Going the Extranet Mile |
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Thursday, 02 February 2012 10:17 |
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Alienation is delighted to announce the launch of the new Capability Scotland extranet system.
A leading Scottish charity, offering support and key services to those with disabilities and their carers, Capability Scotland is a vital resource for thousands of people across the country. The charity came to Alienation Digital to develop a new extranet system that would unite their extensive network of employees and volunteers throughout Scotland.
Alienation Digital conducted extensive stakeholder research, including in-depth focus groups, to properly evaluate the needs of the extranet’s users and ensure these were met in the build process. This research helped to shape the design, structure and functionality of the system, whilst placing an emphasis on accessibility.
The extranet’s aim is to provide the charity’s members with an efficient and secure platform to communicate on and share information surrounding services, sector news, policy changes and event updates. Central to its success will be building an active online community. To help achieve this, Alienation’s team applied Capability Scotland’s existing branding to generate an extranet design that streamlined with its existing website, enhancing familiarity and strengthening the charity’s brand image.
Accessibility is at the heart of this extranet design, with the system reaching the highest levels of web accessibility standards. To ensure this ease of use is maintained, Alienation’s team has integrated Roktalk, which allows users to convert written text into audio, edit the size and colour of text and the extranet’s background, and generally better present information according to their needs. Additionally, the system has been tested with Dragon Dictate and other voice activated softwares, to ensure it performs well with a range of assistive technologies.
As the charity’s members feedback on the new system, Alienation Digital will continue to work with Capability Scotland in order to make the extranet development even bigger and better.
In response to the launch of the new extranet design Richard Hamer, Director of External Affairs at Capability Scotland, said;
“We had a pool of very strong proposals but we picked Alienation because we saw the quality of their product and were very impressed. What really made the difference however was the company’s ethical and social commitment, which we saw as being in line with our ethos as a charity.
“During the design and development process the team went well above and beyond that expected of them. They are incredibly committed, as we are, to create something unique for our users. We are very happy with the end product and are already thinking about how to make it even better, obviously with Alienation’s help.” |
Alienation Goes to the Top of the Class |
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Tuesday, 24 January 2012 17:24 |
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Alienation Digital is delighted to add another prestigious client to its portfolio, building upon our strength in the educational sector, after winning the competitive tender for Bournemouth University’s new web design.
Bournemouth University has a reputation for excellence, with the 2009 and 2010 ‘The Guardian University Guide’ naming the university as the “UK’s Number One New University”. Its breadth of courses spans everything from business to science, law, music and midwifery.
The University’s website presents crucial information to a wide spectrum of users, from staff to students and businesses, and acts as a key marketing tool to prospective students. However, the current site has become outdated and the design fails to reflect the University’s growing aspirations. In addition, Bournemouth University recognises that in an increasingly competitive sector, universities must utilise their website as a key differentiating and brand positioning tool.
Alienation Digital was selected through a competitive UK-wide tender process for this exciting new web design project. The project looks to update the University’s online presence, consolidating core information and presenting it in a more structured and navigable format. Alienation’s design team will work with Bournemouth University’s existing branding to develop a sleek new education web design that efficiently communicates the vision and prestige of the institute.
With such a vast range of faculties and courses the site must have the capacity to store and present content-heavy pages through simple, clean and intuitive design features. Alienation will integrate the new web design with the university’s existing content management system, TERMINALFOUR, in order to centralise management of the extensive network of pages on the university’s website and ensure staff have the maximum control over their new site.
Charlotte Smith, Project Manager at Bournemouth University, said; “We selected Alienation for this project because of their impressive portfolio of work within the education sector and their clear understanding of our requirements.
"All the team have been very helpful and responsive and we are on track to create a fantastic new online presence for the University. We can't wait to see the end results and look forward to working with Alienation again in the future!”
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First Class Results for Alienation Digital |
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Tuesday, 24 January 2012 11:25 |
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Alienation Digital is thrilled to announce launch the of the University of Bath’s new and improved web designs.
Following an impressive track record in working with outstanding educational institutions, the University of Bath selected Alienation Digital to design 20 new pages to integrate with its existing web presence and create a seamless user experience structured around the faculties of Science, Engineering & Design, and Humanities & Social Sciences.
Awarded The Sunday Times ‘University of the Year 2011-2012’, the University of Bath is one of the UK’s leading further education institutions, which aims to establish itself more firmly within the global education sector by means of a bold, modern web presence.
Alienation conducted exhaustive stakeholder research to identify the needs of the website’s wide group of users and ensure the best possible results were attained for each party. This research then formed the basis of the digital solution, whereby Alienation suggested developing a set of design modules, which could then be allocated to individual pages by the University’s in-house technical team. Therefore, this will provide the University of Bath with a greater level of flexibility over the content of each web page, allowing them to customise every faculty individually.
Alienation Digital has created clean, new page designs that meet the high Visual Identity Standards of the institution. As well as the original web designs for the three aforementioned faculties, Alienation’s designers created an additional ‘wild card’ design for the Management faculty to further streamline the user journey throughout the website. In line with the original brief, Alienation has employed powerful visual data to support navigation, engage visitors and develop a strong identity for the University.
Phil Wilson, Acting Head of Web Services at the University of Bath, said; “Full of ideas and having a very positive attitude towards the challenges of designing for Higher Education, Alienation Digital has produced fantastic results.
“Dave, the web designer assigned to our project, was easy to work with and produced an attractive design that not only complimented and adhered to our existing Visual Identity, but also enhanced several areas of the user experience."
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New EVIMalaR Site Creates a Buzz |
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Tuesday, 17 January 2012 12:29 |
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Adding to our portfolio of work with medical research institutions, including the Beatson Institute, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, and the Edinburgh Cancer Research UK Centre to name but a few, Alienation Digital is delighted to announce the launch of the new EVIMalaR website.
The European Virtual Institute of Marlaria Research, also known as EVIMalaR, is a joint research network based at the University of Glasgow, which aims to aggregate malaria research from its partners across the globe in order to better understand the parasite and develop treatments.
Alienation Digital was selected to develop new branding for the organisation and create a dynamic new website to better connect its growing network, whilst efficiently communicating to relevant parties around the world.
In line with EVIMalaR’s specifications the branding reflects the network’s biological focus, whilst establishing a strong identity to assist ‘brand’ awareness. The site uses innovative technology to create a randomly generated background effect, which is representative of bacteria and the merging and splitting of cells in the human body. This bespoke style means that the user’s experience of the site is never the same twice and immediately provides visitors with an insight into the project’s purpose.
Additional site features include a dedicated login area, allowing members to securely share information, and a bespoke map that highlights members’ locations around the world. Social media has been integrated throughout the site to encourage interaction and create a more engaging user experience.
Alienation is thrilled to launch this exciting new project, which looks set to firmly establish EVIMalaR as world-class research body.
Hansa Pertab, Administrator at EVIMalaR, said; “The service received by Alienation was excellent; whilst considering what functionality we needed from our website, the team proposed new and interesting ideas to set our website apart from others in this field. The support and guidance throughout the whole process has been great, and we would certainly use Alienation for any future requirements.
“EVIMalar is very pleased to have launched its new website, to date we have had positive feedback from members of the network and are excited about using it as a tool to facilitate outreach and interest in malaria research.” |
A healthy outlook for ECRC |
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Monday, 09 January 2012 15:35 |
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Adding to our portfolio of work in the health and medical research sector, including The Beatson Institute, Surgeon’s News, SHIL and soon to include the imminent We Can and EVIMalaR websites, Alienation Digital is thrilled to announce the launch of the new Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre (ECRC) website.
The ECRC conducts essential research into effective cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, whilst providing a dynamic educational environment for cancer researchers.
A range of key individuals from within the organisation were invited to provide input into the development of the new website, and did so via focus group sessions, telephone interviews and an online survey organised by Alienation Digital. This research was then compiled into a report, which was used to inform the design and development team about the differing needs and requirements highlighted by stakeholders within the research centre for the new website.
From this research, Alienation developed the new branding, photography and website for the ECRC, in order to better represent the Centre’s identity. The site incorporates a bold banner image and clearly set out sections, to guide visitors to key research information and personnel, and highlight important news. The researcher profiles incorporate a number of interactive features and multimedia, such as video and links to publications, in order to better align collective knowledge and research, and promote engagement with the Centre.
Alienation Digital is delighted to have been involved in developing this dynamic new online presence.
Kenny Burn, Information Services Manager at the Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, said; “Alienation not only delivered a great website, they were also excellent in taking care of the branding and photography remit we gave them! Website looks great and CMS is straightforward to use! I see this as the start of an ongoing partnership between Alienation and ourselves!” |
Decorate-a-Mate This Christmas |
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Wednesday, 21 December 2011 14:32 |
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Alienation Digital says thanks and Merry Christmas to all its fantastic Facebook followers with the launch of the Decorate-a-Mate Facebook app.
The app, specially developed by the Alienation Digital team in time for Christmas, lets users personalise photos of themselves and their friends with different festive accessories. These photos can then be published to their walls or shared across the Facebook network, spreading the Christmas spirit far and wide.
This new app adds to Alienation’s growing portfolio of projects working with Facebook technology, such as the launch of the Get Scotty Branded app earlier this year.
Alienation has provided the app free to all its followers as a thanks for their support and a gesture of good will. Why don’t you give it a go and ‘Decorate-a-Mate’ today?
Simon Bennison, Digital Marketing Manager at Alienation Digital, said; “We've had so much fun this year working on projects with social media elements, that we thought it would be nice to create something social as a Christmas present for our Facebook friends."
"The Decorate-a-Mate app is a little social treat, a fun tool that our friends can share with their friends to give their photos a bit of tinsel to round off the year.” |
The science of success |
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Friday, 16 December 2011 10:08 |
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Following a competitive tender process, Alienation Digital is delighted to have been selected to develop the new website for leading Scottish visitor attraction - the Glasgow Science Centre (GSC).
