Marcel &c :

Portfolio

Current Work

Marcel &c are currently working on a variety of interface and development projects on several platforms. Ranging from a series of prototype administration portals for a complex web-delivered application to a content-managed e-commerce website for a snowboard equipment company, the list is as follows:

Complex asset tracking and interaction portal - Usability Consultancy and design
AJAX administration portal series - Consultation, Design and Development
Complex IPTV EPG - Audit and refinement
Multimedia film company website and CMS - Design and Development
Share scheme administration website - Redesign
Therapy brochure website - Design and Development

Robert Alan Homes

Robert Alan Homes are a local estate agents serving east london. They required a new website that effectively communicated their values and merits, as well as being a resource for all theri clients.

Marcel &c provided them with a fully content managed website, including a property search feature and integration with Google Maps. They are able to to change any information and much of the layout across the site, as well as keeping their property information up to date.

The site is built in hand coded accessible XHTML with a PHP back end. It also uses some Flash content (coded in actionscript 2.0), unobtrusive javascript effects and is integrated with Google maps API.

The site is planned to launch in Aptil 2007.

Boards Online

Boards Online is a surf, skate and snowboard e-commerce website. Having been operational for some time, Boards Online came to Marcel &c for a full front end redesign, integrating the new HTML code with the existing e-commerce back end.

Since the launch of the new design, BoardsOnline.co.uk has received a lot of feedback that the new look is both pleasing and easier to use. Both visits and sales are up!

Click to visit boardsonline.co.uk (opens in new window)

Edge2edge

Edge2edge are a large ski and snowboard sales and rental firm operating throughout the UK. While they have had an e-commerce site for some time, the rental side of their business was lacking any web presence.

They approached Marcel &c to design and build a complex rental ordering form for the hire section of their website. The form ensures that all information is present for any of the many combinations of equipment, before being submitted for processing by the back office staff.

The new form paid for itself in terms of new business within a week!

Have a look at the form here (opens new window)

Digital TX Electronic Programme Guide

Digital TX are a specialist consultancy making waves in IPTV. Part of their offering relies on an Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) designed to work with IPTV browsers. They came to Marcel &c for the design and build of their first prototype.

This project posed some unique challenges beyone those routinely faced by TV interface designers; that the screen is low resolution and viewed from a distance and that the input devices are very limited. The extra challenges were that there is potentially a wealth of content from around the world, supplied by hundreds of different brands on offer, creating an enormous amount of information that needs to be easily and quickly navigable.

The system that was built allows easy selection of media and a quick and easy selection of programme, allowing search based on content title, geographic location or supplier name. The interface itself is powerful yet beautiful and simple with a semi-transparent black background giving the whole a modern, slick feel.

Scottish Museums Council Website Usability Audit

The Scottish Museums Council is a publicly funded organisation representing Scotland's non-national museum sector. The organisation helps independent museums and galleries to comply with legislation and to compete in a large market. The SMC undertook a project to increase awareness of usability among its membership, and decided to use an audit of its own website as an example.

The SMC contracted Marcel &c in conjunction with thirty3above to carry out a complete usability audit of the website. The site was tested against its stated objectives and with a representative sample of each of its target user groups. Statistical analysis was undertaken on several site metrics, as well as an observational study to evaluate key goal performance and user satisfaction.

The study was presented in ISO-accredited Usability report format with full statistical analysis of all results and a series of recommendations made on the basis of the results. Included with the report was a detailed methodology document explaining how to undertake such a study and how to present the results, as well as certain core concepts, in order to aid the SMC in providing this information to its membership. This should result in more independent museums undertaking cost-effective usability studies on their own websites and increasing the overall quality of public service websites.

Unfortunately the audit is private and owned by the SMC, but a sample is available on request.

Montclar Holidays Website

Montclar Holidays rents holiday accommodation in the Languedoc, in the South of France. Their target audience is very wide-ranging but includes a significant number of older customers, who may have difficulty with their sight or hearing, and are more likely to have slow internet connections. They commissioned Marcel &c to design a website that would engage with all of their customers and attract people to the booking form.

With visual design by Tristan Peters, the site that was built uses very simple imagery and layout to great effect, and has received numerous compliments from customers and competitors alike. The overall feedback was so effective that they have decided to enlist the help of the same team when they branch out into the wine business next year!

Have a look at the site here (opens new window)

HowVery Productions Website

HowVery Productions consists of two sister companies: HowVery Music and HowVery Films. The organisations act as a talent and production agency for film and music, helping to find performers for large events of all types around the UK and abroad. They needed a pair of websites that would work well together as 'sister' sites and reflect their values of professionalism and competence.

The resulting websites (designed by Tristan Peters) are built in Flash and have a simple Content Management System integrated allowing agency staff to modify any details they want at any time. The branding and identity of the companies is linked but distinct and they have received many complements on the end result, as well as finding it easier to present themselves as a professional player in their fields.

Damien Fry Portfolio Website

Damien Fry, a freelance photographer, wanted a simple website to act as a portfolio. His requirements were that it be very easy to use, and that the photos speak for themselves, without being overshadowed by a flashy site. He also needs to change the content himself; adding, reordering and deleting images at will.

The site that Marcel &c created successfully achieves his goals and shows his work to its best effect; the simple transitions providing a subtle counterpoint to the images and the unobtrusive animation helping draw the user into viewing the images.

Have a look at the site here (opens new window)