In any industry where the people behind a company are as important as the company itself, you are likely to find a kind of expanded “about” page that includes information on individual employees. “Meet the Team” pages are popular among web design and other creative firms, but are also found on sites within various other industries. These pages are a valuable addition to any site where human contact is an important part of the industry. It adds a personal touch to the company and can lend trust to visitors.
Suddenly, there are faces behind the names and it becomes a “real” company to the visitor, rather than just another website. This builds credibility for many, especially considering how concerned many people are with online scams and phishing schemes. Adding information to a website on a company’s key employees is a simple but effective way to make that company stand out in the mind of its prospective clients. Below are some trends and a few examples of “Meet the Team” pages.
Trends
In reviewing “Meet the Team” pages, a few trends began to emerge. While some are present on almost every site (employee photos), others are used less often (animations). All were present on at least a handful of sites, though, and are worth mentioning.
1. Employee Photos
Virtually all of the pages included here have images associated with each employee. Most opt for photos of each employee, though some opt for avatars or other images to represent each person. This is a great way to let an employee’s personality shine through while keeping the design professional and consistent.
Object Adjective has a simple team page, with a photo and brief bio about each member, as well as their contact information and a link to their downloadable vCard.
2. Social Media Links
Considering how many professionals are likely to have LinkedIn, Twitter, or other social media accounts, linking to those accounts can be a great way to let current and potential clients connect with employees. Some of the pages featured include only professional accounts, while others include virtually any account the employee has. Some sites use icons for each social media service, while others use text, or a combination of the two.
A word of warning, though: if employee accounts are going to be linked to a professional website, make sure the content they’re posting on those sites is appropriate and won’t damage the company’s reputation.
Chromatic only includes profiles for their leadership team. They include a pic and brief bio of each team member, as well as links to their Twitter and LinkedIn profiles. Each team member also has their latest tweet featured next to their profile.
3. Unique, Humorous or Campy Features
A lot of the sites featured have unique, humorous or even campy takes on the more traditional “Meet the Team” format. For some, this is done through the employee photos, while others have added in additional content that lets team members better express themselves.
Be aware, though, of how this information can come across to professionals from different industries. What might be acceptable for a creative site might not go over so well in the finance or legal industries. It is also important to consider how a site’s visitors will perceive a humorous or campy touch. While it adds personality, if overdone or done in the wrong industries, it can come across as unprofessional.
Th_nk uses animated photos for each of their team members, and modal windows to display information about each team member.
4. Animations
A significant number of “Meet the Team” pages have incorporated some kind of animation into their designs. For most, this is done through employee photos or avatars, though some take it even further, with the entire page animated.
Ola Interactive Agency uses an animated meet the team page, with each team member’s photo part of the animation. Click on a team member and their profile appears, including links to their Twitter and LinkedIn profiles, and their email. It’s a very casual, fun page design. Disclaimer (sort of): it is only included here because it is such a light page to check out; good for ideas and inspiration. The problem: it is a flash website and flash is just no good for SEO.
5. Expanded Profiles
While many sites opt to only include basic information about each of their team members, others opt to include extended profile information. For some, this is done through the use of sliders or modal windows, but for others it’s done on an entirely separate page. Extended profile information is a great way to give clients and prospects more insight into the employees behind a company.
9miles Media uses photos of each of their members, which, when clicked on, display each person’s profile information, including links to social media accounts. It’s a simple but effective design.
