On another note about Christmas, our friends at Galgorm Resort & Spa have just launched their Christmas campaign. Gravity is pleased to say that the 48 sheet billboard we created is working a treat as traffic to their website has risen considerably. Gillies Bar and restaurant will be launching their new Christmas Menu’s that we have just finished designing….by the way I did get hungry a lot while working on that project, the food looks great!

If you have not had the chance to get a Christmas present yet for your loved one, I would definately consider one of their experience vouchers! Plus I am lucky enough to say that after a long busy year, I will be kicking back, smoking jacket and pipe at the ready, log fire blazing and the occassional dip in the pool at the Spa on Christmas Day at Galgorm is just what is required!

Other news in the studio this week is that I returned from Wales safe and sound but will have to embark another plane to London next week for an exciting project over there with the rest of the Gravity team. We have also just completed the design visuals for the new Morrow Foods website and I am looking forward to sharing some sneak peaks of that soon so stay posted.

Anyway folks, hope you have a lovely weekend and if your about the Christmas Market in Belfast, I might just may well see you there!

Gravity has had a busy time recently! We are delighted to announce we are working with two great new clients.

We have just been appointed to work with the Balmoral Show for a very exciting digital project which will be launching at the start of next year. Balmoral Show is a long established event in Northern Ireland and is a constantly evolving brand so we can not wait to bring some digital creativity to the table. Unfortunately we can not share with you what it is yet (even though it is killing us!!) but we promise that it merges our creativity and technology skill-sets to create a unique project for attendees of the show, so stay posted!

Our other great news is that we been appointed to design a new Ecommerce website for Morrow Foods. Our new client specialises in the production of gastronomic quality paté for retail, delicatessens, hotels and restaurants. Morrow Foods also create homemade, restaurant quality ready meals such as Beef Stew and Soups.

Estabalished in 1996 and supplying supermarket giants such as Tesco and Sainsburys, Morrow Foods has been hugely successful and Gravity can not wait to work with them on creativity and the use of technology to enhance their brand prescence online.

If you can’t wait for the launch of the new website to place your orders for Morrow Foods lovely products, pop down to the local supermarket and grab one…I am sure Graham and his team would be delighted!

We will miss the Catherdal Quarter but we felt as we continue to grow that we needed more space and mainly parking! After some looking around we discovered a great office in Beechhill Business Park. We have some friends in the park such as Full Circle and SIA Agencies, the road network links are good, the parking for clients was good, so after some discussions we felt that we would be right at home there.

The next issue was over who got what desks, what furniture was purchased, what sofa was more comfortable but the office is now fully functional and we welcome anybody to drop in and have a coffee with us. There will be more photos posted shortly as we have some some little details to finish…stay posted!

Our new address is: Gravity, Springboard Business Centre, 96 Beechill Road Belfast, BT8 7QN

Again I must apologise for the lack of blog posts but this has been due to a very few hectic months of work and company promotion!! Some would say this is a great thing but means I have not had a chance to update our friends on recent work and the happenings within the Gravity offices.

Recent appearances on BBC Newsline, interviews on radio and with lots of coverage in the newspapers about us we are pleasantly surprised with the coverage and success of our partnership with Backspindle Game’s release of the licensed Sir Terry Pratchett boardgame Guards! Guards! Lots of late nights, plenty of coffee and office banter has kept us going and ultimately doing some nice work for our clients (we really like to call them our friends though!).

We have just completed some great work for Galgorm Resort & Spa‘s new Four Seasons Suite. Along with Chris Heaney the photographer, I had a busy day art directing  a photoshoot at the the new suite. Chris did a great job and produced some great shots that were eventually used in a marketing campaign for the Four Seasons Suite.

Four Seasons 48 Sheet

Not only has Galgorm kept us very busy with the above, we have also completed their Xmas brochure and the marketing literature for Gillies Bar & Grill’s 5th Birthday….I had hoped to be attending but unfortunately sunnier climates will be taking me away!

