Work Experience Student Shows Hunger for Success

    

  

For the past four days, the fatBuzz team have been privileged to have Lex Moore, a fifteen year old pupil from Wellington School, in the office on work experience.

From social media marketing and video production, to web design and development, Lex has been involved in every aspect of the business.

But rather than us telling you what she’s been up to, we thought we would let Lex do the honour.

On the Tuesday when I arrived here, I spent the morning learning about what fatBuzz does and spent time delving further into social media.

After this, I began to write a blog post about a subject I personally like a lot called The Hunger Games. I wrote two separate articles, one about my favourite character, and the other about why I love The Hunger Games so much. (You can read Lex's blog posts HERE). 

It was interesting and I had fun testing myself on how to write in a way suited to the Internet. I enjoyed the writing aspect a lot.

On the Wednesday while I was here, I had the opportunity to go with Malcolm to film a piece of footage for a company and see how the system works. Later in the day, I set up my own blog using WordPress and was able to personalise it by choosing my own theme.

I also looked over coding using CodeAcademy which helped me learn about coding after I had only touched on it at school.

After lunch I also had a look at Photoshop and was able to edit a header for my blog with David. I learned how to use some simple aspects of Photoshop as I had never used it before.

On Thursday, I went over the blog posts I had written two days previously and edited them quickly to fit my blog.

After this I filmed a couple of videos, one being about my time here at fatBuzz, which you can view above. I edited the video after which was fun, and gave me a view on some editing skills and how to make a video look good.

After adding music and photos into the video we uploaded it to Vimeo. Later on in the day, Joanna and I put my previously written posts onto my blog and added hyperlinks for each post.

We then added my video I recorded about The Hunger Games into my second post. After learning this, WordPress seemed a lot easier to use, and I will definitely be continuing with my blog.

We certainly hope Lex will be continuing with her blog, because she is a terrific writer with undoubted ability. We have no doubt that she is well on her way to achieving her dreams of being a writer or journalist.

You never know, she might even end up working right here at fatBuzz...

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Flat design, your target market and making your site more accessible

It has become something of a taboo subject in design recently: everyone is talking about it, Apple have designed their latest mobile operating system around it, and new websites are popping up every day utilising it (some doing it very well, others not so much). The subject, of course, is flat design.

At this point, we should probably give you a rough overview of what flat design is. No longer do we have thick gradients, heavy shadows and the idea of objects jumping off the screen, and gone are the faux leather books, mock notepads and glossy bubbles. All of this falls under the category of skeuomorphism, which in simplistic terms, is the anti-flat design.

With flat design, we’re treated to block colours, subtle to-the-point-of-being-almost-unnoticeable gradients, no shadows anywhere to be seen (unless necessary to give text a faint definition) and an emphasis on text and imagery to convey the user message.

So, what is our opinion on flat design? We asked fatBuzz web developer and former Apple employee, Jon Mills, the self-confessed loather of skeuomorphism for his (slightly biased) opinion.

Personally, when done well, I love flat design. I think it’s cleaner, easier to navigate and far more appealing to the eye. Equally, a lot of people find it too vibrant, and with the removal of indicators as to what an icon or section denotes, users are finding it difficult to get used to. Ultimately, like any change though, it will take time to adapt.

For me though, there are some understated benefits to flat design, and this was particularly highlighted by one particular client’s requirements.

At fatBuzz, we are managing a site for Superior Homes, a property developer in Kenya (where the infrastructure is still in its infancy regarding internet connections) so we’ve had to ensure that we can deliver certain content at a relatively low file size, so that it can be viewed on a Kenyan connection in reasonable time.

The same can also be said for mobile sites, which will sometimes be accessed on a mobile network that won’t always have the rapid speeds we’re used to here in the UK.

Flat design can help complement both these scenarios, by ridding itself of the code and images required to create a skeuomorphic environment.

