Axians is a VINCI Energies brand that provides a comprehensive range of ICT solutions and services spanning business applications and data analytics, enterprise networks and digital workspaces, datacenters and cloud services, and telecommunication infrastructure and cybersecurity. They service clients in a wide range of industries in the public and private sector. Their people-to-people company approach is built around decentralised global management and decision making.
Spread across 23 countries, represented on 15 websites, Axians needed a new cohesive approach to their digital galaxy, without impeding the notably diverse structures of local teams and operations. They asked us to build a solution that would satisfy each of the local business models, whilst bringing new unity to a central international network. Diverse requirements and rapid innovation required the project to be conceived creatively in collaboration with all their marketing teams.
Credits: Designed with a team at Seenk. Development by Tequila Rapido.
5
WORKSHOPS
40+
PARTICIPANTS
13
COUNTRIES
Defining messaging
Based on a detailed study of all 13 (previously) existing Axians websites and time spent with the global brand team, we identified 15 key descriptors of Axians that both the local and global websites should convey. These were each associated with content about Axians that could be used to illustrate them. They were further broken down into those that would be best communicated by design, those that would translate through images and those that needed words for expression.
Structuring for infinite web architectures
The content was then divided into major pillars for the web architecture. The global .com website only required the essential pillars. However, to accommodate the communication requirements and the variety of business structures across the local websites, a much larger architecture, with optional pillar activation, was created.
Driving customers through content
The Axians business core — their selection of solutions delivered using a range of technologies to a vast spectrum of industries — was then mapped into three major customer journies. The websites are central to sales conversions, for which the users needed to explore all three. Each customer mindset was given an access point, but encouraged through various content modules to explore all three: Expertise, Innovations & Industries, through a rotational page structure. These three verticals were also connected in a taxonomy system to all articles and projects (case studies) to lead readers to an eventual conversion.
Designing for the maximum case
Translating these user journies into web templates, however, was not as straightforward as creating pages of the same flow, because the web ecosystem needed to consider 15+ different business models and scales. A series of workshops conducted with local and global teams invited them to collaboratively create “maximal” versions of each website zone so that we could create a modular system that could stretch to tell the most complex story or enrich low content for new poles.
45
TEMPLATES
88+
PAGE BLOCKS
300+
SCREENS
Designing for modularity
The team exchange resulted not only in the rapid creation of a massive web system, but opened up communication lines for content exchange between countries. The website is built to display many media types, and with a powerful cross-website taxonomy system that allows local content to populate the global website and become available for translation on other local websites.
A dynamic series of blocks programmed into the page builder can be combined to conceive dozens of different yet coherent web pages and websites.
Guiding content production
Guidelines for case studies, photography, videography, colour and storytelling, help teams — new and old — present a coherent and vibrant brand image. The focus is on establishing brand expertise, highlighting the customer-first attitude, and embodying brand values to connect with prospective clients.
A functional web builder system allows for continued development, as teams innovate new pathways for lead generation and expand across oceans.
7
MONTHS
15
WEBSITES
1
PROJECT
