Hi Everyone,

We have been working for a long time now (it sure seems like it to me anyway) on a feature called “Customize Yours”. This feature allows you to build your Axioms the way you want with any of our finish and hardware options you desire from one easy to use (and find) page. We have a test page running as an example of how it works: http://www.axiomaudio.com/epic80_800custom.html
Clicking on the “Customize Yours” button takes you into all the options. I would be very grateful to receive your thoughts on this new feature. We are still loading information in the database for the rest of the models but will probably be ready to take it live in about one week.

Thanks

I like the fact that everything is in front of you as you're going through the custom choices, very easy to use. The only thing I might suggest, would be to dress up/clean up the right hand side "Your Custom Axioms" by keeping the cost of the options to the right; I don't know about other people, but I like to clearly see the effects($) of my itchy mouse finger and the other thing would be to either space out each heading on the right side "In a...", "With Custom...", "Your Finish..." ect or add an alternating bar of subtle colour so it's easier to see all your selections under the different headings.

I hope that may be some constructive help, Ian. I like it though, it's user friendly.

Alan: Having used your current custom order pages twice in the last 9 months, I think it's a vast improvement. Having all your choices/prices right there is great. I forgot. Is there a place near the price calculator that re-visits each of your choices
(i.e. model(s), finish, stain, gloss, grille, etc.) collectively?

If there is, awesome. If not, it would be the final "all there" thing left to include.

Picky, picky: the font in the far right box (the black on white)is a little hard-assed. Coax me gently

And in the choice title boxes, the dark yellow orange text, on the almost equal value blue ground, could be easier to read. Bigger hue or value jump. Oh, that's in the picky, picky column as well.

Hi Adrian,

Thanks for the input. Tomorrow we will start programming in all the various suggestions that we get for improvements and then keep posting newer versions of it until we have all the details just right.

Thanks

Hi Ian:
I like it a lot. The only minor suggestion I would have is along the lines of the others above: I find the text in "Your Custom Axioms" box to be a bit hard to read. Maybe if the bold font for the description of each choice were an Axiom blue, with the "selected choice" text remaining black, the lines of text would be a little more clearly separated/defined.

Also, are there only two stock vinyl finishes available, or is this just "for the sample"?

Overall, though.... awesome!

That's very cool, Ian. I don't have any suggestions at the moment, but I do have to complain that you're making me want a custom finish even more.

Where's the option for mag wheels. Oh, and if the visitor is CV you can disable all but the 7.4 option. It will save him time.

On a more serious note, when you select any of the surround options the 'More Finish Options' link changes to 'Visit Our Custom Shop'.

Nice layout. Its pretty self explanitory and I like the way the grill pops up on only one speaker.

I see that Mansfield Beech and Light Maple are no longer an option, where they used to be one of the 4 stock finishes. (Although this doesn't matter to me).

What if you just want to order 1 or 2 speakers? I take it that the options for single speaker orders will still be there under the current method, or this will be an upgrade option added later.

I find that the font in the box on the right is easier on the eyes than the in the other boxes. Just Graying it down a little like the box on the left might make a big difference.

You might also add choices for accessories, such as stands, wire, banana plugs, etc.

Also one thing I had to study some before making choices is the type of banana plugs, ie dual spring vs single spring (pair). For a non-audio person, that's never purchased these before, this was confusing as to what to buy.

An option I would like to see would be the ability to select two 6.5-aluminum-cone woofers when ordering the VP150, perhaps make it the VP160 option. Other than that I like the way it flows.

Thinking about it, shouldn't you be able to build up your own config. I like the idea of 5.1, 6.1 etc. as a base, but should you not be able to change the .1 to .2/3/4 for any system. I would add another sub before adding more surrounds in my system.

Edit: Taking this one step further, after selecting your basic config, I would allow an option on the next page to add subs to the current configuration as well as the option to switch base configurations.

That is a very nice tool to use. I'd like to see a representation of the individual speakers in the custom finishes, rather than just the small bookshelf speaker. For me, if I'm planning on buying a pair of M80s I'd like to see how they would actually look with the different finishes.

