We recently launched a large content managed website for TES Aviation Group – a large international, but Wales based aircraft engine management company.

For Matt and myself, it was one of those dream jobs – a fascinating subject, a great group of people and a thoroughly professional and forward looking organisation. One of the highlights of our initial alignment workshops was the tour of their vast facility in Bridgend, south Wales and getting up close to some of the most powerful engines in the world. A schoolboy dream.

We worked through our UX (user experience) processes, spending considerable time talking with the various teams in the organisation, gathering valuable insight into a very complex industry and its own unique set of interactions between client and supplier.

These interviews, combined with alignment sessions with the sales and marketing director and his team, user journey design, process mapping, competitor review and content audit meant we could design the IA (Information Architecture) and wireframe prototype matching the user’s’ needs tightly to TES’s business objectives.

Then our creative and interactive teams were let loose on the look and feel, extending their existing brand into online. The design was then wrapped around our content management system enabling the TES teams to keep their content up to date from anywhere in the world at any time of day or night (these guys travel a lot!).

The site is attracting a lot of industry interest as the analytics are already proving.

We look forward to a long and interesting relationship with TES. It is worth a visit just to see the most amazing (and valuable) coffee table in Wales – made of scrapped titanium aircraft parts.

The site uses S8080’s bilingual English/Welsh CMS and features an interactive and searchable road safety camera map, lots of help on what to do if you have been caught speeding and advice for driving safely for all types of road users.

GoSafe recently rebranded, so we were able to offer a very cost effective ‘refresh’ of their existing website, rather than a complete new build. Our creative and interactive teams also managed to re-skin the interactive driving game, ‘No Need for Speed’ – originally build by us several years ago.

The camera search application uses Google Maps to quickly show users the location of fixed, mobile and red light safety camera throughout Wales. Each precise location shows a host of data including the speed limit, collision and casualty figures.

The Dispelling the Myths section is a real eye opener – you can find out why cameras are placed at certain locations, and no, it’s not just to catch us out when we least expect it!

St David’s Day has taken over at www.wales.com. Fun, recipes and activities… you can even learn the Welsh national anthem phonetically.

Then test your Welshness with this multilingual interactive quiz.

http://www.apple.com/ipad/

Almost, but no quite. My credit card has gone back in my wallet.

Lifehacker have published detailed speed tests for our fave browsers…

Firefox 3.6 is out, Chrome’s stable version got a big upgrade, and Opera 10.5 is inching toward release. It’s a great time for us to break out the timer, process manager, and code tracker for some up-to-date browser speed tests.

You can find the results and the final scores here – hard luck Safari users

If you are also considering upgrading the OS on your PC, they have also tested the latest browsers in Windows 7.

Click on the image for a HUGE version – amazing stuff.

The Audit Commission’s Oneplace website goes live today.

Oneplace, designed by S8080 for the Audit Commission, lets you compare the quality of life in your area with the rest of the country.

I was lucky enough to judge the Swansea Metropolitan University’s recent Casual Games Awards 2009. The students presented their projects, based on projects set as part of their syllabus.

Tom Orchard won the BSc award showing a strong, commercial idea for a Snickers game featuring Mr T from the A-Team.

Richard Morgan won the BA award with a racing game that was not far off commercial standard and a first class side shooter too.

There is some very strong work coming out of the University at the moment and we are working closely with them in their second semester – giving the modules a more commercial flavour. We’ll be giving the students a project or two based on real-life commissions with real-life deadlines.

Well done Tom, Richard and all of the shortlisted students.

“The power of the Web is in its universality.
Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect.”

Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director and inventor of the World Wide Web

About a month ago, the W3C launched a redesigned version of their site which is easier on the eyes and easier to navigate. They’ve also taken this opportunity to add new content to the site, and one useful page which we wanted to share was this great overview of web accessibility: what it is, why you should worry about it, and how to make sites accessible. It also contains lots of useful links to more resources.

Link: http://www.w3.org/standards/webdesign/accessibility

In a very sensible commercial move (IMHO), Memory Map are to release their software on the iPhone platform.

Digital mapping has taken the outdoor industry by storm with new devices and software appearing regularly at trade shows. Memory Map software uses digital Ordnance Survey maps and currently is only available on the Pocket PC and the Road Angel device.

With the restriction to O2 lifted, this will make the iPhone 3GS the most complete digital tool for any outdoor enthusiast and help keep Memory Map well ahead of the game.

There is already a free OS Map application on the iPhone, [iOSMaps uses OS OpenSpace] but it is still quite early in it’s development.

Here is the quote taken from the Australian Memory Map forum…

Stop Press
Memory-Map is developing an i-Phone application that will be able to use the existing range of maps and charts published by Memory-Map. The release is expected in early 2010.

Fingers crossed this will apply to the UK too. Roll on ‘early 2010’.