Steelso V6.0

Just some of the topics that I’ve covered with various people in the last week.

It’s two months since we pushed this website onto the world and we’re going through our review process. If you’d like to see anything in the website that we’ve missed or that isn’t clear please either drop us a line or respond here. We’re all up for the feedback.

The search is over, we found the impossible. We found Allan’s replacement. More news to follow as we plan the grand unveiling in true footballing stylee.

I’d like to share a poem that was read to me last night by, of all people, a polis. He’s was saying a lot of good stuff last night while speaking at the Govanhill Housing Association’s AGM. It stayed with me all night and today.

Scotland
It was a day peculiar to this piece of the planet,
when larks rose on long thin strings of singing
and the air shifted with the shimmer of actual angels.
Greenness entered the body. The grasses
shivered with presences, and sunlight
stayed like a halo on hair and heather and hills.
Walking into town, I saw, in a radiant raincoat,
the woman from the fish-shop. ‘What a day it is!’
cried I, like a sunstruck madman.
And what did she have to say for it?
Her brow grew bleak, her ancestors raged in their graves
as she spoke with their ancient misery:
‘We’ll pay for it, we’ll pay for it, we’ll pay for it.’

by Alastair Reid.

I know that woman, met her husband too.

The polis was very interesting and had some great points. It wasn’t anything new to me, I had heard a great deal on my Common Purpose course last year, but he was a very intelligent speaker, clearly passionate about his job and determined to make a difference. Go on.

He asked everyone, before they go to bed, to write down three things during that day that made them happy. Three things, no matter how small, as lang as they made you happy. He said that if you did that in a week you’d be a happier person. I am already happy but I might just try it anyway.

Tonight I have new ‘Lost’ and new ‘House’. I’m as giddy as a fat kid round cake!

steelso :: Sep.22.2005 :: People, Social, TV, Thoughts, biscuitmedia web design :: 1 Comment »

Well we got our nice mention in the Drum, you can have a wee look at what the said about the GFO website and let us know if you agree or disagree.

I also was quoted in the Do’s and Don’t section. What pearls of wisdom fell from my keyboard? Well, what was printed was….

Do Have Fun. Online is probably the best place to have fun with your brand. That’s not about breaking brand conventions, just stretching them a little to engage a little.

and this little gem….

Don’t make people think. Thinking doesn’t really go down well on the Internet. If you give your users an option to do something then make sure it’s clear, concise and explain the benefits.

As in some kind of director’s cut DVD extra type thing I will also show you what was dropped from the final edit…

Don’t reinvent the wheel. If you’re taking a process online then make sure that you’ve mapped a similar off-line process to ensure that the experience is the same. This will help users orientate themselves to the process. Worst offenders? Restaurant booking websites that ask for your personal information first before giving you an option to find out if your table is free. Not one restaurant asks for that in the real world, why do it on-line? Monkeys.

Ricky’s deffo tip was dropped too. It’s still better than what I wrote…

Immediate impact means a lot, but the subtle difference of web design to traditional printed media is trying to try to think about how you get the user to the content quickly and effortlessly. It’s all about their time online and how to get them to where they want to be as quickly as possible. I suppose it’s similar to a magazine front cover and a contents page rolled into one- it has to appeal- but it has to concisely inform too. A website which is time-consuming to navigate is like a magazine with the pages glued together- frustrating.

Remember, nobody’s got any patience when they’re online- they’re full of Web-Rage.

I know I am.

Thanks to the Drum judges for their kind words.

I like posting at lunch, it feels so self indulgent.

Had a good look at Studio 8 and so far I’m kind of under whelmed, esp Dreamweaver. Admitally I’m not the guy who uses it all day, everyday but I am looking forward to getting stuck into a project to see if it does make life easier. Jamie will be diving into Flash Pro soon and I’m sure he’ll be posting away about it. I’m excited about the mobile authoring environment for Flash so it’s going to get sweet, quickly.

A good week here, the Visible Fictions sat-site is looking good and we’re just awaiting content, the Mono website proceeds apace and I have nice chat with Langs tomorrow to go over content and video scripts.

Off to a cheeky wee networking thing to night in Glasgow’s stylish Marriot Hotel. The guy who started Yo! Sushi is doing a wee talk about stuff. I’m really selling this isn’t I! It’ll be good and Tracey is going too, minus her wee clockwork motor. I am looking forward to it and it doesn’t run on for long. I hope.

Next week, apart from all the usual stuff we’re getting re-doing out homepage and also thinking about adding additional content. If you have any thoughts, hints, tips or suggestions then let us know.

steelso :: Sep.15.2005 :: Flash, People, Social, biscuitmedia web design :: 1 Comment »

It’s all been quiet at biscuitmedia, our heads are collectively down working away doing our do. So much so that there isn’t really that much to report. We’re lucky enough to do a wee microsite for a groovy theatre company by the name of Visible Fictions. The main website wasn’t designed by us (but with a bit of luck that will change) but we did do the micro site for the production last year, Into The Dark and this year we’re doing Big Baby’s micro.

The production sounds great and after seeing the design today I am delighted at how Ricky’s taken the elements of the poster and made it beautifully web based. It’s really good and I’m looking forward to launching it next week sometime.

We’re also mentioned in a magazine called ‘The Drum’ which is Scotland’s media and marketing magazine. The GFO website is listed as one of the best websites in Scotland, which is nice. I’m not entirely sure what the deal is, we may get slagged off as we’ve not seen the finished articles but we’ll see next week.

Ricky and I may also be quoted in a do and don’t feature in the magazine. My original don’t was my old stand by of ‘Never Eat Anything Bigger That Your Own Head!!!” but Ricky wisely pointed out that really wasn’t relevant when creating a web development. Twenty minutes of hot debate and I was forced to concede the point. Swine!

If we don’t get our pearls of wisdom mentioned then I’ll post them up here as I’m not letting the 2 minutes I spent on it go to waste. It was a busy day. Even if it does get included I’ll post it up then those 2 minutes will have been really productive.

Sky are showing the last season of 24 on the tellybox and I enjoy watching it on a non-demand, not on DVD way. I got season 3 on DVD and I found it annoying. I think you need a break from each episode to properly appreciate the next one. I am enjoying the series a lot more as a result. When I grow up I’m going to Jack Bauer and torture people for a living. Cool.

Tomorrow is me doing my legendary impression of a blue bottomed fly, dashing about Glasgow, meeting and greeting. Mono in the morning, up to Langs, hopefully popping in to 999 to pick up some images, meeting Visible Fictions for design sign off then meeting Mr. B for a wee chat. Looking forward to Mr B, he gives exceedingly good chat.

Magic.

Take it easy,
Steelso

steelso :: Sep.07.2005 :: TV, biscuitmedia web design :: 2 Comments »