Oregon Taste
Oregon Taste has its origins in project I built at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. I wanted to help out local restaurants by promoting their take out options via a simple directory site I created that listed more current and consolidated information than what other sources were providing.
While that project was always meant to be temporary, the team at the James Beard Public Market saw it as the perfect foundation for what they were hoping to create: an online directory of independent producers across the state of Oregon.
Featured Skills
Less Is More
Oregon Taste isn't inherently doing anything inherently new - there are other directory sites that gather and share similar information. In researching for this project, however, I quickly discovered that many of the similar, smaller directories I found shared the same challenge: bad or outdated information. Details like operating hours could be useful to have, for example, but would difficult to maintain accurately given the nature of the businesses being featured. As such, I advised the client that excluding it was better than having incorrect information.
When reviewing a site we tend to focus on what's there, but in many cases it's equally as important to understand what's been excluded - and why.
My aim was to differentiate Oregon Taste via a few very intentional design choices:
showcasing listings via tiles that offer glanceable and actionable information
creating a clear visual hierarchy for all the various types of data being featured within listings
utilizing custom icons to help convey key information throughout the site
Ultimately, the primary goal for the site is to promote said listings and help connect consumers with farmers and producers so these choices (and many more) are designed to ensure the focus remains on the listings themselves whenever possible.
More Is Inevitable
At its core, Oregon Taste appears to be a simple a directory. But it has evolved in complexity behind the scenes, offering more value for end users and organizational partners. The site was designed to:
house thousands of listings
organize listings in established groups with the ability to add new organizational options as it grows
utilize listing information throughout the site - from category pages to custom landing pages for special events or features
be easily edited by non-technical staff, making it simple to maintain for the long run
adapt to new initiatives and goals with its modular design and build
Regional partners are able to take advantage of all this, too. The system can effectively create "sub-directories" for different service areas with minimal effort. As a result, Oregon Taste is not just a resource for end users, but also a platform that can support smaller organizations with similar goals.
The vision for Oregon Taste has always been to promote local farmers and producers. While it's already doing just that, it's filled with the potential - and the technical and organizational capacity - to do so at an even larger scale.
David's abilities to create designs that reflect the organization, the mission, and ultimately the brand are top-notch. He consistently identified and presented our key messages imaginatively and creatively, complementing our vision perfectly. His refreshing personal style and reliability make him a great partner - and an easy-to-work-with teammate!
An Exciting Future
Oregon Taste is always growing and evolving. I set out from the beginning to ensure it's designed to handle whatever comes next, and I'm excited to follow along to see what that is.
