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Ahahahaha... Not so! Try being a 31 year-old-majorly-balding-guy with no Plaid Shirt... It's near impossible to make it through each day!Quote:
Originally posted by aversion
pffft, don't even attempt to make us feel sorry for you. I think the lack of a plaid shirt is one of the few things you don't have going for you!
;)
pah! Try being a 32 year old with luscious flowing locks of hair and a plaid shirt... hmmm, ok, you have a good point.Quote:
Originally posted by tpnovak
Ahahahaha... Not so! Try being a 31 year-old-majorly-balding-guy with no Plaid Shirt... It's near impossible to make it through each day!
:D
Everyone but me! This is how I get depicted around the officeQuote:
Originally posted by gdstudios
Exactly. 2A employees must have it made... :p
http://www.probe3.com/temp/eraserHead.jpg
Sad, isn't it? (No respect for the elder balding people I tell you) :)
That's just wrong. :D
2a are one of my favourite studios however not many companies seem to be approaching them for the whole of their corporate branding work. I accept they make killer websites and their production quality is excellent but if you take a look in the multimedia and identity sections of their portfolio, they're not up to much.
I'd be interested to see what they can do with regards print work and video production - take a look at www.kdlab.net they have only 3 members of staff and the scope of work they address far outweighs that of 2a.
Don't get me wrong, nice sites but as a "design studio" they seem fairly limited in what they deliver - is this a marketing issue? I'd be interested in Tony's comments.
Well done on the site though, first class as ever.
Ian
Interesting point... But, are you sure you are really refering to "branding" here? It is a little hard to get clients like Ford, Bacardi, Pittsburgh Penguins, AOL, etc... to ditch their existing brand equity. Quite honestly, I'm not sure I could sit through a meeting with a straight face on that topic.Quote:
Originally posted by optical
2a are one of my favourite studios however not many companies seem to be approaching them for the whole of their corporate branding work. I accept they make killer websites and their production quality is excellent but if you take a look in the multimedia and identity sections of their portfolio, they're not up to much.
I'd be interested to see what they can do with regards print work and video production - take a look at www.kdlab.net they have only 3 members of staff and the scope of work they address far outweighs that of 2a.
Don't get me wrong, nice sites but as a "design studio" they seem fairly limited in what they deliver - is this a marketing issue? I'd be interested in Tony's comments.
Well done on the site though, first class as ever.
Ian
I'm not sure how exactly you weigh "scope of work" between our two companies, but I'd really like to know how you have come about the conclusion as to our "limitations" (or at least what you perceive those limits to be?)
Thanks for the comments on Taig's site as well!
People have to need or want Identity work before you can do it for them.Quote:
Originally posted by optical
I'd be interested to see what they can do with regards print work and video production - take a look at www.kdlab.net they have only 3 members of staff and the scope of work they address far outweighs that of 2a.
Don't get me wrong, nice sites but as a "design studio" they seem fairly limited in what they deliver - is this a marketing issue? I'd be interested in Tony's comments.
KDLab? They are a 3D house mixing 3D architecture with Motion Graphics. They aren't a design studio that does sites Just like we aren't a Print House per se. You are comparing the same type of niche work here. We are great for our niche. They are great for theirs.
I don't get the comparison, KDLAB do great work but they do experimental mixed video/architectural work. It's a weird comparison.Quote:
Originally posted by optical
I'd be interested to see what they can do with regards print work and video production - take a look at www.kdlab.net they have only 3 members of staff and the scope of work they address far outweighs that of 2a.
:confused:
hrmm, didnt like this site at all. didnt find it up to 2a standards, although i did like the transitions, but the whole feel of the site wasnt smooth enough. Such as the video loops looked pretty cheesy, and i didnt like that they just used boxes for text, maybe i was expecting too much, but ill throw my opinion into the batch.
Fair point, it was a bad example, my apologies.
The point I was trying to make was the studio does not seem to branch out into other areas - maybe weworkforthem is a bettr example.
I was just wondering whether the long term core marketing strategy for 2a is internet or whether they would like to break out into other mediums.
