LOS ANGELES, June 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In the birthplace of modern design Dwell today launches public beta of its new digital platform—the most engaging iteration of the brand to date—at hello.dwell.com. Attendees at America's largest design event—Dwell on Design—will get a first in-depth look, as Dwell invites them to sign up to the platform from the show floor and explore four unique modern photo booth vignettes recreated from rooms and landscapes featured in the pages of Dwell magazine. It's an activation that puts attendees at the center of the Dwell universe, in the same way that users will be central to the new Dwell experience.
Built for users, perfect for brands – Several members of Dwell's technology team—including CTO Bobby Gaza, an alumnus of Beats Music and Apple VP of Product Ethan Lance, VP of Design Stephen Blake, and VP of Client Engineering Jason Yau—will be on-hand throughout the three-day design event, giving attendees the opportunity to gain additional insight from those spearheading Dwell's game-changing platform. The vignettes will be brought to life with products from brand partners Resource Furniture, TOTO, FLOR, Carl Hansen & Søn, and Petrolicious Marketplace, which is supplying the 1966 Alfa Romeo Duetto Spider automobile for the outdoor vignette. All of these partners have a presence on the new platform.
"Whether you are a devotee or a follower of Dwell you know that the magazine has been the arbiter of modern architecture and design for 15 years," says Dwell President and CEO Michela O'Connor Abrams. "During this time, it has become our mission to make the world a better place through good design. The new Dwell is a destination for our devoted audience, and all design enthusiasts, to not only find a voice for their sensibilities and challenges but to have one alongside a trusted design authority." The new platform leverages 15 years of content and photography while providing users the tools for richer engagement. "It's about the story behind the image," adds Abrams, "we're giving users tools they've never had before, to dig deeper into the content that they find most intriguing by asking questions about products and materials or providing insight on design inspiration. From there they can make connections that best suit their needs—the possibilities are endless."
Listening to the design community – Just as the development of each of Dwell's platforms has been a response to the community's needs, this digital platform is no different. In private beta since May 4, 2016, Dwell's new digital experience has already attracted dozens of brands and thousands of users eager to have a more engaged and purposeful online experience with a community that shares their passion for design. Among them are Toyota Prius, Signature, photographer Jason M. Peterson, Design Milk, architect Craig Steely, Monogram, Volvo, Lundberg Design, Ace Hotel, and Decorist. Early feedback has been incredibly positive: "Interactive, rich content and the opportunity to connect with interesting and talented people— what's not to like," said one user. The brand is also looking forward to seeing the pathways developed by the community, as the product is further refined leading up to the August 3, 2016 launch of the web and iOS applications.
Features designed for every type of user – With features designed to meet the needs of every user—from consumers to design professionals to brands—the new Dwell will formally launch on August 3 with robust collaboration and curation tools. Story publication has been built directly into the web application with a rich story publisher, along with a 300K+ image library that users can utilize for stories and collections. Collections allow for individual or collaborative gathering/curating/etc. of images, stories, and video under a theme of the user's choice. Another exciting feature is image annotation, which allows users to ask questions and comment on products, design, materials, etc. in real time and receive the high-touch response they have come to expect from Dwell. Both brands and users will appreciate the platform's approach to advertising, which provides users with a banner-free, uninterrupted viewing experience and brands with the ability to collaborate with Dwell on native stories and collections.
In fall of 2016 Dwell will add product annotations to provide a true end-to-end experience, product pages, privacy settings for collections and images, and the Dwell Premium Membership with dashboards and tools for professionals and analytics for brands.
"With Dwell, we have the amazing opportunity to build a collaboration platform on the foundation of a trusted resource with iconic imagery and insightful content," says Dwell CTO Bobby Gaza. The new technology team brings with it experience building communities for CNET, CBS Interactive, Napster, Beats Music, and Apple, among others. "Across goods and service industries what's proven to be most successful is anticipating the needs of the user and providing an experience that exceeds those needs in unexpected ways," adds Gaza. "Users on the new platform will be able to curate their feed and choose the ways they'd like to engage with the community. Engagement and feedback will continue to be incredibly important as we define the roadmap for development over the next few years." With experience at some of the top tech brands, Gaza could have gone anywhere, but his passion for design brought him to Dwell. "I chose this role and the Dwell brand because of its global design authority and the shared commitment to build a platform from the ground up that will change the way people engage with design."
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SOURCE Dwell
