Didion Homepage — Hero Image Redesign

Overview

During a November 2024 marketing review call, Didion and AAG aligned on a decision to simplify the homepage hero image from its current "swoosh" graphic treatment to a clean, rectangular banner format. The change is driven by a desire for visual cohesion with the newly designed Masa Narepa product page and a practical need to simplify development.

Decision

Remove the swoosh graphic. Redesign the homepage hero as a simple rectangular banner.

The existing homepage hero uses a curved "swoosh" design element — a holdover from older sub-page templates. The new Masa Narepa product page was built without the swoosh, using a structured rectangular layout instead. Rather than introduce a new design element or maintain inconsistency, both parties agreed to align the homepage hero to the rectangular format already present elsewhere on the homepage.

"Since the homepage has already got inconsistency, it's mostly just rectangle anyway, without the swoosh, except for that one. Let's just design the hero image to be rectangular."
— Diana Henry, Didion

Rationale

• Brand cohesion: The rectangular format matches the structured design of the ^[1], creating a unified look across the site.
• Development simplicity: The swoosh treatment is technically complex to implement responsively in Divi; a rectangular format is easier to execute and maintain.
• Existing precedent: Most homepage elements are already rectangular — the swoosh appeared in only one hero image and more consistently on older sub-pages.
• Future-proofing: A full brand revamp of sub-pages is a longer-term project; this change avoids introducing a new design element in the interim.

Scope

• In scope: Homepage hero banner only.
• Out of scope: Sub-page headers (which use the swoosh more consistently — flagged as a future revamp project).

Design Notes

• The hero image itself (photography/imagery) was generally approved; the change is to the graphic treatment around it, not the underlying photo.
• AAG designer Mikhail is responsible for producing the revised rectangular version.
• Copy on the hero is approved directionally, but AAG was asked to explore a more benefit-driven CTA — e.g., "Spice up your product line" — rather than a generic button label.

Action Items

Related

• ^[2]
• ^[3]