PartsRiver

PartsRiver

Connecting truck parts buyers and sellers quickly.

PartsRiver wanted to leverage their deep expertise in the heavy-duty truck part data, a domain with a noteworthy degree of inconsistency. The result is, when looking for replacement parts, parts buyers are often confronted with several options which appear to be the identical part, but have very different part names and numbers.

PartsRiver Web Site and Marketing Materials

PartsRiver home page

Role: Design, IA, Specifications
Working with: Connector Branding

Working closely with the client and the Connector Branding team, we developed a site with a fresh visual language and a search application interface to bring style and order to a complex and chaotic market. One of the client’s stated goals was to enliven and update what is, to put in bluntly, generally a pretty crappy looking category.

PartsRiver wanted to use their web site both to describe the database services they offer to heavy-duty truck parts buyers and introduce a powerful web-based part search application. We made the search input the focus knowing that buyers could use some help in their hour of need.

PartsRiver Parts Search content screen
PartsRiver blog
PartsRiver spot illustration
PartsRiver search flow wireframe PartsRiver search flow wireframe PartsRiver search flow wireframe
Lather, rinse, iterate.

The PartsRiver CEO, tech and domain leads all wanted a very collaborative process when working out the details of the search path. So, together with the Connector Branding team, we engaged in a series of working sessions in which we white boarded our way through the details together. Tight wireframes were developed and refined allowing the dev team to get a jump on their build. Key among our objectives were the desire to present clear tools for narrowing and expanding a search, showing comparable parts and finding the closest part seller to you. We strove to limit detail shown to avoid overwhelming users.

search path definition

PartsRiver search result list
PartsRiver search result list
And another thing (or two)...

As is often the case, the client wanted to extend the look and feel to other touchpoints to create a unified brand presence. For PartsRiver, the visual vocabulary was also applied to a sales sheet format, print ads, web button ads and a trade show banner.

PartsRiver data sheet
PartsRiver fractional space ad

Web site design:
Texaco

Icons/spot illustration:
GE

Or:
Drop me a line to discuss a project.