Due to be launched in summer 2010, the site is designed to build on the popularity of the brochure, ‘The EU: What’s in it for me?’ which was first launched in 2007 and showed U.K residents aspects of everyday life that the EU contributes to.

The website will be available at www.the-eu-and-me.org.uk and will offer information, multimedia and news in a concise and accessible format. A wide range of topics will be covered, including the EU contribution to economic growth, protecting consumer interests, fighting crime & policing borders, and making our food and environment safer.

Cyber-Duck’s role will range from strategic planning of the website and analysis of how to make it more accessible to search engines, through to design, web production and creation of multi-media interactive content that actively engages users.

The user feedback has so far been excellent with a first time buyer registering every 20 minutes – Hablib is already working towards its goal of allowing anyone in the U.K to buy, sell or rent homes at no cost.

Hablib.com brings together social media and property listings online. It offers an alternative to the usual property advertising offering; 0% estate agency fees on sales and 0% letting fees on rentals so that consumers can sell and rent properties online and free of charge.

Although designed to be extremely easy to use for all site visitors, behind the scenes the Hablib system is extremely complex. The site includes a wide variety of AJAX functionalities such as suggestive search, affiliate support, integrated payment gateways and APIs with other companies. Furthermore, all automated processes were designed to strictly adhere to the many regulatory requirements involved in offering property sales services.

The Managing Director of Hablib Anton Kreil, a high profile UK entrepreneur and star of the BBC’s TV show ‘Million Dollar Trader’ has said:

“From the outset it was clear that the user experience was a critical factor in realising my dreams for Hablib. My vision was to bring a fairer approach to the property market and I felt that Cyber-Duck were best placed to transform this vision into an online reality. Cyber-Duck have consistently guiding me through the inherently technical, regulatory and legal minefields that can surround a project of this nature and size. It’s been a great working relationship, and I’m delighted with the outcome”.

Read the official press here: http://ow.ly/1b63G

Boonspace, Cyber-Duck’s latest web development, is an exciting new service that allows users to send virtual emotional gifts along with personalised cards, photos, audio and video messages to loved ones. A cash sum can also be attached to each Boonspace gift and sent securely via the internet so the recipient can choose a real gift to go along with their virtual one.

The service is perfect for those that find themselves away from home and the people that are important to them for long stretches of time. Boonspace makes it possible for people such as servicemen and women, students studying abroad, travellers and ex-pats to send something meaningful to family and friends who are far away.

As part of a series of promotions to mark the imminent launch of the Boonspace website on December 10th, anyone who signs up to Boonspace for free by November 30th will be automatically entered into a prize draw to win a brand new 8G iPod Touch. All you need is a name and a valid email address and you could be receiving an early Christmas present.

To be in with a chance of winning, visit Boonspace and sign up before November 30th. Good Luck!

Find out more about Boonspace on YouTube.

The Challenge

The BAM team set Cyber-Duck quite a challenge but, yet again, we have proved ourselves up to the task.
BAM is one of the UK’s largest construction organisations operating from 12 regional offices and employing almost 3000 staff nationwide. One of the key objectives of the brief was to integrate the diverse business and service sectors covering the core areas of property development, design, construction, engineering, FM and plant hire.

The original BAM website was lacking usability. It was difficult to navigate and the overall layout and design was uninspiring.

BAM recently underwent a corporate rebrand, so the new site had to tie in with the company’s new printed branding whilst still making a huge impact on the screen.

The Solution

Cyber-Duck’s brand new website for BAM fits perfectly with the company’s contemporary vision using a simple and effective graphics style.

The website reflects BAM’s versatile and integrated approach and brings together separate websites into an all-encompassing new one. Users can browse and explore BAM’s profile, case studies, press releases and much more, giving BAM a distinct edge on many of its nearest competitors.

The flash banners on the homepage create interest, drawing the user in and highlighting some of BAM’s fantastic feats of architecture.

The new website is much more user-friendly in its layout with easier navigation throughout and uses additional banners and images to inspire and engage viewers’ interest. BAM’s incredible portfolio of projects is showcased using case studies that are arranged in a consistent and orderly manner.

Cyber-Duck implemented a unique profiling system that helps different users find exactly what they need immediately. For example, job applicants can search and apply for jobs online and subcontractors can apply to become a BAM-approved supply chain member.

The Outcome

Since the launch, traffic and enquiries to the site have seen a noticeable increase.

Barbara Cahalane, BAM’s Director of Corporate Communications, says, “The new site is full of visual appeal and market intelligence, aimed at allowing our clients to see inside how we design, construct and manage the integrated services BAM offers. And it lets our people tell our story. Our graduate trainees show and tell those who want careers in construction what it is like. It helps our supply chain to find out what they need to do to work with us.”

