FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 19, 2017 Array Web + Creative has been honoured with four international awards by the Hermes Creative Awards for their innovative, creative work in marketing, branding, website design and development. Based in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, Canada, Array works with clients across Canada and beyond.  In the past three years, Array has also received five Gold and one Platinum Hermes Creative Awards in a range of categories.This year's achievement comes shortly after the announcement of a Gold win in the Muse Creative Awards for the “Meet You Here” campaign for Tourism Nanaimo. Check out the article! “We’re grateful for this opportunity to earn our clients’ trust, and support them by creating kick-ass marketing assets and campaigns,” comments Kristina Crowson, managing partner and lead marketing strategist at Array Web + Creative. “Being recognized by global industry professionals is just the icing on the cake.” The Hermes Creative Awards competition honours outstanding work in the industry while promoting the philanthropic nature of marketing and communication professionals. Judges are

You’ve probably heard of the present world referred to as the Digital Age, and we’re kind of in love with technology. We identify with the clean lines, powerful capabilities, and minimalist aspects. A lot of our work is really defined by the use of technology -- what would our designers do without Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop?  But there’s something to be said for going back to basics and grounding yourself in analog design. Pen, pencil, and paper give you the chance to get your hands dirty with ink smears and graphite smudges. There’s something almost intangible about hand-drawn design elements. The personality and uniqueness they convey is nearly impossible to replicate in a purely digital environment. Even when translated into pixels, they retain their character.  Your brand is all about translating your company’s values and mission into visual communication, and what better way to do that than with hand-drawn typography and illustrations?  Here are a few of our favourite hand-drawn brands we have done over the past year or so. Click on the image to see all of the work we have done for each particular brand (if you can't click on it, that

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 5, 2017 UPDATE: Since this article was posted, Array has also won four Hermes Creative Awards! Check it out! The “Meet You Here” campaign has already been acclaimed for repositioning Nanaimo as a destination for ecotourists and nature lovers, and is now being recognized globally as well.  By inspiring locals and short-haul travellers, the marketing efforts of Tourism Nanaimo and Array Web + Creative have helped boost the economy in the area.  “This was such an amazing opportunity for our team and our community,” comments Kristina Crowson, managing partner and lead marketing strategist with Array. “All of us are really passionate about economic development in our region, so we took this project very personally.” The Muse Creative Awards has honoured the “Meet You Here” campaign with Gold recognition in their 2017 competition. This year’s competition saw over 1,500 submissions from 35 countries worldwide.  The Muse Creative Awards is an international annual competition for creative professionals who inspire through concept, writing or design, whether through traditional or electronic

Our development team is looking for help! If you are a front-end developer looking for an entry level or junior position, this is the job for you! No experience? No problem - we'd love to talk to amazing students and those just getting started in the industry as well. Preference will be given to candidates with some work experience, and salary will be negotiated depending on experience, starting at $13/hour for candidates with no background in the industry.  This job will offer part-time hours starting April 1st. (~20 hours per week). We're willing to work around school schedules, though our office hours are 8:30 - 4:30pm Mon - Fri, so those hours need to be during that time. This is an in-office position, local applicants or those relocating only, please. This position will very likely be leading to full time employment within a year, as we have a developer soon to be leaving on maternity as well. Required Skills: Intermediate or better HTML5 / CSS3 Enthusiasm for web development & learning programming Basic+ knowledge of Photoshop Now that we have the "Required" bit out of the way, the following is a list of jobs and skills you will be asked to learn and take on

Your website is more than just for looks. Sure, the cliche is that “a picture is worth a thousand words”, but that doesn’t mean that your written content has no value. In fact, the content—or copy—for your website has a pretty heavy workload. It is responsible for: Defining the information architecture and navigation informing the visual design and layout Calling potential clients to action Driving desired traffic, conversions, and leads Boosting search engine rankings  That’s a lot to accomplish! Successful copywriting is thoughtfully crafted and heavily considered, and it is an integral component in any digital marketing strategy. Looking for other ways to optimize your website for search engines? Check out these five SEO tips for business owners, or talk to us about our SEO/SEM services! Your website users are unconsciously forming a distinct impression of your business, even if they’re just skimming the content. So what is your website copy saying about your business?  Tone of voice - Readers are getting a distinct sense of your company from the tone, and judging whether they want to work with you. There’s a ton that your brand voice

Success of Tourism Nanaimo’s 2016 Marketing Campaign Evident To Regional Stakeholders  NANAIMO, BC - Tourism Nanaimo’s mission for 2016 was ambitious: switch the perception of Nanaimo from that of a mandatory stop on the way to more well known destinations, into a premier tourist hub in its own rights. As 2017 begins, the results from last year’s tourism marketing campaign are coming in, and they’re showing that public investment into the local tourism industry has definitely paid off. Early in 2016, Tourism Nanaimo identified an opportunity to appeal to more short-haul travellers who are already considering a road trip to Vancouver Island as an alternative to travelling abroad. To make this happen, “we needed to change the way people think of Nanaimo as a destination,” says Kristina Crowson, a senior strategist with Array Web + Creative, the firm contracted to execute campaign marketing and design. “Nanaimo’s reputation with travellers is often that of a drive-through city - the place you have to go through on the way to Tofino. We gave people reason to think otherwise.” Example of a print ad prepared for publications like Salt Magazine   To encourage

Nestled among woodlands and pastures in on the east coast of Vancouver Island, Hazelwood Herb Farm grows culinary, cosmetic, therapeutic and organic herbs. As a local favourite on the Cedar Yellow Point Artisan trail, the farm is well known by it's long-time patrons who regularly stock up on their herbal remedies. However, when faced with the challenge of attracting new customers to the farm, Hazelwood's owner, Barb, knew is was time to take a critical look at her web presence.    For the team at Hazelwood Herb Farm, growing herbs is a lifestyle - and they love to share their passion! But in a world where a business's first impression is often given through its website, the heart and soul of Hazelwood was getting lost in a very dated web design that lacked effective user flow. This was clearly having a negative effort on the farm's ability to generate business online, especially with today's web-friendly consumers.  Keeping in mind Barb's goal of attracting more eco-tourists for farm tours and teas, we were able to keep the scope of the project small to accommodate her budget while still finding innovative ways to evoke the strong sensory experience that

Wondering why your website traffic is poor, or why your website isn't coming up in Google? This short list of 5 questions can help you start diagnosing if your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is up to snuff. Don't know what the *bleep* SEO is? Read on! This list is for the non technical! What are you searching for in Google that you aren't coming up for? If you are a florist, what will your customers be searching for to find you? Chances are they might look up "florist shop in Nanaimo" or "flower delivery nanaimo" - if these phrases aren't on your website in key places, you won't rank for them. Starting with a good keyword list is key, then integrate those keywords into your website content. Are your titles filled in correctly? Your page title is what shows up in the tab of your browser (screenshot below), as well as what Google will show as the link to your website in searches (second screenshot below). Make sure this title is filled in correctly, ideally with some of those keywords mentioned above. You should be able to do this in your website editor - if you don't know how, ask your webmaster. Are your descriptions filled in correctly? Similar to your page title, you should

Pacific Station, by Westmark Construction, is a new mixed-use development in Nanaimo, which offers office space & new westcoast contemporary townhomes. With a website already developed, they came to Array looking to add content and create marketing material about the launch of their townhomes. Having worked with Westmark in the past, we had a good understanding of their vision and ideas. We revamped the website’s design elements with new headers, and improved user flow by separating the commercial and residential information into separate pages with more detailed information for users. We worked on improving the sites SEO, in order to attract more potential buyers and clientele. Additionally, we updated signage at the development, and created a sales brochure for people interested in the townhomes for sale. Check out their newly updated website at pacificstation.ca

At Array, we like to call ourselves a family of curious and innovative thinkers. And like any family, we thrive in an environment that inspires creativity, knowledge sharing and - most importantly - collaboration! That’s why we decorated our downtown Nanaimo office with custom inspirational posters to help our us all remember the stuff that really matters! We developed these in-house with the help of our talented design team, picking inspirational quotes that resonated with each of us and using custom calligraphy by Karen, Jordan and Robin.     As leaders in our field, each member of the Array team applies tremendous passion to their craft, backed by our shared intention of positively impacting the world we live in. We hope that in the same way that these posters motivate us to bring our best to everything we do, you too feel inspired to think differently about how we do business in our community!    What is important to your team? :-)