Christmas Brochure

Gillies 5th Birthday

As mention we recently had a lot of press coverage for being the Digital Partner for Backspindle Games whom have launched a licensed Sir Terry Pratchett boardgame. We were on BBC Newsline, the radio and in many papers, its probably as close as I will ever be to becoming a celebrity!!The website looks great if we say so ourselves and soon there will be an Android and iPhone App to compliment game play. Even if your not a Pratchett fan we highly recommend the game ( a perfect gift, Christmas is close by I am afraid to say!!) so check it out: www.guardsguards.com

Guards! Guards! iPhone & Android App

Still working on lots of other web projects and recently our friends at Family Mediation NI were delighted when we just launched their website a couple of weeks ago. Feedback has been good, with great feedback / comments coming from other professional mediators in London.

With all the above work happening I needed a good drink! I headed to the The Spaniard Bar and then off to Muriels Cafe Bar were I was handsomely rewarded with some mouthwatering cocktails. Work as ever was never too far away and Janine asked if I could enhance her Facebook pages. With delight I said “yes!” and myself and the team set about implementing “reveal tabs” on both Facebook pages. When a user that does not like the page lands on either bar’s page, they are presented with a welcome page that reveals when “like” is clicked. We also hooked the pages up with Twitter feeds and its own TV channel and then set about creating a strategy for the bars. I promise if you like the pages that there will be some interesting competitions happening on the lead up to Christmas….

Enough about work your probably saying! Well the Gravity office team has had some fun in between with some nice overnight stays in Galgorm, a few gadget purchases (mainly iPads!!) and some surfing lessons! Kevin is not only a master of Karate he now thinks he is the next Kelly Slater.

I promise to have a new blog post again shortly as we have some great mobile App projects in the studio!

Gravity, based in the Cathedral Quarter, will ensure fans throughout the US and Europe are able to buy the board game based on Sir Terry’s novel, Guards!Guards!, from his popular and long running Discworld series.

The company is the digital partner for Backspindle Games which has designed the new game.

Gravity Director Draven McConville said: “We are very excited about this. All of us are great fans of Sir Terry and are looking forward to doing our part to get this game out to the thousands of Discworld devotees throughout the US and Europe.”

The company has provided Newtownards-based Backspindle Games with a bespoke e-commerce platform to sell the board game online in the US and Europe and will also manage all online marketing activity.

It is also developing a mobile app so that fans can enjoy strategy tips and background on the Guards!Guards! game at any time.

This is the latest in a series of exciting projects taken on by Gravity, which despite being a young company, has already provided web based solutions to a number of major national and international companies, including Kia Motors, HeartSine Technologies and Galgorm Resort & Spa.

Gravity’s three directors are brand strategy expert Draven McConville, web developer Terry Kernan and software engineer Kevin Lewis. All three are highly respected in the digital media field and have brought existing customers with them to their new enterprise.

Guards!Guards!(1989) was the eighth in the series of Discworld comic fantasy novels series , which are set in a world that is a flat disc carried on the backs of four elephants astride a giant turtle floating through space.

The new board game was designed by David Brashaw and Leonard Boyd of Backspindle Games. They have been Terry Pratchett fans for a very long time and they approached the famous fantasy writer to put his name on it.

The game sees players taking on the role of newly recruited members of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch. With the Eight Great Spells missing from the Unseen University the future of the Disc hangs in the balance. On their quest to save the Discworld, the players are faced with the many hazards of everyday life in Ankh-Morpork, the Discworld’s oldest, grubbiest and least law-abiding city.

Gravity and Backspindle games are featuring on BBC News, Dicing with Death on Disc World!

For more information Guards! Guards! the board game, visit www.guardsguards.com.

Over the past couple of months Gravity has been involved in some very exciting projects. Gravity is delighted to be appointed the digital Partners for USA & Europe for the new Sir Terry Pratchett backed board game, Guards Guards! Discworld boardgame. Progress on the project has been smooth with the development of the website looking good and also the mobile app is in progress. Feel free to check out the Guards! Guards! Facebook page and register as there will be some exciting competitions happening very soon.

Not only have we been lucky enough to have Sir Terry Pratchett on board we have completed projects for Kelly PR, Patterson Graphics, Barretstown Charity and currently working on Family Mediation NI along with many others.

Also recently we had fun doing a photoshoot with Christopher Heaney at Glagorm Resort & Spa. A very long but enjoyable day photographing the new Four Seasons Suite. Photography was great, thanks to Chris, and will be featured in a new advertising campaign we are designing so check back on the blog as we will be showcasing the results.

