yoyo.com
Tuesday, September 20, 2011 
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I spent most of the early part of my career working as a freelancer. Freelancing on my own for a myriad of clients and as an art director for an ad agency. The thing about freelancing is no matter how many people you are working with or for, you're primarily on your own; competing with other designers, art directors, competing with clients themselves to try and get your vision across. It wasn't until I began to work at Quidsi Inc that I began to feel and learn the benefits of working as a true team. I started here in February 2010; my first major project was to help develop the brand and visual voice for the then infant Soap.com. I worked with an amazing designer and boss Tara Lawrence, and together we built a visual language for Soap.com that extends throughout the site and marketing materials. A year and a half later, my job includes creating and maintaining the promotional and marketing material for Soap.com, not to mention growing the brand.
A few months ago, the team for an upcoming site pulled me onto a new project, Yoyo.com – Quidsi's next retail site. The Art Director for the un-launched YoYo.com, Angela Goleme and I had less than two weeks to come up with full design mock-ups for the site. After a few furious nights of typesetting and color palette explosions, we came to the table with 4 or 5 different layouts. The one that was chosen as a jumping off point was one my more whimsical designs (see below). After that, I had to return to my Soapy duties and put my layout in the hands of Angela. Like a mom leaving her kid in preschool for the first time, I was apprehensive and a little sad.
A short while later, Angela, Garin Bulgar – the designer hired for YoYo – and the rest of the UX team here, infused the modest layout with life and energy that it did not have before while still maintaining the original spirit of the design. I am completely in love and proud of the way the site turned out. This wont be your typical online destination for toys, it may turn into your favorite toy store. With special tools like the Toy Finder to help you better find that perfect toy, and get it shipped as quickly as the next day. Not to mention the ability to combine it with Soap.com, Wag.com & Diapers.com orders.
Original rough layouts.
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