Opened in 2001, the Glasgow Science Centre is a five star visitor attraction on the south bank of Glasgow’s River Clyde. Comprising three floors packed with interactive science exhibits that present a blend of science and technology, the centre aims to inspire and engage visitors. GSC selected Alienation to develop a new website in order to improve online access, raise awareness, improve Search Engine performance, sell tickets and integrate social media channels.
The new site will engage Glasgow Science Centre’s audiences, encourage pre and post-visit interaction with the centre and sustained learning. Alienation will apply its expertise to create a good looking and effective website which promotes the accessibility of information and a better overall user experience. The new design and content will reflect the quality of the centre’s exciting exhibitions, enhance the profile of GSC’s partnerships, foster interactions with schools and explain the charitable purpose of the Science Centre. Additionally, the site will offer increased capacity to book tickets online, supplementing other sales channels and enhancing the ease with which visitors can plan and organise a visit.
Ultimately, the new website will streamline online and offline activities and increase efficiency throughout, as well as establishing a modern and prominent online presence for the Glasgow Science Centre.
Alienation looks forward to working with the Centre to develop a fantastic new, interactive website.
Ian Wilson, Communications Manager at Glasgow Science Centre, said; “Alienation showed a winning mix of thoughtful research, technical capability, value and enthusiasm for the work. Our existing site has served us well for many years, but we need greater integration of social media, more capability to transact, a more modern CMS and a fresh look. I’ve got great expectations for the contribution the new site will make to the business.” |
Dancing with joy |
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Friday, 16 December 2011 09:31 |
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Alienation Digital is thrilled to announce the launch of the new Dance GB microsite for long-term client Scottish Ballet.
Alienation has developed an ongoing and prosperous relationship with Scottish Ballet, having created the educational web design for the Scottish Ballet Connect youth site, and being selected to design the new Scottish Ballet core website. This latest project sees Alienation launch an innovative microsite dedicated to celebrating dance in light of the imminent Olympic Games.
The Dance GB microsite supports the unique collaboration of Scottish Ballet, National Dance Company Wales, and English National Ballet, as they tour the UK as part of the London 2012 Cultural Festival. The site provides vital information on tour dates, booking resources, an insight into the dance companies, and integrates multimedia, including a film and gallery section, to create an enjoyable user experience. The clean, structured design makes the site easy to navigate and the use of bold imagery clearly communicates the site’s purpose, whilst engaging the user’s imagination.
Alienation is delighted to launch this latest site for Scottish Ballet and looks forward to the next stages of the main website development.
Heather Crumley, Marketing & Communications Editor at Scottish Ballet, said; “Following the success of the Scottish Ballet Connect website we returned to Alienation Digital to develop our new Dance GB and Scottish Ballet websites. We are delighted to continue this fruitful working relationship and have been very happy with the results they have achieved for us so far. The Dance GB site efficiently communicates our vision and looks fantastic. Thanks to all those involved and we look forward to the next stage of this project.” |
Good things come in 3s... |
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Friday, 02 December 2011 15:32 |
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As the winter winds blow in and the Christmas shoppers fill the streets of Glasgow, Alienation Digital welcomes in a new month with the launch of three new websites for the CSPP, Adopt and Intern, and Derby Lodge.
The Centre for Scottish Public Policy (CSPP) selected Alienation Digital to inject a fresh lease of life into its website and public image, developing new websites for the main CSPP site and the Adopt and Intern platform.
The CSPP is an organisation focused on the development of public policy in Scotland. It does so by challenging existing schools of thought and bringing together relevant political figures and practitioners to expand their understanding of each other and of relevant foreign policies upon which Scotland can progress.
The new website aims to communicate the fresh, intuitive mission and work of the CSPP through stylistic ingenuity and technical finesse. Alienation has created a site that is both functional and informative, and which allows CSPP to easily maintain its ever-changing content. At the heart of this project is the use of a powerful open source Content Management System (CMS), which will facilitate overall management and control for the organisation’s members.
Adopt an Intern is a CSPP initiative that looks to place graduates into paid internships throughout Scotland or in an intern exchange program in Lower Saxony, Germany. The new site incorporates elements of the CSPP styling whilst introducing new elements and structure to differentiate the site and its focus. The new website is a vital communications tool to facilitate the placement of high-calibre graduates and attract new talent.
Barry McCulloch, Policy Manager at CSPP, had this to say about the two new sites Alienation developed for CSPP;
“If you are looking for a creative, fresh, easy-to-use and cost effective website look no further than Alienation. We’re extremely happy with the end product and highly recommend Alienation who were responsive and jargon free throughout the process.”
Another website launched this week from Alienation HQ was Derby Lodge.
Based in Preston, Derby Lodge is a care home offering residential care to young adults with physical and mental disabilities. The home came to Alienation Digital to create a dynamic new website that would raise awareness of its services and attract new residents to fill its vacancies.
The new site utilises bold, bright styling to achieve its objective of expanding its appeal to a younger market. With an emphasis on the importance of the home’s credentials in attaining new residents, Alienation Digital has developed prominent download graphics for the CQC Inspection Report, Brochure and Statement of Purpose, and integrated extracts of this report throughout the site. The addition of a photo gallery and testimonials section gives the site and the care home an altogether more personal and relatable feel.
Alienation Digital is delighted to start December on such a high and looks forward to the new exciting projects the next month will bring. |
Changing the (hairy) face of men’s health |
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Monday, 21 November 2011 16:07 |
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Alienation Digital is the proud sponsor of Kaizen Active for Movember and their participation in the 5km MoRunning event at Glasgow Green. Congratulations to all those who took part in the run and their wonderful moustaches!
Having worked closely with Kaizen Active to develop marketing and its digital strategy, as well as working on his own physique, Alienation’s Operations Director Martin Bryce brought Movember to Kaizen. Movember is a global movement, which aims to raise funds and awareness for men’s health, particularly prostate and testicular cancer, by encouraging men  around the world to grow moustaches during the month of November and get involved with fund-raising efforts. These men then become representatives for the cause, promoting men’s health issues wherever they go. On Sunday 20 November Kaizen’s Mo Bros and Mo Sistas - Martin Bryce, Lynsey Humphries, Gordon McCrorie, Lesley Anne McWhirter, Stephen Morrison, Donna Muir, David Thompson, Paul Thompson, and Sam Turnbull – took to Glasgow Green in their Alienation Digital sponsored T-shirts to take part in a 5km run to further promote Movember 2011 and raise vital funds. The team has already raised over £200 for Movember but with 9 days left in the month there is still every opportunity to get involved and help them out with this great cause. Visit the Kaizen Active Movember fundraising page here to donate! Congratulations goes out to the whole team who performed incredibly, with special mention to Lynsey Humphries and Donna Muir who came away with second and third place for females respectively, our very own Martin Bryce coming in eighth overall, and Stephen Morrison smashing his own personal best. Fantastic results for a fantastic cause!
Martin Bryce, Operations Director at Alienation Digital, said; “Movember offers an excellent opportunity to change the face of men’s health and raise much-needed awareness of critical health issues. We are delighted to be involved with such a great cause and to have Alienation Digital as Kaizen Active’s official sponsor.” |
Today in The Herald, The Scotsman & Business 7 |
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Monday, 07 November 2011 12:40 |
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We are delighted that The Herald, The Scotsman and Business 7 all reported today on Alienation's half year trading successes. A number of new and high-profile contract wins, further strengthening of our London office, and the addition of five new staff members have been attributed as factors behind six months of strong competitive performance, which set us in good stead to achieve our expectations for the full financial year.
Central to Alienation’s success is a diverse client list, to which it has added several exciting new names including malt specialist Gordon & MacPhail, The University of Bath, and Lambeth Council. In addition, we are thrilled to continue existing relationships for new projects for prestigious dance company Scottish Ballet, The Beatson Institute for Cancer Research and the Scottish improvement body for care and children’s services - the Care Inspectorate.
Alienation Digital managing director Neil Barr said; “ We all know it’s a very competitive market just now which makes these figures all the more encouraging. “It’s very much a team effort at Alienation Digital and it’s the quality of people we have and who we continue to aim to recruit which will be the single biggest factor in supporting our future growth.” With an ever more international client base Alienation Digital has enjoyed ongoing expansion, bucking the trend of downsizing in the face of the recession and taking its staff count from 20 to 25 in the past six months, with continued recruitment efforts to grow our dynamic team further. The London office has supported this growth and helped attract new business from throughout the UK and into Europe. In addition, the agency has maintained its commitment to remain carbon neutral, offsetting more than its total carbon emissions for 2011/12 through a tree-planting scheme in Scotland and Kenya. Meanwhile, Alienation Digital was honoured to pick up the Export Award at the recent Herald Digital Business Awards, for our work with global market leader in motorcycle chain lubrication systems Scottoiler, by helping them to achieve a 2336% increase in online sales to the USA in the 6 months following website launch. |
SHARE and share alike |
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Friday, 04 November 2011 11:13 |
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Following several exciting not for profit web design projects, Alienation Digital is delighted to announce the launch of the new SHARE Scotland website.
Established in 1984, SHARE Scotland is a Scottish organisation that aims to provide those with disabilities the chance to live positive, fulfilling and as independent lives as possible. Today the organisation has opened a number of houses, which offer a positive alternative to traditional residential care, and continues to support those with disabilities in becoming part of their community and toward personal development.
As the organisation continues to grow and touch more people’s lives the need for a modern, easily navigable website became ever more pertinent. Having worked with Alienation Digital to develop its original website, SHARE Scotland returned to the digital agency to redesign the site, in the hope of further spreading its message and vision.
