Our Rules

It's a pithy comment, but it's true - good design is good business. Whether its the iPod or the Eiffel Tower, good design is crucial to the success of a product, a service, a brand or a company. It sounds like an obvious thing to say, of course, but it seems to be something that is constantly forgotten in the world of web design.

Maybe it's because good design is not just about being the prettiest, its not just about being the most comprehensive and it's not even simply about being the most accessible or usable website in the world - its about being the best and most practical combination of all those things. A well designed site is one that reflects both the priorities of the site owners and the needs of their users, one that strikes a balance between information, brand and services which leaves everyone feeling that their time on the site hasn't been wasted. Spend any amount of time on the internet and you'll find that the number of sites that find that balance is pretty small.

There is no denying that making sites that live up to this rule is our most important aim here at Dragondark Media. This is partially because its possible to argue that all our other rules ultimately lead to this one, but its also because, well, because its so obvious and so simple, yet so often overlooked. Good Design is good for you, because it gets you more business. Good design is good for us, because the more business you get the happier you are and the more likely you are to use us again or recommend us to others.

Can't get simpler than that.

The web is a constantly changing world. Every day new technologies and methodologies appear which claim to herald a brave new world in internet business and browsing. Some of those ideas and technologies sink without a trace within six months, some meet with limited success and a few genuinely change the way we think and use the internet. Working out which is going to do what is, of course, a real challenge.

All good web design and development companies spend a lot of time watching these emergent technologies and theories and how they can best serve their clients and at Dragondark we're no different. One thing we're proud of, however, is our ability to sift out those new thoughts and applications that genuinely will benefit your business from those that won't (or at least won't yet).

We'd be lying if we said this experience had come the easy way. The truth is that, as with most internet companies, we love the web and gladly immerse ourselves in every newly emerging facet of it and our techies - just like techies everywhere - can get overly effusive about the latest ideas. We've been on the internet long enough, however, to learn to restrain ourselves. Whilst its important for us to be up-to-date and using the latest technologies, that doesn't automatically mean that we should be advising you to do the same.

Making sure our clients are "Cutting edge" not "Bleeding edge" means making sure that you're at the forefront of innovation but not to the detriment of your site or your business.

We'll never recommend you take up a new idea or technology merely for the sake of it, only if it is genuinely right for you - even if that often means making our Head of Development cry.

It's very easy to lie in this business. The web is still a new thing, and its still an alien world to the majority of people and businesses out there. Like car mechanics, there isn't a web designer or developer out there who has not at some point been less than truthful with a client, safe in the knowledge that our business is baffling to a lot of people out there. At Dragondark, however, we are committed to being honest and truthful in all that we do. We know our clients look to us as experts and advisors on matters which, though key to their business, they often have no experience with and we take that role seriously. You wouldn't expect to get anything other than honest and accurate advice from your Doctor or Accountant - why should you expect less from your Web Designer?

We'd like to think that this is solely because we're morally upright and outstanding people but, if we're honest, that's not entirely the the case (although there is an element of behaving how we expect others to behave with us). In truth it makes incredibly sound business sense to behave this way. The world of web-design is a cut-throat world and we know full well that our honesty, just like our reliability, is an important currency for us - our reputation and recommendations from our clients form a core part of our Business Model. On top of this, managing client expectations is a crucial part of our Project Management methodology. If we aren't honest, then we can't do that - and our sites suffer accordingly.

All in all we believe firmly in keeping the Cowboys out West and out of the world of Web Design. If we say something, we mean it, and you can count on that not just because we're nice people, but also because if it wasn't then we'd be putting our own business at risk. That's a nice guarantee to have.

Most people aren't nike.com. To the majority of individuals and businesses out there, it's the content of their website that's most important to the success of the site, not brand. Yet getting the content right is something that so often gets overlooked. Its easy for web design companies to think that our job stops at the technology and the visuals. At Dragondark Media, however, we know that this simply isn't the case. If a site is to be a success then its vital that the content is right - that not only does it cover everything that the user expects covered but that it is written and structured appropriately for the medium in which it is being communicated.

We pride ourselves on the support we provide to our clients to make sure that their content is right. From Information Architecture to how to best write for the web, to optimising content for search engines, we aim to help guide our clients through this oft-overlooked area.

Of course no one want's an ugly site. Visual design is still crucial to the user experience as no matter how good your content is, its nothing without a good-looking website that compliments it. At Dragondark we just know that the visual design needs to be kept in perspective - it should be eye-catching but effective. It should be right for the job and compliment the content, not make the site look like its been attacked by a sadistic design school graduate.

Thats not to say that we can't give you nike.com if that's what you need - if brand is your business then brand, by definition, becomes your content and Nike's website is a fantastic example of brand in action. We certainly wish we had done it - and not just because we know what their web budget is!

Our job doesn't stop with the launch of your site (unless you want it to, of course). The web is a constantly changing and evolving world and 90% of websites fail not because they cease to work, but because they cease to be relevant. It's vital that your content and concepts remain up to date and its our job to facilitate that. This is why all our service packages come with guaranteed monthly development time to ensure that when you wish to make changes they can be made as quickly as possible with the minimum of fuss.

We also make sure that we keep our clients up-to-date with the latest ideas and technologies out there. Some will be relevant to their business, many will not. What's important however is that we help to ensure that their sites do not lose that cutting edge status that we've helped them to gain.

For the majority of websites, the launch is only the end of their very first phase of its existance. If they are to be and to remain successful then its important that they are given the opportunity to grow in line with both the needs of the site owner and the site user. At Dragondark Media we appreciate the importance of our role in helping our clients to do just that.