Happy New Year everyone.
It’s the start of a brand new working year. Whether you’ve got big or small plans for 2009, I hope they come true for you and your business.

Click the envelope below to lauch the Flash version of the eCard.

The original artwork was created in Adobe FireWorks and then animated in Flash to create the final piece. Most of the work was put into the intro animation with Mr.Claus gliding across the skies over to the big smoke.

I spent a lot longer that anticipated getting that effect just right (about 8 hours!) but it was worth it to ensure the effect was believable. The stars, mountains and moon had to scroll by on a seperate, slower layer than the trees and snow as they were distant objects and had their own timeline etc. I had visions of that Fr.Ted scene with Fr.Ted explaining to Dougal ‘These cows are SMALL, those cows are f…a…r a…w..a..yyyyy” :O)
I’d like to go into more detail on the marketing, distribution and conversion rates but they are still evolving as we tweak the cards and probably best kept just between my client and I :O)

We’ve been nominated for the 2006 Net Visionary Awards. Big thanks to whoever put us forward for the Web Designer of Excellence award. Obviously, I’m hugely suprised and happy about that.
Unfortunately the timing might not be brilliant and this is something that may be more appropriate in 2007 as our own site is undergoing a redesign at the moment and I was in Edinburgh for the few days when I was supposed to to accept/verify the nomination.

Fortunately, we have taken on some new really exciting clients recently and these referrals must mean we are doing something right. So who knows…

Our work will revolved around Design, Internet Consultancy and Online Marketing (more Google Adwords and SEO).

• Designed an email newsletter for a UK hi-tech company to be distibuted via the Vertical Response plugin for SalesForce.
• Consulted with a friend/marketing manager of a Mobile Communications company on their Google AdWord campaign and gave tips on how to increase potential traffic from approx 3,505 monthly searches to 1,734,159 potential customers per month!
• Put the finishing touches to a flash-based presentation for an Irish hi-tech company.
• Completed designs for the web site of an Irish County Enterprise Board, Innovation & Technology Centre.
• Started work on the design of a new web site for an Irish Landscape Architectural practice.
• Launched Phase2 of a new website for a Dublin metal fabrication company.
• Analysed the results of an SEO project for a UAE client. They’re now on pages 1-3 for several highly competitive and vital key phrases and site traffic has increased by over 30%.
• Launched a new homepage for above UAE client.
• Updated the site of a Recruitment firm to integrate with an Irish Jobs portal.
• Got the go ahead to develop a new homepage based upon 3 designs submitted to a UK hi-tech client.
• Created and submitted a XML sitemap to Google SItemaps for a client who is changing their site layout and doesn’t want to loose their high rankings for their 1st page positions.

Doesn’t anyone take holidays in July anymore :O)