Skärgårda

Services tailored to suit the needs

The Stockholm archipelago consists of approximately 24,000 islands and islets. Once inhabited mainly by fishermen and farmers, today it is one of the most important holiday destinations for the people of Sweden during their summer holidays. In the era of dynamic changes and the development of tourism on the islands, there has been a need to supply various types of goods (ranging from food, through sports equipment to building materials) to summer houses.

Challenges and context

Skärgårda is a startup dealing with maritime transport. It offers flexible home, pier, or boat deliveries direct from selected online stores in Sweden. Importantly, Skärgårda’s boats are able to reach hard-to-reach places, which translates into the rapid development of tourism in previously poorly communicated places.
We are a Skärgård’s partner from the very early conceptual stages. We dealt with creating branding and visual communication in cooperation with the marketing department. We have created a website with a delivery service tool for couriers and end-users and a plugin needed for integration with external suppliers.

Process

Concept

At the beginning of our cooperation, we focused on defining users and the context of use in order to design visual communication and easy-to-use tools.
Our primary user was a person spending their summer holidays on one of the islands. Having it in mind, we designed a logo, selected colors and illustrations, created information architecture on the website and a plug-in for external suppliers. We also researched the means of social media communication in close cooperation with the marketing department.
Another type of user was the courier, i.e. the person steering the ship, responsible for delivering and unloading shipments. We underline the importance of the context of use, i.e. the conditions in which a given person operates the application (type of device, Internet access, weather conditions). The last type of user is the administrator who deals with package management and route planning.

Creation & Delivery

Visual Identification

The sign is based on the shape of a circle so that it functions perfectly as an avatar in social media, which is the main channel of marketing activities. Waves combine with water, movement and nature, i.e. elements characteristic of the client’s industry and the archipelago itself. The typography uses a smooth, friendly typeface that works great both when displayed on electronic devices and printed on the ship’s hull. The colors are bright, fresh and energetic, with its atmosphere referring to summer holidays. The colors are taken from the landscapes of the archipelago (red houses, water, sun). The key visual of the brand is based on the characteristic main illustration, drawings of ships transporting packages and iconography. Similar elements are used in communication with users on the website, in printed materials and in social media.

Focus on User Experience

The information architecture on the website is designed for new and returning users and their most important needs. Functionalities such as tracking a package, finding a supplier or ordering transport are located in an intuitive place for a regular user and can be used both from the desktop and mobile versions of the website. An additional benefit is text notifications informing about the change of the order status. Know How sections with clear iconography and simple verbal information have been designed for new users, thanks to which the customer can see that the previously problematic delivery process is now simple and intuitive.

Project for specific device & context of usage

The administration panel for couriers was designed for the tablet as the basic device for this group of users. The administration panel for couriers was designed with the tablet in mind as the basic device for this group of users. Displaying the list of tasks, order status, basic functionalities related to parcel handling have been designed with a specific context of use in mind, i.e. during ship control and unloading, with interruptions in Internet access, etc.

Easy process management

The main tool has been individually developed on the WordPress content management system, which allows for creating different types of users and display information tailored to the device and context of use. This is where user accounts are located and it is thanks to the access to the administration panel that the administrator can manage packages and the route of couriers and track the results of their work.

The administration panel on the website was created so that even a person with little technological knowledge could efficiently and quickly manage content, add new suppliers and publish new products.

Integration

The last fruit of our cooperation is a plug-in for integration with external suppliers. After making purchases in the store and choosing the supplier, the user can easily determine the place of receipt of the order (even in places that do not have their own address) at a convenient time.

The Skärgård service is the response to the conditions of dynamically developing tourism in very attractive, though inaccessible places. A comprehensive approach, researching users and their problems allows you to create tools tailored to their needs, ensuring the convenience of use. Thanks to the appropriate selection of tools and the most important functionalities, we are an effective business partner who treats the client’s budget seriously.