Array Web + Creative is looking for a Digital Marketing Specialist for a 9 month contract, which could lead to a permanent position. This position will begin with 2-3 months of training & will be primarily self directed for the remainder of the contract. This is a full time, in office position within Nanaimo. This position is salaried starting at $40,000 annually, with salary negotiable depending on experience. A benefits plan is also negotiable. About Array: We are a super fun, youthful team who love challenging ourselves in the continual pursuit of perfection! Our open office is filled with humans who are dedicated to creating something special for ourselves and for our clients. When we hire, we are looking for other amazing personalities who will fit in well with our wacky crew, and who are also driven to create & succeed! Specific Job Duties Include: Search Engine Marketing (Adwords/Display Ads)  Social Media Advertising + Management  Search Engine Results Placement Optimization  Keyword Research  Ongoing SEO Best Practice Research  Analyzing & Developing conversion strategy according to client needs & goals  Reporting 

Motion Prosthetics came to us looking for a modern responsive website that would reflect the quality and level of care that they put into their state of the art products. Working closely with Markus we developed a website that not only looks great but responds seamlessly to different mobile devices. The new website provides improved user flow for clients, and promotes their hands on approach to their practice. The site also includes a news blog for existing clients to learn more about advancements in the industry, as well as a resource area that supplies active clients with additional support. Check out their new website at http://motionprosthetics.com/

Innovation Island prides itself as the regional driver for accelerating business success through scientific innovation and technology. They help create and support entrepreneurship in our region for the technology community.  We've had the privilege of working with Innovation Island over the past 5+ years. Our relationship dates back to the days when Innovation Island was MISTIC. A few years back they made the transition from MISTIC to Innovation Island, we designed and developed a new website, and while it still functioned well, it was showing its age because their focus was refined along with their service areas.  Keeping in mind their shift in focus, new services, and goals, we got to work improving user-flow, updating  the navigation, sprucing up design on landing pages, and adding services pages. The next improvement will be tackling responsive because their mobile traffic continues to grow. 

Once upon a time, a many six years ago, Array developed a website for Gen-Find Research Associates. The website functioned well, and all parties were happy.  Six years later, the world of the Web had drastically changed. Gen-Find found that user flow and technical functionality of their website was still great, but the visual style had become rather dated. As well, search engines had fancy new ways of finding websites, so their SEO setup was not as effective as it could be.  So it came to pass that, together, Array and Gen-Find embarked on refreshing their current website with a more current look and feel, and was fluid to even the smallest of device sizes. As well, we worked together on a brand-new SEO setup, so that their fancied-up website would be found by and attract exactly the type of clientele they were looking for.  If you wish, you can view the fruits of our labour here!

Array has been privileged to have developed a long-standing relationship with Atlific Hotels. Over the years, we have worked on a plethora of projects with them, such as print collateral for Executive Suites Hotel & Resort, Squamish, and brand development for Temple Gardens Hotel & Spa. This fall, we worked with them to design and logo and collateral for the Atlific Hotels National Conference. We focused on the “rock concert” theme of the event when developing the logo, as well as the invites, program/event schedule and banner stands. 

THIS POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED. Thanks to all who applied! Array Web + Creative is a young, energetic creative & marketing agency located in Nanaimo. We are now hiring a part-time administrative assistant to help out during a one-year maternity leave. This job is perfect for a person with some administrative experience, who is looking for a growth opportunity. Starting Salary: $14.00 / hour Hours: Part time, 20-30 hours per week, Mon-Fri, between 8:30am and 4:30pm (some flexibility available for chosen working hours). We are closed all stat holidays.  Some of the daily tasks you will perform and desired skills include: Excellent communication skills - verbal & written  Self-directed with attention to detail Answering multi-line phone system - taking messages & booking meetings when required Greeting clients & guests Creating invoices & sending payment requests directly to clients Recurring billing management & follow-up Payment processing & posting - bank deposits Follow-up on past due accounts Office cleanliness & errands - purchasing office supplies (access to a car desirable) Shipping coordination for various packages Organizing

We recently created a playful, one-page website designed and developed for Boutique by Kiyo, a locally owned fashion-forward apparel and accessories store in the heart of Parksville, BC. The clean, feminine, and sophisticated design is a reflection of their unique products.  Now up and running http://boutiquebykiyo.com/ Keep an eye out for a redesigned website for Kiyo Salon as well!  

Sun Coast Consulting is a prestigious firm offering engineering, consulting, and technical advisory for large-scale infrastructure projects. The website for Sun Coast Consulting did not offer much for information about their company or services, and therefore not offering a strategic advantage for them when attracting new employees or clients.  They came to us with a clear idea for the redesign of their website. Through meetings with them, we learned about their vision, and they were receptive to our suggestions to improve upon their ideas. The new website provides an improved information architecture, an impactful visual look, and more accurately communicates their goals and values.  Check out the website here: http://www.groupscc.com/

Westmark Construction is a well-established residential and construction firm here in Nanaimo. They had recently gotten a new website, but they were looking for something to have a larger impact on their clientele and SEO rankings. As well, they wanted to more accurately highlight their vast industry experience. Over the course of a few months - while involving nearly every member of our team! - we worked restructuring their information architecture and a complete visual redesign by our design team.  This also called for a ground-up rewrite of their website copy, which was done in-house by our digital content coordinator and focused on incorporating relevant, targeted keywords.  After design and content had been finalized, the project moved on to our technical team, who developed the website on Wordpress. They focused on ensuring the most relevant content was front-and-center and flowed smoothly when responding to different screen sizes.  Check it out at westmarkconstruction.ca!

Recently, Good Life Juice went through a brand revamp from Good Life Cleanse. As their branding was being updated, they also wanted freshly designed bottle labels for their tasty juices!  Check them out (and find out where you can see their new labels in person!) at: goodlifejuice.com.

You may have seen us post about it on our Facebook and Twitter shortly after the launch, but here’s the official blog post for the launch of the newly designed and developed Country Club Centre website! Four years ago, we programmed the previous iteration of Country Club Centre’s website. Although it worked great for them in its time, the age of smart phones and tablets meant that their non-responsive website wasn’t doing the job for its clientele.  This summer, we embarked on designing a brand-new, mobile-friendly website that was colourful and eye-catching. Check it out on all your devices! http://www.countryclubcentre.com/

As their Travino community in Royal Oak, Victoria was moving into the 2nd phase of development, Mike Geric Construction approached us for a redeveloped website which was focused on SEO for Victoria condo developments. We designed their modern and progressive website to have a narrative feel and unique, interactive floorplans to improve engagement. To complement and promote their new development phase and website, we also created a 5x5 double-sided postcard mailer. Take a peek at the newly designed Travino website: http://travinoliving.com/   We put every possible effort into all of our projects, so it also just makes our day when our clients are happy with the work that we do for them. After the website launched, Kristina received this kind message from Ed Geric of the Mike Geric team!

Again this year, we took part in YPN’s annual All Sport Challenge! We took part last year, as well, and had such an awesome time, we knew we definitely wanted to do it again.  The YPN All Sport Challenge took place on Sept. 18th & 19th, and has a pretty self-explanatory event title - a fun weekend filled with all sorts of team sports. The challenge comes in competing against other local teams, and - maybe the biggest challenge - making it through the full day! This year, we took part in the opening bowling night on Friday. Saturday consisted of volleyball, basketball, soccer, ultimate frisbee AND whiffle ball, followed up by a pulled pork sandwich dinner.  We’d like to thank Tim for ITS Photography for capturing the images of all the action happening on the weekend. He got a couple great team shots, as well as some of us playing ultimate frisbee and whiffle ball! You can check out the whole album of the entire event on his Facebook page. Left: Robin making a dash for the disc in ultimate frisbee. Center: Sarah is super focused on making that pass count! Right: Mykelti maneuvering to snag the frisbee Taking a quick break for a

We’ve been working with Magnolia Hotel & Spa since 2012, when they underwent an extensive renovation, calling for a brand refresh and redesign of much of their marketing and print collateral (which you can check out in our Portfolio!) Recently, Magnolia purchased bikes for their property to encourage guests to explore the local area. We created a few route maps to allow Magnolia guests to choose a route based on their interests, highlighting relevant stops to take in along the way. These maps include a tapas trail, an arts trail, and a haunted Halloween trail!  Here’s an example of one of the bike trail maps for your viewing pleasure!

