Top-class new production
You don’t buy a diamond ring every day: it’s often an emotionally, stylistically and financially significant decision. Oriane Schullin recognized the potential to help customers make this decision and developed the online store My Diamond Ring together with the creative agency wild. A collaboration with added value that has now received the “Creative Industries Story 2019” award.
Diamonds are very special stones. Each one is unique, valuable and of lasting value. As if made to serve as a milestone in personal relationships on the ring finger to commemorate precious moments in life.
The reasons for buying a diamond ring are as varied as they are emotional. In addition, there are the decisions on the color, size and shape of the diamond, the characteristics of the unique stones that ultimately determine its price. Criteria that – especially for men, who usually choose the ring – do not make the purchase decision easy. Oriane Schullin, the mastermind behind this innovative project, was aware of this from the outset.
Providing guidance was therefore a key point in the requirements profile for the new website, and the aesthetics of the website were at least as important to the design-savvy client. The team from the wild agency, which had been recommended to her by acquaintances, won her over on all these points at the very first meeting. A conversation at eye level that promised her the prospect of an “interesting, intuitive and aesthetically pleasing concept”.
Chemistry and vision
Matthias Mentasti, Art Director and Partner at wild, who was the lead manager for the project, confirms that the chemistry was right from the start. “After the meeting, it was clear that it was also a good fit for both sides personally. After all, it is important to us that our customers have the same vision as we do and are prepared to go down innovative paths.”
The event began with a workshop in which the creatives from project management, design and development presented their approach and the My Diamond Ring team contributed its expertise on diamonds and their processing. The creatives became familiar with the 4 Cs – Carat, Colour, Cut and Clarity – and all the other details that make diamonds so special and at the same time difficult for laypeople to recognize.
Precision work
Before the creative team started the design process, they visited Oriane Schullin in her Vienna studio to see the precision work up close and gain valuable information that they used to design and implement the detailed website. “We realized that the topic needed a good balance between emotional and trust-inspiring design,” says Mentasti, describing his approach. The development process therefore focused not only on first-class design and a high level of user-friendliness, but also on providing optimum support before and during the purchasing process. To achieve this goal, innovative applications were designed that offer customers decisive added value compared to traditional retail.
Top-class
In the Diamond Guide on the website, interested laypeople can now find out in clear, understandable terms what they should consider before buying a diamond ring – from carat weight to cut and certificate. The user-friendly ring configurator guides you to your personal favorite in four steps. Each ring is available in a 360° view that shows the design in three different gold colors and with diamonds of different sizes. And to ensure that the surprise actually fits on the finger, the creatives developed a ring sizing tool for smartphones that makes it easier to determine the size.
The result of the 16-month exchange between experts in design and jewelry art is the digital re-staging of a traditional product. A one-off. “What was particularly remarkable about the collaboration was how naturally the corporate identity of My Diamond Ring emerged during the course of the project,” says Oriane Schullin, who is delighted with the collaboration, which has met with great interest from customers.