We are about 30% of the way through the project, and while we would love to show you the sum total of our work, we are limited to show you some of our first draft proposals that we sent their team.

The focus of the design below was to take the School of Engineering site architecture, and simplify it to the point that there would be 7 points of information at first glance. This easy to digest focus was accomplished by focusing on placing the navigation in a simple, hierarchy based navigation.

Click the images below to view full size image of our rough drafts.

More to come as we progress. In the meantime, you can see more of our work on our Portfolio, or some of our latest design projects.

We are focusing on reworking the information architecture, the functions of the site, integrating a more holistic social aspect, as well as making the core of the business revolve around a solid rating system that people can reliably identify with and trust.

We have simplified the color scheme, simplified the message and tag line, build the site around a core principle, designed and tested a logo with lasting impressions. The logo is interactive. We can’t wait to show you how it works, it is fantastic.

Click image for larger view of our design of AppleReviews.com

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We also wanted to show you a sneak peak at another web design project we are working on for a startup out of San Francisco. The design we are working on for them includes web design, logo and brand development, as well as focusing on user interface and user flow.

Click image for larger view of our design for a web application.

We are also working for a well known music producer and production company out of New York City as well as Stanford, UC Davis, and Unicef on user interface and design projects.

More to come as we progress. In the meantime, have you read our “How to market your brand online” article?

Studio 7 Designs designed a number  of award winning GUI Templates for guitemplates.com. The lastest graphical user interface design is below:

Our talented team of web design professionals create and distribute web application templates for developers. We take the time to carefully develop our web applications and work hard to create a simple back-end. We understand that designing the best user interface designs for your users is paramount.

Graphical User Interface Template sets are available for download instantly after purchasing, and users can use and reuse the template set as many times as they would like to, as long as it is on their own projects. Our unique license agreement will prevent the template from being resold, and once you purchase it, it is only yours to use.

Our GUI and UI Templates are designed with accessibility in mind. We use strict standards in usability to make sure that our designs work with you, not against you. We continually upgrade our designs, testing each of our sites on all browsers, including Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, Chrome, and others. We also test them on both PCs and Macs.

Our templates follow strict design to take all of the legwork and guesswork out the the production. The result? GUI templates that you’ll love, and are simple to use.

We focus on properly developed XHTML and CSS so that your user interface design is compliant, then cross-browser check our CSS for your PC, Mac, and operating system. Our templates allow you to easily restructure the elements, and our layouts are designed for optimization and speed.

Looking for Brand Monitoring and Social Media Management services for your website? We have that covered. If you’re new to the game, here are the details.

The Basics

Planning and creating a website can definitely be a daunting, and exciting, task. Web designers mix and match images, digital media, text, and other factors to create works of beauty. HTML and CSS are, by far, the most recognized languages, though Javascript adds interactive features, as well.

If designers use HTML and CSS, it makes it easier to correct and errors and edit pages with ease. HTML is the basis of the structure, while Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) adds stylistic elements. Hyper Text Mark-Up Language (HTML) and Extensible Hyper Text Mark-Up Langage (XHTML) are currently the most popular way to build websites.

Website builders are tools that help build websites without manual code editing (and perhaps no knowledge of). There are two kinds: the tools that are online and built by web hosting companies, and ones that are software based, can be used off-line, and publish them to any of their hosts. The drawback to online builders is that often they have to register with the company. Frequently, a website can be built and running quickly. Off-line builders are better for professionals, and allow them to use more than one client or web host. Unlike online versions, which tend to rely on HTML and Flash, offline versions are drive more toward CSS styling.

Web Usability

The application of usability in domains where web browsing is a metaphor for building a graphical user interface (GUI) is known as web usability. A GUI is a specific type of interface design that allows the users to interact with images rather than text. Its goals include to bring forth any form of information in a clear, detailed, yet concise, manner. To make sure options and choices are obvious to the user. To omit any form of questioning or ambiguity of what would be the issue with their selection, and for it to be obvious and clear to the user when they visit a website.