Hi Bob,

Thanks for your input. The post was actually by Ian Colquhoun, not me. Do we look alike?

Anyway, good feedback and I also like the new Customize Yours presentation.

Regards,

Alan

From what we talked about yesterday, Sean, they're trying to figure out the best way to do that. Unfortunately, photoshop only goes so far, and building every single speaker in the line in every single finish gets a tad pricey.

Can't they just take pictures of the missing ones as they're being made? Using a stock photo like they are doing now for those that haven't been made yet.

That's a thought. I suppose you'd probably get almost there after awhile.

I think they SHOULD photograph every combination. Then offer them to me at a substantial discount!

Hi Mark,

That would be about 7,250 speakers we would need to build and photograph. Are you thinking about 25% off?

Wow, I never thought it would be that many. Never did the math.

I was hoping for 50%...

Oh, plus a contract to do the photography. That should take, what, 145 days at 50 speakers/day?

Well, I guess I meant more of the photoshop variety. I know that is too many configurations of speakers, but if there could be a virtual representation of the speaker in the different finishes would be very helpful, I think.

And Mark could get some Virtual speakers for 50% off.

Still how many different speakers does Axiom make, by how many different finishes? Even without counting the hardware and grills (which could be "shopped" on), that's still a lot of combinations.

Hi Mark,

Of course we would need a photo with each of the grille options so that would be about 30,000 photos. You should have it all wrapped up by early 2012. Do you think we need photos with each of the hardware options too?

Would Axiom do anything less than perfection?

Mark maybe you should quit your current job and move to Dwight.

I think that is what he is hoping for

Which "he?"

Mark

Hey Ian, I'd like to see photos of all the possible labels. Just start with AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA and continue until you get to ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. Don't forget the numeric ones, too.

Surely you can manage 30% off if he picke up all 7,250 pairs.

I reckon, even with a 25-30% discount, you'd be looking at $3-4 million. Better get Mark to certify that cheque.

Or get paid in Virtual Dollars.

And in different colours.

I like it. It's much cleaner than the old interface. My main suggestion would be to show the M80 as the example for a couple of reasons.

1) It's your flagship main
2) It's more speaker to show. You could even have a "zoom" feature on it so people can get a close up look, or even a 360 view.
3) It may put some less techie people off if they are intending to order an M80 and a picture of a smaller speaker shows up on the screen
4) If someone was looking at a smaller speaker, and saw some nice pictures of the M80, it may sway them to consider the larger purchase.

I would use the M60 as the main speaker for the picture, I really like the look of them more than the M80.

I was thinking that, too, since there's room at the bottom for finish. Still, that kind of negates points 1, 3, and 4...

Eeek. I just discovered that the interface does NOT work at all in IE6. (The computers at this training facility only have IE6 installed.) If Axiom is still getting hits from people using IE6 browsers, then perhaps an alternative interface should be made.

Let IE6 die a horrible, flaming death.

The alternate interface should be a page which says, "UPGRADE YOUR BROWSER!!!"

That's pretty much what I meant...

Hmmm. Mostly works for me with IE 6.029.

Now THAT is more rare than my two CRT based TV's.

We have a number of internal db interfaces, including our brand spanking new Oracle interface that break if we use a newer browser.

I see, that makes sense. I thought you were still using it at home.

Hi Everyone,

We have now taken "Customize Yours" live on the site. We will also be continuing to make improvements to it so any further suggestions are appreciated. We have begun the process of getting the M80s in every finish; great suggestion. This will give us two models that can be used as finish examples depending on what you are looking at.

Thanks

Cool, thanks, Ian. I like the idea of having two models to look at--both bookshelf and floorstander.

OOPS !!!

Hit the customize button and this somebody didnot unit test

Warning: include(prodman/render2.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /data/www/axiomaudio/axiomaudio.com/www/epic80_800custom.html on line 2173

Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening 'prodman/render2.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/share/php:/usr/share/pear') in /data/www/axiomaudio/axiomaudio.com/www/epic80_800custom.html on line 2173

Yah. Not seeing anything here either.

Never mind...should have gone "live" as Ian said...duh!

That's your customization! not all combinations are pretty!