We make misteaks.
And that’s a good thing. The digital space is different. Standards are continually changing, and what works in one setting might not in the next. This leaves a couple of options: copy what others do, or experiment. We prefer the latter, and with good reason. The web is a forgiving medium. You can try things, see how they work, and correct course if you screw up. Sure, you could just play it safe, but few pay attention to those who only tread water. Fact is, there are somewhere around a gazillion companies who can help you market on the web. We’re one of the few that wants to make mistakes—that’s where we find the magic.
We’re a little different. smashLAB is a digital agency with a twist. We design websites, develop brand strategies, and plan online marketing campaigns for a wide variety of organizations. Meanwhile, we build our own web properties, to explore and test our ideas. These range from small viral campaigns to web applications. The things we learn here inform our client efforts. For 10 years we’ve crafted work that has gained international recognition from the likes of TIME, the Lotus Awards, and ICOGRADA. Additionally, our insights and observations have positioned us as thought leaders in the industry.
We do: • Needs assessment, brand strategy, and positioning • Information architecture and user experience planning • Creative concepts and interaction design • Standards compliant website coding • Database and web application development • Writing/editing content and sourcing photography • Site testing and initial search engine optimization • Content management integration and training • Online marketing strategy and campaigns • Social media planning and implementation
We like our clients. We’ve been lucky to connect work with a number of groups who’ve wanted to make transformative changes. If you’d like to chat with some of them about their experience, we can connect you. 2C Visual Communications / Access Athletics / Advanced Rescue Technologies / Alexander Holburn / Ascent Aerospace / Asesor Seguros / Azimuth Travel / BC Hydro / BC Regional Science & Technology Network / Borealis CO2 / Boughton Law Corporation / Canadian Heritage / Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism / City Centre Ventures / City of Prince George / ClearPath / Crescent Spur Heli-Skiing / COFI / CN / D.J. McNeill Consultants / DEFAU Network Systems Corp. / Exploration Place / Fiona StevensGuille Law Practice / Frogfile Office Essentials / Good Earth / Great Northern Way Campus (An initiative of BCIT, Emily Carr, SFU & UBC) / Harmeny / Harris Consulting / Hope Heinrich LLP / Hudson Bay Lodge / illumivision / Innotech Innovation Network / Innovation Resource Centre / Initiatives Prince George / Kicking Horse River Lodge / Lakes District / Land Title and Survey Authority of British Columbia / MacNeil Financial / Mantler Kalsbeek Inc. / McBike / McInnis Lighting / M.D. Edgson Group / MDA Access BC / NCI Communications / New Media BC / Northern BC Tourism Association / Northern Steel Ltd. / OneMove / OpenRoad / NUGSS / Prince George Civic Centre / PureOrange / Remote Law Online Systems Corp. / ResMap / Riverside Forest Products / Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors / Rocketfish / Royal LePage Prince George / SinkIt / Skidmark Productions / Spatial Mapping Ltd. / SpeeDee Printers / Summerside Sport & Cycle / Sustainable Endowments Institute / Tax and Estate Planning Group / Thompson Okanagan Tourism / Timberlake Mill Equipment / Tourism Langley / Tourism Vancouver / TrainingPath / University of Northern British Columbia / Who Minds the Child / Western Biomass / Wilson King LLP / Yellowhead Grove / Vixen
Recognition is nice. Our work has gained international attention both in the form of awards and press. Additionally, we speak at industry events and from time-to-time find our thoughts and work published.
This is the part where we show you our stuff.
Case Study: illumivision
“Since launching our new website, we have seen as much as a 225% increase in international inquiries and sales, year to date ... it has expanded our reach exponentially.” —Monica Allen, illumivision Challenge illumivision designs and manufactures high-powered LED fixtures for use in architectural lighting and commercial applications. Their previous site did not make this fact clear and visitors were confused as to what illumivision’s actual role was in the creation of their lighting solutions. Additionally, the site lacked a distinctive brand personality and visitors were not effectively utilizing the product information and resources made available. Solution We started with adjusting illumivision’s messaging to identify the advantages of their products and highlighting the value they bring to spaces that require lighting and accents. Big, bold type set against luminous photographs give punch to the main messages while key benefits and examples are distributed throughout the page. Motifs of light are used in the background and navigation to give the site a distinctive feel. Comprehensive product pages and an education section add utility to the site and capture many of the most often asked questions. Result Upon arrival to the illumivision site, visitors enter a luminous space with striking visuals. The mood of the site sets the company far ahead of their competitors by making a strong impression, while presenting clear examples of how their lights enhance spaces and structures. The simplified navigation leads visitors through well-defined sections that contain a wealth of product information and case studies, which afford their clients better self-serve resources.
Click here to view illumivision.com
Case Study: Ascent
“You guys are so brilliant, you have captured the essence of all our efforts and dreams, I can’t even say enough.” —Withanie Lemke, Ascent Challenge Ascent needed two websites, one for its established helicopter charter business and another other for its fledgling aerospace equipment manufacturing business. Designing websites for two different companies under the same brand posed the challenge of keeping the parallel sites cohesive yet distinct. Ascent also required that the site lend credibility to itself as a new manufacturer, and distance its brand from a multitude of competitors who all claim to be “Number 1.” Solution smashLAB leveraged the strong identity based on “exclusivity” that it had built for Ascent and infused that high-end aesthetic into each site. With bold statements and clear messaging each exudes the confidence that comes from experience and success. Additionally, we used aspirational imagery to illustrate the mythic and majestic nature of flying. In order to give each site its own identity while conforming to the established brand, we built consistent site templates but used colour to distinguish them. Result Ascent now has an exclusive brand that stands far above its competitors and is flexible enough to be extended across two companies and into future ventures. They also have the tools to manage and expand their online presence as the company grows and evolves. One of the founders notes, “You guys are so brilliant, you have captured the essence of all our efforts and dreams, I can’t even say enough.”