Family Freedom Plan was such a fun project to work on! Kyle Nekrash and Megan McEwen-Nekrash approached us to help develop an identity for their new life venture.  Of course, we love helping all of our clients, but being able to help them build their brand and online identity from the ground up is very rewarding. We started the process with brand development, and once that had been solidified, we moved on to designing custom business cards, an email template, and social media graphics. After creating their various collateral, it was time for the process of writing the copy for their website in tandem with design. Then finally, once we had all of the written copy and design complete, we were ready to develop the website on Wordpress.  Before we all knew it, it was launch time! Check out http://www.familyfreedomplan.com/ to see the website in action.  Services provided:  brand development custom business cards new website design & development email template website copywriting social media graphics

We’ve been giving a few little hints and teasers about #AYearOfKindness in our social media and newsletter in the past months. They were so subtle, you may have missed them. This blog post is a long time in the making! Last week, we finally launched #AYearOfKindness, our version of a Pay It Forward campaign. We wanted to give back to our community, and believe even the smallest acts of kindness can make a big impact in the lives of others. This Thanksgiving, we wanted to show our gratitude for all that we have by extending a little kindness for those who aren’t as lucky. For our launch, we put together eight care packages to hand out to a few of those homeless and hungry downtown in our city. It included Clif bars and a banana for nourishment, a Tim Hortons gift card to escape the elements and get a warm drink, gloves and an emergency blanket as the weather turns cooler. With our bags all packed up, we headed out as a team to hit the streets and distribute them! To respect the privacy of those receiving the packages, we didn’t take any photos. We only hope that they provided some small comfort this Thanksgiving.

All Island Equity is a mortgage investment company based here at home in Nanaimo.  They were looking to create a brand-new online presence, complete with a brand identity. The wealth of photography creates a calming web experience, which is in line with their corporate values.  Developed on Wordpress to allow their staff to easily update with new information as needed, this website also looks just as beautiful as it does on desktop.  Give it a try for yourself: http://www.allislandequitymic.com/ If you like what you see, and want a fresh identity for your company, contact us for a free quote! 

When I first started at Array in November 2014, the first thing that I needed to learn was how to use our in-house content management system EVO2. Carrie gave me an overview, and was always there to answer any questions that came up. I found it pretty intuitive and easy to use, and within no time, I was uploading and editing content with the best of them. Eventually, I started working on other things and took a step back from EVO. Then, a few weeks later, a client called in and asked me to update something on their website. I drew a complete blank, and I was helpless to answer a fairly simple question.   When you aren’t using your Content Management System (CMS) regularly, you may find you forget how it works. It’s not always as easy as logging in and having it all come back to you. If you are the type of person who doesn’t update your website frequently, there’s a good chance this may have happened to you. To help you out, we’ve created a few how-to videos to refresh your memory. These videos are pretty general but should be able to help you get started again with the basics! Ordering a gallery: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyhXshpDyCY Adding a user: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6EqwVOC_xw

In the fall of 2014, Coastland Wood Industries Ltd. put out the request for proposals for a new website design and development. We submitted our proposal to build them an engaging, intuitive, and user-friendly web presence, and were ecstatic to have been chosen for the job! A large part of this project was getting acquainted with their industry, which included an exciting tour of their amazing facilities. After the tour, and meetings with their key staff to get a sense of their company, we set to work creating a website with an approachable and professional look that incorporated and strengthened their existing brand. As well, we wanted to draw attention to their dedication to sustainability and low environmental impact, including an awesome 100% log utilization!  Coastland Wood Industries is responsible member of the lumber industry, and their new website speaks to their dedication to their people, clients, and the environment!  

The OMBOYS clothing line is the pet project of Jesse Jeans of Guava Apparel. OMBOYS is focused on RAOK (Random Acts Of Kindness) and raising awareness for Crohns, Colitis & IBS. The popularity of their apparel started to soar, but it was only sold locally through Guava. OMBOYS was looking to develop a cohesive online presence, as well as e-commerce functionality so that it could start selling their clothing worldwide!  As one of our first Wordpress sites, we kept the website simplistic, and focused on their spectacular photography, especially on the home page. Also, they have a pretty huge following on Instagram, which called for us to feed in the photos at the bottom of the website.  Everyone in our office kind of adores their gear, even getting a few pieces for themselves! Find something you’ll love!

Array Web + Creative has developed a long-standing relationship with Berwick Retirement Communities. Over the past four years, we have completed projects, such as print ads and marketing materials, on almost a monthly basis! Over the past several months, Array has been working on doing a complete overhaul of their website, which is quite the undertaking. Along with the overarching Berwick corporate page, it includes a customized portal for each of the six retirement communities. The design team used natural textures and a palette of natural colors to align with the inviting, friendly environment of their communities. As well, it is a repository of information and easy to navigate, making users feel right at home. This is also the first website we have developed on Wordpress! We’re so excited to see this beautiful new website launch for Berwick, give it a gander for yourself! 

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BAD BOY IN THE PAST COUPLE DAYS ON YOUR WAY INTO NANAIMO?   So we may have been just a little bit cryptic on our social mediaabout an exciting project that has been in the works. Today, we're proud to finally announce that we have been working on Tourism Nanaimo’s awesome #ExploreNanaimocampaign, which officially starts on May 1st! This billboard was a fun collaboration with the illustrious Sean Fenzl, and we’ve been eager to show it! The campaign encourages everyone to rediscover and share what makes the Nanaimo region incredible, and this billboard is just the beginning. There will be some great specials announced to help guide your Nanaimo journey, and also some pretty sweet prizes! Your passport to #ExploreNanaimo is coming soon, too! Make sure you check out ExploreNanaimoBC.comto keep up with what’s happening, and how you can get involved!  Wahoo!    

You’ve just got your fancy, newly designed email signature from Array, but now what? If you’re using Outlook 2007 or newer, you may not be sure how to upload and attach your signature into your software. Unfortunately, Microsoft removed the Rich Text Editor for Outlook 2007, where you could directly place your code.  So now what do you do? Not to worry, we’ve got you covered. Though a little trickier than before, the process is still pretty straight forward.  Opening Your Signature in the Browser and copying to the clipboard: The first thing to do is to open your email signature in your browser of choice ( e.g; Chrome, Firefox, Safari , and etc). You will want to make sure you have downloaded the HTML file to your computer; once it has downloaded, simply double-click on the file and it should open up in your default browser.  In the browser window, click and HOLD DOWN the left mouse button. Drag the mouse cursor over your email signature until the whole thing is highlighted, as shown below. You can also use the Select All keyboard shortcut (CTRL+A for PC, CMD+A for Mac). Once the email signature is completely highlighted (images and text),

More and more people are discovering and researching businesses on their mobile devices, and those numbers are on trend to keep going up. If your website doesn’t currently respond to different device and viewport sizes, there’s a good chance that the idea of responsive websites and mobile optimization has been in the back of your mind. You know it is something you should get on “one of these days”, but it may not be at the top of your list of priorities in your day to day. You may be thinking, “My website works just fine; I’ve even had some SEO and I’m ranking pretty high in search results, so I should be good for a while yet, right?”  Especially within the last month or so, the answer to that question has changed. Google is by far the most used search engine, with approximately 90% of the current market share. In fact, as our everyday language has evolved so that the term “googling” has become synonymous with “web searching”. Google puts in a lot of work to make sure that, when you’re searching, the results you get are relevant and tailored to you.  This is important to keep in mind as Google has announced that it will start giving

Sometimes the best thing you can do to move forward is to have a fresh start. Coming into 2015, this was what Tru Spa Insitute of Aesthetics was looking for: to start from scratch and do a complete refresh of their brand, marketing collateral and website, as well as further differentiating their spa & salon services and institute segments.  We’re proud to announce the new brand and print design we’ve completed for Tru Spa so far! We chose earthy colours in lighter, more ethereal shades to keep the branding and print collateral clean and airy, yet grounded.  Be on the lookout for their new website, launching soon at http://www.truspainstitute.com!

