Skybox Creative Blog

According to Vivacity founder Vivian Sayward, “There’s no reason women’s fashion can’t be as good as her game.” This can also be said for web design. There’s no reason that a simple design can’t be as good as the company it’s showcasing. Our web package concept for the newly launched sportswear line, Vivacity, not only helps showcase how the fashion line makes golf look good, but it also displays the sophistication that Vivacity targets in women 35 years and older.

At first glimpse you’ll notice how the photography grabs you. The custom designed javascript slider takes over with a rotating photo sequence of the “busy yet exciting” women in sportswear that can be worn in the office, on the course, or out on the town. It’s a mural bar of images that grabs your attention like a vibrant piece of street art. Just beneath it, the tag line tells us exactly what we’re thinking “Bet you didn’t think golf could look this good…” It’s true, we didn’t.

Just above the photo mural is a simple, easy-to-navigate menu that includes a “Get Inspired” section to showcase the women of Vivacity as well as a “Lookbook” that allows customers to view their seasonal lines. All of the pages can be managed and updated by the client using WordPress as the CMS (Content Management System). All of our web packages include a 1-2 hour training post launch to enable our clients to manage their own websites.

The color blocking of the site is consistent with the concept of the clothing. The black and white creates a streamlined, simplistic contrast. On the lower half of your screen you’ll notice two attention grabbing boxes, including a call out for the Recent Videos page and Featured Ambassador page. To the right, we included an RSS feed pulling the most recent blog article into the home page automatically, keeping the content fresh (which we know Google loves). We integrated sleek little social media buttons to the two most commonly used social networks on the planet – FACEBOOK & TWITTER, reminding the visitor to share and share alike. They are tastefully placed and keep with the hip look of the page.

Multimedia also plays a vital role in any modern web design. After clicking “Recent Videos” on the home screen, you will arrive at the Videos page. Using Vimeo or YouTube as the video hosting source, clients can easily embed video and make updates without having prior knowledge of video compression or server requirements. There are also huge social media and SEO benefits to embedding a video from a social video community like the ones mentioned above.

By definition, vivacity is to be vivacious and to be vivacious, you must be lively in spirit. Skybox Creative allowed the vivacity of this sportswear line to express itself within a simple design that allows the spirit of the clothing speak for itself. It’s bold. It’s sophisticated. It’s basic. And I think you’ll agree that it’s DEFINITELY not boring.

Skybox Creative is a San Diego based Branding Agency with an emphasis on Web Design and SEO. Get in touch for a free quote on your next design project or search engine marketing campaign! info@skyboxcreative.com or call us at 619.381.3825

If you’ve ever bumped into a parking meter while updating your Facebook status, you’re not alone. Everyone’s accessing the internet on their cellphones these days. In fact, according to Mobithinking, worldwide, half a billion people hopped online with their mobile devices back in 2009, and they predict usage doubling within five years as mobile overtakes the personal computer as the most popular way to get online. The question for designers, as the screen shrinks and orientation shifts, how do you keep it pretty?

Easy.

Make it Easy

Ease of use is key to web design for a mobile device, whether it’s an cellphone or a tablet. Keep in mind that some users have data limits — if sites are bogged down with too many slow-loading graphics, they’ll move on to another site. This can be tricky as designers now need to use graphics at a higher resolution than 72dpi, lest they come out pixelated on high-res screens. Designers need to be mindful of making sure image files aren’t too large.

Clean, simple design can also help the mobile user experience. Easy-to-read fonts and simple layout mean you don’t make the user work to find what he wants. Part of keeping web design simple is to limit the depth, or number of layers, on the site. The rule of thumb, according to a designer at Computer Arts is to build a website with no more than two layers. To do this, you need to know why users are coming to your page. Do they want to see a menu? Check the San Diego weather? Do they need to make reservations? Give them what they want as early in their user experience as possible. Don’t make them work too hard for it.

Keep Em Coming Back

If the user experience is quick, easy and gratifying – that is, if it’s clean, loadable and lets users do what they came to do – chances are, your customers will keep coming back. When in doubt, of course, it’s never a bad idea to check the competition. Sites like MobileAwesomeness feature stand-out mobile web design and let users rate the best of the best. There are some great ideas there — just don’t forget to watch where you’re going.

Skybox Creative is a San Diego based Branding Agency with an emphasis on Web Design and SEO. Get in touch for a free quote on your next design project or search engine marketing campaign! info@skyboxcreative.com or call us at 619.381.3825.

Skybox Creative recently revamped its website by making a few key changes that substantially improve the overall impact of the site. Although the general feel of the website remains the same, the new adjustments undoubtedly optimize user navigation, maximize compatibility and SEO, and really shine the spotlight on their clients and recent projects.

The most evident difference is the switch from the main flash image area to javascript. Although Flash is great for creating impressive design elements, problems arise with compatibility and SEO interference issues. With the jQuery slider, viewers can be assured that all elements will always be accessible from any device. This prominent section features new work for clients such as PETCO, Iaomai Medical Ministries, Michaela Moryskova, and OfficePlanIt. Additionally a series of logos are showcased under the slider, placing an emphasis on some of the more prominent clients Skybox is working with.

