John Dowling Shoes Graphic & Website Design – Case Study
John Dowling Shoes is one of the leading stores that offer top-quality footwear and sportswear in Ireland.
John Dowling Shoes is one of the leading stores that offer top-quality footwear and sportswear in Ireland. The brand is a family-owned business that has operated in the industry for 65 years. Customers can find all the major international brands: Ecco, Rieker, O’Neils, Joes Saenz, Wonders, Remonte, Asics, Adidas, New Balance, and many more. Many brands are imported across Europe, with production units in countries like Germany, Italy, Spain, and Portugal.
In 1955, the late John Dowling opened the first store in Bridge Street, Tralee, and ever since, his two daughters, Kayrena and Bernice, have carried on the business at 13 and 15 Domnick Street, Tralee. The store takes pleasure in offering consumers the greatest shopping and customer service while offering a wide selection of high-quality shoes and sportswear.
Plus Promotions and John Dowling Shoes have managed to create a strong business relationship with each other. In terms of business mindset, both companies have a lot of similarities. Together, the companies have worked on numerous projects and overcome various challenges. But the challenges that are listed below are the most difficult ones that Plus Promotions had to face while working on them. For more information, read the case study below!
400+
Man-Hours
Hours Invested
8-10
Resources
Team Size
Logo Design
Logo design is one of the most important aspects of establishing a brand’s identity. It also helps to create a solid first impression. Our team believes that both the client and designer should enter the design process with an open mind. The main issue we had with the logo design was the improper alignment of the logo elements.
In order to produce flawless logos, the graphic designers on our team frequently use letters or other design components. Even if they have the ability and control to align things, there is occasionally a chance that something won’t line up exactly as it should.
Website Design
One of the first tasks our team had to finish when we began working with John Dowling Shoes was designing a new website. Based on their online brand, the client had some unique design needs for the website. In order to comprehend the client’s vision, we had to discuss this with them. Now, this may seem very straightforward to you. But in practice, things are pretty difficult.
The biggest issue we had with web design was regarding device compatibility. The team had to ensure that the website had a quick load time and looked excellent across all browsers and platforms. Customers anticipate that a website will perform effectively and appear expert across all platforms. On mobile, however, misplaced or distorted graphics and text can damage the credibility of your brand.
Ecommerce Development
The main issue we had to face with e-commerce development was outshining the vast competition. As we all know, e-commerce is one of the most competitive industries out there. Variables such as supply chain operations, service, costs, and many others may be deal breakers for customers. One of the most difficult aspects of e-commerce is building and keeping a customer base.
Our struggle to keep up with contemporary customer expectations was a significant problem with the advent of e-commerce. Many businesses lack the necessary understanding of consumer behaviour and purchasing trends.
Product Upload and Management
The most difficult aspect of product uploading and management was meeting the deadline. Given the number of products we had to upload and manage, any team could become disoriented in the middle of the process. See, managing such a huge catalogue of products for the client was extremely difficult on its own, but if you add the deadline pressure to it, things instantly get complicated.
Since there are so many moving elements, product roadmaps can be derailed if any member of the team misses a deadline. Usually, pressure to complete tasks on schedule comes from other departments or stakeholders. It’s challenging to create agile schedules that let our team adjust to changing conditions or information while still allowing the team to accomplish their other objectives.
Web Hosting Setup
The proprietors of modern organizations and e-commerce websites demand highly scalable resources. Hosting companies, however, frequently struggle to deliver it. Many web hosting businesses struggle with antiquated infrastructure, including outdated server hardware and software, a slow broadband connection, and untrained support staff. Such restrictions cause a resource shortage, which makes scaling difficult.
Even when there are no issues with the hardware or software, deployment constraints or data centre architecture may result in bottlenecks. Emerging technologies, like IoT, AI, and big data offer limitless potential but also place enormous demands on resources.
Websites may stall due to unknown restrictions, users may be unable to access their mailboxes or send email attachments, and restrictions may be placed without any way to override them. This results in lost opportunities and a bad customer experience for the client.
Logo Design
The primary thing that our team had to focus on was understanding the brand guidelines. As we all know, all brands have their own specific requirements when it comes to their company guidelines. So, some of our team members had to organize a meeting with the client. Then, they distributed all the guidelines’ information among other team members to avoid any mishaps.