User Interface Design

This type of design is dedicated to computers, machines, mobile devices, apps, websites, and appliances. It’s primary focus is on the user’s experience and any form of interaction. The goal is to make the interaction as simple as possible, based on a user-centered design. When done properly, they help finish the task without adding additional drudgery, and creates an easy, usable, and interactive design. Depending on what is being designed, user face design processes can be long and detailed. Users must be aware of the expectations, its suitability for individuals and learning, its suitability for the task, and any form of error tolerance.

Interaction Design

Often referred to as IxD, Interaction Design is developing interactive products, environments, systems and services. Its main focus is behavior, and heavily focused on meeting the needs of the people who use it. The goals of the designers is to be aware of the key areas of their design that will influence responses in its users. The influences that are positive must be promoted; the negative ones must be avoided. A method that is commonly used is to use expressive interfaces, such as icons, animations, and sound that are dynamic and capture a user’s interest, creating interaction between the user and the design.

Search Engine Optimization

Also known as SEO, Search Engine Optimization is improving the visibility of a website in various search engines, without using forms of advertising. This internet marketing strategy is based on the search engines themselves, what people are searching for, and various search terms and keywords that are used to search. Designers often use other tactics, such as integrating backlinks and incoming links. Leading search engines use a method called “crawlers” to find pages for their search results. Crawlers are computer programs that search the web in a specific, automatic way. Some search engines also have a paid submission service, that guarantees users a cost per click or a set fee. Note, however, that crawlers don’t always work: webmasters can instruct them not to find the files and the information. Other methods that work well include cross linking to provide more links, writing content with frequently searched words, updating content regularly, adding keywords to meta data and title tags, and URL normalization.

Cyber Mosaic

This method of organizing various Internet space by creating webpages is, instead, breaking it down into trillions of tiles. The tiles are each made of pixels. The name is derived from the actual term for a mosaic.

Web Application Framework

This form of software framework helps support building dynamic Web sites, applications, and services. It provides libraries for database access, templates and frameworks, and promotes code reuse, all of which are helpful to a designer. Some of these features include a web template system, where variables from the programming language can be used without code, so users do not need programming knowledge to make updates to the pages. Other features include caching, which basically saves bandwidth usage, forms of server overload, and any form of lag. Security is also enhanced, and database access and mapping is available. Another option is URL mapping, which uses pattern matching or URL rewriting so better URLs can be used, which increases the simplicity of the site and optimizes SEO. Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) creates interactive web aplpications, while automatic configuration minimizes configuration and allowing a more simplistic platform.

Progressive Enhancement

This strategy for web design emphasizes accessibility, HTML markup, and external stylesheets and scripting. Progressive enhancement users technology in a layered fashion that allows everyone to access a webpage with any form of browser or any form of Internet connection. Basically, it aims for its content to be accessible from any and all browser, with full functionality, and all forms of enhanced layout and behavior.

Website Wireframe and Architecture

A website wireframe, or a screen blueprint, visually represents the skeletal framework of a website, showing the layout and how all of the elements work together. It usually doesn’t have any style, color, or graphic elements, and is focused on functionality and behavior. The important parts include the kind of information displayed (not what the actual information is), the range of functions that are available, the priorities of the information and functions, the rules for that information, and the effect of different outcomes of the actual display. Website architecture, on the other hand, is quite different. Instead, it is the actual planning of the website, and involves a balance of the technical, aesthetic and functional aspects. The focus is on the user and their requirements, as well as search engine optimization.

Cross Browser and Multi-Browser

A cross browser means that a website is supported by all web browsers. This capability lets the website be rendered correctly by all browsers. Multi-browser, on the other hand, allows a website to be more functional over several browsers, without loss in performance and accessibility to many.

Webtypography

Web typography is the use of different fonts on websites and the web itself. In its initial stages, it was introduced by the browser Netscape with its use of the < font > tag, however, it had to be on someone’s computer in order for the font to be active. In 1997, Internet Explorer added support for font downloading, and it was later introduced in CSS3, and has been worked into different browsers, including Safari, Opera, and Firefox. Some fallback and familiar fonts are now universal; since Microsoft released its “core fonts for the web”, Arial, Georgia, and Verdana are commonalities in Web sites and search engines.