For example, a flat designed pink block may only take 3 lines of code, whereas the same block with shadows and gradients could take upwards of 20 lines by the time you’re finished covering all browsers (read my blog on browser compatibility).

Extrapolate that into a full site and you could end up adding several hundreds of lines of code, which will of course take that bit longer to load.

When we’re in an industry where everyone wants information yesterday in the palm of their hand, you need to consider ways to achieve this - and improved loading times of 2-3 seconds could make all the difference to the user experience.

Of course, this does pose a few questions to consider about your existing website, and whether it caters for your target audience.

Do you look at the figures to see where in the world people are viewing your site, and do you consider the devices they view them on? Optimising your site is every bit as important as having a presence on the web, and making sure it’s suitable for your clients isn’t something that should be overlooked.

This is a topic that I could write 30 pages about though, so rather than overwhelm you with countless facts and figures, I would invite anyone with questions regarding flat design, their target audience and/or site optimisation, to get in touch with either myself, David or Stuart on 0141 427 0727.

I’ll leave you with a link to the very best of flat design http://fltdsgn.com/ - please let us know which site is your favourite and why by commenting on the blog or on Twitter or Facebook.

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Quick Buzz - What is Responsive Design?

How often do you use your smartphone or tablet to access a website? And how often is that website compatible with the device your using to view it?

Since the craze of the iPhone, Android phones and tablet devices began, more and more people have realised that they were losing traffic due to the fact that their website could not be viewed on mobile devices.

Over the years, the way that we view websites has changed massively. Building content was pretty straightforward; you had two browsers, rendering content in a very similar fashion.

Businesses started realising that they had to have a website that was accessible on all platforms, to make  its users time on their site a lot easier, no matter what they visited the site on, whether it be desktop, iPhone or iPad etc.

Ten years on and we had more browsers, more styling techniques, and ultimately, more permutations to design and build for. We not only have multiple browsers to contend with, we also have multiple platforms, with the introduction of tablets and smartphones.

It goes without saying that your site will display on all of the above, but, of course, you want it optimised for your audience. This is where responsive design comes in.

To view more videos, please visit fatBuzz.TV

Here's some examples of the site we've worked on that are now responsive

www.thelustreclinic.com

www.primestaff.co.uk

www.punkroyal.com

If you'd like to know more about responsive design, then please feel free to give Jon, or David a call on 0141 427 0727

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More New Faces at fatBuzz

You may have noticed that we have been looking to add some new faces to our ever-growing team, and after an extensive search, we are delighted to welcome Graeme Geddes and Jon Mills to the fatBuzz family.

Graeme, the newest member of the Social Media team, joins us after spending the last year gaining some valuable experience in the PR industry. It is this experience that has allowed Graeme to develop the skills he learnt while studying at college and then university.

Graeme holds qualifications in Graphic Design, Advertising & PR, and Media & Communication. After finishing his honours year at Glasgow Caledonian University, he managed to spend time with two of Scotland’s most successful PR agencies; firstly The Holyrood Partnership, followed by The BIG Partnership.

Before joining fatBuzz, Graeme was drafted into Foundation Scotland (formerly the Scottish Community Foundation) to help the organisation as it went through a rebrand. Part of his remit there was to assist with the Foundation’s new website, create press releases, and to implement a Social Media strategy.

In his spare time, Graeme likes to DJ; playing in a number of Glasgow’s favourite nightspots. You’ll also find him with his eyes glued to his computer or iPhone screen as he explores the world of social media, spending a lot of time with his friends and family, and trying to control his very energetic puppy, Brodie.

Jon Mills, an honours graduate in Computing at University of the West of Scotland, is the newest member of our Web Design and Development team.

Up until now, Jon has worked on a freelance basis, travelling the world helping startup companies as far away as Berlin, Orlando.... and Inverness!

Jon has always been interested in the IT industry and, in his own words, could work a keyboard and mouse before he could walk! He started to teach himself the ins and outs of the web at the age of 14 and has progressed his skills over the years, culminating in him further fattening our already rotund team.

