As an agency I’m sure you are continually asking yourself where is the next piece of work coming from and how are you going to attract new clients? But often the day-to-day pressure of delivering great work gets in the way.
If you’re holding back on launching a new business strategy don’t 🚀
This is the time to fully invest in powering up your new business machine. There are customers out there, buying habits may have changed but with Zero market presence how are they going to find you?
Start with crystal clear thinking; who is your ideal client? How can you best add value for them?
With a tough market you will need to be more creative, relevant and consistent in your approach.
Adopt an agile approach, continually reviewing and refine your proposition, approach and tactics. Listen to the feedback you are getting and really use these insights to develop that robust new business pipeline!
New business is not the responsibility of one person it’s a team effort so get everyone involved and accountable.
A few things to think about:
😍 Build deeper, stronger relationships with Current & Lapsed Clients:
Love them, keep close to them and support them. Understand their objectives whether it be personal or business. Make them look great and shine.
Always ask clients for a referral this is a source that can just keep giving.
Continually extend your network within your client. Get under their skin, there will always be new opportunities in other departments & regions.
Try new things, use insights to develop new services or tools. You may be sitting on a gold mine.
💥 Be Bold with New opportunities:
Do your homework to truly understand their pain points. Ask direct questions that demonstrate that you really understand their business.
Be prepared to go that extra mile to prove your value. Things may take longer but stick with it.
Don’t be lazy and rely on virtual meetings. Invite them into your offices and involve your best talent. People buy people.
Don’t hide your success under a bushel – Be BOLD and proud and talk about your talent, best work, awards and values.
🤗 Re-establish your Networking:
Always make time to speak with your network, you never know what the next conversation will unearth.
Add value to your network by offering them something say … speaker, judging, podcast.
When reconnecting always ask for something, whether it be time in the diary or a referral. People like to help.
We learnt from the pandemic that those agencies that proactively engage with new and current clients reap the benefits.
Start today and fuel up your new business engine. Stick with it and it will deliver new clients, new work and give you a better night’s sleep 😴
Hospitality, retail and branding designers Phoenix Wharf have completed a clever and colourful refurbishment of hospitality outlet Old Chang Kee in Covent Garden. The Singaporean family-run operator opened its first two UK stores in Covent Garden’s New Row in 2018 and on Goodge Street, also in London, at the end of 2019. The client, UK franchisee Sandra Leong, commissioned Phoenix Wharf to redesign the Covent Garden site earlier this year to improve spatial issues and make the store more modern and memorable. The fast-turnaround project has seen most of the new interior and furniture pre-assembled off-site to minimise store closure times and to allow the venue both to close and re-open over the course of August, with minimal final refinements completed in September.
‘The Old Chang Kee food offer had been incredibly well-reviewed since the brand opened in the UK’, Phoenix Wharf Creative Director Emma Carter explained. ‘The logistics of the existing Covent Garden site, however, offered definite room for improvement, with the store’s small existing servery counter, for example, necessitating people having to queue outside and stand aside each time someone came out. The interior colours were rather muted and the menus not clearly visible until you were inside, making the offer challenging for anyone previously unfamiliar with it.’
Old Chang Kee was originally established in Singapore in 1956 in the form of a humble stall, quickly becoming famous for its curry puffs – the Singaporean answer to the pasty, samosa or empanada. The stall attracted customers from far and wide, including many British people before the dissolution of the Crown colony in 1963. Expansion over the following decades saw the brand become a recognisable staple of Singaporean street life nationwide.
The brand’s UK outposts feature a grab-and-go concept with the aim of making authentic Singaporean street food accessible to customers in London and the UK. Its signature curry puffs – hot, buttery pastry with a spiced filling – have been lauded by eminent food critics including Giles Coren, Fay Maschler and Marina O’Loughlin. Also available on the menu are other classic Singaporean favourites, such as Nasi Lemak (coconut rice) and Laksa (rice noodles in a coconut curry broth).
Design Approach
The Phoenix Wharf team looked to the history and traditions of the Singaporean Shophouse in their design approach, where street food was served from ground floor premises with living quarters situated above – a set-up very much mirrored by the Covent Garden location.
The client brief was to create a more contemporary look for the outlet, moving away from the existing understated magnolia interior, decorated with lots of trinkets and wood, which had made the look and feel a little too obviously traditionally Singaporean. The Covent Garden location also has lots of local competition, with the road becoming a real foodie destination in recent years. The venue definitely needed to stand out more therefore, as well as to be easier for customers to access – and more efficient for the operator in terms of ordering and service fulfilment.
‘A clear balance needed to be struck between retaining Old Chang Kee’s brand essence and heritage and creating the desired more modern look and feel’Emma Carter commented. ‘The bright yellow of the fascia is an established brand colour and had to stay, for example, although the tone needed to be punchier and make more of a statement, as the previous fascia had been too pale. We also introduced a blue secondary colour to the interior for the first time. This immediately adds a more contemporary note, as well as working well with the yellow. The blue has been used for the walls and features additionally in the menus and the counter-front tiling – as well as being extended to new, re-usable blue melamine crockery and chopsticks, which set off the food really well.’
