The Project:

EA Games/Maxis (a division of Electronic Arts) hired The Netkitchen to create a user interface for the companion site to the wildly anticipated online version of their award winning game "The Sims." The site had to be graphically rich while still offering fast download times, and it was absolutely essential for it to appeal to both Sims enthusiasts as well as those who were new to the game.

The Results:

• The proprietary "Harvesting Intuition" technique was used to identify end-user characteristics, and profile the spectrum of users that the site must appeal to. The results of this profiling were used to inform the design process which insured a final result that embodies both usefulness and fun for the target audience.
• The challenge of page size was overcome through the use of brightly colored table backgrounds that are not graphically intensive, but still give a bright and cheery appearance. Additionally, style-sheets were used to give the pages a unique look and feel without having to rely heavily on burned-in text and graphics.
• Because the site will be localized into several European and Asian languages, the navigational text is HTML. This also gives the client additional flexibility to execute major modifications to the site without having to go back to the designers for graphics work.

URL: www.ea.com/eagames/official/thesimsonline/