I was incredibly saddened last week to receive an email from a friend of mine letting me know that Hillman passed away on April 18, 2012.

I hadn’t spoken to Hillman for a few years, so news of his passing came as a shock to me. During key moments in my creative growth I would call him and he was always happy to dispense advice. I was very lucky to be able to count on him for sound guidance.

I came into Hillman’s studio at a turbulent time for him creatively speaking. At the time I didn’t get it, but he was struggling with the design industry ethos, and was looking towards the transition into film. Ten years later I can say that I understand just where he was at. Probably not to the same degree, but it was valuable for me early in my career to see someone grappling with an industry that constantly pulls on creative integrity. It was valuable, especially now, for me to see someone interested in chasing passion, not dollars. Especially in the era we live in today.

Thanks for all you did for me Hillman. Especially all of the doors you kicked open.

OR is a specialty brand manufacturer catering to the elite outdoor enthusiast. Known for their gaiters and the iconic Seattle Sombrero, OR came to Gorilla at a time when they were looking to pull the brand away from the precipice. Imagery plays a large role in the design, fueling the concept of a life driven by experience, and the pursuit of something you are truly passionate about.

Already prolific content producers, OR needed a site experience that would allow them to harness the power of a very active social stream and entwine the conversation into the commerce experience.

Technology, or more specifically the technologies that go into the products, also play a large role in the OR product. Educating the customer on the material and technical benefits of the OR offering was of critical importance to the new experience.

Frette is one of the oldest and most respected names in luxury linens. From the altars of the Vatican to the Titanic, Frette’s work graces the some of the most storied locations in the world.

Gorilla was engaged by Frette with the idea of marrying an old-world brand with an up-to-date experience that would reflect an overall intent to appeal to a relatively younger market.

Frette’s product is one driven by relationships. More specifically, collections are at the heart of the Frette brand. Previous iterations of the Frette site fell short in making the product relationships transparent.

The result is a site that brands when it needs to, sells when appropriate and provides a backbone to educate new loyalists to the intricate product relationships.

Very proud of the work coming out of Gorilla, its great to see all the hard work of the team there coming together.

After content is in better shape I’m going to spend some time on the UI of the home page. Not really satisfied with where that is.

More to come.

Shure, a legend in the audio equipment industry, turned to Gorilla to design and develop a microsite for the launch of their Axient line of products.

Gorilla helped Shure’s product team develop a digital vision and strategy for the Axient line that would not only unveil the brand, but help educate Shure customers on a truly revolutionary audio system.

Gorilla’s broad apprach to E-commerce meant creating a site that was based on product, but in the end seeks to drive customers to Shure dealers to complete the purchase. A common approach with big-ticket, highly complex products.

Huzza is a boutique located in the resort town of Harbor Springs, Michigan. They cater to the high-end market with an appreciation for an uncluttered experience.

With a truly eclectic mix of product ranging from antique housewares to fragrances to custom curated apparel, Huzza seeks to be a taste-maker.

The result is a spare design aesthetic and stripped down feature-set that places only the absolute essentials of the product in the initial view. Customers are not limited however and are allowed to find what they need to make an educated decision with a minimum of exploration.

Apparel retailer OMG Jeans is well known in Manhattan, but relatively unheard of outside of New York. The inaugural launch of omgjeans.com not only needed to bring some New York energy to the rest of the world, but also convey some of the core aspects of what makes OMG unique – service and the ability to match you with a product that is right, not necessarily what you were looking for.

The site has a massive feature set, OMG wanted to take full advantage of as many features as was prudent within Magento, and then some.

OMG Jeans also features a robust Facebook Connect tie-in. A very active social marketing strategy was a must-have given the marketing and conversion goals OMG set out to achieve at the beginning of the project.

Greenheart shop is a fair-trade focused retailer based in Chicago based on the philosophy that every product they sell is created by an artisan that they have a personal relationship with.

Products are centered on the values of sustainability – recycled and locally sourced materials are commonplace.

While the product and brand are very compelling on their own, among the many unique challenges to a retailer like Greenheart is the ability to showcase a wide array of product categories in a way that makes sense. Secondly, shopping in relation to a specific artisan and by country of origin were critical to reflecting the Greenheart mission in the end user experience.

Michael Antonio Footwear had made a name for themselves over the years being the shoes for the party girl. Marketed chiefly to teenage girls, or those seeking a disposable pair for a night on the club circuit, Michael Antonio wanted to move upmarket into a more career focused and practical offering for customers seeking something a little more focused. That said, MAF knew their customer would always be the party scene, it was important not to lose sight of that.

Just as important to the folks at MAF was the idea of pushing an image not just a shoe. The product has a youthful, fickle audience and the site needed to push Michael Antonio into the forefront of digital style.

Michael Antonio also had three somewhat confusing product lines, they wanted the site to help clarify where the lines were between them.

The site features a unique tie-in with a social blogging strategy, as well as fulfillment through key partners like Zappos and Piperlime.