Alienation has produced a bold, modern, new web design, with clearly set out modules that highlight key information, and integrated multimedia, to encourage interaction. Clear social media links allow the organisation to promote alternative channels of communication and reach out to new audiences. In addition, Alienation’s development team upgraded the SHARE Scotland site’s content management system, which will maximise the organisation’s control over site content and structure, maintaining an up-to-date and fresh online platform.
Alienation Digital is thrilled to continue its relationship with SHARE Scotland and watch as the organisation goes from strength to strength.
Pauline Donnelly, Development Officer at SHARE Scotland, said; "The support and communication throughout the process have been fantastic. The team at Alienation did their utmost to ensure that they met our needs and exceeded our expectations, whilst ensuring we understood each phase of the project and gained the skills we needed to maximise use of our new website. We would highly recommend their services and expertise."
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Hall Aitken: A tale of 2 sites |
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Wednesday, 02 November 2011 10:52 |
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Alienation Digital is delighted to announce the launch of the latest Hall Aitken website, continuing a valued relationship with a long-term client.
Established in 1988, Hall Aitken is a UK-wide consultancy specialising in engaging disadvantaged communities and people, informing national and regional policy, and promoting community regeneration. Having developed its former website and working with the company on partner projects such as the MyPlace website, Alienation has enjoyed an ongoing relationship with Hall Aitken.
As part of a drive toward more efficient communication Hall Aitken returned to trusted digital agency Alienation Digital to redevelop its existing website, bringing it up-to-date and enhancing its appeal to a wider audience.
Building upon branding guidelines and creative design generated by partner agency Tangent, Alienation Digital has developed an easily navigable site that has been upgraded to a new and more efficient content management system (CMS). The site integrates essential resources with interactive social media.
Core site features include a ‘Learning Zone’, which acts as a library of resources sorted into a selection of categories and sub-categories, an events calendar that can be easily managed and updated by Hall Aitken staff through the new CMS, and a dedicated ‘Staff Login’ area.
The new website will continue to provide an invaluable service to its communities, whilst facilitating staff communication and shared learning. |
Winning work |
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Friday, 28 October 2011 10:51 |
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Donning our gladrags last night, some of the team at Alienation Digital attended this year’s prestigious Herald Digital Business Awards and were delighted to pick up the Export Award for their work with global market leader in motorcycle chain lubrication systems Scottoiler. The Herald Digital Business Awards, in partnership with Digital Enterprise Glasgow, is now in its third consecutive year, recognizing the success of both large and small businesses in harnessing digital technology and the Internet. These awards intend to reward innovation and excellence in all digital services, from complex multisites, to brochure websites, online games, mobile technology, software, and online marketing.
A champagne reception welcomed a sea of industry professionals into the beautiful and impressive auditorium at Oran Mor. After some chin-wagging and networking guests were treated to a delightful three-course meal followed by the official awards ceremony hosted by journalist and television presenter Catriona Shearer. Alienation Digital was thrilled to be shortlisted for all three awards entered, including the Consumer Engagement Award, Digital Supplier Award, and Export Award, making Alienation the most nominated digital agency of the night. The Export Award recognises the application of innovative digital technology in facilitating the expansion and growth into new global export markets. Alienation Digital created a modern, new online platform supported by a comprehensive digital marketing plan to assist Scottoiler’s expansion into the US market. The site has already exceeded expectations increasing online sales to the US by 2,336%, thus resulting in profits well beyond the initial investment.
Neil Barr, Managing Director at Alienation Digital, and Nick Muddle, Export & Marketing at Scottoiler.
Alienation is overjoyed to have been acknowledged next to other key players in the Scottish digital community at last night’s awards and to be able to add the shiny, new Herald Digital Business Export Award to its shelves.
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New charity web design for PMG |
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Friday, 21 October 2011 13:54 |
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Alienation Digital’s successes with not-for-profit web design continues with the launch of a modern new website for the Posture and Mobility Group.
The Posture and Mobility Group (PMG) are a charitable body who aim to share and advance knowledge regarding the posture and mobility needs of people with disabilities in the UK. The organisation’s website is a central hub of information and resources for the public and practicing professionals alike, thus is critical in attaining the group’s core objectives.
Following a review by the PMG executive committee the original website was deemed not fit for purpose and the organisation decided it was vital to invest in this portal in order to better support current operations and future aims. After a competitive tender process PMG selected Alienation Digital to create a new website, which allows for the comprehensive and streamlined management of membership, updating content, multimedia communications, and research resources.
Alienation Digital worked with PMG’s committee of volunteers from across the UK to create a fresh new website, with unique features such as the invoice manager, which will be used to manage invoicing and be integrated with the existing membership database and new sign-up component online.
In addition, Alienation Digital conducted thorough digital marketing to ensure that the new website is efficient in search engine rankings, the content is highly relevant to the target audience’s queries and needs, and the site performs well across the board. The site has been designed with accessibility in mind, reaching double A standards, in compliance with W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. In combination with this high level of accessibility, the new site’s design offers clean, consistent branding, images and colour themes throughout, to reflect the professionalism of the organisation.
Now live, the website will provide a vital resource for all those wishing to learn more about or become involved with the organisation, its members, or those whom the charity aims to support.
Following site launch James Hollington, Project Co-ordinator at PMG, said;
“Thank you so much for all the work you have done for us at PMG with building our new website. We couldn’t be more pleased. I imagine we haven’t been the easiest of clients for you but you have delivered on everything you promised and more.
“The reason we decided to go with you to build our new website from the 4 other serious tendering contenders was your communication – you spoke in straight English on a level that was perfect for our limited knowledge, you were easy to discuss ideas with, understood exactly what we need and seemed flexible, professional and grounded – this has continued throughout the whole project with every member of the Alienation Team I have spoken with. On top of that you seem to be able to translate exactly our desires and problems to the Alienation Digital technical team who have always come up with a solution. Additionally you have all been extremely accessible when ever we’ve phoned or emailed and been always willing to help.
“I would highly recommend you to anyone.
“It’s been a long haul for me personally with us taking three years just to get our brief approved by the Executives and teasing out the money from our finance committee. I have also had to put my neck on the line to ensure that we have delivered what I promised was possible – you’ve made that possible.
“I can’t thank you enough.” |
We Can do it |
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Wednesday, 19 October 2011 10:44 |
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Following a string of successful and ongoing projects with medical research institutes and educational bodies, such as the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, ECRC, the NHS, EVIMalaR, and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Alienation Digital has been selected to develop the new online presence for cancer research organisation We Can.
We Can, or to give it its full name the West of Scotland Cancer Centre, is an initiative developed in collaboration with Cancer Research UK, the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, the NHS Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, and the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde, with the ambition of integrating Glasgow’s considerable strengths in cancer research and translating knowledge into cures. As part of this, We Can aims to provide key stakeholders with a digital platform for information sharing and learning. As a result, Alienation Digital was selected to develop We Can’s branding, in line with its logo, and a website that will act as a central repository for cancer research information, resources and contacts, as well as encouraging greater collaboration.
Alienation Digital’s creative team will develop bold, vibrant branding, taking the We Can logo and translating it into a wider brand concept, which will help position the organisation’s website as an important online resource for cancer research professionals. This branding will form the basis of the new site design, building in consistency and communicating efficiently from the offset, whilst creating a more personable and independent brand image.
Clean, sharp aesthetics and site structure will assist navigation and prevent the website from feeling too content-heavy. Whilst, multimedia integration will engage visitors and make the site altogether more interactive. Meticulous development and training will allow the organisation to harness maximum control over site content and functionality, ultimately maintaining an evolving and easily updateable website.
Moreover, the We Can website will become an invaluable resource for cancer researchers not only in the west of Scotland but also in the rest of the cancer research community, as well as publicising the organisation’s work to the wider public.
Alienation looks forward to working with the West of Scotland Cancer Centre on this new exciting project.
Jackie Beesley, Scientific Administrator at the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, said; “The importance of having a good website for the Centre cannot be underestimated – hopefully it will help enhance interactions and collaborations between our cancer researchers.”
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Growth spurt for Alienation Digital |
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Friday, 14 October 2011 13:02 |
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Following a number of high profile contract wins, Alienation Digital has added five new faces to its staff count while continuing with its recruitment drive, all the while maintaining its commitment to remain carbon neutral. With offices in Glasgow and London the company has attracted employees from a number of agencies from the digital marketing sector, as well as running a successful internship scheme. It takes its staff-count in both offices from 20 to 25.
Here’s a round-up of our new recruits:
Valerie Paton – Project Manager:
What company did you last work for?
The Zen Agency
What was your first industry job?
Summer Placement at Trimedia
What was your nickname at school?
Anything but "Val"!
What would be your specialist subject on Mastermind?
Aberdeen Football Club
What is the worst job you have ever had?
Working at a bookies in a really rough part of town - I cried... a lot...
 Dan Cowley – Web Designer:
What company did you last work for?
The Glasgow Climbing Centre / Freelance Designer
What was your first industry job?
This one / Freelance
What was your nickname at school?
Didn't have one / Dan
What would be your specialist subject on Mastermind?
Probably some area of Medieval History, possibly the Crusades, the fall of the Roman Empire, or the formation of the European nation state - I'll let you pick!
What is the worst job you have ever had?
Either call-centre cold calling or cleaning a bakery for £2.50 p/h, although at least the bakery was honest work!
Cat Leaver – Marketing Executive:
What company did you last work for?
The University of Strathclyde, for the Disability Service
What was your first industry job?
Marketing Assistant at TRS Ribbons
What was your nickname at school?
All assortments of Cat - KitCat, HappyCat, Cat in the Hat, Catriona and the Waves, ... even Caterpillar to one friend!?
What would be your specialist subject on Mastermind?
Well Google Adwords of course :)
What is the worst job you have ever had?
