Are graphic designers ruining the web?

No, but neither are the Germans up for a bloody big war.

Fortunately, some things move on, unlike John Naughton. Cliff came across this article on The Guardian website yesterday and shared the love (or lack of) for it around the office. It ruffled my feathers to say the least – who are these people that want content only websites? I thought I’d be able to think of some instances that I would prefer simpler websites but I can honestly say that I can’t think of any reasons I’d want to view a text only website over a fully functional, beautiful, all singing-all dancing site.

With any form of considered communication, balance is generally the key to success. A website that is well designed and contains user friendly functionality is usually best balanced with being able to load at an acceptable speed. Studies show that over 60% of people will click away if made to wait for more than 5 seconds for a page to load – you can load a lot in 5 seconds, you don’t need ugly websites.

The wonders of WordPress

At Firedog our preferred content management system (CMS) is WordPress.

When I joined Firedog I had very little knowledge of the wondrous system. I have worked with various Content Management Systems previously; Kentico, Drupal and even a custom made CMS, but nothing lives up to the impeccable WordPress usability.

Alternative Developments – changing the perception of student accommodation

Student accommodation conjures up images of drab, grey, uninspiring box rooms. Not anymore, thanks to Alternative Developments’ bold new offering in the trendy East End.

Firedog is proud to be working with this game-changing company, creating a premium brand for an educated young audience. We pitched for this exciting opportunity and were selected from at least three other agencies.

We have since immersed ourselves in the development’s arty-fashion district – it is our neck of the woods after all – to create a stylish, understated look and feel for the brand that is now called Assam Place.

The writing is on the wall! Robert Montgomery’s billboards in Old St

We spotted these bill boards popping up around Old Street and now we’re delighted to have Robert Montgomery’s new exhibition just next door, at the KK Outlet gallery in Hoxton Square.

Firedog features on BBC Two – The fame with no shame

After a hard days graft at the office, I made my way home and sat down in front of the telly for some “switch off” time. It was not to be.

Having a look at the line up, I spotted a programme called The Fixer with Alex Polizzi on BBC Two. Mmm, I thought to myself, that rings a bell. A bridal shop. A mum with two daughters. More bells ringing. Then I recalled, last summer we were approached by Alex on behalf of Twofour to lend a hand in the making of a reality show. It was meant to screen this summer – So I was not exactly expecting my mug to be splashed across my Samsung in high definition. Does everyone look so, mmm, shiny?