We Are ID

An essential ingredient... ID of course!

2011-10-20T10:37:00.008+01:00

About 3 months ago we were contacted by Essential Cuisine, a high-quality manufacturer of stocks, jus and glace to the food industry.

Their products are used all over the UK in Michelin Star rated restaurants and the best gastro pubs.

They have a great b2b business and felt there was a market to sell to consumers so they could enjoy their amazing stock at home, when entertaining or just cooking that special dish. Foodies around the country were in for a treat!

They had to develop packaging, a business model and an eCommerce website in less than 3 months, so the team they worked with had to be capable and efficient. The Hive were contracted to look at branding and packaging, and they did a fantastic job, see below:

Essential Cuisine took care of the business model and pricing. And the product of course!

Then Preston's digital agency Interactive Dimension took on the website. It needed to be an elegant eCommerce solution which was more than 'just' a shop. Essential Cuisine wanted to become a hub of information so we developed a recipes section and a tips area where they could post fantastic recipes for their customers and give that invaluable professional chef insight on how to deliver top-class food at home.

The content needed to be as prominent as the 'shop' itself to give the right feel to the site. It was important that the site attracted users who were there for information as well as to buy stocks.

We leveraged the Worldpay payment gateway (which has it's own challenges!) and needed to integrate with the Royal Mail labeling system Essential Cuisine used already.

It's a small site in terms of products featured, but the capability is there to grow via the content management system behind it all, and as Essential Cuisine bring new products to the consumer from their fantastic food industry range the site can easily accommodate them and allow them to feature in prime spots on the site.

As well as the eCommerce site, we also developed an email newsletter for them which will be delivered using our Campaign Monitor based system, and we created their social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Which is all starting to take shape. We advised on the social media strategy and empowered Essential Cuisine to take ownership of the social media rather than pay someone else to do it, which after all, is what social media is about! They're already running competitions on Facebook too!

Now it's about driving traffic to the site, Essential Cuisine already have a large user base on their food industry site, and a marketing strategy in place for the retail offering... we're supporting them with digital marketing services and are confident that the foodie community will quickly get on-board, after all, who wouldn't want to use the best stocks that up to now only the best restaurants could get hold of?

Most interestingly of all to the customers, is that Essential Cuisine's stocks work out significantly cheaper than the current gathering of 'quality' stocks you can buy in the supermarket. The equivalent amount of Truefoods chicken stock compared to £3.95 of Essential Cuisine chicken stock would cost you around £18.00, and wouldn't be as tasty or versatile either!

We think they're onto a winner, and we're glad to help make it happen.

NST Group are going places!

2011-10-03T09:58:00.006+01:00

We've just launched a new site for NST Group, a long-standing client.

New business is amazing, but there's something to be said for a client who recognises service and capability from their existing digital agency and doesn't judge them on what they have done 4 years ago... that said, the old site was still working really well for the UK's leading school trips and tours company.

A re-brand and new product portfolio along with high SEO competition in their sector made the decision to rebuild the site an easy one, and working with their existing partner, Preston's digital agency Interactive Dimension, made it far simpler for NST Group as we already knew their business and goals.

The site is a complex matrix of tours offered on a number of different user journeys including subject and destination. And we are bringing back taxonomy driven content on the tour pages using bespoke controls we developed into the Wordpress back-end.

It's a very ambitious site to deliver in Wordpress, but we believe the core product is an ideal starting point for most sites and offers a powerful engine on which to build and tweak to meet the clients exact requirements. And Wordpress offers a really usable CMS interface which the clients love to use.

There are hundreds of products on display, clear user journeys, bespoke forms, secure areas for teacher downloads and lots of other features.

The site went live Sunday night and was attracting inquiries at 7am the next morning... So we're happy with that, and so is the client!

The next phase is integrating reviews and comments and a rigorous SEO activity to make the most of the sites well structured and search optimised code.

You can visit the site on www.nstgroup.co.uk

Following on from this release, here's some client comments:

Hi ID,

I just wanted to drop you all an email with some feedback we’ve had on the website from people in the office. It wouldn’t be fair to keep all this from you!

‘Can I just say WOW! This absolutely blows all the other school travel company websites out of the water. It’s very clear and user-friendly.’

‘Well done – it looks fantastic!!! Worth all the hard work!’

‘Nice looking site’

‘Looks great’

‘I like it - a web site that’s easy to follow’

‘Wow! It looks awesome! You must have been working so hard on this!’

‘Looks amazing – you must be really pleased (and relieved!) to see it live. Brilliant job’

Thanks for all your hard work so far.

Helen

Latest Projeqt for Staniforth

2011-06-16T09:10:00.003+01:00

Yesterday we launched Staniforth's new website. An elegantly simple but effective site based on TBWA's Projeqt product.

It was a challenge to take the storytelling platfrom and create user journeys and website'esq content within it, but the end result is an original site which embraces an unusual approach yet feels easy to use and tells the Staniforth story well.

It's the second in a three site launch Interactive Dimension, Preston's digital agency, are involved in for Staniforth and we're looking forward to growing our strategic relationship in teh coming months.

Have a look at the site and you'll quickly grasp how to use the platform, and you can sign up for a beta account too on www.projeqt.com.

Today we will be launching their new company blog, keep your eyes peeled for that one.

PR Media Blog goes live... part 1 of 3!

2011-06-14T13:37:00.006+01:00

We're working on a series of projects for Staniforth, part of the TBWA group of companies. Staniforth are one of the leading PR companies in the UK and their PR Media Blog site runs a commentary on the PR and Media industry as it happens. It's a really popular site and the task for us was to bring it up to date whilst maintaining it's excellent positioning in Google and other SEO factors.

The next two launches we'll be doing are Staniforth's own web presence and their blog which will be covering different subject matter than the PR Media Blog of course.

The partnership between Preston's digital agency Interactive Dimension and Staniforth PR has been announced on How-Do and other online media blogs and signals a new set of opportunities for both companies.

Keep an eye out for the follow releases :-)

Time for something new!

2011-05-09T14:39:00.004+01:00

We've just launched a new website in partnership with the great team at The Hub in Manchester supporting their 'This is Your Time' campaign.

As ever with the work we do with The Hub, we're extremely proud to be making a difference to people's lives rather than just commercial sites trying to sell something. We like those too, and are great at them, but the type of site which encourages people to better themselves or offers them the support they sorely need is rewarding on many other levels.

if you need a new website, get in touch with Preston based digital agency ID and talk to us about your requirements, we'd love to help.

Very nice site for Very Nice Things!

2011-04-04T13:49:00.002+01:00

ID have just launched a new eCommerce site for Very Nice Things, an online retailer for all those lovely finishing touches on your home.

We've kept it really clean and simple, making it all about the products.

Very Nice Things is the brainchild of Emma Blackman and something she's been thinking about launching for some time.

We'd worked with Emma before and she knew working with ID the Preston based digital agency, she'd get excellent value for money and an eCommerce platform she can control herself easily and quickly to post new products as and when she gets them in stock.

The system has PayPal integration, top sellers, guest checkout, related products and all the features you'd expect from an online store.

We wish Very Nice Things great success and look forward to developing the site in the future with more new features as they are required.

Rewarding work? We like that!

2011-04-01T16:47:00.004+01:00

We've just launched a new site http://www.the-last-time.co.uk in partnership with the lovely guys at The Hub in Manchester.