We promise to be posting blogs alot more often so check back again soon as we will be discussing various topics such as best practise in web design, ecommerce and bespoke software applications mixed in with some humorous updates!

We have got some of our recent projects uploaded to “Our Work” page but over the coming weeks we have plenty to add. We have some exciting projects on the horizon, especially in the ecommerce sector and some great potential social media projects. The Gravity website will always be in continuing development so we appreciate any feedback and we also love to chat so check us out on Facebook and Twitter and share you thoughts or just even a hello!

As they say at the Oscars….we would like to thank all our friends and family for their support, especially for their patience!

We look forward to hearing from some of you and also look forward to continuing to work with our great clients.

The Gravity Team

Kia is a global car manufacturer with the fastest growing market share in the United Kingdom, thanks in part to its clever marketing machine and the solid line up of desirable vehicles with an impressive 7yr warranty, an industry first with what now seems many imitators.

Project Brief

As with all motor dealers, Kia UK Dealers are required to plan in advance their marketing activities for the forthcoming quarter. While a system was in place when Gravity was introduced, it was clear that the current system was not capable of providing the stability required to accommodate a growing dealer network.

Our Solution

We were tasked with creating a new extranet system that would accommodate expontential growth in the dealer network and provide rock solid stability. Our solution comprised of a new extranet, a set of web servers and a connected database system, all housed in a new secure facility with a permanent internet connection. Now the extranet system can cater for thousands of connections and is more responsive than ever, even in the midst of a server restart.

Gravity has partnered with Backspindle Games as the Digital Partner for USA, UK and Europe for the promotion of the boardgame Guards! Guards! licensed by Terry Pratchett. We provide Backspindle with a full digital service: Website Design, Ecommerce platform, Android & iPhone App design & development, Online Marketing and Social Media Strategy.

Project Brief

Backspindle needed an online solution that could sell the boardgame globally. The design of the website was very important as Terry Pratchett fans are very loyal and the website needed to reflect his books as well as the new boardgame. A mobile app to accompany the game and a strategy for social media and online marketing was required to ensure the reach to as many Terry Pratchett fans as possible.

Our Solution

We designed a website that reflected the the illustrations contained within Terry Pratchett and we ensured it had a fantasy feel by using strong graphical elements. The design of the pages was informative like a brochure website to ensure that we could establish the brand feel of the new boardgame online but the structure allows the end user to navigate easily towards the shop facility and purchase the game.

Using our flagship ecommerce package we created a website that can be easily managed by the client. Incorporating contact forms, methods of up-selling and social tools, our package gives Guards! Guards! maximum exposure. We also plugged all registrations from the site into our Email Marketing system ensuring that the client can communicate with fans of the boardgame and also of any future products.

We have been working with Backspindle Games on Social Media Strategy and Online Marketing. This will ensure that the online brand awareness of the boardgame is reached globally. The strategy will help increase the clients visibility on search engines and also to drive traffic to the website that will potentially convert to sales.

Gravity has also developed a Mobile App that will assist gameplay of the boardgame with strategy and tips. The iPhone and Android App has been designed with the same emphasis as the website to ensure brand consistency.

iPhone App & Android App now available for download:

Galgorm Resort & Spa is one of the most prestigious hotels in Ireland. Boasting a spa that was voted 2nd best spa in the world, the resort has established itself as the premier destination to have a luxurious stay in Northern Ireland and is a firm favourite with Wedding Brides to be.

The resort has went through major upgrades over the past number of years and has just recently extended the Four Seasons Suite. A very luxurious suite that merges classical lines with a contemporary feel that any Bride would be delighted to have on her wedding day.

It is a resort that caters to everybody that likes to enjoy a little indulgence  and you can avail of Spa treatments, exquisite fine dining, leisure retreats such as horse riding and much more.

Project Brief

Gravity has worked with Galgorm Resort & Spa on a number of different projects to enhance the resort’s brand position. We have provided various marketing literature such as brochure design, outdoor media design, advertising, and just recently developed a new online voucher transaction service on their website.

Our Solution

We offer Galgorm Resort & Spa a full service agency solution consisting of Brand Strategy, Graphic Design, Print Management, Art Direction & Photography, Media Buying, Web Development and Web Hosting.