I am not trying to critisize you (I say that while you're online), I am mearly interested. Novak appears to be a key player behind the scenes and I am interested in his thoughts on direction and the future for the studio.
actually andru used paintshop pro for 100% of the textures. Scratch one up for us PSP users. PS your day has come muwahahhahaQuote:
Originally posted by aversion
I like the textures and PS work. I wonder if this was worked on by andru phoenix...
PSP? No way! Damn, I'm gong to have to start looking into gimp or MS paint so I'm ahead of the trend.Quote:
Originally posted by sixtailer
actually andru used paintshop pro for 100% of the textures. Scratch one up for us PSP users. PS your day has come muwahahhaha
;)
how's life chris?
WWFT have their roots in print. However, when you poise yourself strictly for new media (as we have), it's very difficult (and not very appealing) to deal with offline media. As such, we have intentionally kept away from print when possible. Instead, we prefer to focus on endeavors that keep everyone here excited about their jobs; around our studio print work just doesn't make the grade there.Quote:
Originally posted by optical
Fair point, it was a bad example, my apologies.
The point I was trying to make was the studio does not seem to branch out into other areas - maybe weworkforthem is a bettr example.
I was just wondering whether the long term core marketing strategy for 2a is internet or whether they would like to break out into other mediums.
I am not trying to critisize you (I say that while you're online), I am mearly interested. Novak appears to be a key player behind the scenes and I am interested in his thoughts on direction and the future for the studio.
We do our fair share of video work (at least a piece or two each month), but haven't really focused on posting it all (our bandwidth drawal is quite massive as is). I believe the next version of 2A will have a nice video piece which encompases a good deal of 3D and After Effects... Still to be determined though. In addition, some of the offline video work should make it up by then as well.
The studio is focused on playing with a convergence in media... We are constantly toying with the possibilities and potential limits of the web, and will frequently take steps to break the rules and standards (when possible). Still, we operate on the same philosophy that we started with: We will continue to produce work that entices us. We love video, flash, 3D, animation, all things motion related and more...
A site like Taig allows us to go out on the edge a bit, to play with odd layouts, extra motion, heavier file sizes, etc. It's inherent to the nature of the project; a little experimentation mixed with a few simple functional goals...
HEY dont poke fun!!
life is going very well. I was in texas a few weeks back and got back together with the love of my life :) so its looking like in 6 months I'm moving to austin TX. I am damned excited. Gotta find me a nice design gig down there so if anyone knows any good AUSTIN TEXAS DESIGN FIRMS THAT ARE HIRING hehe.
I'll keep you posted Miles.
Hey tony how have you been? We need to find andru a nice woman ;)
PSP is once again up and coming... In much the same way that ASCII Text Art is making a retro come back :)Quote:
Originally posted by aversion
PSP? No way! Damn, I'm gong to have to start looking into gimp or MS paint so I'm ahead of the trend.
;)
how's life chris?
sounds great mate, I know of one prominent design firm in austin but you probably want to avoid them ;)Quote:
Originally posted by sixtailer
AUSTIN TEXAS DESIGN FIRMS THAT ARE HIRING
I appreciate your comment Tony, thank you. However I don't see the Taig site as "going out on the edge a bit". It's nothing more technical than you have done with the 2A site(if at all) apart from a photoshop (or similar product) produced background and I can't see the backend being overly complex neither(XML for the shedule section if any) - at the end of the day it's just a brochure site with extremely cool graphics - it's hardly going out on the edge. Having said that at least it's fitting to the subject matter - why have Realtybid changed the front end and Pittsburgh Penguins sized down the interface? Could it be 2a have learnt lessons in designing for clients instead of themselves or designers?Quote:
Originally posted by tpnovak
A site like Taig allows us to go out on the edge a bit, to play with odd layouts, extra motion, heavier file sizes, etc. It's inherent to the nature of the project; a little experimentation mixed with a few simple functional goals... [/B]
That last comment is devils advocate, not a dig at you or your company. No-one can get it right all the time ...
wow ....or maybe "Could it be that 2a wouldn't be in business if they DIDNT design for clients?"Quote:
Originally posted by optical
Could it be 2a have learnt lessons in designing for clients instead of themselves or designers?
