cultureblog

Have you ever been to a tradeshow, corporate event, or retail shop and marveled at the creative and innovative designs surrounding you?  We certainly have… and that’s only one of the reasons that we’re thrilled to announce the newest addition to the Durrani client family: DisplayWorks!

DisplayWorks is a premier exhibit house with over 30 years experience, an award-winning portfolio, and client list of high-profile companies spanning a wide range of industries.  They create custom-designed themed environments, including tradeshow exhibits and booths, interior environments for retail and corporate spaces, and event decor.  DisplayWorks operates under the motto Listen. Analyze. Create. which drives their service-oriented approach to each client and each project. 

DisplayWorks came to Durrani to redesign their website, and  we are excited to create the new site to be an online showcase of their extensive portfolio as well as a tool to show potential clients all of the services and experience that they provide.

Durrani Design + DisplayWorks.  We think this will be the beginning of a beautiful partnership.

In the day to day hustle and bustle of running your own online business, it’s important to periodically go through your own website and ensure that things are in proper order. Just as you would with any retail business, it’s important to “walk the showroom floor”, so to speak and make sure that the things you depend on to operate your business are functioning correctly. With your online store, you should go through every step of your checkout process and actually run a live dollar transaction to make sure that everything works and also that your customer experience is the way it should be. Things are constantly changing online – new web browsers get released and updated, website hosting servers get patched, security subscriptions expire etc, and these changes can cause formatting errors, popup security alerts and even broken pages and checkout problems. Very often these problems could be occurring for days or even weeks before you find out. Don’t rely on your customer to take time out of their busy day to notify you of any errors they encounter.

This is especially important if you have employees making continuous updates to your website content. Most shopping cart platforms, including MIVA Merchant, have global headers and footers for content that is included on every page of the site, such as your site navigation links, footer information and promotional banners. This content is being delivered to the web browser when a visitor is on both non-secure pages as well as on secure pages, such as when in the checkout process. As the global areas of your site get updated with new content, you need to make sure the links to banners or security badges or any tracking codes are created correctly so that they are accessible on every page in the website and do not cause security alerts or broken images.

Of course, having a reliable and professional development support team handling your store maintenance and website updates will minimize any shopping cart problems, but it’s always smart business to be hands-on with your online store. Even in the absence of any technical problems, it’s still a good idea to run through things and keep the customer experience fresh and up-to-date. Never just assume that if your shopping cart worked ok yesterday, it still will today. Check, check and triple check.

Our very own Durrani Design website was recently chosen by the website Reencoded.com, which is a resource for web designers and developers, as an example of great background design!  At Durrani, one of the things we’re proud of is our intricate, detailed background images.  And as Reencoded.com notes in their post, “background images are one of the core features in web design that help  make a website design visually interesting.”

We’re excited to be recognized for our design, and to be a part of this collection of great websites.  Check out the article at http://www.reencoded.com/2009/08/23/website-background-images-examples-and-implementation/

Want more business?  Of course you do.  What better time to focus on taking your business to a new level than a new year – and a new decade?  Read on, and make it your resolution to follow these tips in 2010:

1.  Be your own editor.  Read through your site.  Does it contain statements that are outdated?  Is your sales pitch lackluster?  Are your product descriptions descriptive enough?  How about the Copyright date… at the very least, that should changed to 2010.  It shows your visitors that you’re on top of your online presence.

2. NEW NEW NEW! New banner graphics, promotional boxes, and details on your website will show your audience that you’re investing back into your business, and it will keep them coming back for more!

3.  Start (or ramp up) your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts.  At Durrani we say that having a great website without SEO is like throwing a huge party and not inviting anyone.  The goal of Search Engine Optimization is to capture your target market and lead them to your site – SEO gets people to your party.   In 2010, invite more people to your party.

4. Put your email account to work.  Email campaigns are one of the most effective and inexpensive marketing methods out there.  With a professional, branded design and targeted, concise messaging, an email campaign can create a sustained connection to your audience, and get the word out about important news, offers and promotions.

5. Here, take my card…  Even in an era dominated by all things digital, there’s still something to be said for strong print marketing.  Consider business cards – being able to hand out a well-designed, branded business card adds credibility and makes a good impression.  And print collateral – including brochures, one-sheets, and postcards – gives your target market something tangible that will remind them of your services.