The New Interior
Although the offer is mostly takeaway, there was also some demand for eating in, so the new layout needed to incorporate seating to meet that mission, whilst not encouraging too much dwell time, as the offer is predominantly grab-and-go there was no possibility of expansion of the very small space overall, which measures just 21.3 sqm in total. Window seating, plus two standalone tables for four were integrated, featuring loose wooden seating (re-using existing Singaporean stools), plus one new inset banquette in a teak veneer with a yellow seat pad. The banquette also has storage space incorporated beneath the seat. The new tables feature a laminate top in a rich oyster grey, which allows the food and coloured plates to stand out. Small inset planting adds a third colour into the scheme, as well as aiding acoustics and referencing the famously lush greenery of Singapore.
The previous hot food counter, located to the right as customers entered, has been replaced with a new 1.6m-counter directly opposite the entrance, with inset food tray display spaces for the curry puffs, so that people can see as they order, with a till point directly adjoining. The new counter top is a solid surface material, whilst the counter front has been clad in eye-catching and typically Singaporean Dragonera tiles, with the tiling continuing and wrapping round the right hand wall of the space.
A new gantry pelmet in plasterboard with curved timber detailing has been designed to sit above the counter, with the easily-legible menu now visible on three 50” inset illuminated digital screens. This is located well above head height and is clearly visible from the exterior. This particular store also has a step up to the entry, giving the new menu a further height advantage. The curved gantry-top detail – a shape repeated on the back wall – is a nod to the menu’s central item – the curry puff.
Storage was a big part of the new design story and the rear of the new menu and product signage – both on the rear wall and on the gantry – can be used to store items, taking takeaway packaging out of sight, for example, where it had previously been visible to customers. Behind the service counter is a new ground floor additional kitchen area (with the main food prep remaining on the lower-ground level) for sinks, hand-washing and further shelving. At the back of the public area is a condiment station with a tray drop and customer bin. A changeable poster space directly behind this also features as a concealed door to further hidden storage, making use of previously dead space above the stairs. A full-height fridge sits alongside this for customer drinks.
The rear wall of the space features new yellow tiling with a grey grout, wrapped around existing teak timber, which was too high quality to consider replacing. Further food story graphics are also integrated into this wall, along with the Old Chang Kee logo in black. A rear stair, which leads down to the lower ground kitchen area, has been discreetly sectioned off, as the occasional customer had been known to take the stair before, believing it to be a public access route.
Phoenix Wharf also had a graphic remit as part of the refurbishment, redesigning the menu and creating a new poster in a yellow frame for the right-side wall. Newly re-commissioned brand photography – featuring the new melamine serving bowls and plates – works well with the upgraded interior and graphic treatment.
‘After five years of successful trading, our Covent Garden location was in need of a redesign – both to make our grab-and-go offer more appealing, as well as to make operations a little slicker’ client Sandra Leong commented, adding that ‘this was a challenge given the tiny footprint of the site, but Phoenix Wharf were able to take a difficult brief and run with it. The new layout and design certainly have more stopping power than before and our team appreciates a better laid-out store that is operationally easier to maintain. Singaporean food and its accompanying aesthetic is also not well understood in the UK, but Phoenix Wharf put in the effort to research and understand this. I’m excited to use our new-look store as a blueprint for future locations.
Noughts & Ones, the Bristol agency dedicated to empowering planet-conscious e-commerce brands on Shopify, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Matthew Pill as the new Operations Director. This strategic move comes as the agency continues to expand its operations and services in response to the growing demand for sustainable e-commerce solutions.
Matthew Pill, who has been an integral part of the Noughts & Ones team as Senior Developer, will now take on an even more pivotal role in the agency. As Operations Director, Matthew will leverage his extensive technical expertise and industry insight to oversee the day-to-day operations, ensuring the seamless delivery of projects and retainers while maintaining a strong focus on sustainability and purpose.
Noughts & Ones has established itself as a trailblazer in the e-commerce landscape, partnering with forward-thinking brands that prioritise environmental and social responsibility. The appointment of Matthew Pill as Operations Director reinforces the agency’s commitment to excellence and sustainability.
“Matthew’s dedication to our mission and his exceptional technical skills make him the perfect fit for this role,” said Tom Locke, Founder / Sales Director of Noughts & Ones. “As we continue to work with purpose-led brands, Matthew will play a pivotal role in driving our agency’s growth, ensuring that we meet and exceed the expectations of our clients while adhering to our values.”
In his new role, Matthew will be responsible for optimising project delivery, strengthen team collaboration, and enhance the efficiency of the agency. He will also work closely with clients to ensure that their sustainability and purpose-driven goals are at the forefront of every project.
Matthew Pill commented on his new role, saying, “I am thrilled to be taking on a new role as Operations Director and I couldn’t be more excited about continuing to work with this fantastic team! I’m incredibly proud of the accomplishments we’ve already achieved at Noughts & Ones and I cannot wait for the new opportunities that lie ahead as we look to continue to contribute to a more sustainable future.”
Under Matthew and Tom’s leadership, Noughts & Ones is poised for further growth and innovation in the e-commerce industry, reaffirming its commitment to driving positive change and helping purpose-led brands thrive.
For more information about Noughts & Ones and their sustainable e-commerce solutions, please visit www.noughtsandones.com.
Noughts & Ones is a leading e-commerce agency based in Bristol, UK, specialising in creating purpose-driven and planet-conscious online shopping experiences. With a mission to empower brands that prioritise sustainability and social responsibility, Noughts & Ones delivers innovative e-commerce solutions that drive growth while making a positive impact on the planet.
