The LASALLE SHOW marks the finale of an artistic education and the transformation of young talents to professional artists in the larger creative industries’ ecosystem. As South-east Asia’s foremost art institute, LASALLE College of the Arts is the first in the region to own a Graduate Online Showcase for graduating students to sign up, create their own profiles and upload their work portfolios. They can showcase their best works, share and get public appreciation as the website is extensively integrated with social media plugins.

As a strategic agency on the leading edge of web technology, we understand that over the last few years the way people access the web has evolved. A user may access the web on a number of devices in a single day – so a website needs to offer an optimised user experience across different screen sizes. Hence we have designed and developed the LASALLE SHOW to be a responsive website that allows the layout to change, depending on what screen resolution the viewer has.

Responsive web design involves planning about what the mobile user will require first when visiting the website and then laying out the content accordingly. Thus the information may be presented in a different order for an optimised viewing experience across different screen sizes and devices.

These are the key steps behind the design and development process:

- Research/Scoping: Understanding the additional requirements for a responsive website i.e. What different goals will a user have on different devices?

- Wireframing: Grid structures and layouts for the website considering different screen widths.

- Look and feel: Style considerations to optimise user experience across different screen sizes and orientations.

- Coding: The website will need to load in full size images even if the CSS scales them down. This is when we deploy some nifty JavaScript tricks and advanced CSS styles to make the website run smoother.

Although responsive web design requires more effort, it is the way forward for web development. We are proud that once again, we have proposed a first-of-its-kind solution for LASALLE College of the Arts.

Check out LASALLE graduates’ creative works on your smartphones and tablets here.

Enlisting cyber warriors in the fight against dengue, the NEA M.A.C.E website is now live.

An internet-based game, termed “Operation M.A.C.E” (Monster Annihilation and Control Enforcement), Operation M.A.C.E builds upon a story that is set in a futuristic Singapore that has been invaded by a race of aliens resembling Aedes mosquitoes.

Riding on the popularity of cyber gaming, this is a first-of-its-kind outreach programme that promotes dengue awareness among the youth.

Before the revamp, the entire website was developed in Flash. We took on the project and developed it into a full HTML website with dynamic features like rotating banner. While we are focused on better navigation and usability, user experience is also a key consideration during the design process. As such, we maintained the cyber military feel so that after a total revamp, existing players will still feel ‘connected’ to the new website. Understanding gamers’ characteristics, we also proposed a leaderboard on the home page so that players can check out others’ scores, intensifying the competitive spirit.

On top of the website user log in, a Facebook log-in is also implemented to facilitate easy signups and lower barrier to participation.

Ready for some action? Log on to www.macecommand.com.sg and sign up as M.A.C.E agents now!

Last month, we were invited to partner with another agency in a pitch for Singapore Institute of Technology website revamp. The challenge was that we only had 4 days to produce two different concepts inclusive of rich media banner storyboards.

With the experience of website development for higher learning institutes like LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) under our belt, we took on the challenge with much zeal.

Defining the problem is the first step of the design thinking process and we tackle this with our 3I approach: Insights, Ideas, Impact.

1. Insights – we dissected the brief, researched and analyzed the current SIT website thoroughly and uncovered a navigation issue. It was difficult for different groups of users to find crucial information on the website.

2. Ideas – besides conceptualizing an overall design that is more vibrant, we also proposed a user centric navigation in order to solve the navigation problem. With a future ready website in mind, we also recommended a responsive website so that users enjoy optimal mobile viewing experience across different screen resolutions.

3. Impact – the result is not one but two website concepts that are dynamic, user-friendly and socially connected, enabling SIT to engage different groups of users.

In the end, though we did not win the pitch, all was not in vain as we sharpen our thinking process with every opportunity. It was a fun, learning journey for the team as we shared much laughter over late dinners of sushi and pizza.

Most importantly, what made everything worthwhile is the fact we love our work. Looking forward to more fun coming along our way!

We are excited to be working with LASALLE College of the Arts again for the LASALLE Showcase Portal. This new portal is envisioned to be a creative network for LASALLE graduates and alumni to showcase their portfolios and get connected with the leading professionals in the creative industry.

Being South-east Asia’s foremost art institute, LASALLE College of the Arts will be the first of its kind to own such a platform. Contemporary in focus and innovative in approach, LASALLE has been nurturing some of Singapore’s leading creative practitioners.

Watch this space for more.

We are proud to work with CapitaLand again for the CapitaValue Homes corporate website. CapitaValue Homes is a new strategic business unit set up by CapitaLand in October 2010 to capitalise on the untapped demand for value housing in Asia.

CapitaValue Homes focuses on building good value homes in Asia, with an initial focus in China and Vietnam. The design of the website effectively communicates between CapitaValue Homes and its key stakeholders the company’s background, mission and vision, and key messages.

The “Find a Value Home” feature allows key stakeholders to search by unit type for properties in different countries and cities, all within the corporate website.

National Environment Agency (NEA) enlists cyber warriors in the fight against dengue by leveraging on new social media platforms and taking advantage of the popularity of computer gaming. NEA has developed an internet-based game, termed “Operation M.A.C.E” (Monster Annihilation and Control Enforcement). Carbon Interactive has been awarded the mission of revamping the current Flash site and develop a user friendly version.

This is a first-of-its-kind outreach programme that promotes dengue awareness among the young and the internet savvy. Operation M.A.C.E builds upon a story that is set in a futuristic Singapore that has been invaded by a race of aliens resembling Aedes mosquitoes.

The programme was developed by NEA together with youth partners who saw its potential in helping NEA promote its messages more effectively.

Stay tuned for more mission updates.

BCA Corporate Site Revamp

Having worked closely with BCA on various projects, we are excited to be working with them again for the BCA Corporate Website Revamp.

In this project, we’ll be aiming to improve the overall design and navigational structure of the site. Being an information heavy site, we will be considering the presentation and readability of their information.

Details »

Carbon Interactive is proud to be a part of the Singapore Grand Prix race fever by being the agency appointed to maintain their website:
http://www.singaporegp.sg/

For a site like SGP to be successful, timely updates were key. It requires much dedication from the team to always be ready even during the wee hours.

Some of the website updates include
- Press release
- Race results
- Banners
- Ticketing updates
- Photo Gallery
- Transport guides
- Entertainment highlights
- Race schedules

Check out some of the photos from the event
http://www.singaporegp.sg/gallery/index.php