In early November we rolled out a slew of new websites. Last on the docket: the relaunch of Strange Cargo.
Strange Cargo is your one-stop shop for Chicago-themed, sports, or funny and irreverent t-shirts and accessories. The t-shirt retailer has had a storefront home in Chicago’s Wrigleyville neighborhood since 1993, and they came to Table XI looking to update some features on their website. However, after a thorough analysis of the then-current site and what owner Jay Schwartz was looking for, we realized that the easier, more cost-effective solution was to rebuild everything from the ground up.
We embarked on a creative overhaul of the site, seeking a look and feel that mirrored Strange Cargo’s playful, colorful personality. ”T-shirts aren’t formal, so their website shouldn’t be either,” says TXI’s Daniel Strabley, who led creative direction. “They’re a fun, funky brand, and we wanted to translate that laid-back vibe of the store to the site.”
To involve the store’s avid community fanbase, we integrated Facebook and Twitter conversations on the contact page. Fans who “like” Strange Cargo can get “friends only” notifications of contests, coupons, news, and new merchandise.
New product pages better showcase Strange Cargo’s extensive custom t-shirt offerings, and a restructured design process makes it faster and simpler for customers to create the shirts they want online. We also added sections for custom-lettered shirts, children’s shirts, and accessories like hats and mugs. On the back end, a streamlined work flow helps Strange Cargo’s staff manage the site’s content more easily.
Jay was very happy with the results and that the site saw sales on the first day of the launch: “I love the way Table XI worked organically. The new site met the vision–it’s user-friendly, bigger, brighter, and better.”
Thanks for the good words, Jay!
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