Scott Design

Our clients’ challenge:

Adobe Systems wanted to develop a microsite that would fully introduce a new web application, Adobe Edge, to web designers. Adobe sought a user-friendly, intuitive website that introduces the product, shows samples of what designers can create with Edge, and leads them to download a beta version of the software.

The Scott Design solution:

Scott Design designed and developed a clean and simple microsite to clearly present Adobe Edge to web professionals. The site presents a unique, compelling look and showcases samples that inspire and educate site visitors about Edge. Clearly presented information and a prominent download button lead visitors through all the information they need to decide to become part of the preview program.

Scott Design received two more awards for its work on the online Adobe/Amazon.com Product Selector — an Outstanding Achievement Award in the Computer Software category of the Interactive Media Awards and a Silver Award in the Online Advertising category of the Horizon Interactive Awards. This interactive banner ad previously won a Gold Davey Award, a Silver W3 Award, and a Summit Emerging Media Leader Award.

The Interactive Media Awards recognize the highest standards of excellence in website design and development and honor individuals and organizations for their outstanding achievement. Created by the Interactive Media Council (IMC) — a nonprofit organization of leading web designers, developers, programmers, advertisers, and other web-related professionals — the competition is designed to elevate the standards of excellence on the Internet and offer winners a boost in marketing and exposure.

The Horizon Interactive Awards highlight the “best of the best” in interactive media production. The international competition saw more than 1,000 entries from more than 20 countries around world and nearly all 50 states. An international panel of judges, consisting of industry professionals with diverse backgrounds, as well as an end user panel, evaluated many different and diverse categories ranging from online advertising to mobile applications.

The Adobe/Amazon.com Product Selector is an online application on Amazon.com that removes the guesswork for Adobe customers selecting products to buy. Instead of a static banner ad, the selector is an interactive application powered by Adobe ColdFusion and AJAX technology with a back-end database that recommends products and brings the user right to the Amazon.com purchasing page to shorten the sales cycle.

Mike Sauce, Founder of the Horizon Interactive Awards, said: “The competition was fierce among many of the top entries in all of the categories and there were so many outstanding projects this year. Each year, I am truly amazed at the talent, creativity, artistry, and technical expertise that is on display in our International competition. It is simply fascinating to see how the internet and other creative media are influencing people’s lives from all corners of the Globe. All of this year’s winners should be proud to be among the best of the best from around the world!”

For the latest information on recent awards, visit the Design Awards page.

That’s the question we asked … and more than 1,100 people from 70 countries have answered! Since November 2011, survey respondents have weighed in on their favorite and least favorite colors. They also have been telling us where they are from, their age, and their gender. Early on, favorites emerged, and they have held true as the responses roll in.

Male Color Preferences by Age

(There is currently a tie between blue and green as favorite color for males 25-35)

Female Color Preferences by Age

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Our client’s challenge:

StepWare, which offers a line of desktop computer software that helps people of all ages become better readers, wanted to create a web version of AceReader, its premier product. The online version would provide a subscription-based service to schools and allow educators and students to use the software at any computer in the school’s computer lab.

The Scott Design solution:

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Scott Design was named a Leader Award winner in the 2011 Summit Emerging Media Awards competition for its work on the online Adobe/Amazon.com Product Selector.

The Summit EMA competition is based on the foundation that advertising is consistently at the forefront of the technological evolution of communication. It was created to identify the world’s marketing communication pioneers – those pushing the bounds of the communication badlands.

The Adobe/Amazon.com Product Selector is an online application on Amazon.com that removes the guesswork for Adobe customers selecting products to buy. Instead of a static banner ad, the selector is an interactive application powered by Adobe ColdFusion and AJAX technology with a back-end database that recommends products and brings the user right to the Amazon.com purchasing page to shorten the sales cycle.