6. Everyone loves a “deal.” You know it’s true, we all love a good promotion.  Getting something for free is even better.  We encourage our clients to offer incentive, especially for e-commerce business.  Promo codes in an email campaign, free shipping, or even a referral incentive program can go very far in getting that business that’s been sitting “on the fence”.  

7. Blogging: not just for the young folks anymore.  When a blog is built and maintained properly (read: often, but not too often), it can be instrumental in Search Engine Optimization efforts as well as steady viewership.  It can also give your business an easy and quick outlet for your press releases, news, and promotions – one that you can update yourself.  Durrani can create a blog that is fully integrated with your existing website design, so that it looks professional and thoughtful – and we can be as hands-on or hands-off as you’d like in your blogging adventures. 

8. Get social with your media.  Whether you love them or hate them, social media outlets are here to stay.  LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr… they can be used to your advantage in business, if they’re done specifically and surgically.  We can help you assess which of these avenues would work for you, and help you get started.  At the very least, one media outlet that every business should utilize is press releases.  Press Releases help with SEO as well as public perception, and we can handle the writing and release for you… no-hassle PR!

9. Educate yourself.  What’s new in your industry?  Are you keeping up with the metaphorical “Joneses” or are your website, your branding, and your marketing falling behind the times?  It’s always a good idea to keep a finger on the pulse of your business in relation to your competition – and to know when to make changes or additions.

10. Give your brand a facelift.  Every company needs a good makeover once in awhile.  Is 2010 time for yours?

Overwhelmed?  Don’t be… Durrani is here to help!  We want to assist our clients in growing and expanding their businesses.  That could mean designing a new marketing piece, launching an SEO campaign, or re-branding… it could also mean sitting down and creating an effective marketing plan involving many of these pieces.  We want to make 2010 the best year ever for our clients!

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the newly redesigned Sauvage Swimwear website at www.sauvagewear.com!  Sauvage produces some  of the world’s most elegant and glamorous swimwear for women and men.  They came to us to produce an online showcase for their brand and a rich online experience for their customers.

We started by designing a clean user interface that focuses on showcasing the products in an effective and eye-catching way.  It can be difficult for design teams to create a website that is restrained and minimal, but when the products are as intricately designed and the photography is as stunning as Sauvage’s, those aspects must always take the center stage.  So with that in mind, we applied a classic look with a black, grey, and white palette and pinstripe lines as separators.  We used large images to maximize their effect, and let the products do most of the design “work.”

We applied this design in several ways to create a rich user experience for Sauvage.  The site begins with a Flash introduction, and then employs a javascript-based gallery, a MIVA Merchant shopping cart, and a WordPress platform for the company’s news and media features.  The result of using these different components is a multi-faceted experience of the Sauvage product line.  Customers can view products in a gallery without the additional information that a storefront provides, and they can then move into the MIVA shopping cart component of the site to learn more about the product, see additional views, and make a purchase.  As the customer moves from one area of the site to the next, the design elements remain the same to create a cohesive and seamless transition.  Our goal in constructing the site was to create an experience that was as close as possible to being in the front row on the runway and then walking right into the retail shop.

To create the retail-store experience for Sauvage’s online store, we customized their MIVA Merchant cart to allow for large imagery with a zoom option, alternate images, related products, products with several cuts that can be purchased as separates, a detailed and prominent size chart, a “favorites” section for shoppers, hassle-free shipping options with an order tracking feature for customers, and the ability to offer promotional codes at Sauvage’s discretion.  The result?  A comfortable shopping experience with a high level of detail.

It may be December, but it’s always swimsuit season with Sauvage.

Durrani Design is excited to announce the launch of the new website for Gregg Visintainer at vizisart.com! Self-taught artist Gregg Visinitainer, whose artistic alias is Viz, creates highly detailed pieces of artwork, using only pen and ink. Within each one of these sophisticated doodles, which are Viz’s signature style, there are hidden pictures, words and messages that all reflect a larger theme.

In the last year, Viz has been gaining recognition and momentum in the San Diego community. He recognized it was time for an updated, fresh web presence and a home to sell his prints online. He came to Durrani to redesign and develop a professional site that would give him an online showcase for his art, while also utilizing a MIVA Merchant e-commerce platform.

We were challenged to create a strong e-commerce site, but also showcase a product that is personal and reflective of the artist’s taste and talent. We applied a dark, clean design to highlight Viz’s art without taking away from his colorful, intricate pieces and created the Online Store to have the look and feel of a gallery. Durrani’s goal was to make it is as easy to purchase Viz’s art as it is to browse through his prints—giving users an effortless, pleasurable online shopping experience. We’ve successfully captured Viz’s artistic personality while also providing him with an efficient shopping cart—fitting for a progressive artist in the 21st century.