I worked as a kitchen porter for a month when I was 15, but then I was 'promoted' to waitress, so it was at least short-lived.
 Daniel Houriez – Web Developer:
What company did you last work for?
Become Interactive
What was your first industry job?
Freelance Web Developer
What was your nickname at school?
Danouch
What would be your specialist subject on Mastermind?
Two and a Half Men, up to season 8 :-)
What is the worst job you have ever had?
Working in a Dehydrated Onion Flakes factory, the dullest job ever - in an incredibly noisy room, with a constant strong smell, and completely alone. Not for the faint-hearted.
Stephen Elliott – Sales Executive:
What company did you last work for?
TheBookingRoom - who specialise in global ground transportation for the Financial Roadshow & Corporate Events industries
What was your first industry job?
Alienation Digital
What was your nickname at school?
Steve-O or Jackie Chan
What would be your specialist subject on Mastermind?
The Time Warp and its related dance moves
What is the worst job you have ever had?
Pusing trolleys at Tesco whilst at Uni.
Alienation is excited by the ongoing company growth and successes of the last year. However, it doesn’t end there – there are still three opportunities to join Alienation’s dynamic team and share our vision as either a Project Manager or Web Developer. If you are interested please apply to
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The boy who cried Wolverine |
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Friday, 14 October 2011 08:36 |
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Alienation Digital is thrilled to announce the launch of the new ecommerce website for premium US boot retailer Wolverine and the AMG Group.
Established in 1883 in Michigan, USA, Wolverine is a leading manufacturer of casual and work-related boots. The company focuses on using innovative technologies and processes to create durable, comfortable and quality footwear, for men and women.
Alienation was recruited by the AMG Group to create an exciting new ecommerce web platform to support the imminent Wolverine 1000 Mile Boot Collection campaign in the UK. Despite time restrictions incurred by campaign deadlines, Alienation’s team generated a slick new website that streamlines branding and imagery from across the company’s international network of sites, and provides users with an efficient online shopping experience. As well as offering an extensive catalogue of products online, the web platform features a ‘store locator’ and integrated social media to enhance the customer’s online journey.
The new site will highlight the heritage of this established brand, provide a platform for communication, and optimise sales in the UK, as well as providing support for ongoing marketing campaigns.
David Paton, Ecommerce Manager at AMG Group, said; “We chose Alienation as we have worked with them on previous successful projects and knew that they would strive to both meet and exceed our expectations. The team went above and beyond to develop a site against tight deadlines, and we are very happy with the end results.”
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On Yer Bike |
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Tuesday, 11 October 2011 11:17 |
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 Our London Business Development Manager, Karen Morris, was fortunate enough to be able to attend the BikeBiz Awards 2011 and the Cycle Show in Birmingham last month, and enjoyed meeting some very interesting industry professionals over a glass of wine or two. BikeBiz is a leading publication for the cycle industry, providing vital trade information to readers in both print and digital format. The annual BikeBiz Awards recognises and rewards companies and individuals within the industry from across the UK. As cycling enthusiasts, and having worked with fantastic companies from within this market such as Condor Cycles, the team at Alienation Digital were eager to show their support for this prestigious event. Consequently, Alienation offered a case of wine and free digital marketing audit to the winner of a prize draw on the night.
The lucky winner was Richard Bean, Events Manager at Rouleur, whose company was also nominated in the Consumer Print Media category. Rouleur is a world-class bi-monthly cycling magazine, acknowledged for its contributions from leading industry writers and photographers.
 Thanks to all those involved in organising and hosting these successful events, and congratulations to Richard and Rouleur, as well as all the winners at this year’s BikeBiz Awards! |
Double whammy for Alienation Digital |
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Friday, 07 October 2011 00:00 |
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As another successful week comes to a close, Alienation Digital is delighted to see further completed projects launch and announce the win of two new not-for-profit web design contracts.
First up, Alienation is thrilled to have been selected to develop a new extranet system for the leading Scottish charity Capability Scotland. The organisation campaigns with, and provides services to, people with disabilities across the country, and those who support this group. With over 1,000 employees and 100+ volunteers, the charity needed a secure network where stakeholders could communicate and share information online.
Alienation is working with Capability Scotland to create an online community, which will act as a vital resource and information hub, connecting service users, volunteers and staff across the country. The extranet design will streamline existing branding with advanced functionality to encourage interaction and facilitate communication amongst the charity’s key audiences, in a password-protected environment. Pivotal to this project will be developing highly accessible style and navigation, to enhance the user experience for people viewing the site using a number of different assistive technologies. Moreover, the extranet will allow the organisation to break down traditional boundaries, both functional and geographic, to generate an interactive digital community.
Richard Hamer, Director of External Affairs at Capability Scotland said; "Alienation Digital produced a very professional tender and have fully grasped our aim of enabling those who use our services, and those who work in them, to communicate better about their services and the news, events and changes in law and policies that affect them."
Secondly, Alienation is excited to begin work on another charity web design, having won the competitive tender to redesign and develop a new website for leading charity SCIAF (the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund).
SCIAF work in some of the poorest areas of the world to help people, regardless of their religion, work their way out of poverty and build better, more sustainable lives for themselves. As the charity and its members grows the organisation has seen the need to update the website to better engage the public and its volunteers, and more efficiently encourage donations.
Alienation’s creative team will develop a dynamic new charity website design for the SCIAF site to better present core information and provide a unique online experience for site visitors. The new website will centralise control, thus facilitating the management of donations, communications and relationships for SCIAF, as well as encouraging greater online interaction. In addition, as the project moves forward Alienation will integrate the new site with Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge fundraising software to provide a better donation platform for visitors and streamline styling across the board.
Martin Keane, Online Marketing Officer at SCIAF, said; “SCIAF chose Alienation because they clearly took the time to get under the skin of the organisation – understanding our values and identifying why we wanted to build a new website. They’re a fantastic team and have gathered an impressive roster of third sector clients. This further justified our choice, as we were well aware of how they have helped other charities blossom in the online arena.
“We cannot wait to get the project started and truly feel that given the fine start to our working relationship, it will be a very long partnership for the future of our online communications.”
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New arts projects in the spotlight |
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Wednesday, 05 October 2011 13:20 |
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Alienation Digital is excited to announce the launch of the new Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts website and the win of the new Scottish Ballet website design tender, adding another exciting arts project to its dynamic and growing portfolio.
Founded in 1945, Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts has nurtured some of the UK’s best talent and has a global reputation for excellence in education and training. With famous names such as Amanda Holden, Eddie Marsan, and Denise Welch amongst its alumni, the academy has become a highly sought after establishment for education. Mountview selected Alienation to design and develop an online platform that reflects the prestige and quality of the academy.
The new website uses high contrast colouring and bold images to create a sleek, modern design that communicates the values and aspirations of the academy. The menu and sidebar sub-menu design offer a structured and clean approach to navigation, facilitating the user-journey and adding to the sharp aesthetics of the website. Alienation has integrated social media throughout the site to create a more interactive visitor experience and engage existing and prospective students.
Moreover, the new education web design provides Mountview staff with complete control of a modern platform from which they can communicate important information, publicise its success, encourage enrolment and engage users.
Sue Robertson, Principal of Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, said; “Alienation Digital brought a new clarity, energy and dynamism to our website design, enabling us to communicate more effectively with those who know us and reach out in an engaging way to those who don’t.”
As one arts project launches, another one begins - Alienation Digital is excited to be working once again with Scottish Ballet on a new project, following the success of the Scottish Ballet Connect youth website. This project will see the complete redesign of the core Scottish Ballet website to create an altogether more sleek and usable design.
The new website for the prestigious dance company will implement an editorial or magazine-like style, which will continually pull through fresh content and encourage interaction with visitors. Social media integration and highly customisable content will enable the organisation to adapt content to reflect show branding and optimise on individual tours. In addition, Alienation will develop and integrate a fully transactional ecommerce web design into the new site, to provide Scottish Ballet with an online shop to market and sell its merchandise.
Kirsten Cockburn, Head of Marketing & Communications at Scottish Ballet, said; “Online communication is an extremely important part of what Scottish Ballet does, therefore it is important that we have a state-of-the-art website which offers our audiences the information and interactivity they require.
“Scottish Ballet previously worked with Alienation on education micro-site Connect and was extremely happy with the service received, the positive approach to finding solutions and the finished project.”
Alienation looks forward to continuing its relationship with both companies and eagerly anticipates what the new month will hold.
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Alienation Manufactures Success for Glenhead Engineering |
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Friday, 23 September 2011 12:38 |
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Alienation Digital launches Glenhead Engineering’s new website, which will boost its online presence and bring its image up-to-date.
With a wealth of experience, Scotland-based Glenhead Engineering offers a variety of engineering services to a diverse mix of industries. The company’s focus is on quality design and manufacturing, which surpasses its customer’s expectations, thus promoting repeat custom and brand loyalty.
In order to expand its customer base and enhance its competitive positioning Glenhead Engineering selected Alienation Digital to completely redesign its website and create a more modern, professional interface. The site will enhance the company’s presence and help establish it as a key player within the engineering industry. Alienation has integrated a number of media to support customer learning and information sharing, including a dedicated video area and image gallery. The site centres on clean, simple navigation, which enhances the user journey and communicates the high level of professionalism offered at Glenhead.
Bob O’Donnell, Managing Director at Glenhead Engineering, said;
“The original site has done us well these last six years. However, we needed to match our web presence to an international marketplace.
“We selected Alienation as the team offered us a professional and compelling design for the new site, as well as providing new functionality to give our expanding customer base additional channels to communicate with us, increasing the overall efficiency and effectiveness of Glenhead.”
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History in the Making with Farley Fine Furniture |
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Friday, 09 September 2011 14:10 |
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Alienation Digital has further established its position as a London digital agency with the announcement of another fantastic digital partnership with a new client, Farley Group.
