The website strives to capture Radius's essence.
Boston's Radius and Via Matta restaurants are recognized for their excellence in Boston and around the world — they are recipients of some of the culinary world's most prestigious awards, acknowledging exceptional service and atmosphere as well as food.
How to capture that online? For us, the key was movement: Radius's servers move in graceful symmetry, anticipating any need and delighting without overpowering; the Radius website should do precisely the same thing.
A unique DHTML coding solution creates fluid transition effects so content dissolves and emerges in smooth crossfade — evoking a feeling of being served, not navigating.
Our transition effects require newer browsers to work optimally, so we built an advanced browser detection system that automatically delivers the right mix of code for every user — even WebTV and handhelds can access the site without glitches.
An animated Vespa "drives" the Via Matta site, zipping from menu to map to staff bios.
The result is an elegant, stylish, and broadly accessible online experience that's (almost) worthy of the real thing — so much so that it is winning awards of its own: RadiusRestaurant.com received the 2002 MIMC award for first prize in the Travel, Tourism and Hospitality category.
Soon after, Radius's owners asked us to develop a web presence for its sister restaurant, Via Matta. The name served as inspiration for the design: Via Matta translates to "crazy way" in Italian, and it's reflected in the lively, eclectic mood of the place. Via Matta's website, built in Flash, whisks its users on a spirited journey through menus, space, and staff and back again, accompanied by a beeping virtual Vespa, similar to the one that sits outside the actual restaurant's doors.
Visit RadiusRestaurant.com and ViaMattaRestaurant.com