Web Colors

The colors that are used in designing Web pages are known as web colors. They are depicted in hexadecimal color codes that begin with a hash (number sign): #. Colors for Web pages can be specified either in the hexadecimal or RGB triplet formats. Depending on the software, some can just use their regular names. A hex triple is six digits, and used in HTML, CSS, and other computing applications. They represent the red, green, and blue components of each color. Byte 1 is the red value, byte 2 is the green value, and byte 3 is the blue value. Other colors may be defined by web browsers, using the X11 color names that were given from the X Window System. Though it is now rare, some browsers do not support all colors. Designers, at one time, were encouraged to use the 216 “web-safe” colors, however, this is is not really necessary.

Web 2.0

This term is often used with web applications that use information sharing, user-centered design, and collaboration with the web. Any Web 2.0 site lets users interact and collaborate with each other in a social media atmosphere. Examples of these are social networking sites, blogs, wikis, video sharing websites, and others. Contact our design agency today for a free estimate.

Eco-Web Hosting

We offer a wide range of socially-conscious website hosting options. We regularly seek out options and companies to make our hosting more ethically run and environmentally responsible. We are continually growing, and similarly providing green, environmentally sound, renewable energy powered hosting services, all within our professional scope. We understand that web hosting uses plenty of power due to the constantly running servers, back-up generators, and other sources that pull from hydro and energy sources. Because of this, we look for reliable web hosting and email services using 100% renewable energy. Contact us for more information on our approved eco-hosts.

Environmentally-Conscious Design

We believe that creating and maintaining a sustainable web and logo design company will have a positive influence on the world. We have a mission to positively influence the world based on our design skills. We focus on working with eco-friendly, and environmentally conscious practices, and readily seek out companies with the same ethics. We always practice what we preach, and regularly donate to organizations that do the same, Kiva.org and myclimate.org. You can read more about our ethos featured in the articles 10 Ways to Take Design Action and Make a Positive Difference in the World and an interview on the website Freelance Switch.

Apple Computers

We only work with Apple computers, and appreciate their strong focus on environmentally friendly practices. Apple uses a comprehensive life cycle analysis to determine where all of their greenhouse gas emissions come from. They tally the emissions generated from the manufacturing, transportation, use, and recycling of their products, along with the emissions generated by their facilities. These analytics prove that ninety-eight percent of their emissions comes from their products, and so, that is why they focus on simplicity. They combine less material, and ship with smaller packaging, then ensure that they are free of toxic substances and as energy efficient and recyclable as possible. In addition, Apple is the only company in the industry that can claim that every product they sell not only meets but also exceeds the strict energy guidelines of the ENERGY STAR specification. Combined with their user-friendliness, integrated software, and high-quality hardware, we choose Apple computers to use for our projects.

Recycling Programs

Studio 7 Designs has an in-office recycling program in place. We’ve also established an organic compost box and contribute to local recycle programs. Our goal is to reduce the amount of office materials that end up heading to the landfill and to increase the amount of materials that we compost and recycle. We also use local private sector organizations to assist in recycling office materials, and take advantage of the programs set forth by Apple. We recycle corrugated boxes, office paper, newspaper, telephone books, aluminum cans, plastic bottles (that can be recycled), laser and ink-jet printer cartridges, rechargeable batteries, our Macs and related hardware, and miscellany items that we come across. Additionally, we support local initiatives, such as Seedleaf, a system that simplifies the management
of local food distribution, such as those through Community Support Agriculture, farmers markets, and local food businesses.

Wind-Powered Support

Our main focus is to move to a more sustainable location. We know that a wind turbine is a smart investment that will not only lower our monthly expenses, but will help our business grow, creating better business for us, for you, and around us. But the key here is in the gift to the environment: we know it will help clean the air, slow climate change, and eventually move us towards energy independence. It will soon be a reality for our company!

Partnering with Kiva.org

Kiva helps micro-finance entrepreneurs around the world through donations via credit card or Pay Pal. They partner with existing microfinance institutions around the world that have expertise in microfinance, know their local area, and work to get the money to those who need it.  The partners then deliver the loans and upload stories to Kiva’s website, then lenders browse loan requests and select which ones they’d like to fund. The funds are used to replenish the loan that the institution already made to the entrepreneur, then collects repayments from the entrepreneurs as well as any interest due. The loaner is then paid back. View our Kiva Lender Page.