It's a blog based site with all the help you might need if you are trying to give up smoking in the Greenwich area. Along with the site we're running a highly targeted Facebook campaign also to drive visitors to the site.

There's something to be said for work which actually helps real people in real ways. We're very proud to do this type of work. Check it out, and if you're trying to give up the evil weed and you're based down south, hope it helps you!

A unique site for a unique event… Preston Guild 2012 website is live

2011-02-08T17:01:00.007Z

As the countdown to Preston Guild 2012 starts to gather pace, the new website has been launched, created by Preston's digital agency Interactive Dimension.

The new website is closely integrated with social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter and will make it easier for users to have their say about events and announcements in the run up to the Guild.

The website will include information on volunteering to work on the Guild, opportunities to get involved and historical images from past guilds. People will have their photos featured on the site using Flickr, and there is a meet the team section so users can see who is working on coordinating the Guild and get in touch with them for more information. Street party packs will also be available which will help people to plan their own events for the Guild or even to celebrate the Royal wedding. It is also planned that the site will be used to sell Guild merchandise in the future.

Councillor Ken Hudson, Leader of Preston City Council and Chair of the Guild Committee, said: “The website is our international shop window for Preston Guild 2012.

“This is the first ever Preston Guild in the internet and digital world and we have to make the most of new technology. As well as finding a whole host of information about the Guild, people will be able to use the website to follow the Guild scrolls around the world, apply to be a Guild Burgess, register for one of the Guild processions and even buy 2012 Guild branded merchandise.

“I’m delighted that in the great enterprising and entrepreneurial spirit of Preston Guild, Interactive Dimension a dynamic Preston company has designed and created the website which will serve Preston well in 2012 and beyond.”

Jonny Wilde from ID commented - "This site was a major win for us, selected from a competitive pitch process we went in with ideas we'd not seen done before and an enthusiasm which obviously won the day! We're seamlessly integrating the site with the Facebook page so comments and attendees for each event are pulled into the site you can actually RSVP the event on the Guild site which will then let all your Facebook friends know, and of course this means the events themselves are fully synchronised. For us this was a perfect project to leverage Facebook for what it does best… People use it to talk about events and parties, get opinions about things and let people know what they are up to. The Guild will be all over Facebook in 2012, and we aim to make the official site the hub for that activity, it's a step change in how event sites should work in our opinion. There's also other cool bits like sms reminders, add to calendars, eNewsletters, video blogs, and all that good stuff. All the other social networks are catered for of course, but to some people moving forward Facebook is their 'social internet' so we really focussed on that".

The site will continue to be developed, including a mobile site and there's big plans to integrate Facebook Places and Deals for the Guild events…

Visit the site on www.prestonguild2012.com and check out what's coming up for Preston Guild 2012.

Google TV... the future?

2010-11-24T09:35:00.003Z

Well, it's almost upon us... well actually it's been around a while, with Apple TV, Boxee, and even Microsoft Media Center etc. we've been able to get web content on that glowing eye magnet in the living room for quite some time.

But the rumors are that Google TV is going to make it mainstream.

Part of me thinks that they won't, because they seem to terminally fail at mainstream because of their lack of finesse in everything they do, Android included. It may be more feature laden and 'open' (ooooooh!), but it doesn't feel as nice as the iPhone, I'm sorry, but it's true. It's the stuff of geeks.

Search is search, they got that right, and shaped how we search moving forward. But that's not consumer-land... TV is.

So, slickness aside what will it actually mean?

I think one of two things:

1) It will open up a number of new things to do in your front room, quickly search for stuff, add apps to enhance your viewing, browse the web and more and it will be a TV revolution even greater than the BBC iPlayer OR...

2) It will throw normal viewing habits into disarray as you go from (albeit increasingly unstructured and poorly produced) professionally created content with some real gems there for you when you need them, to total un-organised chaos. Gone are the days when people were home at 7.00pm to watch Corrie, that comfort or life order has already ebbed away, and this could finish it off for good.

Will we all become 'randomers' because of it?

Will quality broadcasting be killed by rubbish web based content, just like journalism has been harmed by amateur blogs?

I don't know. But I'd rather have the TV programmes I have now and a Boxee Box or an Apple TV or my PS3 for the other stuff I think. The examples seem to suggest Google have actually employed a designer for the UI for once on Google TV! But I have a feeling that slickness is just smoke and mirrors, Google aren't slick. And they aren't Apple. But boy do they want to be!

Apple should make an iToilet for a laugh, Google would be on it in an instance (no pun intended)!

Preston Guild 2012 win for ID!

2010-11-05T13:54:00.005Z

We've just heard we've been awarded the contract for the next phase of the Preston Guild 2012 website. Our proposals included some amazing social media integration, mobile sites and a excellent utilisation of the Guild 2012 brand developed by The Chase to make the most of the flexible and beautifully executed work they've done.

It was a competitive pitch which was thrown a googly by our Creative Director John having to speed home to his expecting wife who'd gone into labor! So it turned out to be a one man pitch, but it was great fun and we demonstrated our thorough understanding of the brief and bought new ideas and strategy to the table, as well as some beautiful calculated creative.

It's a tight schedule but we're committed to delivering the project and will all get behind it 100%.

More details will follow, and a proper release instead of this elated joyous 'just found out' type one!

Brazil mini site for Bodycote

2010-10-29T14:13:00.005+01:00

As Bodycote (an ID client for some 15 years now) expands into new territories we support them with mini sites to announce the capabilities from Bodycote.com and to publicise the capability in the host country.

We've just released a small site for their Brazil business expansion, it's live on http://brazil.bodycote.com.

The global leaders in renewable energy solutions practise what they preach

2010-09-28T14:34:00.016+01:00

ENER-G (www.energ.co.uk) based in Manchester, designs, develops and finances energy efficient and renewable solutions on a business-to-business basis globally. They deliver a comprehensive end-to-end service – from energy procurement and efficiency expertise through to renewable and low carbon technologies and services.

ID, the Preston based digital agency, have been working with ENER-G for over 5 years now and with their rebrand on the horizon and new requirements for the site it was time to re-scope and re-develop. Or so we all thought.

ENER-G had already invested in the initial website and CMS so the approach was planned to recycle the CMS and just develop new templates to represent and support the new brand. So in terms of renewable solutions this project delivered that promise always made when clients are looking at website development which is rarely delivered against. The site you buy will be able to be redesigned without having to buy a new website or starting from scratch.

There's been new features added to enhance the online presence for ENER-G like a jQuery hero area on the home page:

...and a deep linking SEO type footer which acts as a method of navigation when at the base of the page and highlights where the user is in the site. And obligatory social media sharing options handled by an AddThis widget:

A lovely jQuery based map of Europe helps promote their growing international portfolio via the CMS without getting caught in the messy Flash map scenario getting in the way of SEO and updatability:

And because this was ID's CMS in the first place coupled with our excellent development skills it didn't mean the system hindered the evolution of the site, which can happen with some CMS products. ENER-G could have exactly what they wanted.

ID created the online design after Happy Creative (www.happy-creative.co.uk) in Blackpool did an excellent job with the rebrand, having worked many times with 3rd party branding agencies and extending the clients brand online for the likes of United Utilities and BAE Systems this was an ideal project for Interactive Dimension.

