Island Design Works

Welcome to Canada Network

October 2007 — IDW launches W2CN.ca website to support the efforts of the Welcome to Canada Network. The W2CN Program is designed for individuals eligible to apply for permanent residency status in Canada through the various Immigrant Investor Programs. Designed to align with W2CN's overall marketing strategy and visual assets the site was deployed on a crash basis during October of 2007.

Opticut Technologies Inc.

Opticut Technologies Inc. designs and manufactures precision made computerized cutting, bending, and notching equipment for the Window & Door and other manufacturing sectors. Their site has three objectives common to most medium-sized business sites:

inform prospective clients of about their range of products and services;
support their current clients' use of their products;
enable the client to manage their site and keeping it up-to-date effectively and at a low cost.

Ryder-Burbidge Hurley Fasano

A medium-sized law firm in Kingston, Ontario, Hurley Fasano prides itself on a client list that consists of ordinary people as well as various business concerns. Like many organizations its earlier site had become moribund—some pages had, "coming soon," as their only content. Not a situation that could be allowed to last if the site was to provide any worth to them.

The new site reflects their values and expertise. The colour scheme matches their corporate visual identity and reinforces their brand.
... read more

Blogging for success debrief

Or using a blog to manage your business web site. Last Wednesday I led a seminar for the Frontenac CFDC on using blogging tools to create successful web sites for small business. The boardroom at the CFDC’s office holds a dozen people and the room was full. Participants represented a range of small business from across Frontenac County and artists, crafts-people and various services. ... read more

Web Directions North

February 6-10, 2007

Put together by designers and developers, for designer and developers, this conference is brought to you by Dave Shea, Derek Featherstone, Maxine Sherrin and John Allsopp.

Over two days and nights, Web Directions North is packed tight with sessions by renowned, inspiring, entertaining speakers and experts, parties and other events.

Blogging for Success

November 15, 2006

Blogging for Business - hosted by Frontenac CFDC and facilitated by David Colburn of Island Design Works. Learn how to understand this on-line communication and its application for your business.

When: November 15, 2006 Time: 6:30 p.m. Location: Frontenac CFDC Harrowsmith office. Please RSVP by November 13th as seating is limited! Email: info@frontenaccfdc.com or call 613-372-1414.

What’s the buzz on Content Management?

Your viewers may not be able to see the difference between an old-style site, built pain-stakingly and expensively by hand, and one using a content management system, but you will, right where it matters, in costs, time and results.

What is it?

Content Management Systems (CMS) are web applications intended to control the repetitive aspects of running a web site:

storing content
building pages to match your site design
uploading of files and images
revising and editing pages
site search engine
expanding sections and navigation menus

A CMS will allow just about anyone to add new content, revise old content, and manage the site structure from an Internet browser. If you can use e-mail, hotmail for example, you can be taught to use a CMS.
... read more

Planning and Project Management

All elements of a project require planning and consideration before beginning work. It's how the design team and client arrive a mutually satisfactory solution and budget. It's important to us that we find that careful balance between creative demands, communication needs and budget that will result in a solution that not only works well, but will continue to do so for quite some time. We're serious about achieving success and that takes planning and method. ... read more

Print media

Can IDW help you with your print work? You bet. With over 20 years experience in the printing industry producing everything from coffee-table books to post cards your project can be successfully managed from start to finish. The most effective way to optimize both your budget and the impact of your marketing and communicatiosn efforts is to ensure that your various media efforts — from print, to multimedia, to web — are co-ordinated and support one another. That's the focus and skillset that IDW brings to your projects. ...read more

Solutions for very small budgets

I'd love it if every potential client could afford a full-blown web site development project. Truth is though, there are lots of organizations with very limited budgets. With old communication media — Print, TV, radio — smaller clients are usually out of luck or short-changed. That's often been the case with web sites too even though it doesn't have to be. I'm convinced that there's no reason for people with very small budgets to not have a site that meets the following criteria:

easy to maintain and revise without specialized training;
search engine friendly;
accessibility friendly;
attractive;
affordable.