über art would like to share with you a few interactive design solutions created for our clients. The four case studies featured here are a sampling of our user interface design talents on the web.

Although each client's needs differ, we always stress intuitive design with a solid underlying framework. Many of our clients have their own staff updating and modifying their websites. Over time, this underlying structure is a key factor to maintaining design consistency. Needless-to-say, a little hands-on training doesn't hurt either.

(Please note that the mediatruck v1.0 study was designed and developed in-house @ mediatruck by Ms. Strauss.)



[ Slide you mouse over the logos to view each study ]

Christian-Hubble Media & Communications
focus: to create a website that would address the needs of CH's fast-paced PR firm. CH wanted an attractive and informative website, where they could easily post company news, upcoming events and, most importantly, up-to-the-minute press releases.
The main page was to be updated weekly by one of their staff.

response: üa designed a dynamic HTML (DHTML) website with the company's news and events prominently presented on their home page.

• üa conducted hands-on training with 2 CH employees, teaching them HTML and Photoshop basics: updating and formatting their news and events, and adding staff photos to their team's pages.
  
• üa also conducted a virtual market analysis of the online PR industry, registering their site with the top search engines + directories on the internet.
  

Health Care Concepts
focus: to design and implement 3 websites in 2 days, that could be easily updated by the HCC staff.  HCC provided all website content.

response: üa designed HTML website templates based on a solid design foundation of cascading stylesheets.

• üa created the website using Dreamweaver© templates and hand-coded cascading style sheets (CSS) with CSS classes specific to the particular website.
  
• üa conducted hands-on training with HCC employees: teaching them how to update their templates and cascading stylesheets(CSS) with minimal effort using CSS classes.
  
• üa addressed all x-browser/x-platform issues by implementing cascading stylesheets(CSS) particular to the browser (internet explorer, opera, netscape) and platform (PC, mac).
  

TAS Royalty Company
focus: to meet the varied software needs of a small family-run oil and gas company.

response: üa provided desktop software support by integrating MSoffice products using visual basic macros, and created an attractive professional website with increased web visibility.

• üa generated client letters with an MsOffice custom mail merge using MSword documents + MSaccess databases + visual basic macros; FTPing the final letter sets to TAS' print house.
  
• üa designed a simple HTML website based on a solid design foundation of HTML cascading stylesheets(CSS).
  
• üa conducted a virtual market analysis of [identified] competitors, and the online oil and gas industry, generating a detailed analysis of their virtual marketplace and registering their site with the top search engines + directories on the web.
  

mediatruck v1.0  ::  r.e.d.d. Designer
focus:  to create a website management application for mediatruck's flagship product, r.e.d.d. Designer, using dynamic HTML(DHTML) -- IE4.x specific.  [ the r.e.d.d. Designer was a website design/development tool that allowed non-programmers to add database-backends to their website. ]

response: üa delved deeply into the new world of dynamic HTML (DHTML), learning everything about the IE document object model(DOM) and cascading stylesheets (CSS).

• the console is written in old skool javascript for a PC platform running the IE4.x browser. it is a full-fledged app that, when hooked into the database backend, helps users: mark pages for web publshing, move pages leaving redirects in their former location, delete and add pages.
  
• the DHTML website management console is complete with pull-right menus and double-click page/directory renaming capability -- a real application. unfortunately, we did not receive enough funding for the product and had to abandon it.