Click here to view ascenthelicopters.ca
Case Study: Green Report Card
“smashLAB deserves special commendation for taking on the ambitious Green Report Card project ... their creativity, patience, and attention to detail were exceptional.” —Mark Orlowski, SEI Challenge SEI (The Sustainable Endowments Institute) wanted to take their sustainability report card to the web in order to extend its usefulness and reach. In doing so they needed to offer a clear and concise tool that would welcome users with easily accessible information. They also felt that they had to be increasingly transparent with regards to how their grading system works in order to cement the credibility of their data. Solution smashLAB worked closely with SEI to accurately translate their report card to the web. An iterative design process informed the navigation and function of the site. As such, the massive amount of data is made easier to browse, examine, and compare. Throughout the site, a great deal of weight is lent to educating visitors on the methods SEI uses to compute the grades. We also relied on the reputation of SEI’s key backing organizations on the in order to underscore the organization’s credibility. Result SEI has successfully transitioned their printed resource to the web, and the first responses have been overwhelmingly positive. A powerful filtering system along with enhanced interactivity facilitates better ways of “slicing and dicing” the research findings while a comparison tool allows visitors to see how selected schools stack up against one another. Additionally, the carefully executed information design leaves the website’s users with a clear understanding of how grading system works. Contributors also benefit from the new tools, which allow them to easily enter data while they are on-theroad. The mainstream media is paying attention to the Green Report Card and the site has an opportunity to truly impact positive change.
Click here to view greenreportcard.org
Case Study: NCI Communications
“We are amazed at how the process helped us focus our offering and actually become reinspired by the business we are in.” —Jim Chesnutt, NCI Challenge NCI Communications is a US-based video production and PR firm that needed a site to accurately reflect the quality of current work and attract additional clients in the corporate, government, and non-profit sectors. They also had a broad offering and generic messaging that needed refinement to better identify their strengths. Solution During the assessment stage of their design process, smashLAB found that NCI offered value to their clients through their ability to tell a story. Taking a cue from this concept and from the fact that many NCI team members had a background in journalism, smashLAB applied a design treatment that was in line with reputable news publications and journalism sources. They focused on showcasing NCI’s catalogue of stunning imagery from the field and on providing case studies that included client testimonial. Result Through its presentation of engaging images and sophisticated design, NCI’s website exhibits the “wow” factor they were looking for while maintaining a professional and classic feel. Additionally, by refining their messaging and range of services, NCI is positioned to appeal to current clientele while opening themselves to potential clients in new sectors. The people at NCI feel that smashLAB “centered” their efforts. As one of the partners noted, “We are amazed at how the process helped us focus our offering and actually become re-inspired by the business we are in. smashLAB rocks.”
Click here to view ncicommunications.com
Case Study: Tourism Vancouver
“smashLAB did a fantastic job understanding our goals & objectives, and delivered a new site design that improves the usability and captures the beauty and diversity of Vancouver.” —Darren Johner, Tourism Vancouver Challenge Tied to a tightly integrated web management system, and with only months to the 2010 Winter Olympics, Tourism Vancouver needed to overhaul their site. The update had to align with their new brand identity, while maintaining their legacy architecture and management system. The existing site was hard for some to read and featured a “less than intuitive” approach to navigation that needed to be remedied. Solution smashLAB began the process with an overall assessment of the site, working to pinpoint issues and determine workarounds that could be achieved economically, within the limitations of their existing technology. Meanwhile, all of the site’s content was catalogued and reviewed, in an effort to structure it more simply and establish a more intuitive web experience for visitors. Wireframing comprised a large component of this project, as the vast amount of content and functionality needed to be organized in a fashion that would be easier for visitors to interpret. Result The final Tourism Vancouver site is an effective transformation that brings the organization’s web presence in-line with their brand identity, while integrating their existing software. Meanwhile, it benefits from a number of sensible usability fixes. Better organization of content, clearer core navigation and micro-site hierarchy, and simple improvements like increased type size, all make the site nicer for a wider variety of visitors. Meanwhile, it upholds a vital sensibility due to the liberal application of corporate colors and vivid and diverse photographs employed throughout. Click here to view tourismvancouver.com
Got seven minutes? Take a peek at some of these internal projects. Some might get you thinking, a couple could result in laughter, and the last will help manage your brand’s dialogue with customers. 1. We asked designers to change—for the planet’s sake. 2. For fun, we started our own social network. 3. Our blog is frequented by up to 60k monthly visitors. 4. They stole our name; we got some laughs (and buzz). 5. The daily news wasn’t written for creatives. It is now. 6. We wrote a book to help small companies market better. 7. Twitter clients suck. We’re making one that doesn’t.
smashLAB is located two blocks from Waterfront Station in the heart of Vancouver. We have a cozy meeting space and make great espresso. Call us to talk about working together:
604 683 2250*
smashLAB Inc. 403 - 318 Homer Street, Vancouver, BC Canada V6B 2V2 * If you’re shy, just email: hello@smashlab.com