One Part Scissors

One Part Scissors is revamping the websites for all the...

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:00:31 +0200

One Part Scissors is revamping the websites for all the companies within the GOSCOR Group of Companies.

The first of the sites to go live is the Goscor Rental site.

The website refresh project spans 10 websites in total. The websites were already all based on the Drupal Content Management System, but the websites themes were looking dated, and were not all uniform enough to tie them together as a single group of companies.

Some of the websites were on the latest version of Drupal, version 7, while many were still on Drupal 6. Many of the essential SEO modules were not installed, and the feature set across the websites differs vastly. Part of the project is making sure that all the websites offer Goscor the same functionality - all the sites should have the same types of galleries, product catalogues and google maps.

Our first job was to create a Drupal 7 version of the old websites themes, and upgrade all 10 sites to Drupal 7. Thereafter, we began work moving all the websites onto the new themes, and creating fresh new home pages for each site.

Once the homepage for a site was ready, we made the new theme live, and enabled the extra functionality, such as new product pages, new google maps pages, and so on. We also ensured all the SEO options were correctly configured.

Visit the Goscor Rental site today at www.goscorrental.co.za

See all the work we’ve done for the Goscor Group here.

(via Goscor Rental | One Part Scissors)

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Sat, 09 Mar 2013 18:59:23 +0200

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Have you tried our memory game, Flipstacks, yet?
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OPS has been working with the Easylife Kitchens website since...

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 12:00:50 +0200

OPS has been working with the Easylife Kitchens website since 2005, and in that time, the site has risen to becomes the number one organic search result on google.co.za for the keyword ‘kitchens’. It has also become a valued resource for customers (and even Easylife’s competitors!)

The website has at its core a massive gallery of kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms created by Easylife Kitchens. The gallery contains thousands of images, and the first job of the 2013 website overhaul was to give customers some better handles on the incredible gallery. OPS installed useful search modules that help customers in their searching of the gallery, as well as simpler categories to browse through. A work in progress is the ‘tagging’ of the entire gallery with keywords, which will help site visitors (and Google) in identifying what the images are about. This will allow visitors in time to search for all the ‘red’ kitchens, or all the kitchens with ‘curves’.

The website is built on the Drupal content management system, which allows not only easy updates, but excellent SEO tools to help keep Easylife at number 1. The website is also Responsive, so it displays perfectly on smartphones and tablets.

Another vital aspect of the website is the showroom information. Contact details, Google Maps, and addresses are available to browse, and if you are visiting from a device with a GPS built-in, the website can even show you your closest Easylife showrooms.

Visit the all-new website at easylifekitchens.co.za

There are two aspects to web design - technology and design....

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:23:04 +0200

There are two aspects to web design - technology and design. With web design, the visual aspect can be influenced by such varied influences as operating system and software design, to traditional design such a brochure or poster design.

As far as technology goes, new technologies are always emerging, and it is important to take advantage of the benefits afforded by these new technologies and techniques.

A major influence to the Internet has been the rise of mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. People have more regular and immediate access to the Internet, and these devices have also brought the Internet to millions of people who have not previously had access (this is particularly true in Africa).

The limitations of these devices are twofold - they have smaller screens, and they normally have a touch screen as their primary source of input.

As far as “Touchscreen as Input” goes, this means that ‘hover’ states cannot be counted on to be seen by your visitors - very often when you slide over something with your mouse cursor, it will light up or give you visual feedback to let you know it is clickable. There is no ‘hover’ state when you tap a screen to click - and there is no hovering or mousing over. This impacts the way a website needs to look - links need to look like links without depending on the mouse over effect.

By far the biggest impact these smaller devices have on your website is the size of the screen. iPads and iPhones will generally display a website as it appears on your desktop screen, but text will often be tiny and unreadable - double-tap an area to zoom in and read. This works, but it doesn’t make for a very fluid browsing experience.

What you need, of course, is your content to be a single column that fills the width of the small screen, with text that is readable at arms length. Two columns of text don’t sit well on a tiny screen.

This presents a dilemma though - if you go with a single column layout on a desktop-sized screen, the website will feel… boring. It will not be making the best use of the bigger screen.

Initially, the idea was to have a “Mobi” site, and a desktop site. This becomes a pain to administer though - you now have 2 websites to keep up to date.

Enter the concept of “Responsive” web design.

Quite simply, “Responsive” means that your website responds to the screen it is being displayed on. You have one website, but it displays completely differently on a desktop or a mobile device.

