The Project Office - September 2006
Overview: The Project Office (TPO) is a global management consultancy company based in London and South Africa. The task was to build a website for TPO that will create wider awareness of the services available from the company, provide quick contact details to create lead generation and to demonstrate their exclusive clients.
TPO Brand: TPO brand is 8 years old and is based upon a credible corporate idea. The brand itself is not as important to the company as their past experience – it’s more about their services and successful clients than anything else. So the site reflects that brand emphasis placing a high prominence on past experiences and successful outcomes. They are driven by what they do well, not how they look doing it which I thought was a fresh approach.
Strategic Challenges: There were no real strategic challenges as the information for the website was pretty much straight forward. The only issue was making the website complaint with the UK laws (508 and W3C) while at the same time creating a fresh and interesting site. The other strategic challenge is getting a site with a small amount of information get a high ranking on search engines, which of course is an ongoing project.
Responsibilities:
- Entire Project
- This website has been featured.
Orbis Security Solutions - June 2006
Overview: Orbis Security Solutions is a Western Cape based security company dealing in all aspects of risk management. The task was to build a website for Orbis which would create wider awareness of the services available from the company (brand driven), while at the same time creating an online space for Orbis to provide news to their customers (relationship driven).
Orbis Brand: Orbis’ brand identity portrays a feeling of credibility, global competence and professionalism. The central globe motif encircled by two orbiting red rings was created to represent the secure and encompassing feeling that defines Orbis. The use of the News Gothic typeface further establishes the brand as modern and as an expert authority.
Brand Feel: The Orbis brand is modern, professional and fresh. The Orbis website therefore needed to incorporate the feel of the already established brand and add specific elements to this communication feel. These elements included a sentiment of freshness, leadership and competitive tones.
Strategic Challenges: The website needed to communicate to users Orbis’ specific BEE credentials and the company’s goal of skills development and upliftment of their employees, while at the same time accurately demonstrating the expertise of the highly skilled management team and high quality of service.
Responsibilities:
- Frontend design and development
- CSS 2.0 and XHTML coding
- PHP coding
Roxy Surf School - May 2006
Overview: Roxy Surf School is a brand extension the Roxy brand (under the umbrella brand Quiksilver). The task is to build a website for the school which would create wider awareness of the services available from the school (brand driven), while at the same time creating an online space for the surfing community of the Cape Town (relationship driven).
Roxy Brand: Roxy is Quiksilver's junior girl's line. The brand portrays active living, the extreme sports lifestyle and embracing all aspects of life with the young girl in mind. The heart shaped crest, a feminine version of the very recognizable Quiksilver logo, was created to encompass the soulful, spiritual vibe that defines Roxy. Roxy continues to grow its line by practicing its proactive, progressive style of dressing active girls for all facets of life.
Brand Feel: The Roxy brand is both youthful, feminine and fresh. However, the Roxy Surf School brand needs to both incorporate the feel of the main brand and adds specific elements to its communication feel. This includes a feeling of femininity, a sense of a healthy lifestyle, a sense of community and a home-away-from-home.
Product/Services/ Market: The Roxy Surf School provides surfing lesions to the general public. Originally Roxy Surf School only provided surfing lessons to girl tweens and teens, however the company has recently begun offering services to men (Boys Surfing), older age brackets (Surfing Diva's Female 30+), Birthday parties and corporate functions. The Roxy Surf School Club also provides retail space where Roxy products, surfing gear and surfboards ar3e sold.
Brand Tone: Roxy Surf School must succinctly fit into the Roxy corporate brand. However, unlike the main Roxy brand, Roxy Surf School's tone must slightly change from a 'friend / peer' feel to a 'big sister' tone. Not authoritarian or domineering like tone, but more a kind, knowledgeable and as someone who you can come to for advice feel. This strategy has been developed in consultation with Roxy Towill (owner / leader) who has noted that Roxy Surf School has become a place whereby girls (students) can come to speak about issues in their lives. It has become a 'pseudo counseling center' for girls in the community that has become an important part of Roxy Surf School image.
Strategic Challenges: The primary challenge to Roxy Surf School is fitting the look and feel of the main Roxy brand while at the same time defining its own image and feel. Another challenge to the communication strategy is getting a tone that feels feminine, yet still appeals to men and potential corporate client.
Responsibilities:
- Frontend design
- Strategy development
- Information architecture
- PHP application coding
- WAP application development
Here are some of the sites that I’ve worked on in 2006. Haven’t worked on anything really ground breaking yet. But London is full of opportunities to get involved with really great things.
This year I helped establish a great web design and hosting company in Cape Town, Hit Delete, which I took helm as lead designer for a short while until I left for London. I’ll be adding the sites that are still in the pipeline at the end of July.
I’m a firm believer that the web is all about strategic communication. It’s more about the architecture of information than anything else.
So that’s why I’ve taken a wider approach to the development of websites. I code, I design and I develop applications in order to achieve the communication goals set out by my clients.
Other
2006
Work:
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