That last comment is devils advocate, not a dig at you or your company. No-one can get it right all the time ...
sad thing is, many many many people think that as designers we should design for other designers. haha not if we want to feed ourselves MORONS... geez
i think you missed my point sixtailer ... I was saying that Realtybid and Pittsburgh are examples of 2a getting it wrong - they designed with designers in mind, not the client or target audience. 2a have got big shoulders, they can take it.
isn't the idea to design for the user? You have to sell it to the client though...
well the real idea is to design for the user through the client to make money to pay yourself, to save up and get a nice place and meet a nice girl and make babies. so ultimately designing leads to babies...right Miles?
no way! The ultimate aim of designing is a plasma tv :DQuote:
Originally posted by sixtailer
well the real idea is to design for the user through the client to make money to pay yourself, to save up and get a nice place and meet a nice girl and make babies. so ultimately designing leads to babies...right Miles?
lol I guess....I have my 15 foot projection tv/monitor...I like it better even though it cant touch the res and brightness of a plasma...nothing touches HALO or METROID when their guns are bigger than you are!!!
Amen to that. I swear when I get mine, I'm switching careers.Quote:
Originally posted by aversion
no way! The ultimate aim of designing is a plasma tv :D
to what pocket pool???
Well this is too "Sci-Fi" for a skateboarder, the target for this site is "Skaters" i guess ? and the average skater will even close the pop up , or even begin to panic on the loading hehe ... not many of the skates are computer wiz ;) maybe i am wrong :D
I don't believe the idea of "going out on the edge a bit" implies an absolute requirement for technical complexity. If that was the case, I would direct you back to BacardiDJ.com site we just finished. Rather here, the U/I is non-standard, motion is much more frequent/prevalent, filesize limitations were increased, experimentation with effects was routine, etc. XML and PHP were used for the schedule and various content admin tools on the back-end.Quote:
Originally posted by optical
I appreciate your comment Tony, thank you. However I don't see the Taig site as "going out on the edge a bit". It's nothing more technical than you have done with the 2A site(if at all) apart from a photoshop (or similar product) produced background and I can't see the backend being overly complex neither(XML for the shedule section if any) - at the end of the day it's just a brochure site with extremely cool graphics - it's hardly going out on the edge. Having said that at least it's fitting to the subject matter - why have Realtybid changed the front end and Pittsburgh Penguins sized down the interface? Could it be 2a have learnt lessons in designing for clients instead of themselves or designers?
If you make an assumption that all sites should remain untouched following launch, then your point regarding Penguins and Realtybid is appropriate. However, keep in mind, that our process is methodical and honed to the extent that all major decisions made on projects are done with client approval. Therefore, I/F changes to Penguins, after the fact and before are simply an evolution that have occurred; paid for by the client and all. Similarly, with Realtybid, but their changes have a much longer story I hear.
My example of "going out on the edge a bit" is more applicably directed to a case such as Taig Khris whereby we had a great deal more creative freedom then is typified by client projects. Either way, I believe it is safe to say; even Taig's site will undergo periodic and routine changes as we continue to receive and process visitor feedback.
Nothing's perfect, and I'll be the first to admit that. (Except Miles' shirt selection)
Optical. No offense here. But how long have you been in the business and how many client engagements have you been in?Quote:
Originally posted by optical
i think you missed my point sixtailer ... I was saying that Realtybid and Pittsburgh are examples of 2a getting it wrong - they designed with designers in mind, not the client or target audience. 2a have got big shoulders, they can take it.
The reason I ask this is because sometimes, you can advise, explain and yell at a client till you are purple in the face. But after the client asks for it the 10th time, you GIVE it to them no matter how much you think/know something might not be right for them and no matter how many times you've told them it is wrong. In the end, the client is always right.
In the case of the Penguins, and Realtybid (2 clients which I am pretty confident that you know nothing about, or what they came to 2A for) That was exactly the case. Was it our idea to come up with a completely flashed out techy site to auction houses online? Seriously? I think you are smart enough to see where I am going with this one....No it wasn't our idea. That was the agenda of the client you saw. Did we do our best to fulfill the clients needs and dreams? You bet your bottom dollar.