The sun is out, and it seems like winter is almost over! As such, here’s the last in what has turned into Winter of Website Announcements series. Queen Margaret’s School (QMS) approached us with an existing brand identity and web presence that was greatly in need of a refresh. We did a complete redesign of their website, including rethinking their navigation and information architecture to make it easier for parents of new and existing students to find what they are looking for. This was a large project, with tens of pages to be custom designed and program to feel cohesive and coherent as a whole web site, yet differentiated between the different sections and areas. We worked side by side with QMS to ensure that the new website was inviting, and communicated their educational philosophy and culture, and we’re proud to see this project come to completion!

It may be almost spring, but our winter of website announcements isn’t over! Kara Hihn from BLOCK is a talented interior designer making a name for herself in the central Vancouver Island area. She came to us with an existing website which was dark (white text on a black background) and didn’t adequately show off her quality work and services. In keeping with her existing brand identity, we designed the website in black, white, and grey tones, to allow the photographs of her portfolio stand out and do the talking. The clean and open layout reflects her philosophy to interior design and space planning. The website was developed for Wordpress, allowing her to frequently update her content and portfolio of work. BLOCK offers a wide range of services, and Kara’s insistence on custom and quality solutions will take her far. Keep an eye on BLOCK’s website for blog updates and the developing portfolio! 

If you’ve been following us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn – or reading this blog, of course! – you know we’ve launched a ton of websites in the past several months. While websites are our bread and butter, we love providing other creative services to supplement the projects and really put them over the top! Linley Park Estates is a brand new real estate development happening in Nanaimo, and we’re pleased  to be involved in helping them get this project off the ground with a new website, as well as branding. We recently completed their branding project, as well as launching the splash page. The colours green, blue, and brown communicate the natural setting of the upcoming community, and the use of desaturated tones conveys a sense of relaxation and leisure. We’re working hard on getting the fully featured website ready for launch, but in the meantime, visit their splash page, and stay up to date on the progress of this exciting new development!

This winter has been crazy busy for all of us; we launched a plethora of websites for new and existing clients, along with working on many other projects. The volume of work we have had has resulted in acquiring further staff to help us out!  We’re proud to announce two new members of the Array team, Curtis Fritz and Andrew Powell.  Curtis has graciously stepped in to the role of Account Manager, taking some of the weight off of our crazy busy and amazing President, Kristina. He recently moved to Vancouver Island from Saskatchewan, and is enjoying taking in the West Coast lifestyle. He’s a hard-working guy, and his eagerness to learn and connect with our clients has been amazing; maybe you’ve already spoken to him! We’re proud to have him transition into becoming one of the major points of contact for our clients and developing lasting relationships. The newest baby at Array is Andrew, who started interning with us all the way back in September. The Digital Media program at Vancouver Island University has proven again to be a great resource for smart and hardworking people ready to transition into Nanaimo’s growing tech industry, even before graduation!

We’ve been so grateful for all of our amazing clients who have allowed us to roll out so many new and redesigned websites. Over the years, we have definitely developed a streamlined process for bring a website project from the initial concept to completion, but of course, our passion to custom design and development still drives what we do, and ensuring the client is happy every step of the way is paramount! Bastion Trophies has had a web presence since 2001, and came to us with an existing website which was outdated and not making the impact that they needed. They were looking to better exhibit their vast range of highly custom services, and wanted to be able to manage their content and frequently changing featured products. Also, they needed a solution which added functionality to allow customers to submit ribbon orders online without adding a full e- commerce system. The saturated golden yellow and large typography of the newly designed website forms a bold, confident statement which is much more in line with their quality, custom services. The newly designed information architecture also makes it much easier for their users to navigate and find what they are looking

We're getting close to the 12 days of Christmas, and it feels like the 12 days of website launches! The Array elves are working really hard to finish up projects before we all take a much-needed break for the holidays.  Last week we launched a new website for Carly and Robyn McMahon at Gabriola Properties. Check out the full website here and let us know what you think!

Remember how I mentioned we've been extremely busy with projects this fall? Here's a website we launched a few weeks ago, and we were so focused on finishing other client projects that we missed making this announcement post!  Cross & Company is a professional accounting firm that provides services to businesses, corporations, and individuals. We incorporated photography of gorgeous office into the layout. The palette of shades of blue was drawn from their existing brand colour for cohesiveness, and to give the website a calm, authoritative feel.  We'd love it if you would check it out here: crossandco.ca and let us know what you think! BEFORE AFTER

This fall has been jam-packed with projects, and everyone at the Array office has been working tirelessly to get multiple projects ready to launch. We’re pretty stoked to unveil the first of the batch: a new website for Berlin Eaton, a dedicated team of management consultants based in Victoria, BC. In keeping with Berlin Eaton’s value on boldness, we incorporated a palette of unapologetic colours throughout the website. As well, we designed the layout with strong, square lines and a family of clean sans-serif fonts to inspire confidence. The entire site responds beautifully to multiple different screen sizes, give it a try for yourself at berlineaton.com! BEFORE AFTER

Winter is coming, and we have been experiencing a snowball effect of growth over the past year! As a result, the space for another member on our technical team has developed. If you’re an inventive, intermediate front-end developer and want an opportunity to collaborate with a fun & creative team in Nanaimo’s burgeoning tech industry, give us a shout!   INTERMEDIATE  DEVELOPER (FULL-TIME) Necessary Skills: Intermediate to expert in: Slicing Photoshop files Coding websites using HTML & CSS3 Responsive & custom website development Basic knowledge of: Javascript programming, including use of jQuery and other libraries PHP (can work within PHP based CMS systems) Wordpress, Drupal, or other CMS platforms   Preferred Skills: Experience with Databases & MySQL Understanding of procedural and/or object oriented programming Knowledge of SEO/SEM   In addition to website development, job duties may include: Email Management, Setup, and Phone Support Email Template Programming SEO Research, Optimization, and Reporting SEM Management with Google AdWords Social Media Research, Management, Setup (ie: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest) Occasionally

An organization's annual report is one of its most important documents! Not only is it useful internally, it is read and used by many other stakeholders outside of the organization. The value of a well-designed annual report should not be overlooked, and can contribute greatly to the readability and usability of the document.  While other projects are currently in the works, our super talented creative team has recently completed the design of the annual report for United Way's Central & North Vancouver Island chapter. Here's a peek!

Did you just purchase an email signature with Array, and now you are finding yourself with some HTML files and no clue how to install them? Never fear! Here are install instructions for Mac Mail Email Signatures. These instructions apply to anyone attempting to install a pre-built HTML signature in Mac Mail. Download the email signature files to your computer and unzip if necessary. Open Mac Mail, and go to Mail -> Preferences:  In the pop up window, click the "Signatures" tab. In the left column, click the Mail account you are installing the signature for (Mine was Google). Click the [+] button at the bottom of the middle column to add a new signature. Give it a fun name. Where we install your signature file from this point depends on whether or not you are using iCloud for your email. If you are, you can skip to step 6a. If you aren't, skip to step 6b. If you don't know, continue to step 5. Return to your desktop and go to the Apple Menu -> System Preferences. Choose "iCloud" from your panel. In the window that pops up, check to see if "Mail" has a checkmark beside it. If it does, continue to step 6a. If it doesn't, continue to step 6b. A) Are you Using iCloud?