Through a joint planning process, Squarebird worked with SRLV to deliver a new look and feel to their brand and website that retained their history – bringing them into the modern era with a contemporary design, a slick look, and a site-wide representation of their ethos and values.
An impeccable, highly personalised service.
SRLV are a firm of chartered accountants, business management specialists, and advisors for corporate and private clients. They deliver quality work and personalised support, underpinning excellence at the very highest level. The ethos, honesty, and nurturing of a family business; the professionalism of a larger organisation – this is SRLV.
Putting people and relationships first.
Squarebird and SRLV began by collaborating to explore the purpose behind the rebrand, outlining the goals they wanted to achieve, and cementing the need to build awareness of their brand and specialist services. Three core objectives arose from this exercise:
A more effective use of digital assets.
Profiling for key people within the business as leaders in their fields.
Leveraging their brand for recruitment across the board.
After the objectives were realised and finalised, Squarebird began work on a redevelopment proposal that covered brand, website, and collateral elements.
People as the beating heart.
SRLV wanted to preserve their existing heritage and branding. This was brought across through small details across the site, such as the sage colour of their logo – a logo which was carefully refined to showcase the different components of their brand identity, themed around their relationships with customers and clients.
The concepts behind the logo design were proposed as a solution to extend through the rest of the redevelopment – a proposal that SRLV agreed with, beginning the implementation of their core sense of integrity, values, and family into a professional, contemporary digital presence.
“We worked through a concept stage, creating multiple logos that ranged from safe to disruptive. The design that lured them in was dynamic, with the potential to expand into wider branding. It could animate to spell out the letters SRLV and be used to create a bespoke pattern that’s applicable throughout the brand identity. It was an enjoyable process with multiple avenues but when they saw the one, they just knew.” – Alec, Lead Designer.
“From the moment we first set foot in their offices, it was abundantly clear this was a firm we were eager to collaborate with. SRLV defies the conventional norms of an accountancy firm; they embody a unique blend of professionalism and approachability that sets them apart.
Beyond the expected attributes of a top-tier firm, SRLV exude a cool, down-to-earth demeanour that aligns perfectly with their diverse and stylish clientele. Our mission was to capture these distinctive qualities and breathe life into them through a comprehensive brand evolution and the creation of a cutting-edge digital presence.
Our dedicated team invested tireless effort into not only meeting but surpassing the needs and aspirations of SRLV’s partners. The resulting project meets present demands and is proofed for the future, ensuring SRLV remains at the forefront of their industry.
A special mention is due to Henrietta Atkins Consulting Limited, SRLV’s trusted Strategic Marketing Consultancy, who seamlessly collaborated with Squarebird throughout the project. Their invaluable support and teamwork played a pivotal role in achieving a flawless outcome that perfectly encapsulates the essence of SRLV’s exceptional brand.” – Nick Bird, Managing Partner
Bringing the business to life.
Squarebird brought to life the vibrant contemporary culture of SRLV through design and content, demonstrated the staff’s diversity, and highlighted the quality of the firm as an employer of both graduates and qualified professionals. This fed into wider support of marketing activities like email and social media.
The redevelopment concluded, resulting in a newly envisioned brand and website that create a premium experience, luxury feel, and demonstrate the experience and expertise of SRLV’s staff.
“There is a first-class team at Squarebird. It was a pleasure working with them. They helped us develop a new brand logo and a full website overhaul, taking on board our vision and giving excellent advice along the way. I highly recommend them.” – Grant Court, SRLV Partner
We are so please to announce that we won three awards at the UK Agency Awards 2023, held in London on September 21.
We were named Best Large PPC Agency in the UK, and also won Innovative Agency of the Year and Best Campaign for our work to drive revenue for our lovely client, David Salisbury.
The UK Agency Awards celebrate the best agencies working across all verticals, from creativity and design to digital and technology, from marketing and advertising to public relations and media.
The judges praised Launch for its focus on our people; “It is great to see that this agency’s focus extends beyond just tracking performance, with a genuine emphasis on the happiness and well-being of employees, which is truly commendable, and it is clear to see the positive impact this has has on the agency and the results the team have achieved.”
Our fab founder, Jaye, was delighted with the awards; “Our mission is to be the happiest performance agency. I believe that happy people do great work, and by empowering our team to do their best, we can get great results for our clients. So, I am absolutely thrilled that as we enter the final quarter of the year the whole team is recognised for their hard work.”
What is User Testing?
User testing is analogous to asking your friends to try out a product you’ve produced, to put it simply. Consider creating a toy or game and wanting to determine whether it is enjoyable and simple to play. Similar user testing is done for websites and apps. People who didn’t build it check it out and report back on what works and what doesn’t. This makes it better and simpler for everyone to utilise websites and apps. London-based digital consultancy WeAgile will conduct user testing on your new website or app if you are one of our very fortunate and satisfied customers. Why not reach out to us right away to learn more? But now – onto User Testing.
How User Testing Works
To make user testing feasible and effective, you’ll need to take a number of actions. Here is a brief explanation of each of the steps; we will go into greater detail on some of them in the blog.
1. Develop Your Digital Product:
This could be a brand-new website, app, or other digital product created to address a particular user demand. The testing procedure is built upon this phase. Simply put, there won’t be anything to test without the product (even if it’s an MVP).
