388 The Aro St. Video Shop

The Aro St. Video Shop first took to the web in the mid-90s, but an ever-expanding catalogue and the demands of a web-savvy audience led them to review their website.

New Zealand’s leading film library

The Aro St. Video Shop is New Zealand’s leading independent video and DVD rental and sales library. They aim to satisfy the particular tastes of cinephiles; independent features, cult titles, documentaries and the best of foreign film.

Arovideo Online ‘Redux’

Since the original website launch in 1997, customer expectations have increased and internet technologies have progressed. Revision of the website (dubbed ‘Arovideo Redux’) included:

• an audit of the online catalogue (approx. 8,000 titles)
• revision of the underlying database structure
• data migration to a new content management system
• development of shopping basket functionality
• administration system redevelopment
• interface redesign
• introduction of genre-based browsing features
• new features: genre showcases, director and actor filmographies, advanced search features, embedded filtering of search results (by format or rental/purchase)

Feast your eyes

Each film is presented as a luxury item…

‘With the visual design, the aim was to activate the reviews and recommendations staff have made over the past decade,’ says Andy Kirkwood, Motive’s lead designer on the project. ‘Each film is presented as a luxury item, be it a cult favourite or Hollywood classic.’

Along with the website look-and-feel, Motive has extended the Arovideo identity system with custom logotype design and an update of the Aro St. Video Shop iconography.

Arovideo Online Redux was launched in July 2003 (to coincide with the Wellington Film Festival). Development continues…