We're an award winning local web and creative agency in our fifth year of business. We've seen significant growth in the past year from referral traffic only. We're looking for a individual to join our team and keep momentum going. This strong salesperson needs to be relationship focused, and have the ability to connect with people locally and across Canada. This is an amazing opportunity for someone with a desire to build a long-term sales career with an up and coming agency. If you like people, have an interest in technology and are motivated by money, this is the role for you! Requirements: 1-2 years of demonstrated B2B sales success Strong written and verbal communication skills Drive and desire to hunt for new business Driver's license and vehicle  What's in it for you: A clear and direct career path that leads to sales leadership within 5 years Positive team environment Uncapped commission potential 3 weeks paid vacation and 5 paid sick days per/year $30,000 - $40,000 base (depending on experience), plus commission Please provide cover letter, and resume by email to Kristina Crowson, kristina@arraystudios.com by Friday, October 3, 2014.

Time always seems to move so much faster when you are busy and having a good time. The Array team has had a lot of both this summer, and now our interns, Carrie and Daelen, are already heading back to university for the fall. Don’t worry, each of them will still be here a few days a week! Now you may be thinking, “Hey! I didn’t know that you even had interns!” We realized we never gave them an official introduction since they started all the way back in April! They are both fun and hard-working, so, of course, they fit in quickly and seamlessly into our team. Carrie Brisson and Daelen Berg are Bachelor of Arts students at Vancouver Island University. They are even classmates, both studying Digital Media (Daelen is majoring in Digital Media, while Carrie has double minors in Digital Media and Business). Daelen joined Suttasinee and myself on the technical team as a Junior Developer. Working primarily on front-end coding for websites, he is eager and determined, learning new techniques almost daily! Even if he hasn’t done it before, he catches on quickly to new concepts, and has proven himself to be extremely capable. Carrie took over as Administrative Coordinator,

Or at least in our building! As our business structure has changed, so have our office needs. As Mike and Ian have moved Red Scotch Software into SquareOne, Nanaimo's new co-working space, our current office has felt cavernous for our close-knit team! We're eager to move in to our cozy office on the fourth floor by the beginning of September. While we aren't going far, our address will be changing: 410 - 256 Wallace St Nanaimo, BC V9R 5B3 Below a couple of shots of our new space, which is busy getting ready for us to move in! Here is a shot from two weeks ago. Yikes!  And now here are to photos taken last week. What a change!

This position has been filled! Thanks to everyone who applied and shared this post.  Pass it around! Here are the details: JUNIOR DEVELOPER (STUDENT/INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY) Interested in getting started in the world of web development? This position is an entry level opening for a student or hobby web enthusiast, and a perfect opportunity to get your feet wet in the web & creative industry. $13 / hour to start, part-time hours starting Sept. 1st. (~20 hours per week). We're willing to work around school schedules, though our office hours are 8:30 - 4:30pm Mon - Fri, so those hours need to be during that time. This is an in-office position, local applicants or those relocating only, please.  This is a partial maternity coverage position and will last for about 1 year. There is a potential opportunity for continued hours after that point, depending on work volume. Required Skills: Intermediate or better HTML5 / CSS3 Enthusiasm for web development & learning programming Basic+ knowledge of Photoshop Now that we have the "Required" bit out of the way, the following is a list of jobs and skills you will be asked to learn and take on during your time with Array.

No one likes getting spammed. Unless you enjoy being given canned luncheon meat, but that’s not the kind of spam we’re talking about!  These virtual time vampires suck minutes, or even hours, out of your day. It’s frustrating to wade through mounds of unsolicited emails, or be wary of what you can click on for fear of malicious threats hiding in attachments and vague links. Email services such as Gmail have developed filters that are effective at keeping spam out of your inbox, but they aren’t perfect. As well, spammers are becoming more sophisticated and making use of other media (such as SMS, social media, etc.).   If only it was illegal to send spam, and there was a way to report it. And as of July 1st, 2014, it is in Canada, thanks to Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) .As you likely know, the first stage of this ground-breaking legislation came into effect just over a month ago. Even before it came into effect, the Array team has been researching and keeping informed on this new, complex legislation. This was pretty great news for all of us, and will help us be more efficient and safe in our dealings online. But, say

Over the past five years, the team at Array Web + Creative has endeavored to establish ourselves as a leader in the local technology and design industry. Our dedicated core team is focused on establishing and building relationships, and developing better solutions for our clients, which has resulted in steady and continued company growth.   We have had the unique opportunity to create the majority of these solutions in-house, thanks to our progressive technical team and award-winning designers. We developed our proprietary content management system, EVO, which offers clients the flexibility they need to keep their online presence current, while allowing our inventive programmers total control to build more complex systems. Since our inception in 2009, we have crafted over 350 websites, each customized and unique to our clients. It has been a gratifying experience to work with every client, starting from a blank canvas, and giving the creative team the inspiration and freedom to produce a work of art.   We have been fortunate to bring Kristina Crowson and Sarah Bromley on board, whose dedication, passion and collaborative efforts have helped shaped Array Web + Creative

This year has been full of website launches here at Array, from Microthalassia and Meritus Trust, to Classic Kitchens and IGNITE Sports Academy. Of course we are proud and grateful for all of the work we do, but a website is akin to a child, and seeing it venture out into the world is an exceptionally gratifying experience. A website project comes to us as a nucleus of ideas, and requires a vast amount of care and attention, often over a period of at least a few months. We love seeing it grow and come to fruition, and to then introduce it to the world! Don’t forget that like a child, you don’t want to shove your website out the proverbial door and leave it to get tangled out there in the Web! Updating your website regularly and implementing coordinating strategies such as SEO & SEM can help your website mature and succeed.  Our newest baby is a website for Ditidaht First Nations. We had worked with Ditidaht previously on a website and branding for The West Coast Trail, which included an e-commerce component. For their homepage, Ditidaht was looking for a redesign of their existing website, along with a secure member

Though we’re deep in summer, starting a brand new project makes it feel like it’s spring again, infusing our imaginations with fresh ideas. We were thrilled to be approached by The City of Nanaimo to refresh their branding and marketing collateral. Going back to our roots, we brought out the pen and paper to design a modern and expressive brand concept for The Green Group, the City's internal sustainability program. The hand-illustrated wordmark portrays a sense of play and naturalism, and the leaf, which is synonymous with nature, is a reflection of the curves in the City of Nanaimo logo. The looping letter “G” and shade of green communicate liveliness and a passion for the environment.  The versatility needed from the wordmark was kept at the forefront, and the clean nature of the design allows it to translate effectively across a variety of media, including stationary, clothing, signage and web.  This brand design was a fun beginning to the larger project, and we loved doing it. Keep your eyes on the horizon, there will be more to come!

We are proud to have the opportunity to be featured in Douglas Magazine. A premier publication on South Vancouver Island, Douglas covers topics related to innovation, leadership, business culture and lifestyle. In their June/July 2014 issue, our president Kristina, along with other creative industry leaders, spoke about how their ability to strategize through change is the key to success.  As Kristina has been involved in the industry for over five years, she observed that “[w]ebsites have gone from being glorified online business cards to being more of a tool and a key driver for business.” In the recent past, websites served as merely a quick introduction. However, the way that people are using the Web is ever-changing; users are doing more online research and want to have quick and easy access to a repository of relevant information. Many people decide if they want to do business with a company just from its website, making branding and a quality website more important than ever. Keeping on top of industry trends is integral for any company in the technology sector to have staying power.  A top-notch website doesn’t always cut it, though. Not only do

This past Friday may have been America’s Independence Day, but creatives and innovators in the Central Vancouver Island technology sector were celebrating for a different reason! Photo used with permission; credit to Shayd Johnson, elephantroomcreative.com July 4th, 2014 marked the launch of Nanaimo’s first technology incubator and co-working space, SquareOne, an initiative headed up by Innovation Islandand the Nanaimo Economic Development Corporation (NEDC). This was not only an exciting day for those currently in the industry, but future entrepreneurs and startups, and the region’s economy in general. The sector is on trend to keep expanding, and co-working spaces foster a community spirit while growing the industry. Nanaimo is a great place to live, and a thriving tech ecosystem means that talented people can stay and work here, too. The Array team was excited to be a part of this occasion. The launch was definitely an inspiring and momentous event, and the Summer Tech Party afterward was a great time to celebrate, as well as connect and reconnect with others in the industry. Hans Peter Meyer provided great coverage and insight into the event, take a peek at