Initially, due to their smaller sizes, our team was unable to spot this error of improper alignment of the logo elements. Once the logo was enlarged, this problem could not be more obvious. Our graphic designers used a snap-to-grid or snap-to-guide tool from Adobe Creative Cloud software to resolve this alignment problem.
Website Design
To overcome the issues related to website design, we had to take the following steps as a team:
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Design with responsiveness in mind. Before implementing, create wireframes and mock-ups for multiple devices and three to four breakpoints (screen widths).
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On whatever size screen, make the navigation menus simple to use and self-explanatory. They must look the same and scale proportionately to the screen size to avoid confusing clients who are surfing on various devices.
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Choose which top-of-page items should be seen on tablets and screens and which ones can be hidden. Don’t force your audience to scroll down to access critical information.
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Conduct responsiveness testing on various devices and browsers using tools like Google Mobile-Friendly Test.
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A block-based division of the design will make it simple to switch to a mobile view.
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Verify the compatibility of the media types that we were using with all browsers.
Ecommerce Development
The team had to conduct thorough research to develop a unique digital marketing strategy for the client. We examined our client’s market competitors for guidance during the research process. We decided to set a budget for promotional offers to lure more customers, as we knew it would help create a better brand presence in the market.
To overcome challenges related to customer expectations, our team decided to examine popular products on other reputable e-commerce sites, such as Amazon. We understood their strategy to meet customer expectations, thus making their products top sellers in the process. So, we studied that and applied it to our client’s products, and it proved to be successful.
Product Upload and Management
The team was well aware of the administrative burden. Hence, we used a couple of calendar tools that the team would need to overcome the difficulties related to product uploading and management. In fact, we restricted ourselves to choosing one or two calendar tools and established a requirement. So, they are always up to date.
In addition, we determine the due dates for important milestones that should be discussed with the product team, the business team, and both groups. The team empowered themselves by fostering an environment where they could establish and achieve goals.
Web Hosting Setup
The web hosting setup was probably one of the most difficult challenges we faced while working with John Dowling Shoes.
So, to overcome the difficulties, we had to go through various structural changes with our team. The team made the following changes to overcome the challenges related to providing scalability:
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The team decided to revamp the entire infrastructure from time to time to ensure that we were ready to handle the demands of emerging technologies.
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Determine the discrepancy between the infrastructure’s capabilities and the requirements, then attempt to close it by providing the necessary hardware and software.
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Upgrade the team’s skills through training and other interventions to ensure they are competent to do the needful when required.
In our team’s opinion, the learning process must include obstacles and challenges. We also think that if we can identify the root cause, we can resolve any problem. The team draws inspiration from well-known individuals and how they overcame challenges.
We are inspired and driven to push our limits and solve our difficulties after reading autobiographies of notable personalities. Even better, it facilitates the development of new competencies and experiences. In this instance, we ultimately succeeded in finishing all the projects in accordance with the demands of the client.
Testimonials
Plus Promotions and its team has been exceptional. They were prepared for any challenge that would land in their way. We wanted our site to feature a unique design with a quick load time across all devices. This was a cakewalk for them as they have delivered many such projects over their long-standing career.
Despite the deadline pressure, they managed everything: logo design, eCommerce development, product upload and management, and website hosting by taking complete authority over the project. They felt like an in-house team for our company, and we are pleased by the time and dedication they put into launching our website. We had an awesome experience working with them and were highly satisfied by their passion, creativity, and responsiveness demonstrated on my site.
Technology Stack
Why Choose
Plus Promotions can be a valuable partner to your business. From digital marketing to mobile application development to graphic designing, we can help your business grow and thrive. We strive to generate a productive online presence for you. As an all-encompassing website design and digital marketing agency, we have a range of services to offer. Some of our high-quality services include SEO, SMO, web design, web development, mobile app development, third-party integrations, and eCommerce platform services.
We can create bespoke solutions that give your business an edge over your competitors. Our skilled team of experts can build you the website you want. We set realistic expectations – for our clients and ourselves – and leave no stone unturned to stick to them. Our team constantly gives you updates as we progress and ensure to deliver the project on time. We take immense pride in our customer support capabilities. Whether it’s something persistent or urgent, we provide round-the-clock assistance.
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