Farley Group, based in London, is an antiques specialist who hires out a vast array of unique artefacts and rare pieces to a broad clientele, from film and television production companies, to niche wedding and special event companies.
"Don't be sad, the website will be fantastic" - The Duchess - set furnished by Farley Group
A new venture, Farley Fine Furniture, will build on this reputation with the introduction of a range of reproduction furniture, targeted to clients seeking the high-end style and quality of antiques, without needing to purchase the original. The company will sell through an exclusive consultation process, and the website will support this by acting as a high-end online brochure.
Farley selected Alienation Digital to create a brand and website for the new venture. This will be supported by a comprehensive digital marketing campaign to enhance the new site’s performance in search rankings and maximise brand awareness. A new logo will be developed to accurately depict the aspirations and values of the company.
Alienation Digital will ultimately build two new brochure websites for the company, one for the UK and European markets, and one for its partner in Melbourne, Australia. Furthermore, the new sites will be sleek, accessible platforms, through which Farley Fine Furniture can communicate with stakeholders and attract new business on a global scale.
Mark Farley, Managing Director of Farley Group, said;
“Alienation were recommended to us by a close friend who, with their help, has had great success with the design and development of his website. After meeting with the team ourselves, we could see that they understood our vision and had plenty of enthusiasm and expertise to help us realise it.”
“We are looking forward to working with everyone in the team at Alienation and to together launching an exciting and successful new chapter within our company.”
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Scotshield Secures Website by Alienation Digital |
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Tuesday, 30 August 2011 00:00 |
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Alienation Digital is thrilled to announce the launch of Scotshield Fire & Security’s new website, in a wave of exciting new web development and digital marketing projects.
With bases across the UK, Scotshield Fire & Security is a leading service provider in the national fire and security systems industry. Having accumulated over 20 years experience, the company prides itself on its expertise and the quality of its service delivery.
Alienation Digital was selected to create an intuitive new website that solidified the company’s brand image and identified it as a key player within the industry. The site is efficiently controlled and easy to update through an effective content management system. In addition, Alienation’s digital marketing experts have optimized site content to ensure the website achieves preeminent exposure in search engine rankings.
The new website focuses on providing comprehensive information about Scotshield Fire & Security in a clean, professional and consistent style. Alienation has designed a news feed on the homepage to pull through fresh content, linked to relevant social media, and included unique audio and web cam features, ultimately with the aim of maintaining ongoing user interest.
John Stewart, Operations Director at Scotshield Fire & Security, stated; “We came to Alienation because they offered a solution that best fitted our needs. The team were helpful and professional, and we are delighted with the results from our new website”. |
New sites checkout of Alienation HQ |
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Friday, 26 August 2011 00:00 |
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Another success in the hospitality sector, Alienation Digital is delighted to announce the launch of almost 20 new websites for BDL this week, which marks the beginning of a project that will ultimately see over 40 new sites rolled out for the hotel group.
Based in Glasgow, BDL is a hotels company that boasts an impressive portfolio of 46 hotels across the nation. Bucking the trend of downsizing in the face of the recent recession, the company strives to create new employment and add an additional 14 properties to its portfolio by the end of next year.
As the BDL hotel group continues to thrive, a key strategic move is to revitalize its existing web platform and consolidate its extensive portfolio of hotels, in order to better position itself online. Alienation Digital is working with BDL to create a suite of more than 40 new websites to integrate the brand with its many diverse properties across the UK.
To complement the new suite of websites Alienation’s digital marketing experts have developed a holistic digital marketing plan to cover all elements of online marketing for BDL, in correlation with training and consultation sessions. This expertise will enhance the website’s performance and accumulate vital statistics and Analytics into one central information hub, thus enhancing administrative control and general evaluative capability.
Alienation Digital has strived to create consistency throughout the suite of websites, ultimately promoting the BDL brand, but to also communicate the unique quality and nature of each hotel, through customised styling and content, and a bold, interactive banner. An online room booking system enhances the hotel websites' functionality, whilst distinctive restaurant web design differentiates venues such as the SQ Bar & Grill. Furthermore, an efficient content management system has ensured maximum control for BDL staff, in order to ensure content and images can be regularly edited and updated to meet the company’s changing needs.
Alienation Digital is thrilled to be involved with the continuing development of the BDL brand and looks forward to the launch of the full suite of websites.
Yvonne Seator, Group Marketing Manager at BDL, said; “Alienation was selected on the basis of their ability to meet our fast-developing needs.
“As we continue on our target to grow from 45 to 60 hotels by 2013, we need a scale-able hotel website management solution which is being produced by Alienation to fit our requirements.
“The Alienation team are responsive and helpful and understand our daily pressures. The team is energetic, happy to help and we feel Alienation is a great match for BDL as we strive to build sites which allow our guests to get to the information they need quickly and, ultimately, make bookings.”
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West Lothian Side Story |
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Wednesday, 24 August 2011 08:56 |
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Alienation Digital has won another exciting contract for West Lothian Leisure following a thorough due diligence procedure.
Established in 1998, West Lothian Leisure is a social enterprise serving local communities with sports and leisure opportunities and facilities, in the aim of improving the standards of living and general health within these areas.
Having enjoyed a long-term relationship with West Lothian Leisure, Alienation Digital is delighted to have been selected for this new contract. With ongoing cuts in the public sector and strict procedures in place each potential contract must be entered into a competitive website design tender process. Despite competing with high calibre agencies from across the UK Alienation Digital came out on top once again and is delighted to continue this relationship for the near future.
This latest project involves the complete rebuild of the West Lothian Leisure website to incorporate more functional and cosmetic improvements, and an important move to Joomla, which will facilitate more efficient content management. Alienation Digital’s design team will create a new look and style for the site, which will then be developed with unique, interactive features to encourage user engagement.
Alienation Digital is looking forward to the development of this latest project and seeing what results it can achieve for West Lothian Leisure. |
Alienation Finds the Cure for EVIMalaR |
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Monday, 22 August 2011 09:00 |
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Following Alienation Digital’s continued success with contracts such as the Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research and TBD-UK, EVIMalaR has recruited Alienation to develop a new website that will reflect the sophistication of the research carried out within the institution.
EVIMalaR, the European Virtual Institute for Malaria Research, is a joint research project at the University of Glasgow, with members based around the world. The organisation carries out extensive research into the prevention, protection and treatment of malaria parasites.
With growing global recognition and exciting new research projects underway, EVIMalaR approached Alienation Digital to redesign its existing website in order to establish itself as a leading global malaria research institute. Alienation Digital will construct a site that is accessible and user-friendly for both visitors at the front-end and EVIMalaR staff to update and edit from the back-end. The new site will incorporate a restricted area for the password-protected sharing of sensitive research data between specific members and an online submission element. In addition, Alienation Digital will work to create unique features such as an interactive map, highlighting members’ locations around the globe.
The team at Alienation Digital is pleased to be involved with such an interesting and progressive organisation and project, which is set to enhance EVIMalaR’s reputation and put these dedicated researchers on the map.
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Alienation Digital launches new website for velos-IT |
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Friday, 19 August 2011 09:43 |
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Alienation Digital has launched a new website for velos-IT to enhance its online presence by providing potential customers with a clear and concise representation of the services that it provides.
As one of the UK’s fastest growing IT organisations, velos-IT, offers a range of Oracle focused eBusiness Suite and JD Edwards services and solutions for customers of all sizes in both the private and public sectors.
In order to establish the company as a leading competitor Alienation Digital has developed a modern new website that emulates the standard of training and expertise of velos-IT’s staff and services.
The Commercial Director at velos-IT, Alan Kerr, said; “velos-IT selected Alienation as, in addition to providing the right look and feel for the website, the Alienation approach was focused on delivering business results through measured increased traffic to the velos-IT website, resulting in increased sales opportunities.”
In-depth keyword and competitor analysis has been provided as part of a bespoke digital marketing plan, which will be regularly updated through an ongoing working relationship.
The overall aim of the site is to reflect velos-IT’s values of quality, professionalism and experience, whilst clearly communicating the services it provides and encouraging prospective customers to act.
Alan Kerr continued; “We were very impressed with the Alienation business driven approach to web design. While a number of the companies we talked to focused on look and feel, Alienation focused on how we would achieve and measure higher traffic levels and subsequent sales from the implementation of our new web site.”
Valerie Paton, Project Manager at Alienation Digital, said; “velos-IT required a corporate website that reflected and enhanced its brand image within the competitive IT sector. The greatest obstacle to overcome was communicating an offering that consists of services rather than physical products, in an aesthetically pleasing and engaging format. Our web design team has created a number of intuitive icons to represent the company’s services in a visually engaging way.”
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Making a house a home |
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Monday, 15 August 2011 14:45 |
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Another fantastic London contract win, with Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation choosing Alienation Digital as its digital agency of choice.
The Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO), established in 1996, has responsibility for managing 9,760 properties in London. Working closely with the local council the organisation aims to bring the properties up to the Decent Homes Standard and covers all areas of landlord business.
Alienation Digital has been selected over other high profile agencies across the UK to develop an efficient and engaging intranet for KCTMO, which will facilitate internal communication, administration, and streamline business processes. Alienation’s extensive expertise with Joomla and strong portfolio of work in this area made it the obvious choice for the job, having recently worked developing intranets for clients such as CHAS, Maclay Inns and the Beatson Institute.
The first step for this project will involve holding stakeholder consultancy workshops to establish the company’s needs and generate the most proficient solutions for this unique case. These workshops will also aim to better inform stakeholders on the process and functionalities involved with the new intranet system. From these sessions Alienation Digital will then create an intranet tailored to KCTMO’s specific requirements.