Another smart and quick addition to the new site is the full-color social media icons now featured in the upper right of the header. Also placed in the footer, these icons create an easy segway for viewers into the other great outlets Skybox has to offer.

Skybox Creative is a brand consultancy with an emphasis on web development and technology solutions. Get in touch today! info@skyboxcreative.com or call us at 619.381.3825

“You” as an Online Brand: Self-Promotion in Web Design

Self-promotion is an important – and intrinsic — component of web design. We all know that the look, feel, flash and style of your website immediately brands you – which is why you spend time carefully considering design choices. But other features on your site, and even your behavior away from your site, are also factors that brand you.

Control Your Story

The “About Us” page has always been the place where you get to tell your story. Just an easy bio, right? Not anymore. Just as the world of web design is constantly changing, so too is the world of how to spin yourself – how to self-promote through your own narrative.

New companies have emerged to help job-seekers and business owners tell their story a little better than a standard resume or “About Us” page might — about.me, curv.me and getstoried.com. The first two are sites where creative workers can learn to describe their vision, contextualize their work and discuss their credits and accolades in an organic way. Getstoried targets entrepreneurs looking to capture their narratives for prospective customers. You can use these sites to help you tell your story — not just what you do, but why you do it. Information like this can help customers connect with you on a personal level. It’ll help them “get” you.

For example, if Skybox Creative were writing its bio, it could say that its business is web design in San Diego. The story’s true, accurate and informational. But it doesn’t answer the why. How about, “founded by San Diegans, Skybox Creative loves working closely with local businesses to identify the companies’ goals and deliver dynamic websites that fit their aims.” A little more personality, right?

Google Thyself

The way you behave online can also brand you. This may sound scary — customers can be one Google search away from your Facebook photos or Twitpics on Twitter. But aside from being on top of your social network privacy settings, you can also use your recorded online activity to your advantage.

Leave an online path that shows your passion. Jump into online communities that focus on what you’re doing. Engage with your own visitors with a blog. Make a space on your website designed for customer interaction.

Just go ahead and Google yourself and see if you like what you see. And if you don’t, start proactively leaving a trail that promotes yourself and your business the way you’d like!

Get in touch with Skybox Creative today! Whether your looking for copywriting, web design, SEO or brand development, we’ve got you covered! Skybox Creative is a Brand Consultancy with an emphasis on Web Design and SEO. Get a free quote for your next project! info@skyboxcreative.com or call us at 619.381.3825

New Dental Choice is a membership-based program that simplifies the search for an affordable dental plan, and they have just launched their new and easy-to-use website designed by Skybox Creative, San Diego’s premier web design and branding firm. Take a look at the site here!

The need for a dental plan that suits a specific set of needs is what has drawn thousands of people to New Dental Choice’s unique membership plan. Users can choose an individual, family, or group plan, and they can rest assured that the network of dentists allied with NDC’s program are the same as the ones offered by major insurance carriers and Fortune 500 companies. An affordable alternative to dental insurance, New Dental Choice boasts plans that are void of annual premiums, deductibles, and waiting periods.

In line with New Dental Choice’s philosophy of keeping it straightforward yet specially tailored, Skybox has set up a web 2.0 navigation menu that allows users to search for a suitable dental plan using three different approaches. The site’s color palette is now consistent with their new branding – it is illuminated by fresh, modern, cool blue gradients, and the introduction of vibrant pops of lime green modules and buttons on each page present straightforward searching and sign-up features.

A site map is easily accessible on the foot of each page, and includes the useful links found in the navigation bar, as well as ways to find out more about the company and connect with it via various branches of social media. Skybox Creative is excited to match New Dental Choice’s convenient services with this fittingly user-friendly website design.

Questions? Email us at info@skyboxcreative.com

Skybox Creative, Inc. – Elevate your business with Web 2.0 web design.

Mark your calendars! Next week on Tuesday March 22nd, the Winter 2011 Art Institute of CA – San Diego Graduate Portfolio Show will be taking place at the Air & Space Museum in Balboa Park, San Diego.

Angelina Sereno, president of Skybox Creative, is a fellow Ai grad so we wanted to help promote the event! Ai is brimming with creative talent from a variety of students graduating in the following programs: Advertising, Baking & Pastry, Culinary Arts, Culinary Management, Fashion Design, Fashion Marketing & Management, Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Media Arts & Animation, Web Design & Interactive Media.

Details and link to their website below:

Date: Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Time: 3:00-6:00 PM

Place: Air & Space Museum (Balboa Park)
2001 Pan America Plaza
San Diego, CA 92101

For more information, please visit: www.aicasdportfolioshow.com

Skybox Creative, Inc. – Elevate your business with Art Institute inspired brand + web design.

Web design and development are in a constant state of evolution. Anyone in the web design industry knows you can never stop learning, especially if you want to be on the cutting edge. From newly developed programming languages to open source CMS platforms to mobile technology, the landscape is changing day by day. With all of these changes come new tools and technologies that make websites more dynamic, practical and user-friendly.

