SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–argodesign partner Wrap Media LLC has made public its first product: a mobile storytelling and commerce platform called “Wrap,” which provides a fast, elegant and engaging new way for brands to connect with consumers on mobile. A single touch takes users into a beautiful user experience without having to actually download or open an app. Wraps can be embedded or sent as web links; they are authored once, fully portable, and run anywhere one can access the web.
“Mark Rolston and his team at argo have been instrumental partners in building Wrap”
Wrap and argo call this form of mobile-first digital expression the “Narrative Web.” The new platform brings card-based design into a narrative flow in which the storyteller maintains control over the narrative by presenting information in a linear sequence. Users swipe to navigate the experience, which ensures the consumer experiences the story as seamlessly as the author intended, and is never overwhelmed with information or confused about what to do or where to go next.
Before Wrap, creating content for mobile required specialized knowledge. The intuitive wrap authoring makes it far easier for people without software expertise to create a compelling mobile experience. Brands in the retail, leisure, advertising and publishing sectors are already using wraps.
“Working with Wrap has given us the opportunity to completely reinvent the way mobile web experiences are produced and consumed,” said Mark Rolston, founder of argo and chief creative officer of Wrap. “Together, we’ve created something profoundly simple, beautiful, and functional. Anyone can create a rich and highly shareable brand experience in a matter of minutes. This is how easy it should be to publish content for mobile devices, and it’s the level of narrative clarity and quality that mobile users need.”
argo is an equity investor in Wrap as well as the company’s strategic design partner. Wrap enlisted argo from the beginning to define and develop the initial concept, create the platform’s visual design and user experience, and provide production assistance. Rolston leads a team of argo designers who bring world-class expertise to Wrap as well as targeted support at each stage of the product development process.
Wrap and argo saw the need to improve the way web content is presented on mobile devices—to help brands, publishers, and digital businesses tell compelling narratives while designing the user experience so the reader never gets lost. They chose a card-based design as an alternative to both traditional web browsing and cumbersome native apps. They developed a patent-pending X-Cross navigation that lets the reader swipe only left or right, up or down, and hit “cul-de-sacs” that signal the end of the story and prompt the reader to go back. They also designed the Wrap authoring tool to extend the narrative power of card-based design to any brand, publisher, or digital business. Within minutes, users can produce an experience that is reliably clean, vibrant and keeps the reader focused on the story at hand.
“Mark Rolston and his team at argo have been instrumental partners in building Wrap,” said Eric Greenberg, Founder and CEO of Wrap. “Their fully integrated team helped us envision a new form of digital communication, and our strategic partnership has been invaluable. We look forward to working with them as our platform expands and our product design needs evolve.”
Earlier this month Wrap Media also closed its Series B funding round of $12.7 million, led by Raine Ventures and ProSiebenSat.1 Media with participation from Christopher Crain of Crain Communications, Dream Incubator, FF Angel LLC, Salesforce Ventures Transmedia Capital, and others. This latest round brings Wrap’s total funding to $18.7 million.
About argodesign
argodesign is a product design consultancy, growth partner to entrepreneurs, and incubator of new products and experiences. Their team of experienced designers and expert technologists create product experiences of delight, simplicity, and value. Visit http://www.argodesign.com for more information.
About Wrap
Founded in 2014 by entrepreneur Eric Greenberg, Wrap is a mobile-first storytelling and commerce platform that delivers app-like user experiences in bite-sized pieces through the mobile web. The ‘Narrative Web’ is the native app alternative, enabling unprecedented engagement, activation, and conversion for brands, publishers, and digital businesses. Through its unique authoring tools and SaaS platform, Wrap creates opportunities for companies to create new business models and deeper relationships that cultivate loyalty and lead to increased revenue and profitability. For more information, visitwww.wrap.co.