Like I said, You can tell a client something till your head explodes, but when they have something stuck in their mind, sometimes there isn't a whole lot you can do about it. In the case of the Penguins, we were glad they finally listened to reason and had me downsize the header. For you to say that we design for designers in mind. Well. I'm sorry to say that is from my perspective a pretty ignorant comment and one that stems from a lack of dealing with clients face to face as I do every day.
You seem to think that at 2A we march to the beat of our own drummer. I for one take offense to that. I have been doing this for years now. I have taken classes on usability. I have sat in seminars held by Forrester Research. I have won awards for Usability from Forrester and I like to think I always keep the end user in mind for any site that I personally design.
I always make the arguement that when dealing with a client, you give advice where you can, but for the most part you listen to what they have to say with both ears. Why? Because they should be the experts of their products. No single designer should dictate a website or a corporate brand by himself. It is ridiculous to assume that I could tell Mazda what is the best way for them to sell cars. So when I did their old website what did I do? I Listened to every word they had to say because bottom line they are the experts. And if their ideas and visions fail? Then their company is doomed to bumps in the road no matter what I say.
Hey Shiro.. Do you Inline? Just something to think about here, but Taig Khris is the client. He LOVES Techy, he LOVES 2A. This site is HIS vision. So for you to say its too techy for a Skater...AHAHHA dude that is just comedy to me.
My apologies to Lady Bring who will see this as some sort of oppression. I'm also a football coach so sometimes I gotta speak my mind. :)
Shane
www.pixelranger.com
maybe they're not designers but bet your ass that the skaters i know do two things, skate and play video games!Quote:
Originally posted by Johnny Shiro
not many of the skates are computer wiz ;) maybe i am wrong :D
:D
This is something I picked up from Andru at another forum ->
Quote:
Thanks Guys!! It had to be made in 5 days, thats why it seems repititive, otherwise I would of optimized the hell out of it and included alot of unique transitions. Unfortunately deadlines are reality, but I'm happy how it turned out. Although 90% of it could of been done way better, my initial ideas were communicated.
I never really intended to make this experience like the other 2A websites that preceded it, however I was trying to establish a unique reflection of what websites in the future could be like. I believe the intent of the internet in its infancy was purely for data retrieval, then later evolved into entertainment as broadband became commonplace. Since then it has been haunted by the echos of practicality which is commonly condescended by critics when websites such of this nature come into existence. I ask the "design community" not to view this site in retrospect to the criteria of a "proper" website, but enjoy it as an experiment of fun...
- the phoenix
2Advanced Studios
wow gone for 2 days and look what i miss. Nice site! I'm usually not a big fan of 2A work (no offense!) but this site is designed very well. I think it fits the client/genre perfectly. I'd definitely focus on a more hip market (last 2 sites have been great)... an auction house 2A site :) that's just funny. Great job guys!
dyl
Quote:
Originally posted by KevinD
This is something I picked up from Andru at another forum ->
he dropped this address in a post
http://www.burnaxis.com/autogo.html
cool stuff...
cool so far, edevstudios is incorporated with this it looks like.Quote:
Originally posted by miyagiofflash
he dropped this address in a post
http://www.burnaxis.com/autogo.html
cool stuff...
yeah we've been barking about this flash colaborative for a while...now thats hes done withtaig khris we'll have more time to get back to it.. :o
Thanks for stating the Obvious you Dip **** :DQuote:
Originally posted by kony2003
edevstudios is incorporated with this it looks like.
good point AV.Quote:
Originally posted by aversion
isn't the idea to design for the user? You have to sell it to the client though...
Miles always seems to get it right lol :)Quote:
Originally posted by tpnovak
I don't believe the idea of "going out on the edge a bit" implies an absolute requirement for technical complexity. If that was the case, I would direct you back to BacardiDJ.com site we just finished. Rather here, the U/I is non-standard, motion is much more frequent/prevalent, filesize limitations were increased, experimentation with effects was routine, etc. XML and PHP were used for the schedule and various content admin tools on the back-end.