Outside of work, Jon enjoys listening to music, playing football and in particular, travelling; with Rome and Madrid next on his list of places to visit.

If you want to join Graeme and Jon and the rest of the fatBuzz team, we are still looking to recruit a PHP developer with e-commerce experience. If you are interested in the position, please email kyle@fatbuzz.com for further information. Alternatively, if you know anyone who would be interested, please share this blog post with them and let them know about this opportunity.

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Join The fatBuzz Team

In response to an increase in business and the addition of several new contracts, we are looking to bring in some new faces to join the fatBuzz team.

We are looking for one full-time Web Developer and one full-time Social Media Account Assistant to come in and work with us at our offices in Glasgow.

We are looking for all the obvious attributes (hard-working, enthusiastic, self motivating, ambitious etc) but, more importantly, we want someone who fits with our culture and who is keen to be part of the fun team at fatBuzz.

Full-Time Web Developer

fatBuzz work with a wide variety of clients and this role will involve working with organisations, large and small, in the consumer, professional and charity sectors. 

The successful applicant will work alongside our design team and our clients on website design and development. 

The position will be based in our Glasgow office at Kinning Park and, though not essential, a driving licence would be an advantage. 

Salary and package will be commensurate with experience.

Key Requirements:

Good knowledge of HTML / HTML 5 & CSS
Good understanding of Wordpress or other CMS
Some experience working with Jquery / Javascript
Comfortable working with designs in Photoshop
Good attention to detail

Must be able to:

Code a fully functional HTML website from scratch using a provided Photoshop .psd file
Turn HTML code into a working Wordpress Theme / Template
Create fresh / modern website designs from scratch or from clients' specifications

Plus Points:
Knowledge of mobile / responsive web design and development
Knowledge of databases
Understanding of PHP scripting
Creating / editing Wordpress plugins
Branding design experience

In the first instance you should send your CVs, cover letter, links to previous work and any other relevant information to kyle@fatbuzz.com. All applications will be strictly confidential.

Full-Time Social Media Account Assistant 

As part of our growing Social Media team, you will help our core staff work directly with clients on marketing, social media engagement and developing online communities.

Ideally, you will have a good understanding of social media and marketing but, more importantly, you will have good writing and oral communication skills.

This role would be an ideal opportunity for a marketing or media student looking for experience in this burgeoning industry.

The positions will be based in our Glasgow office at Kinning Park and, though not essential, a driving licence would be an advantage.

Salary and package will be commensurate with experience.

Key Requirements:

A strong understanding of social media

Ability to effectively communicate information and ideas in written and verbal format

Excellent time management and organisational skills
Copywriting and/or blogging experience
Experience of social media marketing

Must Be Able To:

Build and maintain working and credible relationships

Work independently and within a team environment

Manage multiple projects and work to tight deadlines

Plus Points:

Good understanding of Wordpress or other CMS
Comfortable working with / creating designs in Photoshop, InDesign etc

In the first instance you should send your CV, cover letter and any other relevant information to kyle@fatbuzz.com. All applications will be strictly confidential.

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New-Bees are Buzzing

We revealed last month that we were looking for two new mouths to feed at fatBuzz - and we are delighted to announce that we have found the perfect candidates!

Firstly, we would like to welcome our new Social Media Account Manager, Joanna Robb, to the team.

Joanna had been interning with fatBuzz for six months, and she has always been a major part of the fatBuzz team, but we thought it was about time we made it official!

Joanna graduated from Glasgow Caledonian University with a 2:1 Honours Degree in Marketing, and in addition to keeping the fatBuzz boys in check, she will work directly with a range of clients on marketing, social media engagement and developing online communities.

While carrying out 'extensive' research for this post, we found out that Joanna used to attend RSAMD Theatre Group... which really does explain a lot! 

