An analysis of the About Us section of the Schlafly brewery in Missouri, and rewrite of its primary copy.
My first overall impression of the site is that it hasn’t been updated in a while. I also feel the layout is pretty clunky and could absolutely use a minimalist makeover.
In terms of navigation, I actually had to Google “Schlafly About Us” separately to find the About Us page, because it wasn’t popping up for me when I went to the main page. Eliminating the clutter of buttons and slideshows on the central page should make it very easy to navigate to the About Us.
My main point of order would be to condense the numerous sections they have on their About page into one streamlined body of text, broken up by images and section titles. I think the Ninkasi site’s About Us page is a good basic model for the amount of text.
I’d also eliminate the automatic slideshow quality of the About Us sections they currently have. Even if it were only images slideshow-ing and not text as well, I find that kind of thing visually jumpy. I’d rather have all the images laid out on the page and see them organically as I scroll through brief and punchy text.
Last design note, I’d change the color scheme. Even though red, gray, and white fit the bottles, I find it visually claustrophobic and clunky, like a clumsy machine. I think leading with white is more free flowing, with pops of red either in images of cans, text, or the backdrop of sections to add visual interest. I’d use the dark gray as a section spacer, or confine it to the black and white images of the brewery they have throughout their page — though I may advocate for full color, hi-res images of their equipment to get a sleeker, more modern flash of silver in the visual field.
Analyzing what Schlafly has already, they seem determined to communicate quite a bit about their brand. Respecting that intention, I’ve tried to condense their primary messages into three condensed sections. While there’s still a hearty amount of text, I believe it will scroll through quite easily, especially as they read easier than their original versions now too.
My Text —
A History of Putting Community First
At Schlafly, we believe in neighborhoods.
When we opened the first brewpub since Prohibition in 1991, and later on in Maplewood, when we built what would become a cornerstone of local commerce, Schlafly has always been community first. Today, on the corner of Main Street in St. Charles, we’ve become a local staple where friends and neighbors come to gather around a pint.
Everything from farm-fresh food to packaging and marketing comes from our hometown. What can we say? We prefer to grow our business right here where we live. And we love seeing others grow theirs too.
You can learn more about the history of our locations at the links below.
[Buttons or images to navigate to separate pages about The Schlafly Tap Room Brewery and Schlafly Bottleworks Brewery]
A Commitment to Craft
Since we began hand-brewing authentic beers in 1991, we are as committed today as we were then to being a locally-owned and fully independent craft brewery.
Today, our brewers curate over 60 unique styles, utilizing 102 hop varietals, 77 malts and grains, 59 different spices and fruits and 10 separate yeast strains from all over the planet.
[I’d love some photos of brewers, links to separate pages for them, or at least more about the founder]
Environmentally Conscious
When it comes to the sustainable health of the environment, we act locally with big picture benefits for the planet in mind.
Our buyers know the farmers around here by name, and their livestock love our spent grains that fill their troughs. By diverting 74 tons of food waste by composting, we produce 4 tons of fresh food from our urban garden and each year. It’s no wonder why we’re a dedicated 5-star original member of The St. Louis Dining Alliance.
By using solar panels, we produce 32,000+ kilowatt hours per year, allowing us to drive our entire operation with 100% renewable energy.
Stay Connected
Be the first to learn about new beer releases and fun local events by signing up for free bi-monthly newsletter! Follow us on social media to stay updated daily and to drop us a direct line about the beer you love!
[Easy email sign up and clear links to social media, no surrounding text which visually distracts, and if a white background or even a pop of red here, it should be easier to see all at once than it is currently]