"This is a demonstration of how important long term relationships are these days. 2nd and 3rd generation websites for clients is great for all involved, no need to get another agency up to speed and maximum cost effectiveness for the client and repeat revenue for the agency, it's a win-win situation for all.

"To top it all off, we're very happy with the site and feel it works well in our portfolio, they have a great team over there at ENER-G", said Jonny Wilde at ID.

You can have a look at the site on www.energ.co.uk.

New website from ID turns the spotlight on Preston

2010-09-09T14:22:00.006+01:00

A new website promoting Preston as a modern, creative, innovative European city has gone live.

www.prestonvision.co.uk features links with popular social media such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Flickr, allowing Preston people to get involved in discussions about the planned transformation of their city over the next decade.

As well as expressing their views on current projects and initiatives featured on the site, the public can contribute videos and photographs which celebrate the area’s beauty, heritage and personality to help raise the city’s profile as part of the bid to attract investment.

The fresh, sleek, clean website was designed by Preston creative agency ID and commissioned by Preston Vision Ltd, the regeneration company which is driving forward proposals to transform the city.

Preston Vision’s head of marketing and communications Emma Blackman said: “The website is a key part of our strategy to market Preston in a comprehensive and far-reaching way, bringing together the city’s best attributes and proudly showing them off.

“Preston is a vibrant, compact city with fantastic transport links and a lot of personality, this website will give Preston a new platform to stand alongside it’s European counterparts, showcase development opportunities and highlight Preston’s strengths in sectors such as advanced manufacturing , knowledge and design.

“The website is fully integrated in terms of social media so that Preston people feel part of it and, most importantly, can contribute towards telling the world what a great place it is to live, work or visit - it’s a celebration of Preston. Feedback from local people about our proposals now and as the projects are rolled out is also crucial.

“These are potentially very exciting times for Preston and its people as the city positions itself as a 21st century centre of knowledge and innovation.

“We were delighted to find the creativity and technological expertise needed for our website right here in Preston with the ID creative agency.”

Strategic Account Director at ID Jonny Wilde said: “It’s been a privilege to work on such an important site for the City of Preston. The new brand was easy to work with, and the client was great!

“Integrating so much social media into the site means the community can contribute and that’s something we’re interested in observing, to see how the social media and website channels blend - it should be very interesting.

“We’re very pleased with the final product and have enjoyed the follow-on opportunities with Preston Vision such as exhibition systems and email marketing, it’s a great relationship, and one I’m confident will only grow over time as we work closely moving forward.”

The site was developed using ID’s content management system (CMS) with several enhancements such as:

- Social media integration, including Twitter (both account and search related feeds), Facebook, Flickr (particularly the header on the ‘Preston is Evolving’ page which is made up of images drawn from Preston photographers), YouTube, Delicious and LinkedIn

- Pages tailored in terms of colour and style according to the user journey

- RSS feeds from tourism and property sites are to be integrated making the site a hub of information for the whole of Preston

- Site map footer which acts as the breadcrumb trail highlighting where the user is on the site, and delivering great linking into the content of the site

- Newsletter subscription which feeds directly into the email marketing platform

The site is built with search engine optimisation (SEO) in mind and features SEO tools in the CMS and rich keywords all over the site giving natural search success, especially relevant to the recently launched Google Instant.

You can visit the site on www.prestonvision.co.uk.

Mayes, more than accountants

2010-08-10T15:31:00.006+01:00

Mayes Business Partnership Ltd, the Accrington based chartered certified accountants and registered auditors who serve the entire Northwest are in the midst of a rebrand and refocus exercise.Experiencing great success in the provision of business services which confirm their moniker as Added Value Accountants they felt they wanted to evolve their brand to leverage the Mayes name, clarify their offerings and bring their image right up to date for the bright future ahead.

Appointing Preston digital agency Interactive Dimension (www.interactivedimension.com) to develop their brand and website, a thorough blueprint phase was undertaken which helped both parties focus on their customers and aspirations. Taking this step back, deep breath approach has rewarded Mayes with a fresh new, modern and unique look and feel to the company identity, one which will be followed though in all their marketing and communication materials over the next few months.

A detail of the logos bespoke type treatment:

"One thing which stood out to us was the need to leverage the great Mayes name and clarify what they do, but with a novel way to show they do so much more. Our creative team developed a clean, stylish and sophisticated brand that introduces the 'more than' concept which will be applied across their service portfolio. We're very pleased with the results and look forward to seeing it work hard for the client. We particularly wanted to boil the identity down to 'Mayes' as everyone knows them as that. They are an accountancy firm with a great personality, not a machine and we wanted that to be the focus." said Jonny Wilde from ID.

"It was something we'd all wanted to do for some time. It's a big step but we felt the timing was right; the future for Mayes is about focusing on what we do best to deliver great results for our clients, we simply do more. We can't wait for the full transformation to be complete and we're very excited about the future for us as a practice. This new brand identity spells it out for our existing clients and prospects alike." said Anne Parkinson, Managing Director at Mayes.

Moving forward Mayes will continue to provide the best possible value business development services for their clients, focused on accountancy, tax, audit and other financial services.

ID are in the process of developing Mayes’ new site which will showcase their services and host a number of value added tools for their clients leveraging web based technologies and systems integration with Mayes’ back-office systems. The project is perfect for ID with their creative, build and integration capabilities which have been homed and proven over the last 15 years the agency has been delivering digital solutions.

Why not catch their old website now on www.mbpacc.co.uk before it's replaced by www.mayesaccountants.co.uk which is currently in development.

Preston Carers come to ID

2010-07-23T10:05:00.001+01:00

Preston Carers support carers in the Preston area. They offer a host of information, advice, services, support and activities for carers.

They have selected Interactive Dimension the Preston based digital agency to support them with their new website design and build.

We'll be bringing the site up to date with an improved structure, design and content management system so they can edit the site themselves moving forward.

We're proud to support such a worthy organisation and increase our support for Preston as a whole. This, along with our Preston Vision win increases our local portfolio and we're very happy about that.

Keep an eye out for the new site, the current one is here: http://www.prestoncarers.org.uk/

Were you at WordCampUK?

2010-07-21T10:42:00.005+01:00

Last weekend Louis from ID attended WordCampUK, an "informal annual gathering of WordPress publishers, designers and developers based in the United Kingdom, held at a different location around the country each year". The event was a fantastic mixture of geeks, lead developers, plugin authors, theme designers and complete beginners to the WordPress platform. Louis has been using WordPress as a blogging platform for over 5 years, but in recent years WP has turned into something that Louis and ID use for full websites, not just blogs.

The event was held at the Metropolitan Business School in Manchester over the weekend 17th-18th July.

Saturday started off with a talk by Michael Kimb Jones 'How WordPress Themes Changed the World' (slides) which was a great insight into the very profitable arena of theme development for WordPress. Some of his own sites were featured which highlighted the very versatile nature of the latest WordPress platform.

Also on Saturday 'Wonderflux' was revealed. This is a framework which "bridges the gap between developer and designer enabling the creation of powerful WordPress themes & functionality" A great session by Jonnya gave us the basics of framework possibilities. Louis came out of this session feeling excited, particularly how versatile this framework could make his and our existing WordPress sites.

