Challenge
FashioNZ is an established NZ fashion industry regular, focused on blogging and following all things fashion since 1998. However, this influential online fashion magazine had been operating on an old, clunky CMS that was starting to break down. FashioNZ needed a custom web solution that would retain their vast archives while reducing manual work and showcasing a fresh and updated branding.
Outcome
This was a challenging and exciting project for FutureLab Digital. We had to solve multiple roadblocks, including a myriad of difficulties while working with old software and archived data in many different formats. In addition, the website had to look pristine, while undertaking massive data and product imports, and running complex custom functionality. It wasn’t an easy task but working with the team at FashioNZ, we pulled it off. The website is a dream to view and use and the FashioNZ team have already remarked how easy the site is to manage compared to their old one.
Clean design for the fashion milieu
If real estate is location, location, location, the fashion industry is all about the look! We refreshed FashioNZ’s look and feel, providing minimal, monochrome design which lets the fashion reviews pop. The page is clean, uncluttered and advertising slots neatly around the main page content.
Custom functionality for sophisticated automation
Keeping up with fashion means posting new content – a LOT. We developed custom functionality for FashioNZ around a complex system of custom post types. We created shortcodes for latest, popular, related, and recent posts plus latest slides and events. With 5 custom post types created, new articles are ticked into any of 20+categories and are then automatically posted in the right place online.
Online shopping and advertising
Revenue was of course a consideration for the FashioNZ redesign. The online shop has a custom product xml feed that imports 15-20 thousand products every night, ready for online shoppers to browse the latest styles. Shoppers can choose how many results to see on a page. Advertising was kept clean and minimal in line with the new look and feel of the site.