Danny Bluestone, Managing Director of Cyber-Duck added, “It’s been a pleasure working with a forward-thinking company like BAM, to produce a leading-edge website that gives an inside view of the construction process from start to finish, while radically enhancing their online presence”.

In addition to working with Halcyon Gallery, Cyber-Duck will be working Halcyon’s Gallery’s sister art centres Washington Green and Castle Gallery.

Cyber Duck will be overhauling the current Halcyon website, implementing a brand new design within the perimeters of the current Halcyon Gallery branding and working with Halcyon Gallery on improving backend database systems.

The new website will feature vibrant photography of both the Gallery and the pieces it houses, along with detailed analyses of the work, set in a clean design. Creating a sleek and uncluttered layout will be fundamental to the site- the layout must support the artwork, not detract from it.

Halcyon Gallery, which has exhibition rooms at New Bond Street and Bruton Street, Central London, has displayed work by some of the greatest artists of our time including Bob Dylan, Eve Arnold, Douglas Hoffman and many other names. Currently the Gallery is housing a collection of Lorenzo Quinn’s striking symbolist cast sculptures.

The Challenge:

Since its launch in May 2007, the Greenworks Energy website has been incredibly successful. The company has undergone rapid expansion, adding many new energy-saving products to its range which were not being showcased on the original website. In addition to this, Greenworks Energy was keen to bring the website into line with the latest company branding offline.

On top of this, Greenworks needed to show off to the suppliers they work with and provide technical downloads in an easy to use way to help customers find the right energy solution for them

The Solution:

With the addition of so many new products to the Greenworks Energy line, it was necessary to create a new left-hand navigation to help cut down on unnecessary clutter and make it easier for users to find relevant information. The design team created quirky icons for each product, brightening up the left hand navigation whilst conveying the information clearly.

The interactive house flash animation was updated, not only to include new products available but also to incorporate the new colour coding system used in Greenworks Energy’s print materials.
New images and diagrams were added to back up new and detailed product information, which has been split into expandable spans to make it easier to digest.

The Outcome:

The website is now far more in line with Greenworks Energy’s other branding. The site has kept its unique interactive house and bathroom which have proved so popular with users in the past and will continue to draw in users in the future.

On top of this, now all of the suppliers of various eco-friendly technologies and their technical information are under one roof making it easier than ever for people to find the right eco solution for their house or business.

This week Cyber-Duck has launched a brand new website for office recycling company, Paper-Round. Paper-Round’s old website was dull, tired and failing to get users interested in Paper-Rounds long-term services. Monthly enquiry stats were low and customers nearly always opted for Paper-Round’s one-off services. Paper-Round needed a new, fresh site that was user-friendly and really conveyed to customers how fantastic Paper-Round’s service options are.

The Challenge

• Create a fully-functional website that allows users to choose and create a profile based on company size and recycling requirements. Members should then have access to their own login area.
• Convey large amounts of recycling information in a concise and easy-to-digest and engaging manner.
• Put together a fresh website design with simple-to-use navigation and engaging graphics.
• Instil brand confidence in every user.

The Solution

Users can choose from three tailor-made recycling profiles to best suit their office’s needs. There is a pay-as-you-go option for smaller businesses or for those that would like to try the service out before committing.

Cyber-Duck put together a simple and engaging design to help users understand the way in which each profile differs and which is best for their business. Pay-as-you-go users can also join online without having to lodge an enquiry. This method of separating user groups has helped to seriously speed up the enquiries process, giving users a better experience.

Users can also buy their recycled stationary from a miniature ecommerce shop set up within the website.

The Result

Paper-Round now has a cool, clean new website, built from a user-centric perspective. The fun graphics clearly demonstrate what each service is about and liven up the design. Juicy lime tones convey a green way of live while flash icons convey information in a space-saving and engaging manner.

Within three days of going live the site received a staggering amount of enquiries (more in three days than the old site did per month).

Visit Paper-Round online to explore their recycling services

Jewellery Stylist source the most prestigious jewellery jobs and the most qualified and capable candidates across the UK. The brand new website will make finding the perfect jewellery job or the right candidate for a vacancy quick and easy. Jewellery Stylist’s old website was dingy, tired and in great need of refurbishment which Cyber-Duck was happy to provide.

The Challenge

Jewellery Stylist needed a clean, uncluttered new website to best showcase the company’s expertise in the field of luxury jewellery recruitment. Jewellery Stylist’s fantastic array of brilliant jobs had to be featured in a clear and user-friendly manner, to encourage the best candidates to apply.