Anna Bowden, Communications Manager at Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation, said; “We chose Alienation as we feel they can give us an innovative and fresh approach to a complex project. We’re particularly encouraged by the user consultation programme David and Simon offered, as this is hugely important to us.” |
Alienation Digital puts Glasgow on the map |
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Tuesday, 09 August 2011 08:22 |
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After a competitive tender process Alienation Digital was selected by Glasgow City Marketing Bureau to develop its presence as a desirable conference location. The brief involved creating a dynamic and modern presentation, which incorporated multimedia and bold imagery to present to potential conference clients worldwide.
Glasgow City Marketing Bureau has managed to generate a hugely positive reputation, boasting 5 consecutive year wins as the “best UK convention bureau”, and putting Glasgow on the map as an attractive international conference destination.
Alienation Digital worked with the Glasgow City Marketing Bureau to develop a presentation that remained both informational and aesthetically pleasing, with strong imagery and creative use of multimedia guides to the city. These animated guides consisted of an international look at direct flight connections with Glasgow (see above), and an overview of the city and its main attractions (see below). Alienation managed to create sleek, up-to-date presentation inputs that depicted the style and standard of Glasgow, and greater Scotland, as a fantastic business and tourist destination.
Consequently, Glasgow is now listed as 29th in the International Congress and Convention Association’s ratings, and second only in the UK to London. In addition, it is reported that more than 25,000 people visited Glasgow last year for conferences, massively enhancing Glasgow’s economy and recognition worldwide (The Glaswegian, 2011).
In response to the work carried out by Alienation Digital, Elaine Dickie, Senior Marketing Manager at the Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said; “We were delighted with the finished outputs. The animations have been used in presentations and have added to the resource bank all our departments can utilise for presentations, so they are a very useful addition.”
References:
The Glaswegian (2011), Glasgow rises in international ‘conference capital’ ratings, Scottish Daily Record & Sunday Mail Ltd, Available at: http://www.theglaswegian.co.uk/glasgow-news/news-in-brief/2011/07/07/glasgow-rises-in-international-conference-capital-ratings-102692-23253994/ [Accessed: 25/07/11]
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Having a Wales of a time |
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Friday, 05 August 2011 13:05 |
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Alienation Digital is delighted to have been selected to create the new Venue Cymru website, following a string of successful Tessitura integration projects.
Venue Cymru, based in North Wales, is a leading conference and live entertainment venue, which attracts audiences from across the UK. The company has utilised its existing website to promote shows, events and link to a ticket sales hosting site for several years. However, recognising the need to bring ticket transactions in-house and update the image and functionality of its site, the venue asked Alienation Digital to create a modern new website that integrates with the Tessitura ticketing software.
The new site will effectively communicate with and involve its target audiences; promote the venue, facilities and shows; and have the capacity to process ticket sales online. Alienation Digital’s team will work with Venue Cymru to identify rich, meaningful content, which Alienation will then optimise for search engine efficiency. Clean design and seamless integration with Sage Pay and Tessitura software will then facilitate the ticket booking process, allowing customers to not online purchase tickets online but also select their specific seat and update seat availability instantaneously. These advanced technicalities will enhance administration, management and overall system control.
Ultimately, Alienation Digital will create a site that combines the flexibility to develop and update site content and structure internally, according to Venue Cymru’s needs, and a logical and visually appealing navigation system.
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A More Youthful Outlook for Young Lambeth |
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Thursday, 04 August 2011 14:04 |
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Glasgow and London based digital agency, Alienation Digital has launched Young Lambeth, an online directory of services, activities and events for young people and families in the London Borough of Lambeth.
The new website will place ‘thousands of services and activities at your fingertips’ through a search engine facility which features an advanced search allowing visitors to specify the category, day of the week and age group of the service they are looking for.
Young Lambeth has been developed in response to the closure of the Directgov Family Information Directory in March 2011, which generated a requirement for local authorities to take responsibility for the maintenance and development of their own search directories. Furthermore, the Childcare Act specifies that all directories must be accurate, up-to-date and easily accessible, which presents a clear need for a high quality online service.
In order to enhance its online presence, Young Lambeth sought to find a company with the design, development and marketing capabilities to remaster its website and general image, connecting it with the target audiences and creating a more integrated, manageable and accurate directory.
Alienation Digital won the project following a competitive tender, and collaborated with the Young Lambeth team to develop a more functional and user-friendly online directory, which produced relevant and up-to-date results for individual target groups, and linked in with a range of social media.
Alienation Digital’s Senior Designer, Aidan Martin said: “The visual objective behind Young Lambeth was to create something truly compelling and engaging. We have married a number of different styles throughout to provide the perfect balance for the site’s users. Young Lambeth maintain the ability to adapt the site to their requirements, which in turn will help them to build upon this unique online destination for the people of the Lambeth area. The client has been involved with a number of focus groups to ensure we not only met their needs but exceeded them as best possible”.
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Alienation Digital Gives Two Companies Makeovers |
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Tuesday, 02 August 2011 12:52 |
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Alienation Digital is pleased to announce the win of two new redesign contracts for Hall Aitken and the Scottish Plant Owners Association.
Hall Aitken is a consultancy specialising in engaging disadvantaged communities and excluded people, shaping national and regional policy, and community regeneration. Alienation Digital has enjoyed an ongoing relationship with Hall Aitken working with them on partner projects such as the MyPlace website.
In response to this previous work carried out for Hall Aitken, David Gourlay, Director at Hall Aitken, said; “Alienation displayed a creative energy and enthusiasm for our service. They came with practical ideas and solutions to deliver an engaging product that captured our clients’ imagination and attention”.
As part of a move toward more efficient communication Hall Aitken continued its relationship with design and brand agency, Tangent Graphic, who has recently refreshed the Hall Aitken brand, and trusted digital agency Alienation Digital to revamp its existing website, bringing it into the 21st century and enhancing its appeal to a greater audience. Alienation Digital will develop an easily navigable site that combines essential resources with integrated social media.
In anticipation of the new Hall Aitken website David Gourlay adds; “We’re delighted to be working with Alienation Digital again. We have been very happy with the service and results we've received from the Alienation team in the past and so are excited to see what they will achieve for our new site this time round."
The Scottish Plant Owners Association (SPOA), located in Glasgow, is a trade association aiming to further the interest of its members in the owning and hiring of construction plant. With over 250 members the SPOA is well recognised within Scotland and is looking to expand its reach further still.
The SPOA’s existing site is constructed upon an old version of Joomla and fails to stand out in an increasingly competitive market. Alienation Digital was recruited to redesign the website, in order to better position SPOA, update its content and brand image, and improve natural search ranking.
Alienation Digital looks forward to the launch of these two very different new websites, and to continuing to build upon these working relationships.
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Are You a True Scot? |
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Friday, 29 July 2011 09:21 |
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Alienation Digital was selected by Real Radio and “Scotty” Brand (part of the Albert Bartlett family) to develop an intuitive Facebook application (app) to integrate with its existing radio campaign, to promote brand awareness in Scotland.
Albert Bartlett, a family run business for over 60 years, is the UK’s leading grower and supplier of potatoes. In 1948 the company launched “Scotty” Brand in the belief that there was a real need for wholesome, healthy, locally grown food. This belief rings true today and “Scotty” Brand relaunched in 2010 across a wider range of Scottish products.
The new app, developed by Alienation Digital, allows users to ‘Scotty Brand’ images of themselves and their friends (similar to Simon's makeover pictured above), by adding traditional Scottish elements to pictures, such as bagpipes, a kilt, a ginger wig, etc (illustrated in the image below). The ‘Scottified’ image can then be shared with friends on Facebook. This feature aims to engage consumers and attract attention to the fun tone and underlying values of the brand. In addition, the application will draw visitors to the “Scotty” Brand company Facebook page, thus enhancing its profile.
In response to the new Facebook app development, John Hicks, Marketing Manager at Albert Bartlett, said; “It has been great working with Real Radio and Alienation Digital to produce this app. We are fairly new to the social media side of things, but we think this app is great fun and our customers will really enjoy using it. It is good to see this kind of technology and communication used in the fresh produce category. I challenge you and your friends to get “Scotty” Branded”.
Graeme McKellar, Senior Creative Writer at GMG Radio (Real Radio) added; "thanks for a job well done – it was great working with you guys. Your help, advice and expertise in what was possible with Facebook has really been invaluable." |
ENABLE Make the Move to a Brighter Future |
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Friday, 22 July 2011 11:04 |
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Alienation Digital is delighted to announce the launch of the new ‘Make the Move’ website for ENABLE Scotland.
ENABLE Scotland is a charitable organisation run by its members, who promote better standards of living for people of all ages with learning disabilities. The charity provides services to support people with learning disabilities and their families to enter into employment and take part in their local communities.
The company wished to develop a new website to assist young people with learning disabilities in their transition from school or college into the workplace. This site was to work in collaboration with existing ENABLE Scotland services, offering advice and information that is accessible and presented in an age-appropriate format.
The site’s key feature is an interactive banner that offers users a fun way to navigate the website, whereby they simply visit the relevant building for all the information they require. This ‘town’ concept originated from focus group sessions held by ENABLE and the target audience, and was then developed and implemented by the Alienation team. Graphics and imagery provide an intuitive step-by-step process for visitors, enhancing the user’s experience and encouraging further engagement.
Patric Donnachie, Project Manager at Alienation Digital, emphasizes that “the website is fully tested to double A standards of accessibility to ensure device-independent access and easy navigation throughout.”
Doreen Walkinshaw of ENABLE Scotland said; “Alienation Digital proved themselves to be a highly creative and approachable agency, that we would recommend.
"The agency possesses a combination of original creative graphic design, technical knowledge and friendly project management that helped to make our project a success. After a close pitch, we approached Alienation Digital to design and develop our website. With many different visual ideas in-mind, Aidan produced a design that has proved to be extremely popular. They also helped to produce a brand for the website, and we reuse the key elements from the website in all our marketing. We are extremely happy with the design that Alienation Digital produced.