In all seriousness, Joanna is a real people person with an infectious, bubbly personality and we are confident that she will bring a range of additional skills to the team.

We are also delighted to welcome our latest web developer/designer, Chris Winch, to the team.

Chris is a web and graphic designer from Dumbarton, with vast experience in developing websites for a range of businesses across various sectors. 

We knew Chris was the perfect candidate for this role as soon as we met him; he is experienced, enthusiastic and ambitious, but most importantly, he fits in perfectly with the fatBuzz culture.

Chris' main skills lie in HTML/CSS, WordPress and Graphic Design, but he is also vastly experienced with UX/Usability, Responsive and Mobile Web Design and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).

Interestingly, we have just found out that Chris and our other web developer David actually went to school together, although they didn't know each other at the time!

It really is a small world, isn't it?

In saying that, we are sure that our own little world will continue to grow and we look forward to welcoming lots of new faces to the fatBuzz team in 2013.

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fatBuzz - A big FAT year!

It's been a really busy year for fatBuzz and now that we are moving into another year we thought we would highlight some changes that have taken place over the past 12 months.

NEW ADDITIONS
Since our re-brand, we have moved to a smashing new office space in Kinning Park that acts as home to our ever expanding fatBuzz family.  Although the office is bigger than we were used to, the bigger space is needed as there are a few new faces that have been added to the fatBuzz family. This is in response to the development of relationships with existing clients in marketing, social media, design and events and, the addition of many new clients throughout the year.

In June Kirsty joined the team as our new Social Media Account Manager and only weeks ago we welcomed David, our new Web Developer. We also have Emma, our intern, working with us every Friday afternoon.

We would also like to thank Jennifer Holloway who has contributed some extremely popular content to this blog during 2011, we look forward to more insights into personal branding from Jennifer in 2012.

NEW CLIENTS AND NEW RELATIONSHIPS
We've had the pleasure of working with many new clients including, Blackwood Foundation, Colordarcy, CommsWorld, Cumbernauld College, Grant Property, Kirkwood Fyfe, Miascape, Mister Singh's, Mitchells, Morton Fraser, QD Events, Scotland Rugby League, SecuriGroup, The Booking Room, The Golf Lounge and, Today's Great Deal. We are really looking forward to working with each of them in the new year.  In addition, we have around six new relationships to announce early in 2012.

We are also really delighted to see our existing clients developing their design and social media activities; an excellent example of this is evident in a recently written post about one of our clients, Deans. They have decided that with our initial help, support and guidance they are now confident and knowledgeable enough to take their Social Media Management in-house. It’s not the end of the relationship between fatBuzz and Dean’s; it’s the start of a new relationship - read the post to find out about our approach to guiding clients in social media.

DESIGN 

Many people forget that as well as providing Social Media strategies to businesses, fatBuzz offer a full range of design expertise including Branding, Print Design, Web Design and Web Development. Things have been going particularly well with our design clients, so much so that David our new Web Developer has joined us to help with the hectic schedule and we are really excited about developing our list of clients in Web Development and Design in 2012.

Some of design projects that we have worked on throughout the year: John Dick & Son, Minoan Group, The Partners Suite, Vision OS, Orli Designs, The Beauty Cellar, Empire, Encore FS, With Kids, Gormac Coachworks,  Cancer Research UK and, With Kids

NEW MEDIA BREKFAST
The New Media Breakfast has gone from strength to strength and we are really delighted with the previous 12 months and we are excited about the forthcoming year. Thank you to all our guest speakers with a special shout for Mitch Joel, CC Chapman, Paul Levinson and Donna Papacosta, all of whom contributed video content for the New Media Breakfast. The biggest thank you is of course reserved for all of you who attended a breakfast during the year, your support is greatly appreciated. We're looking forward to seeing you in 2012 for more bacon rolls, coffee and discussions on New Media developments and how they can be integrated into your business.

