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Mar
31
2009
Our creative team have been working on a series of Flash designs that have been commissioned for Adobe’s Acrobat 9 release.
The model in the designs above is our very own eMarketing project manager, Sali. The guys have also just completed a double page spread for Men’s Fitness magazine and just about the whole team appear in it (in various states of undress!) – you’ll have to wait to see that one.
You can take a sneak peek at the Adobe work here.
Mar
30
2009
Picked up this amazing little book for my sons in the National Gallery last week.
Pretty incredible stuff using a new technology called Scanimation, take a look at the video to see what is achievable. If you have kids, they will LOVE this book.
There’s never before been a book like Gallop! Employing a patented new technology called Scanimation, each page is a marvel that brings animals, along with one shining star, to life with art that literally moves. It’s impossible not to flip the page, and flip it again, and again, and again.
A first book of motion for kids, it shows a horse in full gallop and a turtle swimming up the page. A dog runs, a cat springs, an eagle soars, and a butterfly flutters. Created by Rufus Butler Seder, an inventor, artist, and filmmaker fascinated by antique optical toys, Scanimation is a state-of-the-art six-phase animation process that combines the "persistence of vision" principle with a striped acetate overlay to give the illusion of movement. It harkens back to the old magical days of the kinetoscope, and the effect is astonishing, like a Muybridge photo series springing into action—or, in terms kids can relate to, like a video without a screen.
To find out a bit more about the book, take a look here.
Mar
27
2009
Here’s some usability research on mega drop-downs which have been appearing on sites (particularly clothing sites and online shops) recently: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/mega-dropdown-menus.html undertaken by useit.com .
They are those big, chunky, typically 2 column drop-down panels which group navigation options, use typography, icons and tool tips to provide the user with links to content within a section of the site – meaning everything is visible at once with no scrolling.
The bottom line is that regular drop-down menus have many usability problems, but the mega drop-downs from usability studies have overcome the limitations.
Finally, it’s important to test the drop-downs, make sure they don’t obscure other key navigation devices (particularly search) and understand accessibility issues for assertive technologies and mobile devices.
Source: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/mega-dropdown-menus.html
Mar
27
2009
Matt and I had a couple of hours to kill in London yesterday after a meeting, so we grabbed the chance to see the Picasso exhibition, Challenging the Past, in the National Gallery.
The exhibition focuses on his variations of the Old Master’s classics including Velázquez’s ‘Las Meninas’ (The Maids of Honour). This huge monochrome canvas is one of over 50 Picasso interpretations of this painting and his caricature of King Philip IV, when compared to his formal portraits, is hilarious.
Other favourites were the atmospheric (and pretty scary) Absinthe Drinker (1901) and the almost psychedelic Man with a Straw Hat and an Ice Cream Cone (1938).
But for me, the highlight of the day was the chance to see my favourite Picasso ‘in the flesh’ – the stunning 2 metre tall Large Bather, painted in 1921.
Mar
20
2009
Analytics is a really important part of what we do for our clients here at S8080. It provides us with measurable, comparable statistics that we can use to gauge the success and effectiveness of the websites that we build.
Keeping a constant eye on Google Analytics just got easier, with the launch of Analytics App for iPhone. This isn’t a Google product, but it integrates seamlessly with your Google Analytics accounts, providing easy on-the-go access to over 40 of the various Analytics reports. It even supports multiple accounts, which is especially useful if you have a large number of sites to monitor. For more information, visit the Analytics App website at http://analyticsapp.com, or go straight to its entry on the iPhone App Store.
- James
Mar
19
2009
Google Street View has been around for a while, and now it’s finally come to Swansea! Street View allows you to take a virtual walk around cities across the world – for example, check out Big Ben, the Colosseum in Rome, Cardiff Castle, or even S8080 headquarters:
If you haven’t used Street View before, check out Google’s Street View page, and the Street View introductory video (below).
- James
Mar
18
2009
Split testing is an essential tool when we are running digital marketing campaigns for clients. Banners, PPC, email marketing and landing pages are all tested ruthlessly – everything from send times to subtle changes in subject lines – a couple of percent can make quite a difference in CTR if you are mailing 10K recipients or achieving 30K Adwords impressions.
The secret is, don’t stop there. Split your winning subject line again, refining the copy and trigger words even further. Over time, these tests will have a measurable impact on your open/render rates and your CTR.
Don’t stop at your emarketing either. Your homepage could probably do with a bit of a workout.
Google have posted an interesting article giving some tips for webpage design in their The Power Of Measurement series. They did some split testing on their Picasa homepage with some surprising results.
Version A
Version B
Now, you might be asking yourself, “With so many different aspects of my website to test, how do I know where to begin?” Here are four design tips to pay attention to:
- Tip #1: Pass the 8 second test. At first glance, a visitor should understand the purpose of your website within a few seconds. People are busy and have limited attention spans — you want to keep them from hitting the dreaded back button.
- Tip #2: Tell them what’s in it for them. Create clear and tangible benefits (e.g., “Save more! Make extra money! Look better with our product!”).
- Tip #3: Use compelling images. Try product images instead of generic stock photos, icons with blocks of text, and buttons instead of links. Keep in mind that a low-quality, irrelevant image can kill your site’s credibility.
- Tip #4: Close the sale. Help your visitors take the next step. Make that step clear and easy to reach; don’t make them hunt for it. Action words like “buy now” may work better than “add to cart,” for instance.
The bottom line, sites or marketing – don’t guess – test.
Mar
12
2009
If you have a few minutes (and a webcam), take a look at this and then go and try it. Jaw droppingly amazing fun!
As soon as we have a spare hour or two, our guys can’t wait to start playing with this stuff. Watch this space.
Mar
10
2009
Mar
9
2009
This weekend we launched Welsh Space Invaders for one of our clients. I won’t tell you who, you’ll have to give it a go to find out – it has a sting in its tail!
Our illustration team worked very closely with our Flash guys to make this classic arcade clone look fantastic. If you are Welsh or love Wales – this will make you grin, I guarantee it.
Dig in behind a pit head, Conwy Castle and the Millennium Centre and let the battle commence.
