For many a gentleman, it’s the last day of sporting a moustache. Yes, Movember is almost over!
It’s been tough; the jaunts, the jibes, the toast crumbs left dangling precariously for all to see, but overall it’s been fun.
And more to the point, at the last count, we’ve raised £345 for a very good cause, so thank you to everyone who has made our hirsute pursuits worth it.
If you would like to help us tip the £350 mark, you can still sponsor Team Remedy at:
Wall of inspiration #6.
There’s creative inspiration everywhere. Graphic design, photography, typography, editorial design, packaging…
If we like it, it gets pinned up on the Remedy wall of inspiration.
On this month’s wall: Andy Warhol and David Hockney rub shoulders with Converse sneakers and Costa Coffee.
You can see our last wall here
And as ever, if something grabs your eye and you think it should be on the next wall, give us a shout:
The Wall,
Remedy Creative
17, Mount Ephraim,
Tunbridge Wells
Kent
TN4 8AE
Here is part 2 of a talk that Remedy gave at the Not For Profit Technology Show in London, alongside James Higgott from The Royal Marsden Hospital.
The first part was about preparing a website design brief, this part is about choosing your design agency and the third part (blog post to follow) is about getting the design right.
Choosing the right design agency
1) Who’s work do you like?
Boutique web design specialist? Integrated design agency? Award winning, West End hot shop? A freelancer that a friend recommends? Whoever you shortlist and however you come across them, the first filter you need to apply is “do I like their work?” If there is a design sensibility or aesthetic that you admire in their portfolio, then that’s a great start. Also, it’s good to keep an open mind – just because the agency doesn’t have experience in your specific sector, doesn’t mean they can’t create a fantastic website for you.
2) Understand who you’ll be working with
It’s all very well meeting the Creative Director, Managing Director and Head of Online Strategy, but will they actually be looking after your web project? If not, it certainly wouldn’t be unreasonable to know the calibre of the team that will be designing and writing your website and who you will be dealing with on a day-to-day basis.
3) Understand their processes
Every agency will have it’s own ways of working. Some will be a comfortable fit and some will drive you up the wall. One marketing director we recently met described working with his previous agency as being like “pulling teeth”. Websites don’t happen over night, so you will, by default, have to build a relationship with your design agency; so make sure it’s one that will work.
4) What do they expect from you?
From day one, right up until your new website is launched, you will have to be part of the process. Make sure from the outset just how involved your agency will expect you to be and what they will need from you, and when. Will they want to work with you to determine site architecture? Will they want draft copy at the outset? Will they want a face-to-face meeting every week? To help things to run smoothly, insist on a project schedule that is realistic for both you and the agency.
5) Ask for references
You’ve met the team. They’re charming, eloquent and have some great work in their portfolio. If they’re really as good as they say they are, they will have left a trail of very happy clients in their wake, so don’t be afraid to ask for a couple of references. It could well save a lot of heartache.
6) Choose people you get on with
Yes, it sounds obvious, but this is just as important as choosing a design agency who’s work you love. If they’re creative geniuses, they could also be prima donnas with egos the size of Ben Nevis. So, here’s a simple formula – a great portfolio + nice people = at least half way to choosing your design agency.
7) What does the estimate include?
Websites are complex, with lots of elements to consider, and all adding to the cost. Architecture, wire-framing, front-end design, content management system and CMS training, copywriting, Search Engine Optimisation, imagery, hosting… Make sure that you know what is included in the price. If there is a lack of clarity in the estimate, ask the agency to spell it out in black and white. Remember, a seemingly simple functionality change could have significant cost implications, so agree the functionality spec. at the start.
8) Licensed CMS?
Sometimes, a bespoke content management system is the best solution, often an open source system will work just as well. Think long and hard before you choose an agency that insists, come what may, on using their licensed, bespoke content management system. However, if your new website requires functionality that means a bespoke CMS is the most practical option, it is important to understand what happens if, at some point in the future, you want to move your site.
9) You get what you pay for
‘Websites from £500′ shouts the poster in the agency window. Now, let’s stop a moment before getting our cheque books out. Even if the agency only charges £50 an hour, can they really plan, design, build and optimise a website that will help move your business forward, in 10 hours?
A website is more often than not, an organisation’s most powerful marketing tool. If your website is going to be your shop window; a key way to communicate with members, clients or supporters; or the first port of call when anyone wants to find out about you, don’t make cost the most important factor when choosing your design agency.
If you are putting together a shortlist of agencies (three is the magic number), we recommend that you read our previous post on preparing a website design brief
You can download all of this presentation in PDF format including slides from James Higgott at www.ioftech.org.uk/resources
Red likes: huntin’ shootin’ ‘n’ fishin’ Cletus likes: Jambalya, Crawfish Pie and the Bayou
Please help Red and Cletus raise money for The Prostate Cancer Charity and the Institute of Cancer Research. You can donate online at: http://mobro.co/remedycreative
Thanks y’all
Oh no, did we really agree to this?!
One week in, and we’re getting odd looks from strangers in the street (and family members for that matter). Yes, it’s Movember, the month when foolhardy men grow moustaches for a very good cause.
If you would like to help us raise a load of money as well as a smile, please visit http://uk.movember.com/ hit the ‘donate’ button in the main navigation bar, then click the ‘TO A TEAM’ button and search for Team Remedy.
Come on, if we’re prepared to go around looking like this, the least you can do is sponsor us for a few quid!
Now before I let fly, let’s get one thing straight, I have no problem with slang, colloquialisms or gibberish! In fact I’m rather fond of a bit of dance hall patois and Edward Lear always tickles my funny bone. Language should be fun after all.
No, what really gets my goat are those insidious little everyday-isms that have sneaked their way into our language in the last 3-4 years. Language that neither make sense nor makes me smile. Surely it should do one or the other – preferably both.
Am I really the only one in the queue at Starbucks whose skin crawls when someone says “Can I get a Latté to go?”. Seriously, if I were the Barista, I would have to protest, “No, I’m the one working here, I’ll GET it for you, all you have to do is pay for it and drink it”.
Do you see what I mean. It’s as ridiculous as asking an electrician if you can do the wiring.
Another one that makes me see red (no scrap that, it makes me shake my head and want to end it all), is the phrase ‘LOL’. Don’t get me wrong, I love the sound of laughter, I want the world to be a happy place. However, when laughter is replaced with an acronym, that really is the beginning of the end.
So the question is, am I the only crotchety word lover who gives a damn? Is there anybody out there who wants to join in on the rant? Let me know what phrases get your blood boiling and maybe we can start some kind of movement. Any ideas for what we call ourselves also gratefully received.
Yours not LOL-ing in the slightest.