The quality of the content from all the speakers on both Saturday & Sunday was fantastic and catered for all WordPress users from beginners to hardcore fanatics. It wasn't just all talk though, there were several 'tracks' and activities to choose from as well as some superb Q/A sessions and some 'Site Doctor' arenas.

If you wanted to go but couldn't, there is good news! A lot of the slides from the speakers presentations are now available online, and the whole weekend was captured on video by the lovely folks at Orange Coconut this footage will soon be available on wordpress.tv.

Overall Louis got a tremendous amount out of WordCampUK 2010. He met some great approachable people who we're sure we'll be working with in the future on upcoming Wordpress projects. WordPress has now evolved! If you think WordPress is just for blogs, think again! ID think you will be surprised which sites you visit everyday are actually running on WordPress!

Many thanks to all who helped organise WordCampUK 2010 it was a truly great weekend!

Always nice to hear about clients success!

2010-07-20T22:15:00.002+01:00

Just had a nice sit down with a client who let us know they had reached their KPI for 'new business via their website for the year' within 3 months of it being live!

Really good to hear things like that, it confirms approach, reasoning, strategy and all those creative juices were all on-point.

In today's climate marketing spend has to be effective. Else it erodes the business and can quickly prove to be a burden rather than an investment. Talk to Interactive Dimension, the creative digital agency in Preston about your fears, aspirations, requirements around your website, intranet, branding, print or exhibition media. We're sure we can help. Today just proved it again!

Kenta is coming!

2010-07-14T18:53:00.004+01:00

Digital agency Interactive Dimension in Preston are in the process of finishing an app which will allow Private, Public and 3rd sector organisations to benefit from being able to manage their intangible resources and increase efficiency in ways they never thought possible.

The app build is going well. It will be ready to beta very soon. ID are in the process of recruiting pilot clients at the moment and the demand is really pleasing to see.

It's is exactly what large organisations need to navigate the uncertain paths ahead and transform the way they do business.

We call it Kenta. And it's an exciting venture between Interactive Dimension and Bodyproject. Interactive Dimension bringing our extensive branding, web design and website development skills to the partnership and Body Project driving a consultancy methodology which is truly revolutionary.

Watch this space... oh, and do 'like' it if you like the sound of it. That way your organisation could benefit from it too as you'll be kept up to date by our Facebook page.

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P.S. Thanks to you all Liking our Facebook page we now have the username URL of http://www.facebook.com/mykenta secured. Thanks!

Fresh Fish Sold Here Today!

2010-07-07T16:07:00.000+01:00

One of the best lessons learned throughout 20 years in design, marketing and communications was taught to me, not exclusively of course, by a truly inspiring old-school agency guy named 'Granville Jagger'.

Now Granville wore a bow tie every single day, and was always on-point and up-to-date with the latest equipment, software and techniques. What was most remarkable about Granville was that he was past retirement age, yet had one of the sharpest minds I've ever had the pleasure to be associated and involved with.

Anyway... Granville dropped 'Fresh Fish Sold Here Today' on me while we were working on a new brochure for Bodycote, one of his clients, now our client since he stepped down and we secured them after pitching against a number of agencies.

The cover needed to express the service offering without clouding it in frills, bumf and unnecessary words that could have made the subject matter dull and overly technical.

Obviously this isn't a unique or exclusive approach, lots of people know the story and I'm sure lots of people apply it to their design/marketing/comms approach. There isn't a book in it.

I just wanted to share it, I use it every few days myself still to this day and it's probably one of the best techniques to boil things down to their essence. Something that is critical in everything we do day-in day-out to gain clarity in a message, focus to an advert and the most relevant these days is probably cutting the crap away when delivering messages online. It's a 'known' fact that people don't read every word of your content online, they scan for points of interest, nuggets of interest and then progress until they find what they want, or lose interest and go and try elsewhere.

I say 'known' because truthfully we don't know, we assume, guess, make it up and base it on previous experience most of the time. It would be great to test and try everything with every client to know the facts about their users, but most clients don't want to spend money on that.

You probably know the story but here goes anyway:

A guy, walking past a fish shop, saw a sign that reads,

“Fresh Fish Sold Here Today”

Guy: I see you have quite some fish there.
Merchant: Yes, they are fresh from the dock early this morning. Would you like to buy some?
Guy: No, thank you, I’m just walking by, but I have some advice on your sign.
Merchant: Please share. I’d love to make it better.
Guy: Well, you don’t need to say ‘sold’. You’re a shop right?
Merchant: You’re right. (Erases the word).
Guy: Actually, I didn’t think you were selling it tomorrow, so I’d erase ‘today’, too.
Merchant: That’s true. (Erases).
Guy: While you’re at it, I’d also erase ‘here’ since you’re not selling it over there, are you?
Merchant: Err… right. (Erases that too).
Guy: You surely wouldn’t sell non-fresh fish, either, so ‘fresh’ has to go, too.
Merchant: Ok. (Erases).
Guy: Well, frankly, anyone can see that you’re selling fish, or are they fruit?
Merchant: (Erases). But wait…

Basically what this is telling us is:

No element should be in your design or message without reasons for its existence.

Of course there are arguments to be had, for example you could have changes 'Fresh' to 'The Freshest' to differentiate yourself if you were on a street packed with fish shops.

And you may introduce a picture of a fish on your sign to attract shoppers on a busy shopping strip easily.

These are all factors around the environment in which you are trying to promote yourself.

But the essence of the lesson remains. Keep it simple and the message will work. They will understand.

The relationship grows!

2010-06-11T11:23:00.002+01:00

Dead chuffed we're growing our scope of work with Preston Vision since they selected us for their website (ID have Vision). We're now working on advertising and exhibition materials for them.

As ever with ID it's about relationships which are mutually beneficial.

We want to win clients, not projects... and this once again proves our approach works.

One-page-site SEO success!

2010-05-07T10:20:00.004+01:00

The one-page-site we did for Northern Stock Auditors (http://www.northernstockauditors.co.uk/) has only been live for a few weeks and already it tops Google.co.uk for their key phrase 'stock auditors preston'. No mad science or witchcraft, no PPC, just good content. Very happy.

See the results here - till they change of course ;-)
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=stock+auditors+preston

ID Have Vision

2010-04-30T10:38:00.002+01:00

Preston Vision are joining forces with ID to create a new website to support their initiatives and projects elevating Preston in the minds of potential investors, residents and visitors.

It’s a strategically important project for Preston itself and we’re looking forward to creating a vibrant dynamic site which announces the new brand and leverages many exciting social media channels to involve the community and spark debate.

The website will come alive with images and comments from Preston’s residents and will empower Preston Vision to communicate project news and updates and engage the users of the site with the powerful IDCMS.

The pitch was open to the leading agencies in Preston and ID is proud to have been selected by the Preston Vision team.

Emma, Head of Marketing and Communications at Preston Vision commented: “Preston Vision felt that ID have exactly the right qualities and experience to help us to launch our first website, and we are delighted to be working with them”.

It’s going to be a lovely site and we’ll be pulling out all the stops to get it launched as soon as possible!

ID hit the nail on the head!

2010-04-29T11:38:00.003+01:00

We've just launched the new site for The Nails Place, a nail and beauty salon who came to us for a fresh new look to go with their fresh new salon.