Patterson Graphics is a Northern Ireland based company that has been manufacturing point of sale chalkboards for 26 years. All products are handcrafted individually for each client. Clients range from the local pub owner to global drink suppliers.

Project Brief

The client was operating an Ebay store with varying results on sales. As they were trading and distributing their products across Europe, they decided that there was a need for a well branded ecommerce website. They wished to display their products in a clean, easy to navigate manner and the website to have a modern, trustworthy feel that also pointed towards the cafe / bar culture that their products are used in.

Our Solution

We designed a website that reflected the cafe / bar culture that Patterson Graphics boards would be present in. This was created by using a fresh colour palette to show an outdoor feel and also the incoporation of a red and white awning. The design was clean and the structure of the website was key to allowing the end user to navigate easily so best practise in ecommerce design was applied.

Using our flagship ecommerce package we created a website that can be easily managed by the client. Incorporating contact forms, methods of up-selling and social tools, our package gives Patterson Graphics maximum exposure. We also plugged all registrations from the site into our Email Marketing system ensuring that the client can increase sales interest when required.

Currently we are working on an Online Marketing Strategy for Patterson Graphics. This strategy will help increase the clients visibility on search engines and also to drive traffic to the website that will potentially convert to sales. Methods that we may incorporate are Pay Per Click, Search Engine Optimisation and Affiliate Marketing.

Gravity was approached by JK Pubs regarding their existing Social Media platforms for The Spaniard Bar. We were asked how they could improve engagement and overall brand visibility on Facebook and Twitter.

Our Solution

We decided that training was required for two members of staff to enable them to have a better understanding of using Social Media as a business marketing tool. A full day’s training was implemented along with online tools to make the management of their platforms easier and less time consuming.

After the training a strategy document was created. This strategy document outlined the next 6 months activity on Facebook and Twitter to encourage user engagement and increase the number of “likes / followers”. The overall strategy was to give the end user a behind the scenes look at the bar so The Spaniard TV channel was created on their page. This channel was to enable the bar to share entertainment clips, quirky staff profile clips and also tips and recipes for cocktail making by the bar’s own staff that you could recreate at home.

We have also outlined a competition that will run on Facebook to help increase “likes” on the page. The competition is based around the idea of bringing The Spaniard to your home. Unfortunately we can not give away any other information at this stage as the competition will be running later in the year but we do highly recommend you like their page! Just click on the “Visit Site” link above to engage with The Spaniard on Facebook.

To also encourage “likes” on their Facebook page we created a Custom Reveal Tab. The tab is the automatic landing tab that a user will reach if they have not liked the page previously. The user is encouraged to click like to reveal other elements that they can not access until they have done so. We designed the tabs to be consistent with the image and brand feel of The Spaniard Bar and also added in “Sign Up for Newsletter” that plugs directly into Gravity’s email marketing system.

Gravity has been able to increase following on Facebook from 806 to 1506 in 2 months and it continues to grow.

Kelly PR is a Northern Ireland PR company with a list of International clients such as 20th Century Fox and Warner Brothers. Offering a personally tailored service from their clients, Kelly PR have a track record delivering cost effective campaigns with measurable results.

Project Brief

In a very competitive marketplace of PR, Kelly PR required a website that created a distinct image of a dynamic, forward thinking company. They wanted a modern website that had a press related feel, constantly changing and engaging their audience through different social platforms.

Our Solution

In our design we introduced strong typography and columns with the focus of the website being a blog ensuring up to date media content. A fully Content Management System was developed allowing the client access to updating a scrolling image changer, text content and blog posts. All the social media platforms have been introduced ensuring that Kelly PR can create a network with its own clientele but also increasing their clients reach and their own to new markets.

Family Mediation NI is a local charity dealing with parenting issues when couples have divorced, separated or about to be separated. They have a team of highly qualified and experienced mediators across Northern Ireland.

Project Brief

A website audit was carried out by Gravity and presented to FMNI. The conclusion of the audit was that the technology used on the website was out dated and the graphical elements were not consistent with their brand nor engaging with the user. FMNI agreed that they needed to represent their brand online in a more friendly, inviting manner to encourage the end user whom is normally in a distressed nature to make contact.

