IT World website

["Mark Barratt" <markb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

HI

Much consternation at IT World about their web site!

Frits hadn't seen it until yesterday morning and apparently got very
agitated when he did. He thinks it doesn't echo the IT World 'brand' (!).
(He also had some concerns about hosting and maintenance costs. I actually
don't think these are a problem, and have explained the approach we have
taken).

I said we had their logo on the front and every page, but when I looked we
don't...

Anyway, Alex is coming tomorrow to look at how we do it and how he will
update, etc. Also coming is Michael Prochek (?spelling?), who is a computer
journalist who builds websites himself. So the main part of the agenda is to
decide how to make the 'look' of the site more in line with their brand
image.

After Frits had gone , Alex & Michael & I had a brief chat. I made 2 main
points:

1: They don't really have a brand image, so it's not possible to follow it.

2: Their logo is horrible and echoing elements of it around the site will
not help make a nice site (maybe we can think about sorting their logo for
them as an act of charity - in every sense?).

and 2 subsidiary points:

3: if they want is to reflect elements of their brand image, they had better
think about what those elements are - colour? shape? typography? use of
space? interaction methods? personality?

4: we have been trying to take their brand forward, using the circles as a
development of the world, etc.

They have also had a number of 'visuals' for a website done by a designer
who they have used in the past. I have already seen these. I don't think you
have: true? They have been done by a print designer so partly miss the
point, have some stuff that would make them very high-maintenance (graphics
for every headline, for example), and in general look a bit like the
'clip-art' site skeletons that come with FrontPage and NetObjects Fusion. I
expect Alex will bring these tomorrow.

Anyway, there is now a written design brief (see your in-tray) and we will
talk about this tomorrow. Both Alex and Michael are calm and sensible, so it
should be constructive.

I am copying this is Frits, who will I assume copy to Alex/Michael.
____________
Mark Barratt
Text Matters
   Information design: we help explain things using
   language, design, system and process improvement
+44 (0)118 986 8313
http://www.textmatters.com
markb@textmatters.com


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