The site is stylish, fun and glossy and suits the personality of the staff and owners perfectly!

Eventually the site will integrate an online booking feature and a PayPal backed online shop, becoming more of a revenue generator for the salon and point of contact and comms for the customers, the booking system will SMS appointment reminders and automatically assign appointment times moving The Nails Place ahead of the competition by leaps and bounds.

Happy client, happy ID, great fun!

Need help quitting smoking?

2010-04-16T16:11:00.002+01:00

We’ve just worked on a project along with The Hub on an exciting Quit Smoking campaign they are delivering. We developed a blog based website for them which helps explain the different types of ‘quitter’ and what’s available to help and support soon to be ex-smokers through the process.

We delivered a multi-journal based site, with a bespoke ‘quiz’ which determines the user’s ‘quitter type’ and then gives them more info relevant to them, news, hints & tips, etc and all controllable by the client. And open for comments from the public to help generate engagement and interaction.

Great fun working with The Hub (www.socialmarketinghub.co.uk), nice little project.

Check it out here – http://www.takesallsorts.co.uk.

New site for NSAL

2010-04-16T14:41:00.003+01:00

Northern Stock Auditors Limited needed to expand their reach, and yet are only a small company without the 'deep pockets' of (some of) our other clients so we wanted to give them something which had maximum impact but was fast to produce and brimming with value.

The result was http://www.northernstockauditors.co.uk/

They needed a brand and a web presence.

We started off developing them a lovely little identity and then a one page poster style site which tells the prospective customers everything they need to know. We used a bit of jQuery, Typekit and even a Wufoo form to get the job done.

Happy Anniversary Craig and Amy!

2010-03-10T12:00:00.003Z

2 years today... Congrats to Craig and Amy on their Wedding Anniversary. Here's to many more!

Remember the big day > http://weareid.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.html

No rest for the wicked!

2010-03-02T16:29:00.003Z

Going to be a busy month with 4 new websites, seo clients and a major new intranet release to get cracking on.

We also really want to make some time to improve our own site, the current one doesn't truly represent all the services we can provide, like social media strategy, online campaigns, digital marketing, SEM, SEO and PPC and it also doesn't fully explain our UX lead approach which ensures your project fully satisfies your users requirements.

We're also driving forward on the business development front too. Making new relationships and attracting interest from places we never imagined we would.

Above all, we'll be there when our clients need us with superb customer service, without that it's all pointless!

We must have been very naughty!

By popular demand...

2010-02-15T11:42:00.002Z

Here's the recipe for the AMAZING Oreo Truffles:

2 Packets of Oreo cookies, vanilla flavour
400g cream cheese
400g of milk chocolate
400g white chocolate (for the mottled effect, otherwise just use 800g of milk chocolate)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 teaspoon instant coffee

1. Place the oreos in the large sandwich bag, grab a rolling pin and on a nice firm surface give them a good bash up, the ideal mixture is somewhat small crumbs, rather than a powder.
2. In a large mixing bowl add the oreo crumbs, vanilla essence, instant coffee and the cream cheese , mix with a large spoon until they are well blended.
3. Place a very small amount of vegetable oil on your hands (helps stop them sticking to you) and take a small amount of mix, roll into a ball and place on a tin foil lined baking tray
4. Pop these into the fridge for at least an hour – preferably longer
5. if you have a double boiler – now is the time to break it out from the back of the cupboard, otherwise place a large pan on the hob with approximately ½” of water in the bottom
6. bring this to the boil and then back the heat right off to a mild simmer, place a large preferably pyrex glass bowl (as they can stand the heat) into the pan (but not so it is touching the water, we want to use the steam) place the chocolate broken up into chunks into the bowl, if you want the marble effect place them in a ½ and ½ within the bowl so they stay somewhat separate.
7. Once the chocolate has melted turn the heat to minimum and with 2 spoons grab the oreo balls, roll them in the chocolate and place back on the tin foil baking trays, repeat until all are covered, keep a close eye on the chocolate, it its heated to much it will thicken and be very difficult to work with, if in doubt remove (carefully!) the bowl from the heat and simply place it back if the chocolate gets to cold.
8. Once all the balls are covered in chocolate place back into the fridge for approximately an hour, they are then ready to enjoy! (as is the bowl with the bits of chocolate left in it- yum)

*Possible variations are very easy with this e.g simply substitute regular oreo’s for mint ones and remove the coffee for minty flavour instead!

**Warning, these will not last long, not because they go off quickly, more because everyone will want one!

Treats in the office today

2010-02-12T13:06:00.003Z

Craig made some Oreo Truffles today, they are going down a treat in the office.

Friday's are truly a joy!

RARing to go!

2010-02-08T16:46:00.003Z

ID were recommended on the Recommended Agency Register earlier this month meaning we can be found by clients searching for the following services:

Business to Business
Food and drink
Public sector
FMCG
Financial
Retail
Leisure
Travel
Charity
IT
Industrial
Healthcare
Media
Construction
Professional Service
Education
Arts
Utilities
Fashion
Tourism

We’ve been recommended by our clients for our digital, design and printed work and are now able to display the RAR logo on our site - which we are rebuilding at the moment so we’ll probably wait till the next release, you know what it’s like!

New brochures for Bodycote!

2010-01-29T11:30:00.004Z

We've just got the Bodycote Vital Link brochure back from print and we're very happy with it.

The brochure explains Bodycote's role in their client's supply chain, spelling out how they can enhance their efficiency and product integrity by saving costs and improving material properties.

Now the courier has to get them to Singapore before the 2nd!

Maz joins ID for a few weeks!

2010-01-19T15:13:00.005Z

Marianne is spending a couple of weeks with us. She's studying photography and has been shortlisted in the War On Want Photography Award. You can see her entry here - http://www.waronwant.org/news/events/events/latest-events/16755-document-photography-award-2010.

Here's one of Maz's shots:

Some more info on the award can be seen here - http://www.documentphotoaward.org/

Marianne will find out on Thursday how she did... fingers crossed.

While Marianne is with us she's looking at effective website design and usability, finding more out about the digital channels and what steps are involved in building great websites.

How-Do Article on ID

2010-01-13T12:29:00.003Z

We're very happy to see a well thought out article on us on How-Do.co.uk today.

Why not have a look - http://www.how-do.co.uk/north-west-media-news/north-west-digital-media/wilde-leaves-mando-for-interactive-dimension-in-preston-201001137195/

Twitter!

2009-11-09T13:51:00.001Z

We're on Twitter...follow us at - www.twitter.com/weareid

We've moved!

2009-10-12T09:46:00.003+01:00

After all the planning, clearing out and packing we've finally moved and settled into our new premises!

We're still in Preston and have found a great new office on Cottam Lane. Our new address is:

Interactive Dimension
Unit 6
Cottam Lane Business Centre
Cottam Lane
Preston
PR2 1AF

We've just about finished unpacking so why not pop in and take a look at the new place...we make a great brew!

Cooking with Craig....

2009-07-29T17:09:00.011+01:00

...and Happy Birthday Rob!

Last month we celebrated Hannah Oddy's 24th birthday with a 'lovely' Hannah Montana cake...to follow on from the (very new) tradition of extra special birthday cakes we sent Craig back into the kitchen to work his magic.

This time he really surpassed himself (and has a lot to live up to on the next birthday!).