FMNI also wanted to have a website that engaged the user through video content, online publications for download and also the potential to highlight FMNI as a charity requiring donations. Although they wanted to encourage donations it was deemed too early to have an online transaction facility , instead they want to monitor this and possibly add the functionality at a later date. It was also dicussed that they wanted to highlight that the service was available throughout Northern Ireland and that they offered advice via the telephone.

Our Solution

In our design we introduced emotive imagery and brand consistency with colours. We introduced large typography to focus clearly on key services and a torn paper background to emphasis the distress / torn apart tone of FMNI. Imagery was key on the project so the large emotive imagery at the top displays the distress but the imagery along the bottom displays resolution that FMNI can achieve.

The website had to be easy to navigate and information presented in a simple, clean format. We presented FMNI as a professional organisation but not to the extent that it felt corporate and non inviting. A “call to action” on every page in the format of the brightly coloured telephone image and telephone number was incorporated into the design.

The system is fully content managed and FMNI can update all sections of the website, including the image carousel on the home page, video upload and the password protected publications section for mediators.

South West College delivers Higher and Further Education courses in the counties of Fermanagh and Tyrone across 5 campuses covering many district councils, covering the largest geographical area of the new colleges, with an even more impressive 18,500 students studying each year at SWC.

Project Brief

A new website was required, a website that would take what was accomplished previously and set the bar even higher. With the new academic year fast approaching, Gravity were commissioned to deliver the Content Management System that powers the current site, but there were two weeks to the college was open for full time students enrolling so we had to act fast. They also required a solution for students to be able to access course information from a mobile device.

Our Solution

Our solution was devised of an enterprise content management system, powered by asp.net and sql server. Upon commencement, we drew up a list of widgets that made up the website pages, such as galleries, videos and forms, and created controls that allowed users to place these on any page that required them, this allowed us to pull together a team of content authors that filled the website with the required content with only days left before going live. We also developed a web based app that was mobile friendly. Upon accessing the website from any mobile device, the end user is presented with the option to view a mobile friendly version of the course finder that essentially works like an App but without the requirement for a download.

Heartsine Technologies manufacturer portable defibrillators and distribute them to a worldwide target market. Having roots that go back to the inventor of the portable defibrillator with the Mobile Coronary Care Unit set up by Prof. Frank Pantridge, they have a growing network of distributors and an even bigger list of customers.

Project Brief:

In order to sell such devices in the US market, these devices and the administrative processes involved in manufacturing and shipping these portable defibrillators are audited by the FDA. The old system was clearly incapable of complying with the stringent rules as set by the FDA.

Our Solution:

Gravity were tasked with creating systems that would gather end user warranty registration information and store it in a compliant manner, in accordance with rules as set by the FDA. It would also reduce the amount of labour required to manage the reseller network through centralisation. Our solution provided Heartsine staff with a centralised secure solution reducing downtime due to FDA audits to a minimum.

Gravity was approached by JK Pubs again after the success of The Spaniard Bar on Social Media platforms Facebook and Twitter. It was decided that Muriels Cafe Bar could benefit from the same approach.

Our Solution

We decided that training was required for two members of staff to enable them to have a better understanding of using Social Media as a business marketing tool. A full day’s training was implemented along with online tools to make the management of their platforms easier and less time consuming.

After the training a strategy document was created. This strategy document outlined the next 6 months activity on Facebook and Twitter to encourage user engagement and increase the number of “likes / followers”. The overall strategy was to give the end user a behind the scenes look at the bar so Muriels TV channel was created on their page. This channel was to enable the bar to share entertainment clips, quirky staff profile clips and also tips and recipes for cocktail making by the bar’s own staff that you could recreate at home.

We have also outlined a competition that will run on Facebook to help increase “likes” on the page. The competition is based around the idea of bringing Muriels Cafe Bar to your home. Unfortunately we can not give away any other information at this stage as the competition will be running later in the year but we do highly recommend you like their page! Just click on the “Visit Site” link above to engage with Muriels on Facebook.

To also encourage “likes” on their Facebook page we created a Custom Reveal Tab. The tab is the automatic landing tab that a user will reach if they have not liked the page previously. The user is encouraged to click like to reveal other elements that they can not access until they have done so. We designed the tabs to be consistent with the image and brand feel of Muriels Cafe Bar and also added in “Sign Up for Newsletter” that plugs directly into Gravity’s email marketing system.

