have control tools and an option for skipping or enlargements. These provide
the website visitor with a sense of empowerment.
Interactive animationis yet another essential visual tool that contributes
to an enriched online retail atmosphere. There are several ways that anima-
tions can be used to feature products and services on a website. For example,
Jimmychoo.com and Coach.com have utilized the animation tool through
online flip-open catalogues, which provide a sense of human presence online.
Coach.com has also incorporated a feature for product-view on an avatar that
can be modified according to the height and weight dimensions of the shop-
per. This gives the online consumer a clear idea of the product size on the
human form. Coach’s website also has tools that allow the shopper to view
handbags either on the shoulder or clutched in the hand. These elements
contribute to a high-impact online shopping experience.
Colouris also a highly important online visual element. This is because
the product attributes are most enhanced by their colour scheme, the quality
of the images and their placements. Luxury brands use colour heavily in the
product presentation, e-stores and online catalogue sections of their websites.
The appropriate colours should be applied on the homepage for a strong intro-
duction and in the subsequent pages for a balanced result. In addition, some
background white space should be left on most or all the web pages to achieve
a harmonizing effect. The download time of colour pictures or online cata-
logues should also be kept short.
A factor that poses a challenge in efficient online colour management is the
representation of colour on computer monitors, which display colours in
varying tones. The colour display gradient and quality can be controlled with
colour management software like eColour, which has a cookie that reads a
monitor’s output and advices on its settings adjustments.216
luxury fashion brandingFigure 6.20
Dior.com ‘s
online video
clip of its
fashion show
(2006)