We’d like to extend a very heartfelt thank you to the clients who have joined the Durrani team for a new website design and development project since October 1. Thank you for choosing us as your full service creative agency—we couldn’t do this without you!

Our latest clients…

Traveltrust, a travel management company headquartered in our hometown of Encinitas that develops corporate travel policies, negotiates supplier contracts and monitors traveler satisfaction.

Flip N Fit, designs and manufactures high-quality, fashionable leotards and apparel for gymnastics, cheer and dance.

On-Site Tech Support is a San Diego-based company offering computer repair and networking services to residential and business customers.

National Housing Relief, a brand new company whose online resource center will educate homeowners about their foreclosure prevention options.

Airverter, a leader in the industrial spray finishing manufacturing and distributing market for nearly 30 years.

KiddieCorp, national provider of high quality child care programs for all types of events—from trade shows and conventions to meetings and weddings.

Sauvage, designer and manufacturer of some of the finest swimsuits for women and men in the USA.

Stay tuned for the launch of these sites within the next few weeks!

Durrani is excited to announce that KiddieCorp, a national provider of high quality children’s programs at corporate and special events, is teaming up with us for their website redesign and development project!

KiddieCorp has been operating in San Diego since 1986 and has over 175 clients—making them a highly visible and trusted name in the meeting planning industry for over two decades. Their focus on safety, fun activities, consistency and complete service has made them a trusted name in their industry, but now they’re ready to bring their website into the new decade! They came to us looking for a fresh, professional makeover to their site that stays true to their existing corporate branding. For a company that combines a professional service with fun child care, we’ll be creating a new design that really showcases KiddieCorp’s expertise on both!

We’re looking forward to working with KiddieCorp president Chris Tempesta the rest of the KiddieCorp team to take their business to the next level!

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the Durrani team is sharing what we’re thankful for this year.

I’m thankful for the birth of my first baby and that she’s healthy and super happy.” -Matt Harding

I’m thankful all of our clients’ offices are closed the rest of the week so I can finally get some work some done. Seriously, stay closed.” -Joe McDonald

I am thankful for having this amazing opportunity to live in 92008, Matthew Nicholas Basta, my friends and family, Isabella aka Stuffy, and last but not least, Juanita’s Chicken Burrito!” -Brooke Kellestine

I’m thankful for my awesome family and friends.  I’m also thankful for 70+ degree weather in late November!” -Carrie Sinclair

Although my family is thousands of miles away I’m thankful for their unconditional love and support. I’m also grateful for the friends and memories I’ve made here in San Diego—and for a long holiday weekend.” –Michaela McNamara

I am thankful for my baby girl and that I get to be a parent with my best friend/husband.” -Elise Harding

Durrani is happy to announce the launch of the newly redesigned Cruxial website at www.cruxialwear.com! Cruxial is a new brand on the action sports scene, offering shirts and hats with unique design aesthetic. We were excited to give this fresh, young company an equally fresh, young and cool new look for their online showcase.

We were excited to work with Cruxial for many reasons, one being that they are a local company with an industry and a target market that we understand well. Since we’re located in Southern California a couple blocks from the beach, we essentially live in the center of the culture Cruxial represents. As a bonus, when Cruxial first came to us we had recently launched the action sports retail site S.A.W. (www.skullsandwings.com), which gave us even more insight into that industry.

Cruxial’s primary goal for their new site was to have a place to showcase their clothing line for customers and wholesalers to view the product. They also wanted a place to highlight the bands and surfboard shapers who have teamed up with them, as well as a blog and a photo gallery. They also wanted to be able to easily make their own updates and changes to the site. Durrani found a solution for all of these needs in a WordPress website platform. Using WordPress as a Content Management System (CMS), their site is dynamic and flexible, easy to edit and expand.

One of the ways we used WordPress development in this case was in utilizing the array of WordPress plugins that are available today. Instead of starting from scratch to customize something like a photo gallery, we used a plugin and adjusted it to get the results we wanted. The final product is extremely beneficial for the client as well: now they can add, delete, and organize the images in their gallery easily and seamlessly. The moral of this story: Don’t reinvent the wheel if you don’t have to. Use the tools that are available to you to get the results you want.  In this case, WordPress and the available plugins were the tools we used to create a successful site for Cruxial.