His very special strawberry cheesecake (complete with a very fetching pink birthday candle) went down an absolute treat, and he has now set a precedent for birthday cakes from now on!

Biscuit base

100g unsalted butter, plus a little to grease the tin

200g digestive biscuits

50g caster sugar

Filling

500g cream cheese, at room temperature

200g caster sugar

3 eggs

2 tbsp cornflour

300g sour cream

1 tsp vanilla essence

How to make...

1 Lightly grease a 20cm spring-form cake tin.

2 Melt the butter gently in a small pan on a low heat. Roughly break up the biscuits and place them in a food processor. Process the biscuits for 2-3 minutes until they resemble fine crumbs. Add the sugar, then pour in the melted butter and process for 30 seconds to combine.

3 Put the biscuit mixture into the base of the tin, using the back of a tablespoon to smooth the surface evenly. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

4 Rinse out the processor bowl. Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl and process for 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the cornflour, cream and vanilla essence, and process for 30 seconds to combine.

5 Pour the filling into the tin and bake in a low oven at 150C/Gas 2 for 1 hour. When cooked, the cheesecake should be well risen, with a golden-brown top. It should feel slightly firm to touch - if the mixture still appears wet, continue to bake a little longer. When cooked, turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven, with the door open. When completely cool, place in the fridge.

Credit for the above to Gordon Ramsay!

For the additional topping that’s all my own:

1 Pack of Raspberries
2 (heaped) tablespoons of raspberry jam
100ml cold water
70g sugar

This ones an easy part, simply throw all the ingredients in a pan and simmer until the ingredients have fully dissolved, continue until the mixture has no loose water left and has started to thicken.

Cool quickly by placing the pan into a sink filled with cold water for several minutes (whilst stirring) once this is fairly cool to the touch spread generously over the top of the cheesecake and return to the fridge to set.

And the winner is...

2009-07-29T16:58:00.005+01:00

We've been running a bit of a competition here at ID over the last couple of months. After a bit of a website redesign and a reconsideration of our 'offerings' we decided it was high time we found out what our current clients actually thought about us!

With the enticing offer of a bottle of champers up for grabs we sent out a feedback form and asked our lovely clients if they wouldn't mind filling it out for us.

After an overwhelming response...a massive thank you to everyone who took the time out of their busy schedules to take part - we got ready to choose a winner.

Congratulations Leanie Welch from Bodycote!

Our MD, Karen, presented Leanie with the bottle of bubbly last week. Suffice to say our lucky winner was very happy indeed, and was looking forward to spending the weekend with her feet up in the garden and a lovely glass (or two) of fizz.

New website for IFHTSE...

2009-07-28T14:19:00.007+01:00

The International Federation for Heat Treatment and Surface Engineering (IFHTSE) is a not for profit body founded in Switzerland.

IFHTSE's central function is to promoter and generate international communications on important scientific issues.

Requirement
IFHTSE were looking for an easily maintained site that would provide clients with information about IFHTSE as well as up to date news on the company and events that were being held around the world.

The redevelopment
Since its redevelopment the website provides IFHTSE members and interested parties with a wealth of information about the company, its structure and education and training programmes.

Built using our CMS Express the site allows IFHTSE to add and update content quickly and efficiently. We also provided them with a bespoke secure members area, allowing registered users to log into the site to obtain more specific information on the company.

Visit the website

Cooking with Craig...

2009-07-15T10:36:00.007+01:00

We had an unexpected treat the other day when our Support Manager, Craig brought in some goodies that he had rustled up the night before.

The chocolate and vanilla cream pastry parcels were absolutely delicious, and the only complaint we heard was that he hadn't made more!

If you fancy trying them for yourself his receipe is below...

Required:
300ml whipping cream
Cocoa Powder
Cooking chocolate (milk rather than plain)
Filo Pastry Sheets
1 Shallow Muffin Tray
1 Vanilla Pod (fresh)
2 tablespoons caster sugar
Approximately 2 tablespoons golden syrup

· Take a regular sized muffin tin suitable for fairy cakes etc, remove 2 sheets of filo pasty and cut into 9 equal shaped squares
· Lightly grease the muffin tray & press the squares into the holes, pinching the corners
· Place a small piece of chocolate into the bottom of each one & then place a small square (just big enough to cover the chocolate) of filo pastry over the top
· Place these in the oven at gas mark 6 for approximately 8 minutes (or until just turning brown and crispy)
· Using a spoon squash the chocolate blocks in the parcels so the entire base is covered.
· Allow these to cool
· Split the vanilla pod and scrape out all the seeds into a small bowl, add the caster sugar and cream
· Whip the mixture until very thick
· Place the cream into a piping bag with a star shaped nozzle
· Once the parcels are cool put a large drop of golden syrup into the bottom of each & begin piping the cream in...don’t be shy, fill them all up!
· Once done place a spoonful of cocoa into a sieve and dust the finished articles
· Enjoy!

Why get a content management system?

2009-07-03T15:49:00.006+01:00

The majority of the sites we create here at ID are built using one of our very own content management systems. Take a look at the benefits to see if it would help your website...

Manage your own content
A key benefit of a CMS is that you are in control of your content and updates. There's no need to go back to your developer everytime you want to post a news item, or update some details. The ID content management systems are all web based as well, allowing you to update them from anywhere you can access the internet - and with no need to download any tricky applications.

Cost saving and efficiency
While the initial cost may be more than that of an html site the cost saving benefits of a CMS far outweigh that. By having control over your own content updates there is no need for costly developer input whenever you need to make a change. By cutting out a third party for content updates you're also adding to the speed and efficiency with which you can update...no need for out of date information to sit on your site for months!

Keep it fresh
Site visitors hate to see out of date content and old, invalid information. Keeping your content fresh and news - even by simply updating your news pages - shows visitors that your company is constantly evolving.

No need to be a technical whizz kid
Absolutely no programming skills are required to find your way around the CMS. It is easy to log in, navigate to the area you want to update and use a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You GET) to update your content. If you can use Word then using the ID CMS is simple!

Search engine friendly
Getting your website found is key to a site's success. All of our CMS's are built to include simple SEO tools, allowing you to make a start on optimisation (of course, if you want something even more in depth we can help you out with that as well!)

Fancy having a go on our CMS and seeing just how easy it is? Get in touch and we'll set you up a demo.

NST Ltd gets a new look...

2009-06-22T10:35:00.002+01:00

We've given NST Ireland a bit of a makeover with new landing pages and homepage amendments!

Based in Dublin, NST Ltd specialise in organising tours abroad for Clubs, Schools and Universities.

Having been working with the entire NST Group for a good few years now we have been working closely with NST Ltd to redevelop their site. Last year we brought the website up to date with a brand new look and enhanced technology giving customers access to detailed and informative content.

The brief
After speaking to NST Ltd's Communications team early in 2009 it became clear that the site's homepage and individual landing pages needed to be amended to cater for the increasing amount of information available to clients.

Incorporating tabs into the pages now means that NST Ltd can communicate a wide range of information quickly and effectively to site visitors.

Visit the website

Congratulations Hannah and Adam!

2009-06-04T10:45:00.005+01:00

When Project Co-ordinator Hannah Oddy headed off to Walt Disney World on holiday she didn't realise she'd be coming back an (almost) married woman!

