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Karsh.com
As a self-proclaimed “Creative Company,” Karsh\Hagan’s new website is unfortunately anything but.
If it weren’t for the forced Flash intro with zero substance, and 1280×800 resolution requirement, one might think it was a failed attempt to keep the site highly usable, and lightweight.
Once you actually find the work, you will see that Karsh\Hagan has a decent portfolio of work for some very respectable clients, but the path to the work, and the way in which it is presented feels very awkward and cluttered to us.
Beyond the case studies, the rest of the site is just a bunch of the same old tired fluff that in no way sets Karsh apart from any other agency trying to do the same things for their clients.
All things considered, this is an unfortunate representation of the online capabilities of Denver’s interactive community.
And before we turn the project over to you for your comments and critique, we would just like to touch on one more little annoyance that caught our eye. Back buttons should point backwards, not forwards.
78 days ago / / Link
From what I’ve seen, the majority of TBWA network sites are seriously lacking. Example here.
Maybe it’s a corporate directive to spend time promoting clients and not the agency itself – which would be admirable if true.
— Rad Writer · May 7, 04:55 AM · #
Seems awfully soon after their last redesign.
— justinpaluch · May 7, 05:08 AM · #
I would love to have someone at Karsh pipe up with the strategic thinking behind the redesign.
— hack boy · May 7, 05:19 AM · #
Really nice Pedigree video about disruption. Too bad it’s not a Karsh client.
It’s like keeping pictures of the girls your older brother used to date in your wallet.
— Notreallyme · May 7, 05:41 AM · #
We built the new site to be clean and easy to navigate. Rad Writer is on target – TBWA\ agencies shy away from massive creative websites that scream “Hey, look at me!”
Notreallyme, the copy pretty clearly states that the Pedigree video is a TBWA\ video and Disruption is a TBWA\ process, which all TBWA\ agencies follow. We included it to help clients understand media arts thinking.
I personally love the site. But I’m biased.
Thanks for the discussion and the link, Egotist.
— Matt · May 7, 06:34 AM · #
Nice site.
— PalmerPolanski · May 7, 07:06 AM · #
Every TV spot has guitar music in it.
Work just feels old.
I agree with the brother’s girlfriend comment. A little too much TBWA hanging on.
“Hey Look At Me” comment. It has giant type that says “What” Who” etc, that’s saying hey look at me. It’s giant type.
No “hey look at me” in a giant photo of the top guys.
Welcome to 2004.
— someone · May 7, 05:35 PM · #
I actually like the site. I thought it was a departure from the current trend in agency sites. Sure it’s not as innovative as the Hal Riney navigate-with-your-hands site or as daring as the Modernista! site, but Karsh’s site seems good in a simple sort of way. As for the content though, I can’t disagree with you there Egotist.
I’ve set up a poll on my site to help settle the score on this,
Do you love or hate the new Karsh site?
— Justin McCammon · May 8, 03:14 AM · #
I feel like it is one of those sites where they set out to keep it nice and simple, but over time, the concept got fussed with a bit too much, to the point where it is no longer beautifully simple, but rather annoyingly luke-warm.
— Joe Mease · May 8, 03:26 AM · #
Here are 4 strengths of the site.
1) Presentation of the work. Nice use of layout to elegantly present print, tv, and radio within a single interface.
2) No nonsense navigation. 4 buttons. No soliloquy here.
3) Monachome it’s the new black.
4) http://www.karshconnect.com/
IMHO now that blogs are the touchpoint for audiences, it makes sense to let the old skool website be chill.
— Dennis Wakabayashi · May 8, 04:27 AM · #
Blogs may be the (as you say it) “touchpoint for audiences” but why does that mean the traditional website has to be a lame ass piece of shit?
Just because most people are too lazy to actually create a site and instead simply plug all their work into a blog doesn’t mean we, as professionals should embrace the laziness. Should your print work be weak just because the world is shifting to the web? Hell no. Step up to the plate and create something bad ass instead.
(and how is a blog [a.k.a. karshconnect] a strength of the site?)
— hack boy · May 8, 05:06 AM · #
If this is a Karsh site, it should show Karsh. Not take credit for TBWA work or processes that Karsh does not use or follow. That said, the site is clumsy to navigate, full of typical agency puffery and disappointing.
— whatever · May 8, 05:52 AM · #
matt-
even with your bias, isn’t it a bit misleading to post a case study for something your parent company did on your main HOW page?
To me, it’s no different than posting work from the portfolio of an employee that was created at a different agency. (Is it illegal? no, but just shady business and makes us all look bad)
— hack boy · May 8, 05:56 AM · #
Whatever and Hack boy,
Karsh does use and follow the TBWA process. No karsh is not taking credit for the process on the site. The video is to explain the process Karsh uses (thus, the “HOW”). The re-design is better than where Karsh was before, and certainly no worse than the sites of other local agencies. Granted the bar on both counts is relatively low. The goal is to continue to grow, learn, try, do, experiment,create and inch the bar up.
— hmenges · May 8, 07:46 AM · #
I’m sorry, I just can’t agree with the assessment that the new Karsh site is no worse than that of other local agencies.
Here are a few other local locals agency sites that run laps around the Karsh site :
http://www.factorylabs.com
http://www.cultivatorads.com/
http://www.fl-2.com/
http://www.designandimage.com
http://www.mondorobot.com/
http://www.cypher13.com/
http://www.deforedesign.com/
... the list goes on and on.
And sure, there are some lame Denver agency sites out there too, I just don’t think the Karsh site is reflective of the client list they maintain.
— Joe Mease · May 8, 08:38 AM · #
I have been personally, with almost zero outside help, building my own website year after year for over six years. It’s pure hell and almost kills me every time. It usually takes me anywhere between 2 to 3 months of the year to do it. For a good five years, my site was always very complicated Flash.
I know some people think a blog like site is somehow easy to build but if you think that then you have never in your life had any experience building a custom designed blog. If you have no experience with building a site that runs entirely in PHP and CSS, I can personally guarantee you a special kind of hell that will wall you in faster than you can breath.
To think somehow that building or running a good blog site is lazy, is just plain dumb. It’s hard as hell to do and requires an enormous amount of commitment.
Sorry had to clear that outrageous misconception there. Couldn’t help myself.
— Christopher Cox · May 8, 01:24 PM · #
I’d love to see more agencies embrace usability and search engine friendliness. These guys obviously don’t know that the “Skip Intro” button is one of the most-used functions on the web.
— Ivy · May 11, 09:09 AM · #
I thought Karsh’s original redesign (which debuted early last year) was pretty exceptional. Not sure why they changed it. The colors were bold and eye catching and it all had a very Euro-hip kind of feel. The bio pics (which were full-page pics of half the person’s face) were intriguing. Overall, I thought that site was far and above this new one. However, knowing all the drama that goes on behind getting an agency Website designed and approved by the reigning cartel, I’m surprised it’s as good as it is. I will say that regardless of your thoughts on the site, a bunch of cool, fun, really nice people work really hard there every day.
— Cyrano · Jun 17, 01:41 PM · #