See below, we show screenshots from the new Responsive Bryanston Bible Church website (visit the site on your computer and mobile device to see it in action -bbc.org.za).

First up, we see the homepage of the bbc.org.za website on a computer:

We have taken full advantage of the large screen size, by having an interesting multi-coumn layout that presents the visitor with all the info they need.

However, if this was presented on a mobile device as-is, it would be quite useless. See the image below for example - this is 320 pixels across, the same size as an iPhone screen.

As we can see, the text is far too small to read, the main menu links are tiny, which is problematic because a finger will not be able to tap these links easily. Below, see how the website is displayed on a mobile device.

For the mobile view of the website, we have increased the size of the logo to make it more visible. We have presented the social network icons below the logo, and we have packed the menu away inside a tappable menu box. This allows the menu links to be easily accessible, but not taking up valuable screen real estate when not in use.

Below the header area, we have the many columns of content sorted into a single column that is readable and useful.

Having a responsive website in today’s age is vital. Mobile devices and tablets are beginning to outsell traditional computers, and this trend is set to continue and deepen. Having your content available at a single destination - but magically displaying perfectly on everyone’s devices - is a requirement in today’s multi-device, multi-screen world.

If you would like to have your website refreshed and made responsive, click here to contact One Part Scissors to discuss your website.

(via Responsive Web Design | One Part Scissors)

One Part Scissors has just updated onepartscissors.com with a...

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 17:56:28 +0200

One Part Scissors has just updated onepartscissors.com with a fresh new look.

Please visit the new Responsive Website and let us know your thoughts.

http://onepartscissors.com

flipstacks: Download Flipstacks today! Tell us if you love it!

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 21:13:54 +0200

flipstacks:

Download Flipstacks today!

Tell us if you love it!

Baie Lingual / Blink Stefanus WebsiteBaie-Lingual Blink Stefanus...

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 10:31:45 +0200

Baie Lingual / Blink Stefanus Website

Baie-Lingual Blink Stefanus is a creative collaboration specialising in advertising, and have…

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Bryanston Bible Church Website Refresh OPS created the Bryanston...

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 14:35:45 +0200

Bryanston Bible Church Website Refresh

OPS created the Bryanston Bible Church website on a Drupal platform which has worked very well…

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The AIRCURE App One Part Scissors created an iOS app for AIRCURE...

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 08:46:15 +0200

The AIRCURE App

One Part Scissors created an iOS app for AIRCURE to showcase the company’s innovative produce…

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Impak WebsiteImpak Education offers home schooling programmes...

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 14:59:49 +0200

Impak Website

Impak Education offers home schooling programmes and resources. Impak approached One Part Scissors…

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Africa Works Website

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 15:59:58 +0300

Africa Works approached OPS to design a website for the organisation that would communicate what they do, as well as provide a platform to allow for the sale of the items created.

Africa Works aims to economically empower the community of Alexandra and transform lives, giving the residents skills they can use. Africa Works teaches unemployed people basic skills which enable them to earn an income and help themselves.

The website is built on the Drupal Content Management system, allowing Africa Works to quickly and easily upload photo galleries, new info on their projects and products, and the website has an online shop ready and waiting (to be launched in the next few months).

The website’s theme is “Responsive”, meaning that it dynamically re-themes the content and reshapes the pages to display them in the best possible manner based on the device you are using to browse the site.

Africa Works on a normal Laptop Screen

If you are looking at it on a laptop, the website displays normally. If you are looking at it on a particularly large screen, the fonts and images are increased in size to take advantage of the larger space. If you are browsing on a smart phone, the menu becomes a drop-down menu that takes up less screen-space, and the content reflows to fit into a single column which is easier to read on a small screen.

Africa Works on a iPhone Screen
Visit the website on your computer and your mobile device to see it in action.

See www.africaworks.co.za

Original Article

Accumation Website

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 16:41:00 +0300

One Part Scissors recently created a corporate folder for Accumation, and the website has just been redesigned as well.

The task that Accumation set for OPS was to replicate the look-and-feel of the website for Accumation’s China factory. Our challenge was to carry the same design across, but simplify it and remove any unnecessary clutter. Another requirement for the new website was that it had to be Responsive (This simply means that it displays correctly on mobile devices - the website is able to respond to the of the screen it’s being shown on, and reformat the content accordingly).

The website is built on Wordpress to allow Accumation to quickly and easily update the website with new content.