The Solution

Cyber-Duck completely overhauled the tired old website design, implementing a fresh new layout and colour scheme, based on high-end jewellery branding. Cyber-Duck put together a fully integrated CMS/CRM system so Jewellery Stylist could populate the site with new jobs and take down listings when the position had been filled. Users would also be able to submit their details and CV online. On top of this Jewellery Stylist also have the capability to view applicants and manage them (such as offering the position, rejecting them, or matching them up to another job more suited to them).

The Result

The new website dramatically speeds up the recruitment process and provides recruiters with the highest quality candidates that will excel in their new career and gain real job satisfaction.
Candidates can easily search for and find jewellery jobs in London as well as apply for them online.

Recruiters are also carefully selected so candidates are only ever put forward for positions with professional and respectable employers. Likewise recruiters are only ever introduced to candidates who are qualified and match the job description.

Cyber-Duck have launched a new website for Greenworks Energy, part of the Graham Plumber Merchant Group. The green energy website promotes Greenworks’ green products that save energy and water resources whilst also saving money for eco conscious home-owners, property developers and architects. The professional web design also allows UK plumbers and builders to get online quotes, call-backs, latest green energy information and bespoke training courses in the installation of environment friendly products and services.

The Challenge

As leaders in the building and plumbing industries respectively, Jewson and Graham Plumber Merchants specified that the new Greenworks website had to be powerful, easy-to-use and aesthetically very professional and slick looking. At the time Greenworks had no online presence so therefore it was important that the site could create lasting impressions for its users with its clean layout, stunning graphics and superior interactivity, whilst also being search engine friendly so that it could quickly achieve top rankings on SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) for relevant key phrases.

The Solution

The website Cyber-Duck produced ticked all of these boxes with a stunning design that was both highly interactive and professional. The Greenworks website has an innovative profile select feature which gives users bespoke content and CTAs (call-to-actions) specific to their requirements. Cyber-Duck also implemented easy-to-use flash interfaces such as the interactive eco friendly house and the interactive water conserving bathroom to show users quickly and easily how and where they can save energy, water and money. The strong information architecture within this professional web design for Greenworks, also breaks down a plethora of information into easy to read segments making the website very user friendly.

The Result

Greenworks online presence has grown exponentially since the site launch, with more and more leads being generated via the site every month, which is also partly down to the ongoing online marketing work which are performing on behalf of Greenworks to get them top rankings in search engines. The website has received many plaudits from other industry professionals and experts, resulting in it being shortlisted in several green web design awards.

To find out more about Cyber-Duck and our award winning web design services please visit: http://www.cyber-duck.co.uk

After a competitive pitch and detailed brief Cyber-Duck launch a new property site for www.greenstone.com, North West London estate agents specialising in residential sales and lettings in St John’s Wood, Little Venice, Belsize Park and West Hampstead areas.

Ground breaking property website production

The website was produced from the ground up with the emphasis on creating a superior and pleasurable user experience. The website offers a fresh, clean and distinctive feel to allow users to easily find flats and properties. The Website is not only ground breaking in terms of design but offers many features to improve traditional browsing of properties. The Website was produced in a record time of 10 working weeks due to the rigorous project management and planning processes and the excellent design by Jan Bencko and the Cyber-Duck team.

Innovative Web 2.0 features

Cyber-Duck integrated innovative Multi-Map technology including ‘draggable’ and ‘zoomable’ maps so that users can view geographical proximities of properties even within search results. The website features Live Chat to allow instant chat and MSN style communication between property punters with Greenstone letting and sales experts. The website also offers Call back requests for busy property punters who require a call back (immediate or at a later time). Danny Bluestone, Cyber-Duck’s Managing Director adds: “We work with Greenstone on a daily basis. Cyber-Duck are thrilled that Greenstone are visionaries and were excited about the prospects from the storyboard stage as Greenstone understood the benefits and value of user centric design, Web 2.0 technology and Search Engine Optimisation from the beginning.”

Easy to manage property listing CMS

The backend interfaces and functionality is a masterclass of interactive design in its own right, Cyber-Duck developed ‘Categorical Registration’ functions that allow Greenstone’s Web Masters to easily monitor and manage all types of enquiries. Greenstone.com also enjoys a superior CMS (Content Management System) to create, edit and delete properties. Sylvain Reiter, Cyber-Duck’s Development Manager adds: “By taking a User Centric design approach to our Web Design and combining it with proven technologies and innovative Web 2.0 services Cyber-Duck were able to produce a website that is easy to use for both properties punters and Greenstone staff. It is vital that the Web Masters and Web administrators can quickly and easily update the website.”

Get in touch!

We would love to hear your feedback on the site. Please go to the contact page to let us know your comments.