February 2, 2012

From Atomic With Love

Here at Atomic Crayon, we know codes inside and out, and so we like to consider ourselves super spies, in a sense. In truth, our code is usually more HTML-based than saying anything cool like, "The purple giraffe flies at midnight", and our counter-intelligence is limited to the coffee counter at Starbucks. However, when we were recently pulled out of our covert ops (aka getting a double macchiato) to join forces with a specialized agency - the Greater Victoria Development Agency - we were only too happy to accept the mission.

The Greater Victoria Development Agency (GVDA) is the region's lead economic development agency. They work closely with businesses, partner agencies, educational institutions, the community and all levels of government. They focus on leveraging Victoria's abundant energy and innovative spirit to sustain economic growth.

The GVDA selected us in September 2010 from an elite group of web design operatives and let us know that they were looking for a website re-design. They presented us with a full dossier of their requirements.

We used our Master of Disguise skills to give their website a brand new re-design, then added in a bunch of powerful gadgets that would make even Q envious: these include Events and News modules, a linkedin discussion forum, RSS feeds and job posting functionality (with job data being pulled automatically from the VIATeC job board). Newsletters and a variety Social Media have been integrated, along with a customized blog and our top notch mobile and accessibility standards.

Our robust content management system, ElementCMS, was implemented, thereby empowering GVDA staff to update their new, suave website themselves. Google Translate, with its host of languages, has also been added, to add to the international intrigue.

The elephant wears pants on Tuesday! (aka great new website now live!)

http://www.gvda.ca

January 5, 2012

We're Hiring

Atomic Crayon is currently seeking outstanding individuals eager to join our team of talented web professionals.

Intermediate Level Programmer
Atomic Crayon has a Full-Time position available for an Intermediate Level Programmer. Read the full job description.

November 29, 2011

Atomic Crayon Has a Site at the Museum

At Atomic Crayon, we are suckers for nostalgia. We always relish our trips down memory lane: grainy black and white photos; perfectly polished oak phonographs playing smooth, lush vinyl; that heady initial release of the iPhone 3G. Yes, indeedy, we love the good ol' days. But now we need be wistful no longer! We get to combine our modern day web skills with a trip down memory lane for our latest website: Burnaby Village Museum.

The village is a combination of heritage and replica buildings on a 10-acre site that represents at typical tram-stop community along the B.C. Electric Railway. Period costumed townsfolk welcome visitors and give demonstrations in the homes, businesses and shops. Popular stops include the blacksmith, the print shop, the garden at the farmhouse and the General Store. The heritage buildings on site include a school house, country retirement home and garage, tram station, dry goods store, bank, farm house, bachelors' house and real estate office. And an exciting must for every visitor is a whirl on the historic 1912 CW Parker Carousel.

Once we were awarded this excellent project, we got on our horse and began constructing the website. We had to create something that was visually reminiscent of days gone by while utilizing technology that looked towards the future. We started with design. For this, we created a look and feel that made use of the Museum's terrific photo archives, and combined that imagery with soft tones and a relaxed feel that worked in tandem with the Museum's marketing.

With much of the nostalgia looked after in the design, now it was time to wrap it all in a fresh, tech-savvy package. The site is integrated into ElementCMS, our powerful content management system. This CMS allows the Museum's employees to update the site themselves, which keeps the site information up-to-date, whether it's regarding upcoming events, a brand new ice cream-making workshop on offer or interesting recent acquisitions. By keeping the site fresh, the Museum can show customers exactly what fun stuff they have on offer.

With "hot off the press" information in mind, RSS feeds were added throughout the site in order to keep visitors abreast of the latest news at the Museum. Social media was also added, as was a focus on accessibility - including a mobile version, a text-resizer and a high-contrast stylesheet. The Museum makes a point of being for everyone, and we wanted to make sure the website was, too!

And as for our next visit to the Museum itself, if you think we're not heading straight to that ice cream making workshop? Horsefeathers!

www.burnabyvillagemuseum.ca

November 25, 2011

Atomic Makes a Splash with New Website

It's fair to say that at Atomic Crayon, we love to swim. And while our swimming technique might be a little light on ergonomics and a little heavy on water wing usage for Olympic competition, we still get a kick out of flailing around in the pool. And so when we were selected to create the new website for Recreation Oak Bay, we couldn't wait to dive right in!

Featuring indoor & outdoor tennis courts, a fitness studio, swimming pools, a Rotary water park and much more, Recreation Oak Bay is committed to building a healthy community. With state of the art recreation facilities and parks with scenic beauty and wonderful opportunities to play, the Department provides many programs and services to residents of Oak Bay and neighbouring municipalities.

For this latest site, we went to great lengths to ensure that it was one of our most fun, accessible sites yet. We created the site in a visual (free)style that uses bright imagery that helps attract patrons to the fantastic facilities Recreation Oak Bay has to offer, while keeping the wealth of program and facility information easy to read. As for finding that info using our navigation system? Child's play!

We made sure our code was lean, mean and in tip-top condition. This helped create an interwoven menu system that allows website visitors to find programs by activity, age group or venue, or select their drop-in schedules by activity or venue. The coding system allowed content regarding those activities to be entered only once, but still propagated throughout all relevant areas of the site.

Having such a limber system was particularly useful for R.O.B. staff as they would be entering the content themselves using the WordPress CMS system. We coded the site in WordPress templates and provided all documentation and training for the client on how to use the system, thereby allowing them to update the website themselves in a quick, cost-effective manner. Cost-efficiency was a matter of accentuated importance in light of the fact that the department is fully funded by taxpayers.

Recreation Oak Bay ensures that recreation is for everyone by having top-notch services for the disabled. We made certain that ethos was reflected in the website, as well, by creating accessibility features for the site, which help visually impaired people use the site and, subsequently, enjoy the great facilities and programs on offer.

Cannonball!

http://recreation.oakbaybc.org

November 22, 2011

Because It Is Better To Give Than To Receive

The holidays are a time of tradition. Whether it is roasting chestnuts over the open fire or scooping the Christmas cake into the dog bowl when nobody's looking, it's tradition that makes this time of year special.

With that in mind, we have kept up our annual tradition, forgoing sending out Christmas boxes and instead donating those dedicated funds to charity. Knowing that the gift box expenses could better benefit people in need, in recent years we have opted help out in the community by donating instead. By not receiving our (admittedly delicious) shortbread, you, too, are helping people out this holiday season. We appreciate it!

Also keeping with tradition, we have stayed with donating to our favourite charity: the BC Children's Hospital Foundation. BC Children's Hospital is the province's only full-service acute care hospital and serves the one million children living in BC and the Yukon. All children who are seriously ill or injured are referred to Children's Hospital and are either treated at the hospital in Vancouver or, in consultation with Children's specialists, in their home community. Last year, more than 72,000 children were treated at Children's Hospital. Funds raised by the foundation are used to support BC Children's Hospital, Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children and the Child & Family Research Institute.

Tradition or no, this is an absolutely fantastic charity and one we're very proud to support. Help us raise funds to build a new Children's Hospital by donating to our funky Atomic tree, just follow the link below.

https://secure.bcchf.ca/FOT/main.cfm?FOT=19191

Here Fido, Fido, Fido...

Happy Holidays!