“Those involved in today’s emerging media technologies are the leaders who are establishing tomorrow’s avenues of advertising communications.” Said Jocelyn Luciano, Executive Director for the Summit International Awards (SIA). “Most communication professionals recognize that established avenues of communication can be reliable and safe. However, audiences are becoming increasingly fragmented and difficult to engage, inform, and affect.  Developing, applying, and combining emerging media with creative messaging and market awareness is challenging.  Achieving this synthesis is what makes earning a Summit EMA a significant achievement.”

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How you use type on the web is just as important as how you use it in print, but many web designers ignore even the most basic rules of typography. Good typography makes your content easier to find and read. Bad typography tires your reader and can make site visitors leave your site.

Here’s a quick rundown on how to use type like a pro on your website.

Typeface selection

There are five web-safe fonts that work on most Mac and Windows browsers. Here are the reasons you might choose one over the others:

Alignment

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It’s that time of year again when we share the free online games we create every year: the Virtual Fireplace (2005), Snowflake Designer (2006), Snowbash (2007), Special Delivery (2008), Augmented Reality Snowstorm (2009), 3D Fun (2010), and now a new iPad app, Snow Bash! (2011).

Snow Bash! iPad and iPhone App: Protect Ginger Hill from the Snowmen

Enjoy the free iPad and iPhone versions of the award-winning Snowbash Flash app created by Scott Design in 2007. All the fun of the original version, plus new prizes, more animals, and icemen! Download Snow Bash! for your iPad or for your iPhone from the App Store.

3D Fun: Put on your glasses and enjoy some holiday scenes

Grab your stylish 3D specs and enjoy some 3D holiday images. No 3D glasses? Send us an SASE and we’ll send you a pair!

Augmented Reality Snowstorm: A virtual snowstorm using your webcam

Get into the holiday spirit with the Augmented Reality Snowstorm, where you can put yourself or your family in a virtual snowstorm. No webcam? No worries! Just visit the virtual snowstorm, instead!

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Google is pretty straightforward in its mission: To connect people searching online with the most relevant, speedily delivered, comprehensive, fresh information available. To get Google to love your site and put it at the top of the search results, you should create content that someone searching online is going to love.

Here are 4 ways to get the love:

1. Be Relevant: Someone doing a search on Google is looking for information that is trustworthy, from an expert or enthusiast who knows the topic well, and includes original content. This original reporting, original research, and original analysis are top qualities in Google’s eyes, so create the one-of-a-kind content your audience is looking for.

2. Make It Fast: Website visitors are not a patient lot. Studies show that users are happier with faster sites and less satisfied with slow sites, so speed is now a factor in Google site ranking. Make sure your web coding is lean and mean, uses the latest web standards, and uses CSS to minimize bulked-up code.

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Our client’s challenge:

Adobe wanted to promote special upgrade pricing for photo- and video-editing software products. The goals of the “tours” were to allow users to quickly and easily understand the value of the products, become inspired by the top features, and actively engage with the products by exploring all the features.

The Scott Design solution:

Scott Design produced online Flash “tours” that display new features in action and highlight price-slashing offers right in the welcome screen of trial and full-version products. The team combined animation, compelling imagery, and streaming videos in a series of online presentations that display the software’s top features. Each of the presentations included prominent, strategically placed calls to buy the product. Scott Design also created special “Black Friday” versions of the tours to promote a limited-time upgrade offer.

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Our client’s challenge:

To show online sellers how to use a new listing process, eBay sought animated online demos that would explain the new flow. The goal was to provide mid– to high-volume sellers with clear, step-by-step instructions for using eBay tools to add and revise listings in the eBay online catalog.

The Scott Design solution:

Scott Design partnered with HDI to design and produce a series of easy-to-follow Flash demos—with corresponding PDF versions—that make it simple for anyone to add their products to the eBay online catalog. These step-by-step tutorials include animated screen views and narration that remove the guesswork. The end result is a fast and easy learning experience for sellers.

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