"We have had a great amount of positive feedback about the website, the unique navigation and our 'change weather' (skin) feature. We would recommend Alienation Digital for anyone looking for a creative website solution.”
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School's Out for the Summer |
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Friday, 15 July 2011 10:46 |
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Alienation Digital starts the summer holidays by launching two new educational websites for the South Lanarkshire College and Adam Smith College.
South Lanarkshire College, located in East Kilbride, is one of Scotland’s most successful further education colleges, offering courses in everything from business and IT to beauty and hairdressing.
Alienation Digital has enjoyed a long-term relationship with South Lanarkshire College, trusted with the creation of new dynamic digital content and the updating of its website since 2006. The latest website was launched this week and offers a modern interface, which incorporates search technology to identify relevant college courses and an online enrolment facility. The new site aims to build the college’s profile and support its administrative processes through a more integrated, clean digital platform.
In response to the new site June MacDonald, Head of Student Services at South Lanarkshire College, said; “Everyone at Alienation has been very helpful and we are delighted with the new site.”
Adam Smith College came to Alienation Digital at the end of 2010 to combine forces with its internal IT and marketing teams to create a dynamic new website.
Founded by Scottish philosopher and educationalist Adam Smith, the college has a reputation of excellence, and the new site reflects the diversity of disciplines and the quality of research within the institution.
In the initial stages Alienation conducted stakeholder interviews to establish what key stakeholders expected from the new site. Further to this, Alienation carried out digital marketing research, workshops, consultancy, and staff training to teach the college’s marketing team more about social media, search marketing and how to enhance the performance of the new website in the long-term. Alienation then worked closely with the Adam Smith College to take this research and develop the creative concept behind the website, which the college’s internal IT team then constructed using SharePoint 2010. Alienation went on to refine the front-end design to meet the client’s specifications and create a website that presented interactive learning materials and creative features, such as the Virtual Open Day, integrating a range of media and information sharing platforms.
Following launch this week Michael Norrie, Senior Systems Analyst at Adam Smith College, said; “Alienation Digital understood our requirements for design and delivered on time despite us changing timescales on them. A pleasure to work with due to their 'can do' and professional attitude.”
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Alienation to Provide Digital Marketing for Fortune 500 Company |
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Wednesday, 13 July 2011 00:00 |
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Alienation Digital is delighted to have been contracted to enhance the online performance of System C, a specialist health and social care IT solutions provider based in Maidstone, Kent.
Established in 1983, System C aims to lead the way to better patient care through the effective utilisation of IT products and services. In May 2011, System C was acquired by McKesson, currently ranked 14th on the Fortune 500, and a global player in the healthcare services market.
As part of a move towards greater online reach, Alienation Digital has been selected to improve the efficiency of System C’s SEO (search engine optimisation), beginning with a technical audit, keyword research and competitor benchmarking. The accumulation of these efforts will support System C’s ambition to build its reputation as the top IT solutions provider in the industry and build a more powerful online presence. Alienation hopes that this project will foster a long-term and prosperous relationship with System C. |
Alienation to Boost Online Marketing for Glasgow Language School |
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Tuesday, 12 July 2011 00:00 |
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After a competitive tender process, Alienation Digital is delighted to have been selected to create a new educational website for Live Language.
Live Language is a specialist English and foreign language school based in Glasgow, focused on supporting people to enhance their linguistic capabilities. At the core of the company is a skilled and friendly team of staff who, due to the small nature of the business, can invest time in meeting each individual client’s needs.
The new site will provide visitors with a fresh, interactive interface in a wide variety of languages. The website will also integrate social media channels with creative content to boost the user experience and ongoing learning. In addition, Alienation will work with Live Language to enhance their digital marketing strategy and ensure the site is accessible and engaging.
Jackie Furneaux, Marketing Manager at Live Language, selected Alienation because; “Alienation presented the most professional proposal we received, which was extremely well-fitting to our needs. The service we have received so far has been great, the team are very professional, and we look forward to the completion of our new site.” |
Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre Selects Alienation as New Digital Agency |
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Friday, 08 July 2011 15:33 |
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Alienation Digital is delighted to announce a new partnership as the preferred digital agency for the Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre (ECRC). The agency will provide digital marketing consultancy, research and design, further enhancing its progressive reputation in working for clients in the education and research sector.
The ECRC conducts high quality, complex research into the associated symptoms, prevention, diagnosis and treatments of cancer. Supported through a dynamic partnership with Cancer Research UK, the University of Edinburgh, IGMM and the NHS, the ECRC aim to inspire and nurture the future brains behind cancer research.
Alienation Digital has been selected to develop a new logo, brand image and state of the art online presence for the ECRC, which will encapsulate the high standard of education and research conducted within the institution. The new logo will help to establish a unique identity and brand for the ECRC upon which its reputation can thrive.
Key features of the website will include advanced search technology, researcher profiles, and an interactive events calendar. The site will combine style, functionality and an informative approach to facilitate engagement and involvement across a wide range of target audiences. |
Unique Developments for New Alienation Clients |
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Friday, 08 July 2011 14:57 |
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Alienation Digital’s reputation for quality work and service continues with the successful acquisition of two new contracts, Derby Lodge and Ecosse Unique. Enhancing our portfolio in the care sector and the hospitality and travel industry.
Alienation has recently been selected to create Derby Lodge’s new website and assist the company in boosting awareness. Derby Lodge is a premium care home based in Preston. Alienation Digital has been selected to create a new website to boost awareness of the care home.
High demand in previous years has lessened the need for marketing, however with new places becoming available Derby Lodge has recognised the need to establish an online presence to increase its competitiveness in the marketplace.
Ecosse Unique offers a vast array of holiday cottages, houses and apartments in picturesque locations across Scotland to an international client base, from its head office in the Scottish Borders.
Due to a loyal following and growing demand, Ecosse Unique is expanding and requires a new website to further enhance its identity as a modern, integrated and high-end property agent. The new site will incorporate advanced functionality, such as search and refine technology, client account and customisation options, and an online booking system, with social media and sharing platforms, to optimise on the user experience.
Amber Swinton, Marketing at Ecosse Unique, said; “We chose Alienation Digital because we were very impressed by the quality of the designs presented in the examples in the proposal and the team’s consistently good communication with us. We are just in the early stages of development but so far the team at Alienation has been very professional and, above all, extremely enthusiastic.”
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AMA Conference 2011 Features Alienation Digital |
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Thursday, 07 July 2011 14:06 |
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Alienation is excited to be attending the AMA conference 2011 and supporting the arts.
This year the AMA conference brings together over five hundred arts and marketing professionals to create an event that offers organisations the chance to challenge their practices and provoke future growth through innovation and inspiration. Made up of a number of seminars, informational stands, and question and answer sessions, the event aims to help the arts industry thrive in times of dramatic budget cuts and economic struggle.
This year’s conference will be held in the prestigious Glasgow Royal Concert Hall in the heart of Scotland’s largest city. Alienation Digital will be attending and hosting a large stand in the main exhibition area where delegates can come and ask our panel of web design, development, digital marketing and systems integration experts questions and meet the team. In addition, Alienation will be holding a live Q&A session in the VIP room on Wednesday afternoon to illustrate how you can enhance and maximise the effectiveness of you’re online presence. The purpose - to help your organisation be more profitable, either by generating more online revenue and/or create efficiencies online to save money.
Alienation is currently preparing for the event and looks forward to seeing the other attendees at the AMA conference over the 3 day period starting on the 19th July. If any organisations attending would like to submit questions prior to the event please do not hesitate to contact our team at:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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Alienation hits the nail on the head for SimplyTools |
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Tuesday, 05 July 2011 15:01 |
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Creative digital agency Alienation Digital has developed a new high-end website for SimplyTools supported by a holistic digital marketing plan combining search engine optimisation, social media integration, pay-per-click advertising and email marketing, to launch as a new online retailer targeting a nationwide market.
The SimplyTools team brings a wealth of experience in the trade and industry tools market to the online space, where it will focus on providing exceptional service to DIY fanatics and trades people across the UK.
The sleek new website utilises advanced filtering technology to categorise and refine browsing options for a user-friendly experience. In addition, Alienation has created a dedicated trade section that provides customised results and special offers to individual groups of independent trades people.
The website also boasts buying guides to assist the DIY-dedicated in making informed buying decisions. Moreover, the site aims to establish an interactive community of trade professionals and DIY fans, whereby they can access advice and information through up-to-date integrated social media, such as the company’s own YouTube channel and Twitter feed.
Simon Bennison, Digital Marketing Manager at Alienation believes that; “This is just the beginning for Simply Tools. The platform is there, all of the ingredients are in place, and it will be a combined effort over the coming months to implement the strategy and achieve some real results.”
Ewan Parish of SimplyTools, said; “Working with Alienation has been a great experience. They are a friendly, professional team who have exceeded our expectations in the design and build of simplytools.co.uk”. |
Alienation Gets Seal of Approval for Tessitura Integration |
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Friday, 01 July 2011 10:52 |
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Alienation Digital has recently become tessitura web capable with the successful completion of a number of dynamic projects.
Tessitura Software is a product developed for the arts and culture industries, offering an integrated database for online ticket booking, donating, fundraising, and other forms of online transactions, whilst monitoring customer activity and marketing amongst other tasks.
Having implemented the tessitura ticketing system in January 2010 for the Pitlochry Festival Theatre, one of Scotland’s most popular cultural venues, visitors are now able to select a seat of their choice for shows, whilst simultaneously updating seat availability information. This technical capability creates real-time updated results for staff and customers alike and enhances overall synergy.
