Positive

New teaching resource website for Send a Cow

Lessons from Africa is a project that we’ve been busy creating for Send a Cow, and it's great to see it go live! As a development of their existing 'Cowfiles' site, Lessons from Africa is an online resource for African education materials for Key Stage 1-4 teachers to use within their classrooms.

We began this project by creating a new name, starting with four brand touchstones: Quality, Clarity, Accessible and Trustworthy. After brainstorming and development with Send a Cow we named the new site 'Lessons from Africa' - using the double meaning to refer to the content and also celebrate the positive learning Africa has to offer. We then created a full brand identity including bespoke illustrations that could be used throughout the website design.

With the new identity in place we set about the specification and information architecture. The two primary objectives of this site were to be known as the main destination for online African teaching resources, and to increase the use of the resources available. We wanted to make the site as accessible as possible so we created a totally responsive design: the fluid layout will adapt to work on desktops, tablets, smartphones and even whiteboards.

A simple and intuitive user experience was key to this site - from our research we knew that teachers are often pressed for time and want to be able to find what they need really easily. The whole site has one simple filter mechanism - the user simply selects the subjects they are interested in to reveal the relevant resources. A search option allows them to narrow this down further, with all content clearly displayed including an overview of what’s available and details of file types and sizes.

There’s a ‘Download all’ option that makes accessing the content even easier, plus the option of sending to a friend to pass on their knowledge. When on the move this also allows the user to send the resources to themselves for download back at their desk. Viewing images within a gallery allows the user to easily see and select the images they need too.

Lessons from Africa offers to send schools free resources (posters, fundraising packs etc), the option to book a speaker and links throughout the site to themed downloads (perfect for seasonal teaching, such as Harvest). Overlays have been used so the user never needs to leave the page and lose their place, but can still be served additional information that will help them find what they need. 

The site has many subtle but very helpful touches to make the process as simple as possible, keeping the user engaged and wanting to return. It has been a great project to work on - have a look at Lessons from Africa and see for yourself!

Adorable Ayden

The return of the Shard suit - Ayden Paterson looking super cute!

Bath Rugby goes live

After many months of hard work the new Bath Rugby sites - the main website, the shop website and the mobile site - have just launched!

User research has been fundamental to help ensure that we make sure that these new sites deliver exactly what the fans want - fast access to the important content. The home page of the main site gives direct access to the latest news, recent matches and critical information about the next match - when, where, ticket information, travel and weather - plus an overview of where Bath are in the Premiership table. Social media is, of course, a key consideration and we've intergrated Facebook, Google Plus and Twitter throughout.

The new shop has been designed to display products as their very best, without additional visual clutter. We now have free delivery, free returns and online discount for season ticket holders, as well as product specific sizing guides - all things that the fans said they wanted.

We've focused on making the design support the content rather than overwhelm it. Sports sites all tend to follow a similar look and feel and we really wanted to take the opportunity to break that mould and deliver something more usable.

Visit the Bath Rugby main website or the Bath Rugby shop website.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority Orchestra

Alexander Chen has made a version of the NYC subway map that plays music as the trains intersect routes.

Using the MTA's actual subway schedule, the HTML5/JavaScript piece begins in realtime by spawning trains which departed in the last minute, then continues accelerating through a 24 hour loop. The visuals are based on Massimo Vignelli's 1972 diagram.

mta.me

We're mobile!

In just over two years, the majority of internet access will be via mobile devices, so we think it's more important than ever for clients to be thinking about a mobile alternative to their main site and how their content is viewed on a smartphone.

We've just finished the mobile version of our site and you can take a look by entering this URL into your smartphone's browser: http://m.positivestudio.co.uk. If you think it's something you might be interested in, give us a shout and we can have a chat about what's possible.

Send a Cow Christmas Gifts!

The Send a Cow Christmas Gifts site has just launched!

We worked closely with the team at Send a Cow to produce a site that showcases their wide range of Christmas gifts.

This year, to celebrate Send a Cow’s 10th Christmas catalogue, Nick Park has designed an exclusive illustration and there are 10 limited edition prints to be won in the prize draw.

Visit the site

Slowcoast goes to Ireland

Last year Nick Hand cycled around the coast of Wales, England and Scotland – some 4,500 miles – to raise money for the Parkinson's Disease Society.

This year he's riding around the coast of Ireland – last week he left Belfast cycling clockwise around the coast and you can track his progress on the Slowcoast site which we built for last year's ride and updated for this year's. Simon Calder of BikeHike provided the mapping.

Along the way, he'll be making short films about the people he meets on his travels. You can see all the new soundslides (as well as all of films he made last year) on the website.

Visit the Slowcoast site

Inside Out Dorset 2010 updated

Inside Out Dorset has been updated with the 2010 events - ten days of outdoor performances - including the world premiere of Congregation - a video installation which turns pedestrians into performers, transforming familiar town centre locations.

Find out more on the site.