The content was generated by combining the content from the Chinese website, the old Accumation website, and the information from the new corporate folder.

Comparison between the new Accumation website and the Chinese Factory website.

Visit the new website at www.accumation.co.za

Original Article

ST LEGER & VINEY Annual Sale Campaign

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 10:00:48 +0300

ST LEGER & VINEY’s Annual Fabric sale is a major event in the ST LEGER & VINEY calendar, and OPS has been working with ST LEGER to ensure the message of the sale is communicated effectively to their customers. The theme of the sale has something of a vintage circus vibe.

The campaign covered several bases ranging from newspaper adverts and social media, to flyers and an email campaign. Below is some of the artwork from the campaign.

The Annual Sale advert appeared in the following Caxton Newspapers: Fourways Review, Northcliff Melville Times, Randburg Sun, Rosebank Gazette, Sandton Chronicle. The advert also appeared in the Home Weekly section of the Sunday Times.

Artwork for the The Annual Sale newspaper advert.

Email Signature were added to all outgoing emails from ST LEGER to promote the sale.

Promotional Emailers kept consistency with ST LEGER’s normal emailers

Flyers and Posters were used to promote the sale in key areas and in the ST LEGER Showrooms.

ST LEGER’s Facebook Timeline Cover photo was used to promote the sale.

Original Article

Accumation Corporate Folder

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 09:00:17 +0300

Accumation supplies packaging machines, and with a global reach, needed their new corporate folder to reflect this – while still representing its South African base.

A good corporate folder is an extremely useful tool for your business - it elevates any quotes or other “normal” documents by wrapping them in a well-designed, colourful, and interesting package that will stand out on a client’s desk, communicate your brand, and keep all the documents together.

The background of the corporate folder serves as more than just a visual device - the richly detailed world map pinpoints the South African Head Office, the Regional Office in Ghana, and the Chinese Factory, as well as the various countries Accumation has supplied into.

Outside Front & Back of Folder

Inside Spread of Folder

Original Article

AIRCURE "Boardroom" Campaign

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 09:15:57 +0300

AIRCURE creates innovative solutions for air filtration. A major part of their client base is the mining industry, and clean air is a major issue for the mines.

This new range of adverts brings attention to the fact that a lack of clean air is already a problem underground for the workers, but left unchecked, the problem will find its way into the boardroom by way of costly Health and Safety shut-downs and even legal action by affected workers.

Original Article

WCA Website

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 14:54:33 +0300

WCA Workers Compensation Assistance approached One Part Scissors to develop a website that is modern, clean and stylish.

WCA offers assistance to companies dealing with the Compensation Commission on claims (Injury-on-Duty, etc). The time and expertise needed to deal with all the red tape of the government department means that companies are often paying too much and not claiming enough, and this is where WCA steps in and assists companies with the process.

The website is slick, clean, and minimal, with large, inviting black-and-white images taking center stage. The content of the website is contained in a semi-translucent turquoise band, with strong, bold typefaces.

The website is built on the Drupal content management system, allowing the client quick and easy access to keep the website up to date. The website is built on the latest Version 7 of Drupal, which has truly taken an already-excellent system to the next level.

The website also features a blog run by WCA, making use of Drupal’s built-in blogging capabilities.

Sections containing large amounts of document downloads are divided into manageable sections which are presented with an ‘accordion-style’ display, that allows the visitor to expand the sections they are interested in.

The website also features a distinct mobile theme so that it displays appropriately on the (increasingly-important) mobile devices like iPhones, iPads and other smartphones.

Visit the website at wcawca.co.za

Original Article

Northpoint City Church Site Refresh

Fri, 04 May 2012 17:34:37 +0300

OPS designed the Northpoint City Church in 2010, and to give the site a breath of new life, we created a fresh new theme for the website.

The website is based on Drupal, which meant that the theme refresh was a fairly quick and cost-effective project.

At the same time as giving the site a fresh theme, we overhauled the Resources section to be more accessible and easier to use, as well as adding a new lifegroups browser which shows images of the lifegroup leaders along with their contact details.

The information pages on the site make use of an ‘accordion-style’ layout that allows for the various sub-sections of the page to pack and unpack in an interesting and different way, helping to keep the pages a manageable length, and keeping the reader engaged.

See the new site at npcc.org.za

Original Article

Web Design Trends into 2013

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:10:27 +0300

Web Design trends and fashions are difficult to predict, with everything from popular culture and other disciplines of design, to major websites and software design influencing the trends. On researching the landscape, we believe that two opposing trends will emerge in web design over the next year or two.