We all want to feel comfortable in our own home, and to have it reflect our own personal style. Your website is no different; you want it to be inviting for your users, and have the design be a clear articulation of your company’s vision. This sentiment was more important than ever when crafting a new website for Classic Kitchens & Design in Parksville, BC. We drew inspiration from their gorgeous portfolio of work, using clean lines and screen-expansive width, a neutral colour palette, and a simple, organized layout. While visual design was important, search engine optimization was the backbone of this project. In every step of the design and development process, we were working on SEO strategies such as geographic optimization and keyword targeting to ensure that, when the site launched, potential Classic Kitchens & Design clients would quickly and easily be able to find it. There’s a lot to see, let the browsing begin! Visit Classic Kitchens & Design at:  http://www.classickitchensbc.com/ Also, check out below the before and after images of the website. BEFORE: AFTER:

The first half of 2014 has been spectacular for the Array team, hopefully it has been for you as well! We are on the cusp of of summer, and in anticipation of Canada Day this upcoming Tuesday, the Array Web + Creative office will be closed Monday, June 30th and Tuesday, July 1st. We'll be back bright and early Wednesday, July 2nd! Wishing you a fun-filled Canada Day!

This brand was recently completed for a client in Georgia, USA. With each branding project, we provide the client with the rationale for our design choices. Please have a read below, and contact us if you have a branding project you'd like to discuss! "This concept reflects the interconnected nature of this consulting business. Blue traditionally represents health and well-being, while orange represents communication and creativity. By blending these complimentary colours we achieve a balance that represents transparency, education and solutions. The style of the logo is clean and modern. The logo type is bold, clear and open. The logo icon, consisting of interwoven semi-circles to create a circular shape, represents dialogue, consultation, co-operation and solution based thinking. Traditionally, circles are visually powerful icon shapes. This concept is clean, modern and forward thinking and speaks to all areas of the business."

On today's fresh sheet, we have some delicious new business cards for Guava Apparel in Nanaimo. With an eye catching lime green base and a clever use of Spot UV gloss, these cards are hard to miss!  Let us know what you think! And check out Guava on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/guavaapparel.nanaimo

Sometimes all you need is one page! This single page, responsive website is our fourth project with Davis & his team members, who are located in the State of Georgia. Meetings & design reviews were conducted via Skype - thanks to modern technology, we can still have face to face meetings with our international clients. From brand development to website launch, we were able to complete this project in about two weeks!  We love working with this team, and we'd like to say thank you to them for their repeat business! When your clients come back to you time and again, it gives you the warm fuzzies inside, knowing that you've done a great job of providing excellent quality and customer service. :) If you are looking for a similar, basic website to introduce the world to your brand, give us a call! We'd love to talk to you about your needs, and are happy to provide a free quote.

Some people know what they want and how to explain it. Others (ok, the majority of us), need a little more discussion, support, and hand holding to get our ideas out into the realm of reality! Meritus Trust, an award winning Trust company based in Bermuda, had a very clear vision of their target demographic's interests & needs. Working with their team, we designed and developed a clean, modern, and responsive full screen website.  This site scales very nicely to nearly any viewable size. Give it a try yourself at: http://www.meritustrust.com

Who likes tentacles?  If you said "ME," you should definitely take a browse through the new site for Microthalassia, launched late last week. microthalassia.ca Nicky and the team at Microthalassia are Marine Phytoplankton specialists. They monitor the coastline, analyzing algae and water samples, and teach others how to do it as well.  "Current projects involve harmful algae bloom (HAB) species that can cause fish kills in aquaculture operations and wild stocks, and species of concern to shellfish harvesters, including those that impact human health due to shellfish poisoning syndromes (“red tide”). We have managed the Harmful Algae Monitoring Program (HAMP), working with the salmon farmers of BC on the monitoring, management, and mitigation of HABs, since 1999. Microthalassia also provides education in water sampling, sample analysis and identification of marine phytoplankton." The tentacles can be found in the Video Gallery. I admit, I watched all the videos! Who knew swimming cells could be so fascinating! 

Wow! We are so happy to see this project launch for the Nanaimo Region Rail Trail, as it is a cause we 100% support - and we think you should too! The non-profit's aim is to extend the E&N trail through the entire city of Nanaimo, encouraging more people to walk or bike to work, and improving recreational access. Let's go straight to the screen shots, and you can hop to the explanation below. Try out The Site:  http://www.nanaimoregionrailtrail.ca About the Design This fully responsive website was a joint design project between Jordan and Alex. We really encourage you to visit the site yourself, as it is highly interactive, both on the home page and on the Trail Map. The home page animates as you scroll, giving you a glimpse of what it's like to ride on the trail! The Trail Map is a fully interactive Google Map, with each segment of the proposed trail marked out and clickable, allowing you to learn more about each segment. We hope you take a moment to learn about the project, and continue supporting it either as a business or individual. The environmental, health, and tourism benefits of this trail are beneficial for everybody in the region!

Kristina, Karen, and Sarah had a fantastic kick off meeting with Queen Margaret's School last week, and we are excited to announce we will be developing a new website for the school over the coming season.  A bit about QMS - Queen Margaret's offers boys and girls school programs from preschool to grade 8, and a university prep high school for girls grades 9-12. The overall feeling on their 27 acre campus is warm, safe, and has a family feel. Talking to the staff and students, you can feel the enthusiasm for learning that the whole school embraces, from their rigorous core academics programs, to their AP arts classes, and of course, their world renowned equestrian program.  Stay tuned later in the year, when we announce the relaunch of the site!

What do you think about the results of this new brand for Cedar Valley Dental, here in Nanaimo? Cedar Valley specializes in Dental Hygiene, and Dr. Rockwell and his team were looking for a professional brand that would appeal to their average client demographic.  Key an eye out for their new website, coming later this year! In the meantime, you can get more information about the clinic here: http://www.dentistrybc.com/ 

Have you ever tried cold pressed juice? Good Life Cleanse is a cold pressed juice company, offering extremely delicious, 100% raw, fruit and veggie juices ideal for juice cleansing - direct from the web to the consumers door! Good Life came to us with a logo already in hand, that unfortunately didn't translate very well onto her desired bottle design. We helped her out with a minor brand refresh, and a simple bottle design. Being a natural and health oriented product we wanted the focus of the design to be the natural ingredients in the juice. A transparent label allows the colours of the juices to be highly visible through the bottle, while the large list of ingredients on the front allow the consumer to easily know what is in the bottle. We'd love to hear what you think!

Happy 2014! We hope everyone's New Year is starting off as smoothly as it has around the Array office. We've all had fantastic holidays, and are eager to get our noses back to the grindstone, so to speak! For our client Microthalassia, the New Year has also meant a new logo! Microthalassia specialists are experts in identification and monitoring of marine phytoplankton – the very small things of the sea. The owner, Nicky, came to us looking for a more professional brand. When she started her business she designed her own logo, but as she became increasingly more accomplished she wanted a brand that would reflect that.  She was hoping to keep the existing shape and feel but to have things polished up.  The resulting brand is modern and simplistic, and communicates the focal aspects of her business.

The Array Web + Creative office will be closed for Christmas Holidays, December 24, 2013 through to January 1, 2014. If you have an urgent matter, please email with the heading "URGENT" or call (250) 619-3248. We wish everyone a warm and happy holidays!

Today's Google doodle alerted me to the fact that it's the 107th birthday of Grace Hopper. Grace Hopper was a female developer back when it was still truly a man's world, which makes us love her and her contribution to computer science even more. Here are some of her accomplishments:  (Wikipedia for more). In 1947 while working on a Mark II computer system, she and her team found a moth stuck in a relay. This led to Grace coining the phrase "debugging" the system. In 1952 she built what is thought to be the first compiler. "Nobody believed that," she said. "I had a running compiler and nobody would touch it. They told me computers could only do arithmetic." In 1959 she and a team developed the new language COBOL (Common Business-Oriented Language) Below is one of my personal favourite quotes from Grace Hopper. Share it around, and to our lady programmer friends & associates out there: CODE ON!

