Vutec Corporation

Website Overhaul & Proprietary Content Management System

IA/UX, Designer & Project Lead: Martin Manuel

Opportunity
In 2006, Vutec was shopping for the design and development of a new website. Vutec manufactures projection screens and distributes their own products, support information and marketing materials across a national network of retailers. Although Vutec had a small website and used server technology to distribute materials, the two were not mutually inclusive. Vutec needed to catalog their support and marketing information and make it available to dealers through the website.

Discovery
Loyal to its dealer network, Vutec chose not to enter the ecommerce arena so interfacing their website with inventory systems or payment gateways was not necessary. After assessment on possible solutions, I partnered with a mid-level programmer and proposed that we develop our own solution. The collaboration yielded a web-based cataloging system for product information which could also be used for management of all website content, navigation and dealer profiles.

Solution
Drawing on experience working with information architecture and database implementation, I sketched out the relatively simple schematic for this project. Our approach was a bottom-up tree model. Focusing on the final tiers of information, we broke the requisite content down into data fields. The basic fields included text, images, downloadable files, etc. Additional fields were populated by variables constituting the website navigation. Each recordset was comprised of a standardized set of fields applicable to all types of pages on the front-end. In addition, the content management system is scalable. The administrative interface was designed around simplicity, usability and flexibility.

Result
Vutec now has the ability to manage all information contained in their site including the organization of information by category and subsection. Additionally, Vutec can activate, deactivate or reorganize content around promotional or functional needs. Vutec has been effectively using our solution since the official launch in late 2006.



Here, you see an interior "category" page.
Larger View.





Here, you see an alternate stylesheet being deployed for a particular line of products. Larger View.