Rankin asks for pitches for two websites

Photographer Rankin has invited five groups to pitch for free for a refresh of his website and to design a new website for him and his business partner Chris Cottam.
Perfect Day, Us Design, Digital Club, Them and Attention Seeking pitched for both projects two weeks ago. A shortlist will be drawn up this week and both sites will be ‘up and running by December’, says Rankin, whose full name is John Rankin Waddell.

‘So many photographers’ sites are boring, like a shop window,’ says Rankin, who says he is briefing the designers to create something with the look and feel of a magazine website.

There are two separate briefs. For the refresh of his own site, Rankin has asked for an interactive site that will accommodate video and have ‘more of a news/blog feel’, but retain the orientation and style of the existing website.

Rankin wants the new ‘Chris and Rankin’ site to reflect the breadth of their offer as directors of TV commercials, short films and music videos. Again he is interested in a ‘magazine feel’. ‘We do so much stuff that wouldn’t get seen on a normal site,’ says Rankin, who wants the space to act as ‘a platform for discussion of our films and other videos’, as well as being a showreel for customers.

A ‘playback’ section showing films and documentaries, separate pages showing the duo’s individual work and an animated section showing ventriloquist dummies of the pair will feature on the site, which is yet to be named.

The winning group will name the new site and include ‘Chris and Rankin’ in its title, creating a logotype constructed of ‘simple typeface and style’, Rankin says.