The beans: The Magic of Play
Designing the World of The Beans
Designing for an intellectual property centred around entertainment, particularly for a young audience, requires a unique blend of creativity and functional engagement. The commission for The Beans :: Limitless Adventure was to create a digital gateway into a world of characters, stories, and play, serving as both a marketing hub and an interactive playground.
The Commission: A Digital Playground for Imagination
The objective was to create a digital home for "The Beans" and their village of Hollybridge, showcasing their "time zipping adventures" and "everyday tales." The website needed to appeal directly to children and families, encouraging interaction, exploration, and brand loyalty. Its core functions were promoting the characters, delivering free activities, and serving as a platform for future licensing and merchandising opportunities.
Our Design Strategy: Bright, Character-Driven, and Interactive
The entire design strategy was based on making the characters the stars and simplifying navigation so that children could easily access the fun parts of the site.
Aesthetic: Playful and Vibrant: The aesthetic is immediately colourful, warm, and highly visual. The use of professionally rendered character art (Frieda, Basil, Winnie, Fern, Jess, etc.) is the dominant design element, bringing the world to life right on the homepage. The overall tone is lighthearted and accessible, appropriate for an audience interested in "everyday fun" and "discovery."
Character as Content: The design prioritises introducing the expansive cast. Large, colourful images of the Beans are displayed prominently, with a clear call-to-action: "Meet the Beans and learn more about the characters."This structure encourages deep engagement with the IP (Intellectual Property), which is vital for building a successful children's brand.
Functional Interactivity (The PlayPatch): The key conversion point on this site is not a sale, but engagement. The central call-to-action leads to the "PlayPatch"—a dedicated hub for interactive activities. The copy clearly communicates the benefits: "Play online games, colour in and decorate our sheets, and download our free activity sheets for rainy day fun!" This highlights the site's primary value proposition to parents and children: free, quality entertainment.
Simple, Child-Friendly Navigation: The menu is highly focused and easy to understand: Home, PlayPatch, About, Meet The Beans, and Feedback. This simplified structure ensures that even young users can quickly find the fun without getting lost in complex corporate pages.
Branding for the Future: While the look is geared toward children, key professional elements are maintained: The registered trademarks ('The Beans' & 'Bean&Gone') are clearly noted, along with a business section for Agents and Licenses. This ensures the site functions as a credible platform for industry partners looking to merchandise the property.
The Result: A Limitless Digital Adventure
The website for The Beans successfully translates a creative intellectual property into a functional and engaging digital experience. By leading with vibrant character art and clear pathways to play, the design immediately captures the attention of the target audience while subtly maintaining the professional structure necessary for long-term brand growth and licensing opportunities.