In response to the work Alienation carried out Giles Conisbee, Head of Sales and Marketing at Pitlochry Festival Theatre said, “We’ve been hugely impressed with Alienation. Their technical competence and the robustness of the solutions, coupled with their creativity has resulted in a cracking new website and online ticketing system”.
The tessitura ticketing system on Pitlochry’s site has been applauded by Tessitura America and held as a primary example for being achieved in less than six months, half the advised time for standard tessitura integration. As a result of this success, Alienation enjoy an ongoing relationship with Pitlochry Festival Theatre and our now working to upgrade its system to tessitura software version 10.
A further example of Alienation’s expertise with Tessitura Software can be seen in their work with the Royal Welsh College. Following a competitive tender Alienation were chosen to seamlessly integrate the tessitura ticketing system with the existing website design and structure. The result, an accessible interface which presents users with a variety of unique options in either English or Welsh.
Ian Lewis, Marketing Technology Manager at the Royal Welsh College, was delighted with the results, saying; “Within five days of the system going live we’d had 47 successful transactions. We’re very pleased with that, as it’s far more than we would have done through telephone or in-person transactions”.
As a consequence of ongoing success with tessitura integration projects, the Booth selected Alienation Digital as the best candidate to redevelop their website and online booking system. The new site combines functionality and style to provide user-friendly search, refine and ticket booking capabilities.
Derek Allan, Chief Executive and Commercial Director at the Booth, selected Alienation Digital “to develop 'The Booth' project for a number of reasons; we had already had a good experience of working with them on the new PFT website, which also integrated our new box office system, Tessitura Software. Their designers and technical staff are excellent and get the job done to very high standards. They worked well with the other parties involved, including the Tessitura team in America, and I have confidence in their skills and ability to deliver both during development and post-implementation problem solving”.
Alienation is proud to be one of the few digital agencies to be Tessitura web capable in the UK.
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Alienation Award Nomination for Outstanding Performance |
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Friday, 24 June 2011 14:14 |
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Alienation was delighted to be nominated for an award at the ScotlandIS Digital Technology Awards and last night met with other industry professionals to celebrate the booming digital technology industry in Scotland.
The team at Alienation got suited and booted before heading out to an evening of aperitifs, acknowledgment, and aliment in the Arches, Glasgow. The event brought together the brightest and best in the industry to celebrate ongoing success and growth. The evening kicked off with a drinks reception and much networking, followed by dinner and then the awards. The first of this now annual event was a great success and Alienation look forward to next year’s ceremony.
Alienation was nominated in the category for ‘outstanding performance in business growth’ and would like to give their congratulations to the winner, Rocela Ltd, and thank ScotlandIS for a fantastic evening.
Neil Barr, Managing Director at Alienation Digital, said; “We were delighted to be nominated in the category for outstanding growth. It's been a tremendous few years for the company and the nomination shows that the hard work of the team is paying dividends.” |
Walking Towards Online Success |
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Friday, 20 May 2011 09:53 |
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Paths for All is an organisation with a mission to get people walking. Alienation Digital has created two new websites, including an additional website for The Scottish Access Technical Information Network (SATIN), which will act as central hubs of information for the public and businesses alike.
Paths for All was founded in Scotland in 1996. It is a partnership of over 20 national organisations, focusing on the promotion of the benefits of walking and of the path network in Scotland. The website was redeveloped in order to complement the organisation's new brand and brand guidelines, whilst opening up the vast resources Paths for All have available to the public.
The Paths for All site includes information on local walks, resources to help encourage walking in the workplace, and technical advice for anyone involved in planning or maintaining paths.
SATIN was set up in 2009 to share good practice and to support people interested and involved in design, construction and maintenance of infrastructure for active travel, outdoor access and mountain biking. SATIN is a member led network, organised by a voluntary working group (Cycling Scotland, Falkirk Council, Forestry Commission Scotland, Paths for All, Scottish Natural Heritage, Sustrans Scotland)
The site's main features include a directory, case study manager, case study submission, events listings and a members area.
Paths for All Development Officer, Colin Ward, said: "Thank you to all of the Alienation Digital staff for all your hard work in designing and developing our new website - it looks great. Looking forward to continued working with you on the future development of our website." |
Surgeons' News Goes Under the Knife |
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Wednesday, 18 May 2011 12:29 |
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Surgeons' News is the first of a range of sites Alienation Digital is launching for The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
Surgeons News started as an offline magazine with a website that reproduced the articles after the magazine was published. The new website changes this process, with a platform for all articles to be published before the magazine goes to print, making the website a useful online resource for Surgeons' News subscribers, that will constantly be evolving and up-to-date.
The look and feel of the site is reflective of an editorial with a structured grid layout, clear text and simple images. The aim of the website is to work like an offline magazine and the colour of the menu sections reflects the colour scheme of the Surgeons News publication.
The website offers an enhanced experience to readers as they have the ability to comment on articles and start a discussion. The homepage has a Hot Topics feature that pulls through relevant and popular articles so readers can easily see what is new or topical. |
Contact Centre Makes Good Call on New Website |
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Tuesday, 17 May 2011 09:51 |
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Alienation Digital is delighted to launch the new RESPONSE website. RESPONSE is a leading provider of outsourced telephony and software support and has been providing solutions to a diverse range of clients since 1991.
RESPONSE came to Alienation looking for a website that reflected the core value system that underpins the organisation. It was essential that the site would be able to evolve with the brand and be easily managed by non-technical staff.
An interactive banner on the homepage gives the site a very individual feel as it features pictures of RESPONSE employees and links through to key areas of the site. The personal touch is carried through the site with employee pictures featuring in the inner page banners.
Social media is integrated seamlessly into the homepage design with a Twitter feed showing the latest tweets from RESPONSE and the new blog posts showing above the Latest News area. This keeps the homepage fresh and makes new content easily accessible.
The navigation is simple and the dropdown menu makes it easy for the audience to quickly find the information they are looking for.
Alienation Digital MD, Neil Barr, said: “The new RESPONSE website has been designed to be user friendly and meet the needs of the core customers. We believe the use of imagery throughout the site has put a human face on the business." |
Alienation Helps Rainbow Group to Shine |
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Monday, 25 April 2011 13:01 |
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Alienation Digital is delighted to be supporting the Rainbow Group, a charity which provides a safe environment for people with learning disabilities in Largs, Scotland.
Alienation will offer support by donating the money the Group needs to continue meeting at its current location in Largs. The Rainbow Group is the only group of its kind in North Ayrshire, providing a safe, social and welcoming environment for its members.
Fundraising is essential for the group, and a staff of volunteers works alongside members to share in fundraising activities. The Rainbow Group also offers advice, support and information to help its members in their daily lives.
The Rainbow Group rents premises from Helter Skelter, a local Largs Group. The money donated by Alienation Digital will be used to pay for the continuing use of the premises, and will allow the group to widen its remit as it grows and applies for charitable status later in 2011.
Anne Johnstone from the Rainbow Group said: "Our members take part in activities such as bingo, arts and crafts and fundraising. All of our members are encouraged to take part in every aspect of the Group including the planning and arranging of days, activities and fundraising. This builds their confidence and
improves social skills."
"On behalf of everyone at the Rainbow Group, I would like to say a sincere thank you to Alienation Digital for your help with our funding."
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Alienation Create Luxury Online Destination |
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Thursday, 07 April 2011 10:34 |
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Alienation is pleased to announce the launch of the Auchrannie website. This luxury resort came to Alienation looking for a superior website to give visitors a unique experience of the exceptional resort.
The Auchrannie resort includes a hotel, spa and luxury lodges. The website had to showcase the facilities at Auchrannie and imagery is used extensively throughout the site to create a distinctive user experience that is interactive and demonstrates what a visit to Auchrannie is like.
As large imagery is used through the site and people will be viewing the site in a number of screen sizes, a challenge for the Alienation development team was to ensure the images would be proportionately scaled down according to the screen size of the person viewing the site. It was also important that image resize would be fluid for people who resize their browsers while viewing the site.
The new website had to be compatible with the Auchrannie existing booking system, recruitment site and social media, all of which are integrated with the new site. |
Somerston Hotels Goes Mobile |
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Tuesday, 22 March 2011 09:35 |
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Alienation Digital is pleased to announce the launch of the new Somerston Hotels mobile website.
After successfully launching the main Somerston Hotels websites 2 years ago, complete with web design and digital marketing for its suite of 35 hotel websites, this new project continues the relationship between Alienation Digital and Somerston Hotels and places Somerston in a stronger position in the mobile market.
Each hotel utilises Alienation Digital's multisite manager to manage the mobile sites on the same platform as the main hotel websites. Each website detects the device a user is browsing on, so if a smart phone user searches for Somerston Hotels, they will be automatically directed to the mobile site.
The resulting user experience is designed specifically for mobile platforms. Whilst the original site is accessible via mobile, the mobile site has been optimised, with simple navigation for users to easily access the information they need on the move. The mobile site eliminates the need to browse through menus, or enlarge the page to click on links, which can be tricky on mobiles.
As the screen size is small on a mobile, the text is reduced to the minimum required, telephone numbers are prominently displayed, and can be clicked to call the hotel directly. Mobile booking is available on the sites via the IHG booking engine.
Hadrien Jouet, Senior Developer at Alienation Digital worked on both the original website and the newly developed mobile site said: “The site was initially created with full functionality for full browsers, so it required a total rethink in order to optimise it for mobile use, requiring post development in the form a plugin which strips away heavy or unnecessary elements.”
Lesley-Ann Cardow, Group Marketing Manager at Somerston Hotels said: “As the traffic to our websites continues to grow we have seen a marked increase in the number of people accessing them from mobile devices. Our hotels are very much designed to offer convenience and so too should our websites. We want our guests to be able to book a hotel while they’re on the move and Alienation were tasked with the job of making our websites suitable for people on the go.” |
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