After months of saving, planning and endlessly watching the American dollar rise and fall against the pound Hannah and Adam headed out to Florida for the trip of a lifetime. What Hannah didn't know was that tucked into Adam's football socks (something she would NEVER go near) was a sparkly engagement ring!

Dolphins, fireworks and the big question
After spending their first week swimming with dolphins, touring Universal studios and fighting off comic book heroes, Hannah and Adam finally got to the culmination of their trip, 5 days at Walt Disney World.

After watching the firework display over Cinderella's Castle Adam went down on one knee (not literally, it had been raining!) and proposed.

Much to his relief Hannah immediately said yes and is now happily planning their wedding. Congratulations Mr and Mrs Dell'Armi to be!

ENER-G gets a makeover!

2009-04-28T10:49:00.008+01:00

We've redeveloped the ENER-G site, giving it a fresh look and enhanced features.

Based in Manchester, ENER-G delivers sustainable and efficient energy solutions for customers all around the world.

ENER-G brief
As their website hadn't been redeveloped for a number of years ENER-G wanted a new, fresh look and enhanced features, which would bring the site up to date and strengthen the ENER-G brand.
The company prides itself on its green credentials, and wanted the new site to reflect this in both style and tone.

Makeover
The site provides ENER-G with new and enhanced tools and technology. This gives their customers and prospective clients access to a vast amount of information about the products and services ENER-G provide.

The new site uses the ID Content Management System allowing ENER-G to keep their content up to date, and relevant to all their target markets.

Visit the website

New look for New City Software

2009-04-24T10:56:00.003+01:00

When you've got 20 years of experience under your belt it's good to get a makeover every once in a while.

With that in mind New City Software approached us to create a new identity, as well as developing three brand new websites for them.

New City Software is the parent company of Insurance Data Migrations and Northwest Data Migrations. They were looking for an approach that would link the three businesses together, to unify their online and offline presence, whilst at the same time requiring each to be identifiable in it's own right.

The new branding clearly communicates with New City Software's target audience and builds on their already established professional status within the industry.

The project consisted of developing the brand, a range of printed stationery and electronic media templates, not to mention the three websites. Initially the emphasis was on designing a new website for Insurance Data Migrations, with additional websites required for Northwest Data Migrations and New City Software respectively.

IDM's new CMS driven website features a comprehensive overview of the company and their values. It also contains useful links to blogs and forums. Paul Johnson, IDM's Managing Director, aim is to create networking opportunities with other professionals and insurance sector service providers.

"We are committed to building long-term trustworthy relationships with our customers and partners and we will go the extra mile to find creative and innovative solutions to ensure our clients data integrity is assured,”

ID news roundup

2009-03-03T16:10:00.005Z

While it may seem that things have been a little quiet on the ID front we can assure you that we've not been sat around twiddling our thumbs!

Ever since we returned from our Christmas break we've hit the ground running. We've been working with clients, both old and new, who are using the beginning of the year to give their branding and websites a facelift.

On the print side of things we've been helping clients get their Annual Reports and financial results published, as well as working on company magazines and brochures.

'Go live' dates are approaching fast, and we can see print deadlines on the horizon, so keep your eye on the ID news pages in the coming weeks to see just what it is we've been working on.

We're also creating some pretty interesting new features for our website as well...

PS. If you saw our ID calendars and feel like your desk is missing out on the extra decoration (and they're practical too...) just send us an email and we'll do our best to get one over to you ASAP. We've only got a few left so grab them while you can!

A real page turner

2009-02-20T10:30:00.012Z

The latest issue of Yorkshire Water's Clear guide proves to be a real page turner!

Each year Yorkshire Water put together a printed magazine that they send out to their customers with their bills. It contains all the latest information on what they've been up to recently, as well as handy tips, great offers and fun competitions. For the last three years ID has been involved with the translation of the guide from print to web. Each year the guide has gone through a transition and, with the introduction of new development techniques, it's become far more interactive for online customers.

This year saw the introduction of a page turner mechanic giving us the flexibility to accurately mimic the offline guide more than ever before.

Check it out here

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2008-12-01T09:50:00.005Z

...and we plan to welcome the New Year with our very own makeover!

New year, new look...
You may already have noticed the ID bubbles creeping onto our email signatures and thanks to our Graphic Designer, Sarah, they've been popping up all over the walls of ID HQ as well!

Our brand new (and beautiful!) website has been up and running for a few weeks now, but if you haven't had chance to look over it properly, then please take a look around and see what we've been up to recently. With updated print and online portfolio sections, it might surprise you just how much we can offer you!

Plans for the future...
Our website is under constant redevelopment. Plans for the future include a glossary that shatters the wall of technical terms from our industry, plus a mailing list registration that will keep you up to date with all our news and projects.

If you are looking to enhance your company profile for the New Year, drop us an email to find out how we can help.

And finally...
Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without presents, so we've put together our very own branded desktop wallpaper calendars - with all the bubbles you will ever need! Not only will they let you keep a track of how near the weekend is, they brighten up your desktop as well.
We'd like to wish all our clients and suppliers a very Merry ID Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

ID's triumph over the mighty goliaths

2008-11-17T15:49:00.004Z

Following on from the recent successes in the W3 Awards, ID have been awarded a silver award for the NST Group website in the 2008 Davey Awards.

We recently entered the NST Group website rebrand and are proud to announce that we came away with a Silver award in the travel websites category!

What are the Davey Awards?
The Davey Awards is an international creative award, focused exclusively on honouring outstanding creative work from the best small firms worldwide.

The annual International Davey Awards honor the achievements of the 'Creative Davids' who derive their strength from big ideas, rather than stratospheric budgets. 'David' references the David who defeated the giant Goliath with a big idea and a little rock - effectively paying homage to the sort of thing small firms do each year.

The Davey Awards may be for smaller organisations, but the judges have big reputations. The Davey is sanctioned and judged by the International Academy of the Visual Arts, an invitation-only body consisting of top-tier professionals from a "Who's Who" of acclaimed media, advertising, and marketing firms. IAVA members include executives from organizations such as Condè Nast, Disney, Estee Lauder, HBO, Monster.com, MTV, Polo Ralph Lauren, Victoria's Secret, Yahoo! and many more.

Winning criteria
Entries are judged to evaluate distinction in creative work.

In determining Silver winners, entries are judged on their merits based on a standard of excellence as determined by the IAVA, plus considering the category entered. Entries are scored on a ten point scale by the judges. Generally, Silver Winners receive a score of 7.0 to 8.9.

The NST Group site is visually appealling with strong links to both brand - NST Travel Group - and audience. Combining functionality with visual design, the site uses destination listings, page features and strong emotive imagery to engage the audience. Behind the scenes, our Content Management System ensures that the site is easy to use and control from NST's point of view.

Going for gold

2008-10-20T16:07:00.005+01:00

Following in the footsteps of Team GB, Team ID came away with two Golds in this year's W3 Awards...

We recently entered the Yorkshire Water Recreation site into the 2008 W3 Awards and are proud to announce that we came away with not one, but TWO gold awards!

What are the W3 Awards?
Approved by the International Academy of Visual Arts, the W3 Awards is the first major web competition to be accessible to everyone - from the biggest development companies to the smallest firms.