Paperless and Carbonless Office

Our office systems have been changed over to a paperless system. On the rare occasion we have to use paper, we use paper from a local recycling company. As mentioned, our goal is to reduce the amount of office materials that end up heading to the landfill, and we file our information, data, banking, and all other forms of paper electronically. We have several back-up sources to ensure that we have access to everything, and give back to the trees by not wasting paper.

Donate 1% of Profits to myclimate.org

myclimate.org allows us to offset our carbon footprint on the world and support a great organization.They are  committed to reducing the corresponding amount of CO2 emissions and guarantee the amount reduced  is at least the same as the amount generated by the donor. They are a non profit organization that focuses on at least 80 percent of offset payments to be channeled into carbon offset projects. The company is recommended as one of the world leading carbon offset providers, and we regularly contribute to their cause.

Our team of photographers specializes in nature stock photography, stunning designs that capture the true essence of the West Coast landscape.

Our free nature stock photography is yours to use; we appreciate a credit for our work, and share willingly with the Creative Commons License 3.0 in mind.

Years of living on the coast of beautiful British Columbia, we’ve traveled throughout Vancouver, Victoria, the islands, and everywhere in between. We pride ourselves with bringing you photos of  the beauty of the West Coast directly to you, with gorgeous, hi-resolution images featuring local wildlife, the ocean and other bodies of water, our Earth, and other inspiration, all stemming from nature itself.

Our talented, well trained professionals have an eye for flare, and we encourage you to enjoy our free nature stock photography for your personal or business use.

Stock Photography is existing photography that is available for commercial use. This is in contrast to, for example, assignment photography, which is custom designed to meet specific specifications. Stock photography is great for developers, and is often used in magazines, books, advertising, design agencies, greeting cards, political campaigns, and more… all of which are equally reachable via the Internet.

There are many advantages to using photography that is based on existing stock imagery, as opposed to commissioning your own. Often, stock photography is cheaper than custom assignments, which cost photography purchasers to pay fees on the size, distribution, and possible rights. Stock photography also is straightforward: you like it, you want it, you buy it (or, in our case, take it). There are no hidden anything.

Photographs that are available as stock photography are often higher quality than other photos, too, as they are usually shot based on the photographers own guidelines: time, weather, location, et cetera. Since they set the parameters, you are getting the highest quality possible. Another benefit is that stock photography can spark ideas, bringing you something you might not have thought of.

Photographers also prefer shooting stock photography over commissioned photography because they have more creative control over the images that they create. They can also sell and resell their photographs over and over, because they own the rights.

Because of these reasons, we feature free Nature Stock Photography for your use; simply, we love what we do, and want you to love it, as well.

We take pride in creating the right brand identity, one that has combined the all of the different visual elements that are found in marketing. This includes business cards, letterheads, envelopes, logos, websites, flyers, and more.

Successful brand identities are unique in the look and feel, and the message that the business delivers. Green Label Organics featured that uniqueness right from the start. Their philosophy epitomizes what they stand for: respect. We wanted to exude that in a simple, straightforward outlook with just the right amount of nature and environment.

Green Label Organics sells 100% certified organic ring spun cotton T-shirts and tops. The low impact garment dyed organic T-shirts are made in the USA all adorned in positive messages about the environment, fair trade, sustainability, and issues that are important to us all.

Another key factor to brand identity is repetition. Clients need to understand, relate to, and remember who you are and what you stand for. This is found through Green Label’s website, from their font choices to their logo to their website. Even their tagline, We urge you always to Respect Labor* Respect the Planet* Respect Yourself, delivers the same message. Companies need to have consistent use of the logo and tagline and materials, all of which Green Label brings forward. They feature what makes them unique.

For successful brand identity, things need to stand out. Whether it is graphics, materials, a logo, sounds, imagery, text, anything. As a company we understand the need for this, and work closely alongside our clients, including Green Label, to create the brand that is best for them–that is them.