Gravity has been able to increase following on Facebook from 912 to 1621 in 2 months and it continues to grow.

Barretstown is an Irish Charity that rebuilds the lives of children affected by childhood cancer and their families. They serve children affected by serious illnesses – primarily cancer and serious blood diseases – from Ireland, Britain and throughout Europe. Their programmes take place at a fairytale castle in the beautiful foothills of Ireland’s Wicklow Mountains.

Project Brief

Our client wanted a web presence for a 5k Fun Run and Family Day that would give a sense of joyfulness and child orientated feel. They wanted to ensure all the information for the day was attainable by the end user and communication channels for receiving sponsorship forms was clear.

Our Solution

Our design was fresh and coincided with literature already produced for the event. A strong use of bright colours and simplicity ensure the website had a fun nature to it. The layout allowed for communication of the calendar of events, a map of of the event and also the ability for flyers to be downloaded allowing the end user to promote for the charity. All sponsors of the event have links to their sites and we connected the website with the current Barretstown charity Facebook page and donation facility.

Almac has the most comprehensive range of integrated drug development services available to the pharmaceutical / biotech industry. The privately owned company employing almost 3000 dedicated professionals, is headquartered in Craigavon, Northern Ireland and has extensive facilities in the UK and US.

Project Brief

The new corporate Almac grew out of 5 distinct businesses all of which had been joined together. Each division had it’s own website which diluted the Almac brand creating confusion among potential customers. We were asked to develop the new website that would present the 5 business as a single corporate entity, yet allow each division control over their content.

Our Solution

Our solution comprised of many different technologies. To ensure that nothing that would compromise Almac could get on the internet without approval, a set of web servers were installed and a tight workflow process setup that oversaw each change request.

Parents Advice Centre (sometimes known simply as PAC) has, since 1979, provided help and support to parents facing any family difficulty. PAC Provides the Parents Helpline and other projects that support parents.

Project Brief

As PAC has grown throughout the years the administrative burden that comes with supporting a growing number of parents each year as well as increasingly strict data protection laws meant that the old contact system that was run by volunteers wasn’t capable of producing any statistical information of value automatically.

Our Solution

Through a technology improvement programme, Gravity helped deliver a new call centre application that removed the administrative burden of dealing with the data protection legislation which revealed a greater call handling capacity. A fully content managed website with an intranet section was also provided which allowed PAC staff keep stakeholders up-to-date.

Eco Building Systems distribute insulation materials to companies in the construction sector throughout the UK and Ireland.

Project Brief

As raw materials are sourced and delivered from across the united kingdom a complex set of delivery routes ruled out using off the shelf systems. Eco Building Systems needed a custom solution in order to minimise the administrative burden to create orders to an absolute minimum.

Our Solution

Our solution consisted of an open source content management system, enhanced by a custom module that handles the ecommerce aspects. This gave the client a great competitive advantage as it not only reduced the time required for development but also the cost.

Hayes Fuels are a leading importer of oil and coal products, with a delivery network that stretches across Ireland supplying premium fuel at a competitive price.

Project Brief

Hayes Fuels new website required that order could be taken online, however, in order to arrive at an accurate cost, the system had to take many things into consideration, not just the volume. Integration was also required with a major payment gateway. As prices are changed daily by staff on site, an easy to use system that needed only minimal training was required.

Our Solution

Our solution was a completely custom ordering system, delivering accurate quotes quickly with a minimum of fuss. Now the site is responsible for generating huge monthly revenues. A modest Search Engine Optimisation phase was also delivered placing Hayes Fuels on the first page for particular keywords.

123 Hire It is an online company providing a hire service to companies and individuals in the UK and Ireland.

Project Brief

A totally new concept to the UK and Irish market, our client required a marketplace platform. They asked for the design to be fresh and vibrant with a well structured approach to navigation and registration. The website was to appeal to a company as well as an individual user and remain gender neutral. The client stipulated that the functionality of the website was to be non complex to the end user but if new functionality was developed at a later stage, then this process should be easily added to the website.

Our Solution

Using cutting edge rapid application development techniques, Gravity was able to deliver a robust solution. This solution consisted of a complete front end website and an adminstration system.