We had a very special visitor yesterday, thanks to the Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvement Association! There is so much happening in Downtown Nanaimo this season! You can get all the details here: http://dnbia.ca/whats-happening/christmas-downtown-2013/. Or, for the lazy, here's the quick list, with links: 1. Ride the Downtown Christmas Trolley 2. Take in a Christmas Community Event 3. Enter the DNBIA Christmas Colouring Contest 4. Visit the Festival Of Trees 5. Have your Gifts Wrapped (by donation) 6. Watch the Nanaimo Santa Claus Parade 7. Light Up A Life 8.  Attend the Santa Fly In 9. Make a craft in Santa’s Workshop 10. Play in Santa’s Village Online

It's a business card unboxing day - today's cards are for Legacy Salvage & Supply Co. Dan specializes in custom furniture & woodwork made from reclaimed lumber. This startup business is just getting off the ground, but for now, enjoy this peek at his new business cards. Features: 16pt Stock Silk Laminated UV Spot Gloss on Logo

Vancouver Island Economic Alliance has been a web client of Array Web + Creative for nearly 5 years! Just enough time for their website to start feeling dated. This year, we undertook the task of digging through the mounds of content on their old site to start a redesign. The process for VIEA started with an examination of their stakeholders & their needs. Then,  a complete content inventory was completed. The Information Architecture of the site was redeveloped, and a clean & inspirational design was put together. This site features some great functionality. It is fully responsive - give it a try on your mobile device, or shrink your browser window to view it in action. The Interactive First Nations map makes it easy to access information on the 53 First Nations of Vancouver Island. Desktop Version of www.viea.ca Tablet Version of www.viea.ca     Also take a peek at the First Nations of Vancouver Island Map:  Check it out for yourself and see what you think!

We recently launched a simple but sweet website for Glacier Way Townhomes here in Nanaimo. This project started from the ground up with branding, signage, collateral, and the website. Glacier Way's website is pretty straightforward, and that's what we like about it! A Google Map shows the community amenities. The "Units" page offers a photo gallery which can be added to as the project develops, as well as a Unit Inventory which is updated by Glacier Way as units become available. Our EVO CMS make updates like this easy for anyone to manage on their own. We look forward to more projects in the future with this crew. For now, take a peek at the site! http://www.glacierway.ca

Are you among the 70% of people who use Google to surf the internet? If you haven’t already heard, Google just announced a complete overhaulof their search algorithm (the system they use to rank search results). Not a tweak, not a tune-up; it’s a completely new engine ranking the 1 billion searches performed daily. This massive update has been code-named “Hummingbird.” Let’s go back to 1998, when navigating the internet was difficult, if not impossible. Does anybody else remember using Altavista, Ask Jeeves, Yahoo, or even worse AOL? I still have nightmares. It was Google’s ability to index and organize the net in a simple & relevant manner that would turn it into the giant it is today. So, rewriting the code that made it all happen is a pretty big deal. If you are now asking: “What has changed? How does it affect me? And what should I do?” We’re going to break it down for you. What Has Changed? When you perform a search, Google looks through its list of websites and measures 500+ variables to choose which results to show you. These variables and how they work is like KFCs secret recipe; there are only a few people in the world who genuinely know all

Putt for Whisky at the VIEA Summit Tradeshow! The 7th Annual Vancouver Island Economic Summit is taking place this year on October 29th and 30th, and Array Web + Creative is proud to be a platinum sponsor. Don’t miss our team’s booth during the Trade Show!  We will be happy to talk to you about our newest services and answer your marketing, design, and web related questions. We also have a delicious bottle of whisky up for grabs for those who consider themselves semi professional golfers ;). Putt to win! Our team will also be running the VIEA Social Media kiosk, helping you Tweet, Facebook, Pin, or share VIEA news on whatever social media platform you prefer! We want to make sure everyone hears about the Summit – the more that know, the stronger the conference becomes. Plus, if you share an update using the hashtag #VIEA, or by linking to the VIEA Social Media accounts, then show us your update, you will be entered to win a lovely gift! Get more information about VIEA’s 7th Annual State of the Island Economic Summit here. Below: Some of our team enjoying Mark Carney speak at the 2012 Summit.

The logo we designed for the Nanaimo Region Rail Trail was created from a need to blend west coast ease, activity and community with a crisp, clean corporate appeal. We crafted the lettering by hand to give the brand a relaxed, earthy and approachable feel. Then, we developed a colour palette that appeals to both community and corporate demographics.  We look forward to sharing more with you as this exciting brand & project develops!

Here's a little sneak peak at a brochure we are finishing for The Bluffs at Rockwood Heights! What do you think?

It's clean, it's green, and it's mean! Okay maybe not mean, but Be Beautiful's new brand and website definitely fit the rest of the bill.  The Brand:  Natural, organic, and relaxing were the words Be Beautiful used to give us direction on this logo. Working with them, we developed a logo and colour scheme that represents their business philosophy. The Website: In addition to a standard Spa website, Be Beautiful wanted to offer their selection of organic & vegan beauty & care products to the world! We developed a user friendly e-commerce system that blends beautifully with their brand. Be Beautiful customers can now order their products through the website, and have them shipped directly to their door, a great added value for their existing clients, and an opportunity for additional revenue for them as well. http://www.bebeautifulsalonandspa.com Please let us know what you think in the comments below! We'd love to hear your feedback!

Have you ever tried to use one of your favourite websites from your smart phone, and found yourself constantly zooming and scrolling around to read it? Was it impossible to click links? Or maybe the site was so broken you couldn't use it at all? There is a solution, and you may have heard of it: Responsive Design. Mobile Device Use on the Rise As mobile device use continues to rise, now at an average of 17% worldwide, business owners must pay attention to how friendly their website is for iPhones and tablets, as well as large screen desktop computers. If your website isn't quick and easy to navigate from a mobile device, you may have just lost a sale. A properly optimized mobile website is swiftly become a necessity instead of an option. What Makes a Website "Responsive" and Why Does it Help?  Simply put, a responsive website resizes and adjusts on the fly, adapting to the device size a person is using to view it.  On a mobile phone, the website may reduce the size of graphics, and increase the size of text and buttons, making them easier to tap. The width of the website will shrink down to fit comfortably within the phone's small viewing window. 

In order to understand why brand development is important we must first understand what a brand is. A brand is essentially the way the consumer perceives your company on any/all levels and is made up of three main components: brand identity, visual identity and brand trust.   Brand Identity is the name, visual appearance (logo, stationery, etc) and external communication of how the company is to be perceived by the consumer. All elements of the brand identity need to flow seamlessly in order to be effectively communicating and connecting to the consumer.   Visual Identity is the look or design of all external communications. Consistency in use of colour, fonts, branded graphical elements, photography standards, web presence etc are what give a brand strength, credibility and consumer recognition and are to be a true representation of the core qualities/messages of the company.   Brand Trust is the intangible part of the brand. This is the behavior, action and personality that the brand evokes. Brand trust is built when a consistent message is communicated to the consumer on all levels. From the company name, graphic standards (colour, fonts, logo usage) and

Check us out in Nanaimo Magazine! Cover: Ian Reid, Kristina Crowson, Michael Reid. Read the full article below, or pick up a copy of Nanaimo Magazine around town.  ---- WHAT IS YOUR DREAM JOB?  Chances are, we all have a slightly different answer to that question, but you can bet there will be a common thread - a job where we are respected, empowered, challenged, and above all: accepted. When Array Web + Creative was founded, the small team of four wished for a design & development studio that would inspire clients and employees to reach far and dream big. Owners Michael & Ian Reid had experienced the type of “soul crushing” job we’ve all endured (you know, where you count every minute until lunch break) and wanted something better.  From its beginnings, Array threw itself whole-heartedly into the idea that conformity and rule making often squashes confidence and creativity. The team embraced non traditional workplace standards, letting employees set their own hours, research creative projects, and use their voices to suggest, disagree, and debate everything from office location to whom to hire when the team expanded. Individual strengths

Getting new business cards is SO EXCITING!  Our new cards have different coloured backs for each staff - everyone picked their own. :) These cards are printed on 16pt stock, so are extra thick, and are super nice to touch as they are silk laminated. They also have spot UV on the logo front and back, which gives them just a little bit of shine! Let us know what you think! And if you'd also like to experience the pleasure of unboxing shiny, pretty new business cards, give us a call - 250-591-2277.