HTML5 has been a big discussion as of late. So what exactly is HTML5? HTML5 is the latest version of HTML, which is always in development. The primary aims have been to improve the language with support for the latest multimedia while making it easier for humans, computers and devices to read. HTML5 has added several new syntactical features.

The example shown below a recent web release from Nike (always on the cutting edge), click the link to see the dynamic possibilities of HTML5.

www.nikebetterworld.com

Need help understanding web design or programming languages? Contact us today info@skyboxcreative.com

Skybox Creative, Inc. – Elevate your business with cutting edge brand + web design.

San Diego Based Award-Winning Creative Studio, Skybox Creative, launches it’s first video to give you a sneak peak into their branding strategy, design process and proven results. Our documentary-style video includes a bit about our services, work samples and testimonials from a few happy clients.

Best Web Design and Branding Studio from Skybox Creative on Vimeo.

Watch the video and get in touch with us today! info@skyboxcreative.com

An incredible setting and even better company, San Diego Magazine‘s Women Who Move the City event on September 15 was a special evening filled with an oceanfront of remarkably talented women.

Our very own Skybox Creative President Angelina Sereno was one of nominees up for the coveted “Woman of the Year” award that went to Theresa Drew of Deloitte & Touche LLP. Skybox Creative, San Diego’s award-winning web design and branding studio, caught up with several nominees, including Angela J. Pierce of The Princess Project and Jennifer Oliver of Young Audiences.

Held at the stunning Scripps Seaside Forum in La Jolla Shores, information booths, a live band and a some very unique performance art speckled the ocean view landscape. A woman dressed to look almost like an ice sculpture in a fountain with water flowing from her fingertips entertained guests.

The Art Institute InSite Interviews Skybox Creative on how designers can effectively use social media to promote themselves. Read the Q&A below.

1.   Why do you use social media platforms?

We utilize social media to build relationships online that we further strengthen offline and vice versa. Say we go to a networking event and meet a few people, we usually try to add them as a friend on our company Facebook or LinkedIn, this allows us to stay in front of them and open up ongoing dialogue. We also search social media sites for companies/people with similar interests, for example being eco-friendly. We will add them as a friend and then post specials for our green printing company, this way the message is more targeted.

2.   What is the best way for an artist or designer to use these outlets?

Well, a lot of the sites are interwoven now, so it’s important to do a little research and make a list of things to do/profiles to set up/link together. For example, Behance.net allows you to display your portfolio on LinkedIn.com, that’s huge. LinkedIn is still the top Professional social media site, so to be able to have your portfolio displayed on your profile is huge. LinkedIn also offers the option to share your updates on Twitter, we linked this feature, now we primarily use LinkedIn and it will automatically keep our Twitter up-to-date. There are a ton of portfolio sites, like CarbonMade.com, Behance.net, Coroflot.com, etc. I think a designer looking for work should be on all of the top portfolio sites and actively add friends, get involved in discussions, join groups, etc.

Another smart thing to remember is that “to give is to receive”, its a good idea to give recommendations to people you know on LinkedIn, then you can ask for the same in return. Or help a friend get introduced to someone via LinkedIn, these kind of selfless actions can really help in building relationships and helping you get more recognition for yourself. Also when posting updates and links on Facebook for example, try to offer an idea or resource that will help others instead of only being focused on your work.

3.   How has Facebook and other social media outlets affected your business?

It has helped keep us in the forefront of people’s minds. Whether they are a potential client or not, if they are thinking about us, they tend to refer their friends and clients to us when they mention “web design” or “cost effective printing”. We host a lot of networking mixers and this has been a great way to promote the events as well.

4.   Are there certain social media musts for artists and designers or does it depend on the individual?

I think you should pick a few and focus on them. It’s very easy to become overwhelmed with social media because it can really be a full time job. As technology moves, more and more sites will pop up too, so it’s important to try to watch the trends. Sites like Mashable.com help keep you up on the latest trends. There are sites like Ping.fm that allow you to update several profiles at once and other applications like Tweetdeck.com that allow you to streamline the Twitter process, schedule tweets and sort your contacts into groups. One thing we’ve done several times is submit our designs to the Designer Spotlight on iStock. If you used an image from their site in a design, you can submit the artwork. If they accept the design, you get free iStock credit, but more importantly it is a form of recognition you can use to help promote yourself (as profile updates, blog posts, etc.)

5.   Any tips and tricks for successfully using social media for art/design work?

Networking is key to success online and offline. Sites like Meetup.com have great niche groups like “Web Design San Diego”, I would recommend finding groups that have similar interests and attend an event or two each month. Even if you are surrounded by your peers, you might be surprised by how many clients you can get from it. We’ve gotten quite a few clients from web design meetups. Not only can you learn from your peers but since people typically have a specialty, they often need good referral sources for everything they don’t do (and are asked for all the time).

Hope you found this information helpful! Feel free to add us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn!