Ann Taylor's New Website - Product Categories

I am a sucker for unique web design. And I get even more excited when it is useful and unique. Ann Taylor has made a shift on their site that accomplishes both. For the most part, online retailers follow a template when laying out their category pages. Look at Gap, JCrew, Nordstrom, and until recently, Ann Taylor, and it is very hard to decipher any difference. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. The standard grid has been proven to work and customers have learned to use it to efficiently scan products.

Enter the new Ann Taylor page design. It is just slightly different, but the small variations make a world of difference. A quick run down of the features that make this new site shine:

1) The customer can change the size of the product grid, allowing them to choose how large the product photo is. This is the first time I have seen this, and I think it is an elegant solution to a problem online retailers have been struggling with for some time.

2) There is no white space between the products, allowing for larger product images regardless of the grid the customer has chosen. Accomplishing this without creating an overwhelming, cluttered experience is very challenging.

3) They have brought forward the important product attributes for their product set. Simply scroll over a product, and the price, in a nice size font, and the additional colors appear. It's important information presented in a manner that does not distract from the most important attribute, the photo.

The rest of the site has is executed well too. Later this month I'll discuss other highlights.