If you make an assumption that all sites should remain untouched following launch, then your point regarding Penguins and Realtybid is appropriate. However, keep in mind, that our process is methodical and honed to the extent that all major decisions made on projects are done with client approval. Therefore, I/F changes to Penguins, after the fact and before are simply an evolution that have occurred; paid for by the client and all. Similarly, with Realtybid, but their changes have a much longer story I hear.
My example of "going out on the edge a bit" is more applicably directed to a case such as Taig Khris whereby we had a great deal more creative freedom then is typified by client projects. Either way, I believe it is safe to say; even Taig's site will undergo periodic and routine changes as we continue to receive and process visitor feedback.
Nothing's perfect, and I'll be the first to admit that. (Except Miles' shirt selection)
I accept your points Tony, valid ones at that. I as stated earlier, I was mearly playing devils advocate and encouraging debate on 2a's methodologies and design principles. Your comments made for interesting reading. Thank you.
No offence taken, see my previous post :) I'm a 2a fan Shane but I'm not sure I'd enjoy playing in your football team ehehe. Anyway stop wasting time posting essays - pull your finger out and get the propod site finished :DQuote:
Originally posted by pixelranger
Optical. No offense here. But how long have you been in the business and how many client engagements have you been in?
The reason I ask this is because sometimes, you can advise, explain and yell at a client till you are purple in the face. But after the client asks for it the 10th time, you GIVE it to them no matter how much you think/know something might not be right for them and no matter how many times you've told them it is wrong. In the end, the client is always right.
In the case of the Penguins, and Realtybid (2 clients which I am pretty confident that you know nothing about, or what they came to 2A for) That was exactly the case. Was it our idea to come up with a completely flashed out techy site to auction houses online? Seriously? I think you are smart enough to see where I am going with this one....No it wasn't our idea. That was the agenda of the client you saw. Did we do our best to fulfill the clients needs and dreams? You bet your bottom dollar.
Like I said, You can tell a client something till your head explodes, but when they have something stuck in their mind, sometimes there isn't a whole lot you can do about it. In the case of the Penguins, we were glad they finally listened to reason and had me downsize the header. For you to say that we design for designers in mind. Well. I'm sorry to say that is from my perspective a pretty ignorant comment and one that stems from a lack of dealing with clients face to face as I do every day.
You seem to think that at 2A we march to the beat of our own drummer. I for one take offense to that. I have been doing this for years now. I have taken classes on usability. I have sat in seminars held by Forrester Research. I have won awards for Usability from Forrester and I like to think I always keep the end user in mind for any site that I personally design.
I always make the arguement that when dealing with a client, you give advice where you can, but for the most part you listen to what they have to say with both ears. Why? Because they should be the experts of their products. No single designer should dictate a website or a corporate brand by himself. It is ridiculous to assume that I could tell Mazda what is the best way for them to sell cars. So when I did their old website what did I do? I Listened to every word they had to say because bottom line they are the experts. And if their ideas and visions fail? Then their company is doomed to bumps in the road no matter what I say.
Hey Shiro.. Do you Inline? Just something to think about here, but Taig Khris is the client. He LOVES Techy, he LOVES 2A. This site is HIS vision. So for you to say its too techy for a Skater...AHAHHA dude that is just comedy to me.
My apologies to Lady Bring who will see this as some sort of oppression. I'm also a football coach so sometimes I gotta speak my mind. :)
Shane
www.pixelranger.com
Thanks Tony and Shane.
ejj people how are we sopoused to remember this url: http://12.106.77.134/ ?? he he
a question to 2a : did realitybid quit beeing your client or what? cuz when I type in the adress some crap comes up, but when I go to your site the url is www.2advanced.com/realitybid or something like that. Im just wondering cuz if I had a site like that I wouldent shut it down for all the puassy in the world. hehe just kidding
The new site looks amazing, but one thing, on the first flash page, there's a really obvious spelling mistake. In the box in the bottom right, the bit that says 'get on the mailing list', 'receive' is spelt wrong. They've got it spelt 'recieve' rather than 'receive' (the 'i' and the 'e' the wrong way round)
Not a criticism, just thought they'd like to know.