2. Select a Testing Method:
Based on your objectives, pick the testing approach that is best for you. (Read more about down below). Depending on the insights you want to gain, this may involve usability testing, A/B testing, or even eye-tracking experiments. Each approach presents a distinct viewpoint on user engagement and pleasure.
3. Recruit Your Test Participants:
Find the people that most closely resemble your target market. You can be confident that the feedback you receive correctly represents the experiences and preferences of your real users by selecting participants who are representative of them. Trust us when we say it. Below, we go into further depth regarding several locations where you might discover your test subjects.
4. Pick the Right Testing Environment:
Select a suitable area to carry out the experiments. If you’re conducting online testing, this could be a controlled environment, a real-world scenario, or a remote environment. The setting ought to reflect the way users would naturally engage with your digital work. Most likely, the people who take part in your test will test your website or app from home, on their own schedule. Just always tell them when they have to turn in their results, so keep reading.
5. Set the Test Duration:
Find out how long it will take each participant to finish the test. By evaluating how long customers generally spend navigating through your digital product, you can make sure that the testing period is reasonable and doesn’t pressure participants.
6. Distribute the Test:
Give the chosen participants access to your digital product and the essential instructions. Sharing a website or app’s link may be necessary for this. Consistent outcomes across participants are ensured by clear criteria.
7. Analyse and Interpret Results:
Gather and assess the information and comments gathered during the testing process. This entails assessing user interactions, watching how they behave, and taking into account their input. To learn how consumers interact with your new app or website, look for patterns, insights, and pain areas.
User Testing Methods
Given that we discussed a variety of testing techniques in the preceding section, you may be asking how to do user testing for your product. There are various methods for conducting user testing because every product, prototype, and feature is unique — just like every firm. We’ll examine the three most popular ways WeAgile, a web design and development company in London, has had tremendous success with. There are various approaches that may be utilised for user testing.
A/B Testing
In A/B testing, you split up your test subjects into groups (which could be two or more) and have them try out several iterations of your product to determine which they prefer. This enables you to determine whether version delivers your clients a better user experience and makes them happy. A/B testing involves exposing your clients (or test subjects) to various versions of your product. It’s comparable like testing various ice cream flavours to determine which one they prefer. You get to observe what actually excites your customers rather than assuming based on what you know about them. Even if you are confident in your knowledge of your clients, A/B testing may still surprise you and reveal something intriguing. There is a reason why huge companies (like Facebook) do A/B testing regularly.
Usability Testing
It does sound a lot like user testing, don’t you think? It is not, however, the same. Before getting into the specifics, let’s first examine the distinction. The entire range of client interactions with your website or app is captured during user testing. This may include — from when they first come into contact with the object until when they cease using it, their thoughts, feelings, likes, dislikes, reactions, and behaviours related to the item. On the other hand, usability testing focuses on how and to what extent a client uses your product to accomplish a certain goal. Even if it helps to make the user experience as a whole, this isn’t the whole journey.
Giving a product, prototype, or feature to actual customers (or your test subjects) allows you to gauge how user-friendly it is. Usability is the ability of a product to be useful and simple to use. You can determine how naturally your actual users find your product, prototype, or feature by conducting usability testing.
Beta Testing
Beta testing happens in the last stages of developing your website or app. It occurs when you present your finished product to your clients and target market and allow them to closely examine how it will look when it is ready for release. Prior to entering the market, this testing phase serves as the final customer approval.
When should beta testing be used? It’s ideal when you’re almost done creating your product and want to get one more opinion before releasing it to the public. This step gives you the chance to make any last-minute adjustments to the user experience, making sure it’s excellent for your clients. Other user tests throughout the design process ought to have been conducted before beginning the beta testing phase. This is so that only the most significant and final product upgrades are subjected to beta testing. By getting client feedback beforehand, you’ll probably only need small changes—if any—during beta testing. By using this tactical approach, you can be confident that your product is polished and prepared to shine.
User Testing Metrics
A variety of measurements used in user testing are used to assess the usability and efficiency of your website or app. These metrics offer insights for improvement by quantifying user interactions, engagement, and satisfaction. Here are some metrics from user testing that you can find helpful for your website or app. Keep in mind, though, that not all of these will apply to your digital project because every website and app is different (in its own way). These metrics offer insightful data on how people interact with your websites and apps, assisting in the development of improvements and optimisations that will result in a flawless and pleasurable user experience.
Task Success Rate: this measures the percentage of tasks users successfully complete during testing, indicating how well your design supports their goals.
Time on Task: the time users spend on specific tasks. This could indicate how intuitive and efficient your design is.
Error Rate: this metric calculates the frequency of user errors during tasks, shedding light on confusing or challenging aspects of your product.
Click-Through Rate (CTR): for links or buttons, CTR measures user interaction by showing how often they click on these elements.
Bounce Rate: for websites, this measures the percentage of visitors who leave after viewing only one page, indicating a lack of engagement.
Navigation Flow: it maps users’ journey through your website or app, revealing any confusing pathways or friction points.
Satisfaction Ratings: these are often obtained through post-test surveys; these ratings provide insights into users’ overall satisfaction with the experience. You could also do short (or in-depth) interviews with the test participants if the time and resources allow.
