posted by Mark

We've just launched another website that we are very proud of. Yes it's another real estate website but not just any real estate website. LIH Group needed a website that would complement their internal set up and asked us to develop a full website and listing content management system (CMS).  As a result we build a real estate module into the BB CMS from the ground up.

The website has some very cool features like Google Maps integration and other property related functionality not yet implemented. This is version 1.0, watch this space for more to come!

posted by Mark

Not that we're big on bigging ourselves up but getting a mention on Smashing Magazine is pretty cool, so we're gonna give it a mention. They posted a blog last Thursday with the title of "69 Sexy Portfolio Designs To Inspire You" and our site is amongst the list. As a result we got over 2000 hits on our site directly from this article!

Besides the fact that we got a mention (did I mention that already?) the blog is a great inspiration showcasing some very cool websites. I have not gone through the whole list yet but I think we’re the only web design company from Dubai mentioned.

Anyway, a big kiss and thank you to Smashing Magazine for the nod :-)

Update: Here's another couple collections we're been listed in.

spyrestudios.com/awesome-submissions-css-awards/
www.instantshift.com/70-creative-and-inspirational-website-designs/

posted by Mark

We’ve just launched a temporary website for a new web shop that will be launching in the not too distant future. The site will allow you to customize and order classic and contemporary Arabic sandals and have them delivered right to your door. This temporary website is pretty funky though, it’s our first attempt at integrating Facebook.

Basically if you register your interest you get a 10% discount and once you’ve done that you’re enticed to share the website link on your Facebook account for an additional 10% discount. Simply by clicking on the Facebook link you’re presented with a call to action which when sent will appear on your Facebook wall.

Check it out!

posted by Mark

The lovely people over at www.thecssawards.com awarded our website "Site of the Day" last Thursday (05/11/2009). This is great news because these awards are "given to the best CSS websites in the world from the top designers, agencies and bloggers working today", so we're very happy to be included in this prestigious list.

If you have not checked out the site yet, you must. The websites listed there are a big inspiration for everything that is great about web design. Each website is rated by an international panel of judges on 4 main criteria (design, creativity, usability and content).

Here you can see how we did:

• Design – 6.75
• Creativity – 7.75
• Usability – 6.88
• Content – 6.5

Overall we scored 6.98 so not bad but plenty of room for improvement. We'll be heading back to the drawing board to see if we can knock this up a bit further.

posted by Mark

Stefan Sagmeister has got it right; can you imagine taking a year sabbatical every seven years? His line of work lends itself very well to this sort of break; I don’t think our clients would appreciate it if we said “don’t bother us for the next twelve months please”. It makes a lot of sense what he does though and the work that comes out of it is phenomenal – in his case anyway.

If you're into branding, check out the work he did for Casa Da Musica. Very cool indeed and breaking away from the belief that everything has to be the same, “sameness is overrated” as he says.

posted by Mark

Besides all the obvious benefits of producing standards complaint websites in XHTML & CSS, here is another one - your site can then be listed in the numerous CSS galleries out there which in turn is great for search engine optimization (SEO) and general spreading of the love. We’ve been lucky enough to be listed on a few (see list below) and via the use of Google Analytics I can see that they generate a fair amount of traffic. It’s definitely worth it so if I was you I’d submit your site to as many galleries you can find. Start with the list below, and while you’re there, why not vote on ours ;-)

www.csswow.com
www.rgbgarden.com
cssbased.com
cssfury.com
www.styleprone.com
www.css-design-yorkshire.com
wowcss.com
www.cssstyle.me
cssillustrated.com/agency/blue-beetle/
101bestwebsites.com
www.bestcssgallery.com
www.cssmoon.com
www.bestcssvault.com
www.cssevo.com/2009/blue-beetle/
www.cssgarden.co.uk/profile/781
www.cssluxury.com/2009/09/blue-beetle-2/
www.inspiracaoweb.com.br
www.csscutie.com
www.csspose.com
www.website-gallery.com

TIP: If you're too busy to visit the plethora of gallaries out there, this site is a great time saver: www.thecssgallerylist.com.

posted by Mark

We've just launched the new website for BackLite, the best outdoor media company for strategic advertising in Dubai.

The website has been coded in XHTML 1.0 Strict, CSS2 and is fully manageable by the BB Content Management System (CMS). It also makes use of our funky Dubai interactive map which is used to illustrate the location of the BackLite’s various signs located around Dubai to great effect.

BackLite have been pioneers in the business of outdoor advertising for over ten years and have the reputation for having the most impressive and elegantly designed signs in the best locations available. Check it out.

posted by Mark

I need to share another TED I saw recently which has made quite an impression on me, for a couple reasons. One is how effective at communicating good data can be when applied in the right way and two about the revelations and dispelling of common myths that can come about when analysed in the way that Hans Rosling does so well.

Hans Rosling is professor of global health at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute and here he unveils new data visuals that untangle the complex risk factors of one of the world's deadliest (and most misunderstood) diseases: HIV. He argues that preventing transmissions (not drug treatments) is the key to ending the epidemic.

Guaranteed: You've never seen data presented like this.

posted by Mark

Finally our new website is live! Due to client commitments it’s taken a little longer than anticipated to complete but we’re very happy with the result. We’re particularly happy with the way we have been able to fuse XHTML /CSS and Flash. The site is 100% web standards complaint (XHTML 1.0 Strict - CSS 2.0) and via the integration of Flash in the background we've created a platform whereby we can really let our creative juices flow without compromising on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), web standards compliancy, easy of maintenance and loading speed. The beauty of it is that as time goes on we can refresh the backgrounds and thereby refresh the look and feel of the website without having to re-design or re-code the templates.

To celebrate we've crafted a motion graphics piece illustrating the Blue Beetle's journey.

posted by Mark

Our good friend Douglas Lapsley produces a pretty unique podcast which we liked so much that we asked if we could use one of his videos on our website seeing as it fits our theme so nicely. You can see it on the contact page.

If you like it, you can subscribe to his podcast for free from iTunes. It’s called “Peaceful Landscapes in HD” and can be found in the Places & Travel category. In Doug’s own words he describes the podcast as:

“Moments of peace from beautiful locations around the world. Just take a moment to relax. You deserve to. Each podcast is 1.5 minutes of HD. No music or voiceover, just natural surroundings. Designed to give you a few moments of peace in your day. Travel with us and be free”.

Doug is pretty much “living the dream” in our opinion. He and his family live, work and travel the world in their campervan, resting in some of the most beautiful spots imaginable. With a satellite dish on the roof he can pretty much go anywhere he wants while staying connected to the world. How cool is that?!