Design for Next Retail
Dan's Current Role as Lead Content Designer at Next
I am currently employed by Next as a Creative Web Designer for their UK website and sub-sites. My main responsibilities here include the project management and lead design of weekly creative content including the home page, editorial and landing pages.
I also have ownership of 'Key Event', 'Mini Site' and 'Store Front' creative, such as London 2012 Olympics, Christmas, Denim Shop etc. This often involves designing immersive, bespoke Flash modules and the subsequent briefing of developers and programmers.
Website Design
Year, 2008 - Present
Project. The Home Page
Information. During my time at Next, I have taken responsibility for designing the weekly home pages and home page 'teaser' buttons. These serve as Next's all important 'shop window' on the World Wide Web and are strategically designed to entice the online shopper to take an interest in what Next has to offer them. My involvement in Next's home page has evolved; although the example illustrated above is one of my recent designs, I now mainly manage the collation of the home page creative, gathering resources from the London and Leicester departments and ensuring that all elements are handed over in time to meet the strict weekly deadlines
Website Design
Year, 2008 - 2011
Project. Next Fashion Editorial
Information. I was the lead designer on Next's weekly fashion editorial between 2008 - 2011. During this period I worked closely with Editorial Content Managers and Copy Writers to ensure that the editorial feature continued to grow and evolve. With very tight deadlines and last minute changes due to varying stock levels and even fluctuations in the weather, the weekly process of designing and handing this feature over was an exciting challenge and really good fun. Besides designing weekly editorial content for next.co.uk, I also produced versions adapted for facebook.com/nextonline and also 'editorial mobile'; available via the Next iPhone app
Logo and Website Design
Year, 2010 - 2011
Project. Next Autumn / Winter 2010 and 2011 Women's Denim Shops
Information. I designed the Denim Shop Flash applications to present Next’s range of Autumn / Winter 2010 Women's jeans and 2011 Women’s & Men's jeans. The applications are both fun and simple to use and allow users to explore the various styles of Jeans Next offer, receive style tips and proceed to product pages very easily
Website Design
Year, 2009 - 2011
Project. Next TV Video and Cue Point Player
Information. I have been responsible for designing the Next TV video and cue-point player through various incarnations since it's inception in 2009. Next TV has become an integral part of the fashion editorial, bringing the content to life with catwalk video, hot styling tips and interviews with fashion editors from Elle, Company, Prima and Now magazines etc. The cue-point player introduces items sequentially onto the page, as they are hi-lighted in the video. This allows users to immediately click to purchase individual products as they are discussed in the video itself. I recently designed the Next TV video vault which allows users to access archived videos featuring New Trends, Next Collections and Next Events. Next TV has been a huge success and received a very favorable review in Retail Week Magazine, January 30, 2009
Website Design
Year, 2010
Project. London 2012 Olympics
Information. Next has been appointed as the Official Clothing and Homeware Supplier to the London 2012 Games. The company will provide uniforms for technical officials at the Games and suits for London organising committee staff. It will also design opening and closing ceremony outfits and formal suits for Team GB athletes as well as supply linen for the athletes’ village. To recognise the 'two years to go until the Games begin' date, Next launched a range of exclusive t-shirts featuring Wenlock, the official Games mascot. I was appointed the task of designing the product pages and other pages that relate to Next's involvement in the Games. I was also responsible for liaising with the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), to gain their sign-off for the creative
Graphic Design
Year, 2009
Project. Vehicle Livery Design for Hackney Carriages
Information. I designed the branding for 5 London, Hackney Carriages for the duration of London Fashion Week 2009. 4 of these vehicles were duel branded with associated fashion brands Cosmopolitan, Easy Living, Elle and Grazia. Next's imagery was chosen from their Autumn 2009 print and web advertising campaign which was shot in New York
Graphic Design
Year, 2010 - 2011
Project. Transactional Pages
Information. These are examples of a few of the transactional pages I have designed for the next.co.uk website during 2010 and 2011. These generally include areas for 'live text' and form fields and are usually associated with accompanying print campaigns. These web pages often need to conform to pre-existing web templates