Net Promoter Score (NPS): this measures users’ likelihood to recommend your website or app to others (be it their friends, family or promotion on social media channels). This reflects their overall satisfaction – the more satisfied they are, the more they will promote it – as simple as that.
Conversion Rate: for e-commerce sites, this measures the proportion of visitors who complete desired actions, such as making a purchase.
Scroll Depth: tracks how far users scroll down a page, showing if important content is being missed.
Time to Complete Tasks: it is what it says on the tin. This quantifies the time users/test participants need to finish tasks, revealing potential obstacles or ease of use.
Why is User Testing so Valuable?
User testing works like a detective, swiftly identifying the precise issue so that your team doesn’t spend time and resources on the wrong thing. It involves making a quick investment in the appropriate cause. Your product, feature, or prototype may be simple to use for your team and designers, but it could not be for your actual customers. User testing reveals areas in which your product might be more appropriate for your target market. It highlights the areas where people might become perplexed or irritated. Since user testing takes place prior to the release of your product, you can utilise this information to keep making improvements until you’ve created a user experience (UX) that you’re truly proud of.
Where to Find Users to Test Your Website or App?
To get insightful feedback on your digital products, you must enlist consumers to test them. If you’ve decided to attempt to do it on your own, here’s how and where to do it.
Your Network: Start by reaching out to friends, family, and colleagues who fit your target user profile. They can provide initial insights and help you refine your testing process.
Social Media: Post a call for participants on your social media accounts or in relevant groups. Explain what you’re looking for and the perks of participating (e.g. an Amazon voucher or a free subscription to your app once it launches). Platforms like Meta, LinkedIn, and X can be effective.
Online Communities: Participate in forums, discussion boards, or online communities related to your product’s niche. Engage with users, build rapport, and then invite them to test your product.
User Testing Platforms: Websites like UserTesting.com, Userlytics, and TryMata allow you to recruit users based on specific demographics. These platforms handle the recruitment process for you – easy but not always cheap. There are a couple of more you can have a look at – Helio.app (formerly Verifyapp.com), UXTweak.com.
Email Subscribers: If you have an email list, send out an invitation to your subscribers. They’re likely already interested in your product and might be willing to participate.
In-Person Events: Attend relevant meetups, conferences, or workshops. Engage with attendees and invite those who align with your target audience to participate in testing.
Universities: If applicable, approach universities and colleges to recruit students who match your user profile. Many students are open to participating in user testing.
Local Communities: Utilise local bulletin boards, community centres, or coffee shops to post recruitment flyers. This can help you find participants within your area.
Referrals: Ask your current participants if they know someone else who might be interested in testing your product. Referrals often lead to engaged participants.
Paid Advertisements: Consider running targeted online ads to reach your desired user demographic. Platforms like Facebook Ads and Google Ads can help you reach a wider audience.
User testing enables us to improve, innovate, and create digital solutions that genuinely resonate with our audience with every click, scroll, and interaction. By embracing the art and science of user testing, we not only produce useful products but also experiences that have a lasting impression on users and the digital world. Let us at WeAgile join you on this exploration as we work to improve customer satisfaction, elevate our design, and push the envelope of what is conceivable for websites and mobile applications.
Sometimes merely using words or static visuals to describe something is insufficient. Making a wireframe is the next stage once a concept for your company’s mobile app or website has taken shape. To guarantee that consumers have a flawless browsing experience, it nevertheless occasionally occurs on paper or via a dedicated tool. Interactive mockups known as prototypes are used to test the aesthetic and user experience of websites and mobile applications.
Designers and developers can demonstrate how they want something to look and function via interactive prototypes. They may test the interactions they want to use, which will aid developers in knowing what to design. Like a how-to manual for getting everything just right!
What is Interactive Prototyping?
For both websites and mobile apps, an interactive prototype provides insights about user interaction at several levels. By allowing users to evaluate design usability and feasibility before to the start of the development phase, these prototypes help eliminate unforeseen problems that may arise during project execution. It acts as a sneak peek or presentation of the final look, navigation, drop-downs, and filtering capabilities of a digital product. Because of its robustness, users may thoroughly examine the system’s features, functionality, and usability in a single package. It is similar to taking a “test-drive” before buying “the car” (i.e., creating a digital product).
What are some benefits of interactive prototypes?
A clickable prototype, for example, will show users and stakeholders exactly how the website or app will look and function (buttons, etc.). Interactive prototypes give users and stakeholders a good insight into the design of the application. In turn, this encourages stakeholders and users to share a common vision.
Early-stage project prototyping reveals design roadblocks, allowing for the identification of necessary features and maybe cost-saving opportunities. Effectively addressing problems when they arise is clearly preferable to continuing down a problematic developmental course.
This procedure can be streamlined, user feedback can be gathered earlier in the development process, and development times are cut.
Prototypes can be a powerful tool for demonstrating forward progress and communicating the next distinct step in the development of the programme. The crew becomes enthusiastic about the project’s future as a result.
Instead of just describing how something should look, prototypes help explain how something actually works. For instance, developers can utilise the prototype to see how a certain button or feature should operate if they want to know how it should work.
Some Popular Prototyping Tools
Figma
There are currently a lot of different options to choose from, despite the fact that it has long been a preferred pick for UX/UI design teams. Figma is used by almost four million people. It is excellent for project management, building website pages, making app prototypes, and brainstorming and mind maps. To see if it works for your needs, you can start with the free version.