We love the country feel of this sweet little site just launched for our friends at PineRidge Farm!  Next time you are making the trip up or down island, we highly recommend a stop at their adorable farm market, near Horne Lake Caves. They've also just opened up 10 RV sites for those of you looking for a unique camping trip! http://www.pineridgefarm.ca/

If you thrive on establishing relationships, working towards achieving strategic goals and are seeking an opportunity with growth – this position is prefect for you!  We’re seeking a Lead Generator. This position is full-time with the opportunity to grow into a permanent Business Development role.  This dedicated individual needs to be target driven, professional with strong communication skills, and able to work under pressure. If you’re looking to be a part of a cohesive, growing Web + Creative agency with unlimited potential then we want to meet you!  Duties Include: Exceed or meet personal and company targets while demonstrating a solid customer focus.  Pre - Qualify Prospect Leads.  Develop new accounts through analyzing, prospecting, exploring, networking and referrals.  Provide detailed and regular updates on weekly activities to management. Provide feedback from clients in order to assess possible improvements to existing products and to determine the need for new products.  Resolve challenging situations with empathy and sincerity.  Provide superior customer service, both verbal and written. Participate in trade shows

The whispers are true - Array is looking for a new team member. Maybe it's you?  As we say goodbye to Gerry & Jordan (though none could replace them in our hearts!), we are on the hunt for a designer with a positive attitude, a desire to innovate, and the chops to fit in with our wacky team. If you'd like to be considered for an interview, submit your resume with portfolio to info@arraystudios.com.  Please read the full job posting below. Only qualified candidates will be contacted.  Job Title Intermediate Graphic Designer Job Description Responsible for the design of graphic applications such as web design, collateral material, brochures, corporate identity and branding, and environmental graphics from concept to completion.  Experience 3-5 Years of Industry Experience and/or  Diploma / Degree in Graphic Design Graphic Design Specific Skills • Proficient in: Adobe CS6 (specifically Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop) • Experience in: web design, collateral material, brochures, corporate identity and branding, environmental graphics, from concept to completion • Demonstrates strong typographic skill • Attention to detail is essential

The world is an exciting place, now more than ever before. Geographic boundaries are crumbling, and local companies are being given more opportunities to compete and deliver on a global stage. With this in our minds, we are both sad and proud to annouce co-workers Gerry Patenaude and Jordan Wende have decided to join forces and pursue some of these opportunities out on their own, with a brand new creative company. (We'll let you know the name as soon as they know it!)   We see this as great news! In these times it is more important than ever that a business community has a depth of talent, strategic partnerships and good relationships.   For us it’s an opportunity to recruit another world-class talent (alongside the supremely talented Karen Johnson) who can bring a fresh creative outlook to our team. But it’s also an opportunity for us to have creative friends (Gerry and Jordan) we can call on at any time. While obviously we will miss them being in the office every day, we’re confident that we will continue to work together and can’t wait to see the creative community in Nanaimo continue to grow. We’re happy to encourage and support Gerry and Jordan in

For every creative agency, there comes a time every year or two when you've just gotta redesign everything. Starting with our brand, which we relaunched early this year, we have slowly been updating the face of Array to reflect who we are today, instead of who we used to be. Today we are happy to finally launch our latest website, which we're sure you will enjoy navigating. Filled with entertaining interactive elements, this site showcases just some of what we can offer at Array. With the launch of our new site, we have resurrected our old and previously very successful Blog. You'll find some of our most successful old posts brought back to life here, as well as plenty of new marketing tips, site and brand launches, and more in the near future. Thanks for joining us! Have fun exploring the site!

You've got a shiny website and you're pretty sure people are using it. But who? When? And where are they coming from? Knowing the answers to these questions can help you make the most out of your website investment - and the best way to find out the answers to these questions is by setting up Google's Analytics on your site.   What is Google Analytics?   Google's Analytics system tracks users as they visit and use your website. It gathers information such as how they got to your site, where they are from, what pages, they visit, how long they spend on your website, and more. It can give you absolutely invaluable information about where your website is succeeding or failing at its goals.   Who is Google Analytics For?   Analytics is for anyone who owns or manages a website and wants to know how to improve it. You don't have to be a technical guru as it has a relatively user friendly interface, and you only need to explore as deeply as you feel comfortable doing.   Setting up Google Analytics is relatively simple, and most of the steps can be done by you! You may need your web developer to take care of one

Are you interested in getting a BLOG online? Follow these steps and you'll be up and running in no time at all!  What is a Blog?   A Blog (shortened slang for web log) is a tool allowing you to write articles and other content, which is then posted in a chronological manner.   Why Should I Have One?  If you are a business owner, a blog can be a excellent tool for getting repeat business to your website and for establishing yourself as an expert in your field.   How-To  We will be using Google's Blogger platform to set up your blog. While there are many other options for blogging, we find Blogger to be one of the most user friendly.   1.) Go to http://www.blogger.com   2.) A) If you already have a Google Account:                Login. Fill in the fields to sign up for a Blogger Account and click Continue.        B) If you don't have a Google Account:               Click "Get Started". Fill out all fields to create a Google Account, and click Continue.  

by Sarah Bromley, Production Manager I belong to an excellent group of web developers, writers, designers, and content producers in the Comox Valley, known as the "Comox Valley Web Posse." Recently, they posted a link to an interesting article "Why You Should Never Search for Free Wordpress Themes in Google or Anywhere Else." Now while this doesn't apply to us here at Array Studios, it's an interesting enough read for anyone out there who works with Wordpress, as well as a great illustration of the "Perils of Free," enough so that I thought I might share it on our blog. If you don't have a clue what Wordpress is, read on while I summarize the important moral of the story. What is Wordpress? For our readers who aren't part of the industry, Wordpress is an Open Source (meaning free to download and modify) Content Management System that is very popular right now within the Web Development Industry. A quick history - it started out as a free blogging system, and has since exploded to the point that many professional designers use it as their platform of choice to build your website upon. (Here at Array Studios, we use our own Content Management System which we call EVO. ) One

Being a tech company in this world is hard. I’m sure it’s not so hard when your piles of money can soak up your tears, but man… it’s certainly hard enough. Recently Facebook has made some changes that have stirred up some controversy, but to understand that it helps to have a little bit of background on Facebook itself. Let me give you a quick recap of Facebook’s history from the perspective of the pundits who actually spend their time writing about this stuff (yep, that was a self-burn. Zing!) Okay, so Facebook came out and it was awesome because it didn’t exist before, and Friendster and Linked In were crap. Then it was even awesomer (not a real word) because everybody in the world, including your grandmother and her dead cat found out about it and used it. Then suddenly it was less awesome as pundits realized that people were pretty much willingly uploading their entire lives into a private network for the deep rampant plundering of our corporate monkey overlords. And then it really sucked when said monkey overlords began to sell out faster than a… wait, I probably can’t say that here… well, when they began to sell out fast. At this point imagine

What is this Email Thing anyways? Yes, We use email all the time. Heck, in 6 months.. I’ve sent about 800 emails.. and those are just from my workstation. That’s excluding the emails I send from my iPhone or using webmail. We do take for granted that this all works... Compare it to the Postal System... Email works a lot like the post system in the real world. The way Email works is designed very much the same, just with less stops, faster delivery, and no awesome right-hand drive mail trucks. Your mail client (Mail.app, Microsoft Outlook, iPhone) has to connect to a mail server. The mail server provides 2 services. An outgoing and incoming mail server. Think of this as being that big mailbox that exists in your neighbourhood. You can go put mail in, for the mailman to take out the next day, and you have a box where you can receive any mail that people are sending you. The next step of this, is how does your mail server know where to send the message. Yet again, it’s very much like real world post system. Your mail server looks up an “MX Record”, to know which mail server the message is to be delivered to. This is similar to how a letter you send has a postal code,