GORDON SPREADS THE SOCIAL MEDIA LOVE!
Not only have we been really busy with design, events and social media but Gordon has also been busy with a number of speaking engagements including SIE, The Entrepreneurial Exchange, The Event Organisers Conference, Elevate's Integrated Marketing Communications Seminar, Grampian Food Forum and B2BShowcase, Glasgow.

SOCIAL MEDIA PODCAST
Our Social Media Podcast has enjoyed lots of success this year with subscription numbers continuing to increase and episodes reaching No.1 in the Audio Podcasting category on iTunes on more than one occasion.  A special thanks to Sallie Goetsch who has generously contributed to the podcast during the year. The series has reached an epic 41 episodes with our latest Christmas Episode available here. Gordon and Iain are STILL struggling to agree on anything! Will they ever?

EVENTS
It has been a busy year within our events department having organised numerous Charity events including the St Patrick's Day Ball and With Kids' Mid Summer Ball.

2012 is set to be another hectic year as we are planning St Patrick's Day 10th Anniversary Ball, The Rotary Club of Scotland's centenary Ball and we are delighted to have been appointed to organise 3 events for With Kids during 2012 - watch this space for more information on these and other events..

fatBuzz FLOWER

Our beloved fatBuzz Flowers continue to put smiles on our clients faces. Don't worry if you haven't yet received one, we haven't intentionally left you out... we'll get to you eventually! If you feel that you have been missed out, give us a nudge by letting us know on our Facebook page.

So it's fair to say it's been a pretty busy year for fatBuzz and we have enjoyed every second of it!  Here's to 2012 and all it has to bring. We would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a truly wonderful New Year!


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Quick Buzzin' for Christmas

Here we have brought you latest addition to the Quick Buzz Series. "Quick Buzz" is a series of 30-60 second videos clips by fatBuzz bringing you news, events and updates from the world of Design, Marketing and Social Media. You can find these videos on our YouTube Channel, Facebook Page and of course our Blog. 

Here we have the newest member of the fatBuzz team, David, our new web developer. David tells us that it is important to not only make sure that your website is nice to look at, but easy for the visitor to use as well.

Here Kirsty takes us through one of the new changes to the business Facebook pages. During a normal day's work, Kirsty stumbled across a new app for facebook business pages. This app allows you to create discussion forum on your page.

Finally we have Gordon talking about how it is important to manage your linkedin content responsibly and courteously. In this video, Gordon gives a good example of a situation he was in, regarding his linkedin content, so he talks us through the correct process of dealing with your profile properly

That's all for now but keep and eye out for more Quick Buzzes from the fatBuzz Team.

If you have any questions about the topics mentioned above, or you have suggestions for a topic you would to hear in a future Quick Buzz, please let us know on our Facebook Page, and member of the team will get back to you. 

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fatBuzz just keeps getting fatter!

It's busy busy busy in the fatBuzz office, so much so that we have a welcomed new addition to the fatBuzz family. We are absolutely delighted to welcome David, our new web developer.

Let us introduce David:

"I've had a huge passion for the web and graphic design from a young age. For the last four Years I have worked on many freelance projects for web, apparel and identity for a selection of clients that include musicians, small companies, photographers and journalists.

I am very excited to be part of the fatBuzz team because I believe they provide an excellent service to their clients in all aspects of design, marketing and social media. I look forward to bringing fresh, innovative ideas to the web developing division of the team.  My main aim is to provide the clients with a unique, user friendly website that is aesthetically engaging and stands out from the rest; ensuring them a prominent presence on the web."

We would like to take this opportunity once again to welcome David to the team and we're all looking forward to what exciting new ideas he will bring to not only fatBuzz but our clients as well. 

It's been two weeks since David's first day in the fatBuzz HQ, and he has already proven to be a great addition to the growing fatBuzz team.

If you have any questions for David regarding web development, please don't hesitate to email him. 

And be sure to keep an eye out for some new and exciting websites very soon. 

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