InVision
Instead than being a single tool, InVision is more a collection of tools. Three tools and collaborative places are included in one membership. The first is Freehand, which is used for collaborative wireframing in real time. After that, you proceed to Studio to design screens and create interactive prototypes. Studio features a function that allows you to turn comment suggestions into tasks that can be completed. When everything is finished, use Inspect to collaborate with developers and give off designs.
WebFlow
This is an excellent tool for collaborating between designers and developers. After finishing your project on Webflow, you can download the HTML, CSS, and Javascript code (without really having to code anything). It will resemble something a developer would create exactly! Give your developer this code so you won’t have to worry about the front-end details any more.
Sketch
Sketch provides a sizeable selection of prototyping tools. You may bring your ideas to life in ways that enhance the projects you’re working on by using tools like scrolling artboards, fixed elements, and overlays.
Miro
According to user feedback, Miro’s prototyping tool streamlines the prototyping process, making it efficient, flexible, and collaborative. Additionally handily, Miro provides wireframe and prototype templates. Over 60 million people presently use Miro, so there must be some value there. Check it out for yourself without a doubt!
Our team of designers, developers, and marketers at WeAgile, a digital agency based in the UK, has extensive experience in app development, website development, and digital marketing. Reach out to us right away and let’s start to work on your brand-new, exciting digital project or campaign!
Clare Leczycki shares an update on the Bristol Creative Industries Internship Programme.
We are just over halfway through the pilot year of the Bristol Create Industries Internship Programme, a scheme set up and funded by Bristol Creative Industries and and a group of members. It gives young people from under-represented backgrounds a chance to explore the different roles in the creative industries.
The programme, delivered in partnership with Babbasa as part of the #OurCity2030 initiative, provides interns with placements at two different agencies over a six-month period.
It aims to:
Address two of our biggest challenges; a long-term skills shortage and a lack of diversity in the sector.
Create access to paid internships, jobs and opportunities through our network.
Inspire young people with the range of careers in the creative industries through role models and mentors.
Support the participants to thrive in their careers through training and support and enabling employers to build inclusive cultures.
Our interns switched placements this month and are now working in their second agency.
During this process, several opportunities came up and we off-boarded three of the interns early.
Seren Spooner was offered a job at Armadillo as a junior designer and decided to take the opportunity to move into full- time work.
“As a graphic designer, I was initially unsure about going into client service, but quickly found that I really enjoyed it. Agency structure has been a highlight for me and being openminded about all the different roles and opportunities available within an agency has been really interesting. It has allowed me to see where my experience and skills can fit with an organisation like Armadillo.
“I really wouldn’t be anywhere without this programme; it has made the transition out of university so incredibly easy. To have a variety of roles put in front of you is amazing, and even though I won’t be changing my agency and role in the second part of the programme, as I was offered a full-time position, to have the opportunity to switch and learn new skills at a new company makes such an impact.
“The support that you get from your peers throughout the programme is also so impactful, we have all been there for each other throughout this process which has been amazing.”
Mohd Wani decided to go back into education to do a masters in UX at one of the most prestigious universities in the UK:
“This programme has given me a new career path in an industry I never thought would be for me. By moving into UX design from graphic design, I can now see myself excelling more in this role than I ever could’ve imagined in graphic design.
“In four months on this programme working in UX, I can see more improvement in myself than in three years of training in graphic design.
“The work I have completed at Atomic Smash has helped me to secure a place at the Royal College of Art, which I will be starting later this year. But I have also been offered a full time by Atomic Smash when I finish my course, so I know my future is secure.
“The programme has taught me great networking skills, and different ways of talking to people. The skills sessions we do each week has also given me so many additional skills outside of my day-to-day job which are so valuable, and that is all thanks to this programme.
“The work I have done because of the programme and the skills that I now have, has helped me get rid of my past feelings of ‘I don’t belong here’, and now I know that I do.
“I would tell anyone thinking of joining the programme to just do it. It will give you so many different opportunities to find out what you are good at, what you are in to, and what your career path can be.”
Laurel Beckford is now working with Babbasa’s communications team:
”The BCI internship programme is one of the best out there for any individual looking to get their foot into the creative sector. The amount of support I have received is incredible and gives you so many opportunities to build up your skills.
“I was made aware of the programme through Babbasa and worked with them to help me with the process of getting in touch with BCI.
“Before I came on this programme, I didn’t know one thing about building a website, and now I can and have learnt so many skills.
“I have travelled to London with my agency, met clients face to face, and been involved in a photoshoot, which has been a real highlight.
“The BCI Internship programme can help anyone make their way into the creative sector and will give you the chance to do that.”
Whilst we are sad to be saying goodbye to some of the interns, we are incredibly excited to see opportunities created by the network and it’s brilliant to see the young people thrive and move onto the next stage of their career. We look forward to hearing more about how they are getting on in the coming months.
Other interns have also been offered jobs but have chosen to complete the internship programme, while some are exploring further training to hone their skills.
You can see the agencies currently involved in the progamme here.
Interested in getting involved?
The pilot programme will finish at the end of November. We will then review and reflect on the learnings from the interns and participating agencies to see how the scheme can be further developed and expanded. We are particularly excited to be working more closely with the team at Babbasa to develop our onboarding and training processes for the next round.