The prevailing style on the Internet for the past two or three years has been called the Web 2.0 style, with shiny, glossy buttons and smooth, gradient finishes making websites appear to have been built using glass, water, and reflective metals. The inspiration for this trend seems to have been the design of Apple’s Aqua themed OS X Operating System (See example from Wikipedia).

There has been a trend away from the very clean, shiny appearance of the Web 2.0 style, with websites employing real-word textures to create a more gritty appearance. This foreshadows what we believe is the first major trend: skeuomorphism.

Trend #1: Skeuomorphism

Pronounced “Skew-a-morf”, this is a complicated word for a simple idea - making things look like other things. The idea has been around for a long time - Wikipedia lists two great examples; a hubcap which appears to have spokes, and decorative rivets on jeans - neither are functional, but they represent something from an earlier time. The spokes on the hubcap are not needed as they were on the first wheels - but it appeals to us nonetheless.

Skeuomorphs have been used on computers for ages - the folders on your computer are made to look like little cardboard folders - and this works, even though we all have plenty of computer folders, and probably no paper folders anymore - the metaphor still works. It is comforting.

Skeuomorphics are at the heart of Apple’s new design ethos. On the iPhone and iPad, the calendar is made to look like a real-world, leather-bound desk calendar. Selecting a time for your alarm clock brings up an old-style rotating dial with numbers on it. This style is being carried further into the operating system with each new version.

Microsoft is about to launch their next version of Windows. Windows 8 uses an interface Microsoft is calling Metro. Their design language is starkly different from Apple’s - they believe that Skeuomorphs add clutter and make things more complicated, and so they have gone for a style they’re calling “Authentically Digital”, and we believe this will be the second major trend.

Trend #2: “Authentically Digital”

The Authentically Digital idea in Windows 8 makes use of blocks of flat, bright colour tiles to represent the various programs. These are not representations of real world items - they’re not “buttons” or “windows” or “tiles” - they are digital elements that can only exist on the computer.

This look is bold, fluid, and must be used in conjunction with motion to keep it interesting - the actual elements are very plain, but they move fluidly when clicked to provide the user with feedback and guidance as to what is happening.

Why will two Operating Systems set trends in web design?

The reason we feel that these two OS trends will influence design on the web is that people look at their screens on a daily basis and interact with their computers in these two ways. This begins to form a set of expectations from users - if i see something that looks like a real-world dial, i expect to be able to click and drag it and interact with it as though it were real. If confronted with a page of large, colourful blocks, i will know these are active links.

The style you decide to go for on your next website will be determined by 2 things:

Your Brand’s personality. One of these two styles is going to feel more ‘right’ for your brand. Your Brand’s personality and style is the most important factor, it should come before personal preference!
Your Preference. Which of these appeals to you more?

If you would like to explore a redesign of your website to make it “Skeuomorphic” or more “Authentically Digital”, let us know and we will arrange to come and see you.

Click here to mail us about a site refresh.

Original Article

Bryanston Bible Church

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 17:31:05 +0200

Bryanston Bible Church approached One Part Scissors to design a fresh new website. The current website was looking dated, and was built on a confusing and difficult-to-use content management system.

“So much easier to use, understand and navigate! It feels like the Drupal programme is designed for ease of use for anyone, even non web professionals – I personally find updating and maintaining our website much less daunting using Drupal.”
– Jenalee Steenkamp, Bryanston Bible Church Marketing & Communications

OPS designed the website using Drupal, which makes it incredibly easy to keep the website up to date.

The new website’s theme is very robust, in that it allows for custom backgrounds and header images to be added, allowing key departments in the church to theme their section of the website to reflect their identity better - this is especially important for the youth ministries.

The resources section is also dynamic and easy to keep up to date, with large, inviting icons for the various audio series downloads.

Visit the new website at bbc.org.za

Original Article

iMesh Logo & Branding

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 07:54:20 +0200

iMesh Construction & Design is a new company with an innovative product that allows them to build safe, quality homes at extremely affordable rates, making them perfectly positioned to assist in the creation of low-cost housing to solve one of South Africa’s largest social problems. The iMesh logo One Part Scissors designed conveys the concept of the mesh design used in the product.

One Part Scissors created a logo, as well as corporate stationary and an information brochure to present the company and their innovative concept.

The iMesh website will be launching soon at ime.sh

Original Article