – Aesthetic (Gold Award)
- Website Redesign (Gold Award)
- Best Practices (Gold Award)
- Best User Experience (Silver Award)
- Professional Services (Silver Award)
These awards venerate the “achievements of the ‘Creative Davids’ who derive their strength from big ideas rather than stratospheric budgets.”
Legat’s website also shortlisted for the 13th Annual Lovie Awards in the Corporate Communications in Websites & Mobile Sites category. The Lovies recognize internet excellence in the fields of culture, technology, and business. According to the organization, only 17% of the 1,200 entries from 30 countries made the official shortlist.
In each competition, a global panel of industry-leading professionals evaluated the submissions, which came in from renowned organizations ranging from T-Mobile and Hilton to Pokémon and Warner Brothers.
“When Legat brought us on, it wasn’t long before we discovered the firm has a strong reputation for award-winning design that is both aesthetically appealing and responsive to users’ needs,” said ArtVersion Executive Director of Design Erin Lentz. “We designed the new website to reflect that legacy.”
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