When you pulled the tab on the convenience store coffee machine this morning, your morning brew flowed into your cup from a long, elaborate logistics network. The convenience store is part of a chain; the chain buys its brew in bulk from a supplier, such as Aspen Beverages.

from flat grey to rich green

Wholesale operations have traditionally operated in an industrial environment, with large machines manufacturing bulk products which are stored and shipped from warehouses – concrete buildings filled with row upon row of large steel shelves holding huge boxes. The classic sales catalogs representing these goods were very similar – technical data introducing grey pages of tabular product listings.
Early web developers merely transported this environment to the screen, building grey tables on white pages.

color equals excitement

Today’s web is capable of a much more dynamic interaction, an effective, colorful sales environment that organizes information for faster discovery and presents products with more appeal. esd recently brought this transformation to Aspen Beverage and their fine coffee, tea and non-carbonated drink products.

context befitting the product

Coffee is a delicate product, and Aspen Beverage was created to put the best brew in your cup every morning. They have worked for years to develop coffee concentrates that flow through the machines at your favorite store, delivering just the right balance on the tongue and a productive, easily-maintained mixture in the machine.
They named their company for the crisp, clean environment of the Colorado Rockies. esd used a backdrop in the new design of mountainsides in the Fall – the user can almost feel a chill in the air, contrasted with rich images of beautiful beverages and happy consumers. We presented text and images on a fine wood grain texture, reminiscent of a dining table ready for the first morning cup of coffee.

deliver the data

The site uses this appealing environment to deliver all of the technical specifications that give the industrial buyer the data they need to make a good purchase decision. Aspen’s product lines are clearly divided into hot, iced, frozen and ingredients (coffee extracts and concentrates). Each product has a general description, followed by a list of benefits and flavors.
Aspen has always represented their products with “cut sheets” listing features, benefits, available flavors and technical specifications. In the process of bringing this data to the web, esd redesigned the cut sheets into colorful, illustrated sales flyers.

print to pixels

In 20 years of the graphical Internet and exploding use of its communications capacity, we have learned more and more about transforming the sales environment. As print has yielded to pixels, we are able to give the promotional dynamic a deeper, more efficient floor to work from. It’s exciting, and very beautiful.