Design Exploration - Bioshock 3, Nissan

In the design exploration I will look at two different flash websites and explore and analyze the how and the why of the design. The first website I will explore is the flash website for Bioshock, a hugely successful and critically acclaimed game from 2K Games.



The website is designed for a very specific audience... gamers. To this end it uses high quality graphics, immersive sound, podcasts, video and the latest technology to wow the gamer and convince him or her to purchase the game. The main goal of the website is to sell the video game, while secondary goals would include getting the visitor to join their mailing lists and to sell the 2K games brand.

So when designing the website, the designers attempted to create an experience similar to what the visitor would experience in the game. This is not an easy feat, as video game consoles are designed to handle graphics and sound that the average computer would have great difficulty with over the internet. So the designers had a very difficult challenge of trying to recreate the game experience while minimizing the size and bandwidth requirements of the website. They were able to do this using flash and creating a mini environment where the visitor could experience the basic gameplay interactively, or where they could watch videos and trailers of the gameplay. The designers used ominous sounds from the game, as well as very dark colors to relate to the dark, underwater environment the game takes place in. Overall it appears as though the designers were very successful in this design. If sales are any indicator of their success, they did very well indeed.

The second website I will explore is from Nissan. I have always noticed that car companies seems to be along the cutting edge of flash design and technology. Why do car companies spend so much time and money on flash and other highly interactive websites? I believe it all comes down to the need to create and design an experience for the visitor where they can actually feel as though they are seeing, feeling and interacting with the vehicle. It is as if the designers are attempting to create a virtual test drive of the vehicle. This makes perfect sense from a marketing and sales standpoint. When a potential buyer of a car actually test drives a vehicle, their chances of purchasing the vehicle goes up dramatically compared to a potential buyer who does not test drive the vehicle. So if designers are able to recreate the experience of test driving the vehicle, they might be able to increase the sales conversion rate dramatically. So what did Nissan do to create this virtual test drive?



The opening page has two vehicles on moving treadmills, creating the look of live vehicles in action. There are small strings attached to each vehicle and as you mouse over them, you seem to be able to move the vehicle somewhat. This interaction with the vehicles may be minor, but it does much more compared to looking at images of the vehicle. Once you click on one of the vehicles, you go to the next page where you can "experience" the vehicle and control it through keyboard or mouse presses. It also has an interactive gallery where you can turn the vehicle and then look at various images from that angle. With these design features, they are able to recreate the test-drive experience, at least to a certain extent.

From these two explorations, it is obvious that for some companies, creating an experience of the product is one of the most design goals. If the customer cannot be there and experience the product in person, creating an experience that most closely resembles the real thing will surely lead to a positive visitor experience (and sales!).