Upholding a high standard of excellence, the winning entries are selected by the IAVA from a multitude of international entries. Less than 10% of entries are selected as gold winners and we were one of twelve UK based companies to receive a gold award. Each category could have multiple winners, or no winners at all.

Winning criteria
The criteria for website based entries included creativity, usability, navigation, functionality, visual design and ease of use. We won in the web-based PR and Branding categories, which takes into account all of the above, as well as the development of the marketing brand and connection of the organisation to its intended audience.

The Yorkshire Water Recreation site is visually appealling with strong links to both brand - Yorkshire Water - and audience. Combining functionality with visual design, the site uses Googlemaps, video and social networking links to engage the audience. Behind the scenes, our Content Management System ensures that the site is easy to use and control from Yorkshire Water's point of view.

A facelift for University and College travel

2008-09-10T16:20:00.006+01:00

As a leading provider of studytours at unbeatable prices, NST StudyLink required a website that could integrate well with the values of the existing offline tools.

Using the ID Content Management System, the redevelopment included a new design that tied in with the colourful, aspirational and lively brochureware, whilst providing Tour Group Leaders with a range of contact options to initiate sales. Through using the ID CMS, StudyLink no longer need to rely upon only their hard copy brochures to communicate their offer led messages. The site offers extensive flexibility, including easy updates, clear navigation and a wealth of country, subject and tour information.

Interactivity and a wealth of information on the homepage was very important to StudyLink and so the use of a tabulated area on the homepage allowed them to present 4 times as much information that would be possible on a traditional static homepage.

Ireland based NST site receives a new look

2008-09-04T09:56:00.003+01:00

As part of the continuing development of their online presence, NST Ltd, has been the latest part of the NST family to receive the ID treatment!

Based in Dublin, NST Ltd specialise in bespoke tours for groups to the UK, Europe and Worldwide. All types of groups are catered for, including Schools, Universities, Clubs, Societies and Organisations.

Following on from the redevelopment of the UK's NST Travel Group back in January this year, a dedicated team at ID have been working closely with NST Ltd's Communications team to redevelop their site.

NST's brief
The website redevelopment was to provide NST Ltd with the tools and back-end technology to allow customers access to far more detailed and informative content.

As the website had not been redeveloped for several years, NST Ltd also wanted to bring the website up-to-date with a fresh new feel, much more in keeping with their current branding.

New features
ID's Content Managment System allows NST Ltd to keep their content up-to-date and as relevent to their target market as possible.

Fresh, clean new layouts allow NST to provide information in a more logical and concise way.

Kim Purcell, Product Development & Marketing Coordinator of NST Ltd, summarised the finished product, "I'm very happy with how the site has turned out and really impressed with ID's professionalism & the work they have done".

We would tell you...

2008-08-21T09:58:00.003+01:00

...but we can't! For the past few months, we've been working on several bespoke projects at ID headquarters, but they're so top secret that we've been asked not to tell the world about them.
In true James Bond type styley, several of our clients ask us to respect the fact that they don't want to disclose the details of the work they ask us to produce. And that's fine with us!

What can we tell you?
Calling on our agent's talents, we have developed a number of bespoke internal applications, including an online briefing tool for employees and a system designed to formally identify and award employee's ideas for improving business. Ooh, the mystery!

We've also just finished work on a powerful intranet for a leading insurance company and are now working on another top secret mission for one of the UK's biggest companies.

Non-sensitive projects
Rest assured it's not all confidential files and secret meetings here, we're also working on lots of new projects that we'll soon be able to shout from the rooftops about!

Watch this space for updates over the next few weeks.

New faces...

2008-07-17T10:02:00.002+01:00

With new business coming in all the time, as well as continuing work with current clients, the time is right to start expanding the ID team...

As we're a small team, personality is just as crucial as the qualifications you hold. We have a dynamic that works well, so our goal is to find new staff who contribute to that set-up and really add something to the team.

Introducing...
Rob Carlow has joined us a web developer. A recent graduate, Rob has spent a couple of years working as a software developer before joining us. Under the guidance of James, our Web Development Manager, Rob will become an integral part of the team responsible for maintaining and supporting our current web portfolio.

Hannah Dornford-May is our new Marketing Executive. Working with the project management team on internal and external projects, she is also responsible for the management of the ID website.

Project Manager, Rebecca, is pleased with the new additions, "Both Rob and Hannah have settled in really quickly. They've each had a steep learning curve, but have taken it in their stride and made real contributions to our work. It already feels like they're part of the furniture!"

Want to know more?
Head on over to our meet the team page where you can get the lowdown on all the ID people - old and new!

It's twin girls!

2008-07-10T11:00:00.002+01:00

Hannah Oddy, our Project Co-ordinator, has become a Mum (to two beautiful kittens)...

Once upon a time...
Izzy and Bella (then called Jill and Purdy) didn't have the best start in life. Born as part of a small semi-feral colony living in the garden of a Lytham hotel, it looked likely that they wouldn't have had the chance to become the fun-loving cats they are today.

Luckily, the hotel's owner took pity on Izzy and Bella, their mother and two other littermates, by feeding them and gave them a place to stay. When the kittens were two weeks old, the hotel owner grew concerned about their future and took them to Easterleigh Animal Sanctuary in St Annes.

Once at Easterleigh the kittens were well looked after. It wasn't long before Hannah and her partner, Adam, came for a visit and fell in love with two pairs of beautiful blue eyes! As the kittens were only 4 weeks old, Hannah and Adam had to wait an agonising 3 weeks before they could come home.

"It was like waiting for Christmas to arrive!! I've always wanted cats of my own, but because my Dad was allergic I wasn't allowed any. Since buying my own house in January I've been planning for them, we only planned in adopt one kitten, but on seeing these two we fell in love and couldn't choose!!"

When brought home, the newly named Izzy and Bella were incredibly shy, but it didn't take long before they were exploring every hidey hole in the house... and trying to climb the curtains when nobody was looking!!

...and they lived happily ever after
Izzy and Bella are now 5 months old and have come a long way since they first arrived. Both are now no longer shy kittens, and love nothing better than to roll around on your lap for some belly tickles. They are also particularly fond of tucking into a plate of tuna and taking the odd nibble of unsuspecting toes!!!

Can you help?
Easterleigh Animal Sanctuary is run by a small group of volunteers relying on donations and support from the public. If you're looking to adopt a pet, or think you could help out in some other way, please visit their website for further details.

Craig's big day

2008-03-17T16:17:00.003Z

Some couples prefer the traditional church, some like to keep it simple with a registry office, whilst others go a little crazy and leap off a bridge tied to a bungee rope.

Not so for Craig, our IT Support Manager. Whilst the rest of us were busy working on March 10th 2008, Craig and Amy were half way around the world in the Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Hosted by the Iberostar Costa Dorada hotel, the wedding was signed and sealed by one of the town judges. Craig and Amy exchanged vows yards away from the sea and sand, in the company of friends and family. Craig summed it up well... 'It was the best day of our lives. We wanted to have a wedding that was out of this world and had been planning this for months. When the day finally came, everything fell into place and it'll stay with us forever'.

The day was captured by the hotel film crew, which meant Craig and Amy could share the day with the ID crew on their return... with wedding cake! For friends and family that couldn't make it to the Domincan Republic, the couple held a reception party in the UK on March 22nd 2008. And best of all, Amy got to wear her wedding dress a second time!