Conversations for the 2024 Bristol Creative Industries Internship Programme has begun. If you run a creative business in Bristol and are interested in hearing more about how to get involved, contact BCI membership manager Alli Nicholas on [email protected]
Team Varn was pleased to be attending Brighton SEO this year, one of the biggest search conferences in the world. It was a great opportunity to learn new ways we can do our jobs better, as well as keep up to date on new trends in our industry that we can take forward in our client work.
We were very proud of our MD Tom Vaughton, who took to the main auditorium 1 this year to share a talk on ‘How & why the history of SEO will help us plan for the future of search’. You can see Tom’s slides here.
Tom shared what 24 years of up and downs, success and failures in SEO has taught him about what we need to focus on for the next decade if we want to be successful as agencies and for inhouse SEO. Tom set the scene of why it’s vital to look back at the past to help us plan for the future and shared an insightful quote by Jeff Bezos:
“I very frequently get the question ‘What’s going to change in the next 10 years?’ I almost never get the question ‘What’s not going to change in the next 10 years?‘
Tom highlighted to the Brighton SEO audience that he has identified 8 principles of effective long term SEO that he believes will not change and we need to be aware of these constants…
The point of search engines was to make information easy to find – that’s still the same today
Over time you WILL make more profit with organic search over paid.
Relevant high quality content still rules.
Always align with Google’s roadmap. Don’t try to trick it – you won’t be able to.
There is no silver bullet.
Never stop learning.
Link building is irrelevant unless you build your brand. Work on building a brand for the long term with your clients.
Understand your competition and ensure you are monitoring them closely as if you don’t stay ahead your competition will win.
Tom also noted six trends that he is keeping an eye on that will impact the world of SEO in the near future…
Predictive SEO analytics. Big data & AI algorithms will be increasingly important and if you don’t have a specialist analytics team then build one.
AI & machine learning. AI will be disruptive but not fatal – it’s about strategy, and how to use it.
Ways of searching are always changing. Having multiple ways to search means your content needs to be good and in multiple formats.
Local SEO. With the rise of mobile devices and local search queries, local SEO will become increasingly important for businesses with a physical location.
Search engines are becoming more personalised. Quality content and a brand identity will play a vital role to help you stand out in the SERPs.
How Google understands content..Keep an eye on Google evolving it’s understanding and how that impacts how you write content and structure your website
Tom ended by noting that SEO may suffer from imposter syndrome, but actually search is very much here to stay, so always plan for the long term…
“in the early 2000’s people said SEO was a fad, a dark art and wouldn’t last. It seems a lot of the time we still treat it in the same short-term way. Like imposter syndrome it seems that as an industry we subconsciously worry that we may get found out. When in fact search optimisation, in whatever form, is here to stay and people that fake it or don’t plan ahead won’t be around in 10 years.So whether you work in ecommerce, healthcare or B2b be proud of what you do, be confident and plan for the long term. Please go set those big hairy audacious goals.”
Keep on reading to explore some of the key takeaways from a selection of the brilliant talks we heard this year.
Katy Powell – Ideation: Thinking beyond the first idea
During this talk Katy shared tips on how to up your game in Digital PR campaigns and create reactive PR stories. She focused on the idea of thinking bigger and better to grab the spotlight in crowded industries.
Key takeaways:
It’s important to spend time on the ideation process and look at what the consumers will want to read. Do more than one ideation session, and use popular industry apps like TikTok to look at what people are searching for.
Creating an ideation graph can be great for brainstorming potential ideas for Digital PR. You can mention off-brand and on-brand on one axis, and low press interest vs. high press interest on another. The graph could be useful for the idea analysis stage of ideation and can be presentable to a client.
Andrei Tit – 10 quick wins to improve your rankings (using Ahrefs)
Andrei spoke about 10 low-hanging fruits of SEO use cases that enable you to increase your rankings, via Ahrefs.
Key Takeaway:
If you look up a search query you want to target a featured snippet for, using a minus search operation (-example.com) for the top-ranking site can help you understand who the next eligible competitor is and the kind of content that is pulling through. This can help you better target content for a client and better understand what will likely pull through to a featured snippet.
Andrew Holland – The new SEO metric that makes SEO 10 x more valuable (and 10 x more effective)
In this talk, Andrew presented a new SEO reporting metric called “Share of Search”. This metric changes the approach and places SEO at the centre of all marketing.
Key Takeaway:
‘Share of Search’ is a useful metric to track for clients instead of ROI as it won’t be impacted by market forces. Share of Search both gives a more accountable impression of the impact of search engine optimisation, as well as actively helping to inform and improve SEO strategies.
Azahara Corrales – Unlock the power of AI: harness AI to create your winning marketing strategy
Azahara explored the immense potential that AI can have in a winning marketing strategy.
Key Takeaways:
The power of AI saves time, use it to test and find the right data.
Invest in people and invest in training.
Feed the right data to the algorithm.
Michel van Luijtelaar – Apple, Bing & Google platforms for multi-location local SEO Optimisation
In this talk, Michel explained the latest local SEO strategies with a focus on the latest developments in ABC and Bing.
Key takeaways:
Assess how many reviews local competitors have and target more than that. This is a strategic way to get enough reviews to rank higher than the local competitor.