When graphics and text are clear, it communicates the message in a way that is easy to understand. Crisp, simple, and meaningful are the keys to success, and we provided the tools and the image to do just that for their brand.

We love working with clients who are honest in their brand, because we understand the role of honesty in the brand identity materials. When clients are engaged with a product, the product and the company needs to live up to the promises that they create. This will create further closeness between the clients and the company, thus resulting in more success in your branded materials.

Our success is driven by a combination of professionalism and fun, and we love to work closely with our clients to create a brand identity that will stand above the rest.

Green Label Organics is a perfect example of a company that is easy to work with. Not only do they talk the talk, but they walk the walk as well. They truly are at the epitome of what they believe in for their brand, making marketing and identity processes simple and straightforward. The result, then, is a company that reaches a personal marketing goal, all while holding onto what they believe it.

For more about iPhone App Design and App Development, here is some information to get you started.

The great thing is that as you grow as a designer, you can still make functional, beautiful apps that perfectly execute what you want them to.

Before you event delve into the idea of app design and development, though, makes sure your idea is a good one. Actually, make sure your idea is a great one. And one that is unique, fresh, exciting and new. Think about it this way: does your app solve the answer to a problem? Will it make life more comfortable? Does it serve a specific niche? Will it make people laugh? It is original, or providing a better option than one already out there? Is it interactive? If you answered yes to at least one (preferably more) of these, then yep, your idea is probably pretty darn good.

Next, you want to get some basics down. You’ll need your own iPhone, iPod Touch, and/or iPad. You’ll have to join the Apple iPhone Developer Program, and get your hands on an Intel-based Mac with updated software. You have to prepare a non-disclosure agreement, download and install the latest version of the iPhone SDK, and a pen and paper.

So now really brainstorm where you want to go with this. When you are developing applications, you have to think: what can I do? Are you the designer? A developer? A marketer? An iPhone app is similar to having a small business, so a team is what really will provide you with success. If you can do it all, great! But if you can’t, find others talented designers to help round out your team. Your team should be able to have knowledge of existing apps, and weed out what works and what doesn’t. Marketable research is important, as well as outlining functionality. GUI design, programming–all of these are essential. If you do hire contractors, make sure they sign your non-disclosure agreement.

Next, get your market research down. Learn from errors (what has bad reviews/not selling in the App Store), and see what ranks at the top and why. Make sure whatever you choose brings something forward as mentioned in the above questions.

You should become one with your iPhone user interface, and make sure that everything you are doing is bringing it to its full potential. If you want to create an iPhone app, you need to know exactly what it does. How can you do this? Pretty simple. Download apps. Use them. See what they do or what they are missing. Are they well-designed? Do they move with ease from screen to screen? Is the organization up to snuff? Do they provide too much/too little/just the right amount of information? Do they take advantage of key characteristics in the iPhone (especially things that aren’t available on other devices?) Download high ranked apps and list features you want to integrate. Chances are, you’ll find some commonalities across the board.

After figuring out what works best, determine who is actually going to use it. Yes, we know that dog lovers will love a dog-centric app, but get down into this a little deeper. If you’re making something to make people’s lives easier, such as a pre-planned weekly menu, keep in mind who would use this. Busy moms on the go? Perhaps, so include kid-friendly meals and make the app as fuss-free as possible. Those on a quest for weight loss? Add in nutritional information and calorie-specific plans. Write out the different types of people who will use your app, and think of exactly why and how they will use it.

Next, grab that pencil and paper and literally sketch out your idea. Draw how it will look, how it will move, and how the information will be shown. Then repeat for each “screen” you’ll show.

The design process is next. If you’re not a designer, then hire one, and look for design portfolios that fall in line with what you are aiming to achieve. There are also plenty of design resources out there to help you along the way.

Once you’re done, submit your application and you’re good to go! You’ll need certificates, app IDs, a profile, the application, and then you’re ready to upload.

App Development and iPhone App Design can definitely be an arduous, but rewarding, task. These tips will help you get started, and if you’re looking for iPhone app designers to get your idea started, feel free to contact us.