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idea on fireOn the Front Page - When you click on the image to the left of each of the large highlight bars below it will open either a small window to display the artwork, a gallery or an external website. On the top left hand side of the page you will find a style switcher to set the font size and width of the website to fit your particular needs and monitor width. We hope you enjoy the site!
Even if you do not use our services let your friends and work colleagues know that you found our site and that it is worth a visit. You all have a nice day now! Yehah!!!
instructions
Wednesday, 10 March 2010

Alien ThinkingWhat is our unique selling point?

If you are looking to stay within the confines of - 'we want it done just the way everybody else does it' - then you are probably better off going to an agency that - 'does it like everybody else' - we don't do it that way! You should be paying us to think around the everyday! It is our job to enter the world of creative alien thought patterns for you - we usually come out unscathed and deliver the goods! And if you want to accompany us part of the way you are most welcome!

Web 2.0

We use web 2.0 technologies - they are great but what we avoid are the fashion graphics that go with these kinds of new phenomena- we have made a bit of a compromise with our site by avoiding the shiny reflective aesthetic to be seen everywhere - particularly noticeable with macintosh products - but kept the high legibility layout and font size. We hope you like it!

Page Elements

When you come to us to have your web site built we will sit down and establish how we will transfer your corporate identity to the online world. We will go through a series of layout options with you and find the most appropriate and practical solution. This example page shows all the different layout elements available to us. We can provide a wide range of customised styles and layouts.

The Web is not like Print!

Web pages are put together very differently to the way you put together a document that is to be sent to your printer. Web sites have to be thought of as organic documents and should contain a certain amount of fluidity - they are related to daily newspapers in that the content very often has to be edited and carefully controlled to keep it well-balanced within a layout grid. 

News Story

mr. smith and robotPlace your news stories in the side bars and position them on specific pages and according to importance. They can also contain lists and links to relevant parts of your own site or external websites
If you have a large user base then it may be possible to earn revenue from advertisers - especially if they are providing a back-up service or complimentary product!

Layout Alignment

This Page is set to a left aligned layout format but could easily be changed and developed as a right aligned layout!

Let us Know!

Which part of our site was useful?
 

Advertising Space

Featured Links:
Bideford Town Council
Bideford Town Council - Digital Information Centre - Providing local residents and tourists information about the town and the work we do.
Yoyo Cleaning Company
Yoyo Cleaning - for all your domestic and industrial cleaning needs!
Ads from Twisted Tree Publishing
light upHighlights
Various boxes and graphic elements can be used to highlight products, events or news stories that you would like to draw attention too! This one has a fading background and transparency on the image.
 
myspace sucks!The Myspace Syndrome
If you think that all this technology means you can do it yourself be careful you don't catch myspace syndrome - it can be diagnosed through illegible fonts, flashing images and inappropriate messages. It is cheap and inevitably nasty!
Styleswitcher - Take Note
If you use the style switcher at the top of the page you can change the page width and font size - the website won't look quite as gorgeous as at the correct dimensions and sizes but it keeps a consistent structure and remains usable.
Fluid Width Sites
Fluid width sites are good for some purposes - especially where image plays an important role in the website - if you are speaking to a youthful marketplace - promoting a band or establishing a new brand or fashion accessory for example.
Layout Elements available for this Site

Formating in an Article

In addition to the general CSS (cascading style sheets) styles for the web page layout we can also provides formating that works within the article. It can be used to highlight particular sections as shown in the examples below and we can even add icons to divide the information into sub-groups. If you require this kind of styling please let us know at the outset - it takes time to integrate - and does not come automatically with every solution we offer! This example of a simple download arrow is the kind of thing that you will find all over Web 2.0 sites and the kind of graphic technique is very much from the Apple World - it is a fashion thing - we can use them but they will be replaced by a new fashion soon! There are many ways to deal with icons of this kind - we can create a custom set of icons specifically for your company - but most businesses cannot afford this as it is similar to developing a new typeface - or if you would like something bought in we can scan the web for a set that suit your needs. They may seem frivolous but a site with nicely designed icons always shows a little more attention to detail and really can add that little zip! zang! zum! that makes it all the more noteworthy! NB - Simple warning exclamation sign - use it to highlight the importance of specific parts of of the information on your site - ie. about instructions that an end user must follow to use the site or a particular product
 
yoyo logoAdvertising Space
If you have a fair amount of traffic coming to your site you will be able to sell advertising space. Alternatively - provide information about other sites that will be useful to your users.
Top Tips
Make your website as useful as possible - make sure you get the message across about your business - but try and make your site useful in other ways - people will be drawn to a site with high levels of utility.
moleculeImage Quality

Either get us to do it for you or buy decent software and learn to use it to create and save quality images - standards are high and developing and there is nothing worse than poor image quality on a site! Don't believe that any old image will do - they never do!
FAQ's and Alternative Document Formats

iconsProvide your users with alternative ways to read documents - especially if you have long and complicated handbooks or instructions, product lists with technical specifications or recipes - anything that people may want to use away from their workstation. Our web site provides this function automatically for many documents - watch out for the icons.
Time & Content Provision
Quite often people believe that designers have a little red button that we have hidden away on our computers - one we keep secret from the uninitiated - and when we press it content just appears from nowhere! It is not true! We are mortal and we need your content to be delivered on a timely basis - and you need to make provision for you or your staff to generate content - do not underestimate what this may cost in time and money! Keep your business looking fresh!
Editorial Policy
Establish an Editorial Policy! Make sure that your copy is accurate and stylistically consistent. If you or your staff do not feel qualified to do this then we can help and advise. A beautiful website will not hide the fact that it is filled with inaccurate, badly written and stylistically incoherent balderdash and piffle! Attention to detail is the watchword here - and in the long run your customers and clients will reward you with their continued custom and brand loyalty.
Updates
Updates keep the site interesting and useful for your end users and are important if you are running something more than an image website. Search engines like fresh and lively content - they scan websites for new content and this can alter the ratings you get from search providers. Plan the growth of your website - make sure your SEO is optimised for the updates you carry out over specific periods of time! They will often ask if you update daily, monthly or annually.
Check your Site!
Keep an eye on your website - when you update make sure that the copy is proof read by more than one person. Make sure your images are tagged and are not in the wrong place! Nowadays websites are attacked everyday by kiddie hackers and professional criminals alike - you keep an eye on your car and have burglar alarms in your house - use the same policies for your website. Our sites are secure - but if you need extra levels of protection - let us know and we will lock it down!

It should be Fun!

Running a website should be one of the more fun aspects of running your business - it is one of your greatest assets - and like your other assets you should take pride in it - like one of those guys out on a sunny Sunday afternoon with their cars - you should polish and wax it - stand back and make sure it looks just right and suits you down to the ground!
hey you! haiku - use me!
black pearluse this page to test the style switcher in the top right hand corner - the page is at it's best at the full width - but as with all things on the web it is relative to the technology at your end and set to your particular needs - you may have a large 19" monitor with a 4:3 aspect ratio or a small monitor with a 16:9 aspect ratio - you may be visually impaired and have your font size set higher than the general population - whatever the case the layout will alter to fit your set up - not always as beautiful as we would like it to be - but still carrying out the main function - delivering well structured information - when building our websites we take into consideration all the information our clients give us about their end users - make sure you let us know about special requirements right from the beginning!