6/10 business listings are not claimed on Apple Business Connect (ABC), and 59% of businesses are not aware of its features.
ABC is showing strong growth. Most of the impressions come from Apple Maps.
Use Google My Business for a keyword list – what are your potential customers searching for?
Ellie spoke about how to measure SEO sustainably and why it matters. She covered Google’s commitment to sustainability, and the rising interest of consumers and financial markets in this area and gave actionable insights on how to create a more sustainable website.
Key Takeaways:
ChatGPT already emits 8 tonnes of carbon p/y, and uses 700,000 litres of water. Every chat is 20 bottles of water.
Good SEO equates to a sustainable website – there is a lot of commonality in aims. For example, more efficient page loading and fewer pages per user to get to the information they need.
Meg Sharma – Level up your content by REALLY knowing your audience
Meg discussed how you can really level up your content strategy by going beyond keyword research tools to find content ideas, and really understand your audience and the topics they are interested in.
Key takeaways:
Explore your market on Reddit to see what the community is talking about and how they are talking to each other.
See what questions are being asked in Reddit – they’re asking in a niche community so these are the questions that aren’t being answered when they search in Google.
Aleyda Solis – Embracing AI in SEO: how to 10x your SEO leveraging AI bots
In this talk, Solis explores a variety of practical methods you can use in SEO. This ranged from conducting keyword research and competitor analysis to performing audits and generating reports.
Key Takeaways:
A balanced approach is needed with AI. Don’t assume these tools are always correct, ensure you properly fact check.
The prompts we use are critical to gaining rich outputs, e.g. ensure you use prompts like ‘without copying’ and compare your content with the Google Helpful Guidelines.
Margaret explored what content tends to go viral and what content rarely does. She focused primarily on TikTok but also touched on other relevant platforms including the up-and-coming platform Lemon8.
Key takeaways:
Don’t bore your viewer. Gen Z has an attention span of 8 seconds. Say what you need to say as quickly as you can. For Ads, it is only 1.3 seconds.
TikTok trends end by day 3. This can be vital for coming up with Digital PR ideas to gain traction, as well as reactive posting on social media.
Ryan Jones – Mastering mental health in digital marketing’s always-on world
Ryan talked about his personal experiences navigating his mental health while working in digital marketing and he shared the valuable insights that he had learned along the way.
Key Takeaways
Have a shutdown ritual at the end of the day.
Make sure to take your lunch breaks and holidays.
Remember that little things can go a long way, Ryan noted that having a free half-day to watch the football final was great for morale.
Why we attend Brighton SEO
As the world’s largest search marketing conference, Brighton SEO is a must for our calendars at Varn. Every year the team come back having learnt new things, met inspiring people and are energised to make an even bigger impact in search for our clients.
If you want to learn more about SEO and the different areas and talks covered above, get in touch with a member of the Varn team today.
Proctor + Stevenson, one of the South West’s largest and longest-established marketing and communication agencies, has undergone a management buyout (MBO).
The award-winning agency, which specialises in business-to-business marketing, has a workforce of 60 people and revenue of £6 million. It was established by Roger Proctor MBE in 1979 and after 44 years at the helm, Roger is retiring.
The company will now be owned and managed by a leadership team of longstanding directors, comprising Ailsa Billington, Managing Director, Dan Hardaker, Director of Digital Design, Steve King, Director of Technology, Phil Robinson, Creative Director, and Nikki Hunt, Finance Director.
The transition to management ownership underlines a commitment to continuity and progression from within, with those on the board having contributed significantly to the business’ success to date, with almost 90 years’ experience at Proctor + Stevenson between them.
The company, whose customers include Panasonic, Rathbones, Daikin, Pure Cremation and the UK Hydrographic Office, has seen substantial growth in recent years. In the past financial year alone, it grew by over 22%, almost 15% above the industry standard.
The agency’s global footprint has also expanded significantly, particularly in North America, Asia and the Middle East, where it has achieved notable success over three decades. Today, operations in the Gulf Region contribute 25% of overall revenue
Ailsa Billington, Managing Director, said: “The new board members have all risen through the ranks as employees, which is testament to our culture of reward and recognition. We believe in providing opportunities for team members across the lifetime of their careers
“One of our key goals is to continue Roger’s legacy of innovation, with a number of new service launches in the coming year.”
One such service will offer SMEs the affordability and flexibility of design-on-demand services, backed by the expertise of a full-service agency.
To support the work of marketers across the B2B world, Proctors’ newly developed MarTech solution combines the latest technologies with cutting-edge creative, and enables businesses to gather insights into consumer behaviour, optimise targeting and build data-driven marketing strategies.
The new team will also continue many of the CSR commitments Roger spearheaded.
The company is awaiting final certification for B Corp status, with projects such as making education accessible to women in the Middle East a key part of its social governance strategy, alongside a commitment to the Southwest Net Zero strategy.
Proctor + Stevenson will continue to allocate a percentage of its turnover to pro bono support for local charities including charities such as Caring in Bristol, Housing Matters, and Bristol Business Beats Cancer.
It will also continue to deliver the South West Design + Digital Student Awards, an initiative Roger set up as part of an ongoing campaign to tackle the way institutions approach design education, opening doors for the next generation of design talent.
Funding for the transaction was provided by HSBC and legal advice was given by Michael Clarke and Richard Hopkins at Roxborough Milkins.
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