macclesfield

Totally Locally – Fiver Fest

Using Twitter can have some amazing benefits. You can show everyone what you’re having for lunch, rant about the football results and even upload embarrassing videos of your friends and collegues. Every so often, it can also be used to establish valuable contacts and learn about interesting events, networks and initiatives.

One such example of this was a Twitter conversation between our director Alex and the rather brilliant folk at Totally Locally Macclesfield. The Totally Locally initiative is a fantastic scheme which is currently being rolled out across the UK, helping independent businesses up and down the country. You can find out more at their website – totally-locally.co.uk

Totally Locally Graphic - Town Kit

Those who take part in the development of the initiative are volunteers, and with limited resources, they rely on the support of other local businesses in the area. This is where we stepped in. Totally Locally Macclesfield needed a map and promotional flyer creating for their Fiver Fest event. We offered our design services.

Totally Locally Macclesfield Fiver Fest Flyer

Totally Locally Macclesfield Fiver Fest Flyer

A hand-made feel was requested. We added a clean design to ensure that the vast amount of information required could be displayed in a simple and easy to read format. We selected simple colours and a rustic typeface in order to achieve the homespun feel they wanted.

Totally Locally Macclesfield fiverfest front

Totally Locally Macclesfield fiverfest reverse

If you are Macclesfield based you will be likely to spot these flyers throughout the town center. Fiver Fest runs until September 15th.

DMJ Vintage

On Friday we took some time out of our busy schedules, braved the cold and headed just down the road to have a snoop at new vintage shop, Donald & Miss June. DMJ Vintage officially opened it’s doors on Saturday but we went to knock on the door for a sneaky preview (we’re a bit nosy that way).

The shop itself is small but perfectly styled with classic G-Plan furniture, Lichtenstein artwork, vintage radios, hi-fi’s, cameras, books, speakers and more, all carefully chosen and cleverly displayed.

DMJ Vintage Shop Macclesfield

DMJ Vintage Shop Macclesfield

Steve had a good old rummage and came away with a vintage camera and a wish list as long as his arm. We admired the classic pieces of furniture, debated how we could fit them in the studio and leafed through the seventies Habitat catalogs and classic design journals.

DMJ Vintage Shop Macclesfield

DMJ Vintage Shop Macclesfield

Alongside the high quality vintage finds, the shop also stocks Mathmos Lava lamps and Steepletone record players in a vast array of styles and colours. The talented Mr Lock, co-owner of the shop, can convert any vintage 8 track to play music through your ipod. Style and practicality in one unit.

DMJ is expecting lots of exciting new stock over the coming weeks. If you’re in the Cheshire area, be sure to pop in. If Steve goes missing – we’ll know where to find him!

Merry Christmas

It’s that time of year again. The cold, dark nights have taken hold and Christmas is upon us. It’s almost time for us to shut down our computers, lock up the studio and head home for a well deserved break.

This week the ADOsquad have been diligently working away to ensure that all work is wrapped up and that our clients and their businesses are prepared for the festive break.

It’s been busy. We’ve worked our way through a fair few mince pies and the studio has been filled with festive music. Some of which was provided by our good friend, the Manchester based artist Kamal Arafa, who, along with some talented musician friends, has written and recorded a fantastically festive song “It’s Christmas Time Again”! We were lucky enough to be one of only 50 recipients to receive a free copy (ours was #11). You can have a listen to it here.

Kamal and Friends - It's Christmas Time Again

Kamal also designed the cover artwork. Do you like his style? He also designs t-shirts, have a look and buy one of them here via his online store. So thanks to Kamal (and said mince pies) we are feeling well and truly in the festive mood.

We will be in the studio until Friday afternoon and we will be locking the doors until our return to work on the 7th January 2013. However, Steve will be available via email (steve@adomedia.co.uk) for any problems or enquiries you may have over the holidays. But do remember, poor Steve needs a holiday too, so please keep it only to urgent enquiries where possible!

It’s been a very busy year for us, and the new year looks set to be our busiest yet! We are all looking forward to a fresh start in January when we will be rolling out some exciting new plans.

We would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a fantastic new year.

A Volkanic Evening…

When a person is truly enthused by what they do, it emanates. When they can articulate that enthusiasm with well-researched facts and a genuine passion, it is simply infectious.

Last night we were lucky enough to be treated to a talk by one such person, in a very intimate setting with a decent coffee and a quality Sauvignon, surrounded by a handful of like-minded creative folk. It was fantastic.

As Global Head of Business Development – Games at Research In Motion, or BlackBerry as you may know it, Volker Hirsch is used to a slightly larger stage than the floor of the Inca Café in Macclesfield, and watching him speak, you imagine that he could certainly fill it. His genuine in-depth knowledge, understanding and passion is truly inspiring, not only because of the subject matter, which was certainly an eye opener, but because of his palpable energy and conviction.

So often in this industry, it is easy to be caught up in your own work bubble, to deal only with your clients and colleagues and spend little time with the other creative, passionate and hard working people who surround you and share your line of work. It is all too easy for people offering digital services (and in all industries, I imagine) to fall into that trap of seeing your work simply as a way to make a quick buck. Get a job in, churn it out as quickly as possible for maximum profit, get paid, go home.

Last night’s meeting, and the fact that talented people, who could have been at home having made their day’s wage, came together to listen to what Volker had to share and to meet and share their own knowledge, was inspiring to say the least. Being creative is what it is all about, being passionate and genuine. Doing your absolute best with every job, not because it makes you more money, but because you love what you do and take unquestionable pride in your work. Because your work is who you are.

Later, over a few drinks, Volker talked earnestly of the importance of doing what you love, not simply for financial gain, not for recognition, but because it is the only way to truly live. Do you know what? He’s right.

Team ADO would like to say a big thank you to Volker for giving up his evening, inspiring us, and being a genuinely great chap. And to Chris @ Abstraktion, another genuinely great chap, for using his valuable time to organise the Digital Edge meet ups, getting us out of the studio and amongst like-minded and inspiring individuals who have given us a feeling of renewed vigour and excitement.

We love what we do, we take true pride in our work and we will never compromise on this. Changes happen and sometimes the proverbial dung hits the fan, but last nights meet up reminded us that we are on the right track. We are lucky to be surrounded by like minded people who just want to share their passion, who do take pride in their work and a genuine interest in yours. We will move forward, inspired, and continue to do what we love with pride and enthusiasm. Can you say this much about your work? If not, get on with it! It feels great.

AJ Tyzack goes live

As usual, team ADO has been working hard over the last few weeks, launching new web projects left, right and centre.

One week it’s events co-ordination, the next, a local micro brewery. It’s one of the things we love about our line of work, getting to meet a vast cross section of different people from all walks of life and areas of industry. People who are passionate about their work, who allow us to learn a bit about what they do and help them to push their business forward. It really is inspiring stuff!

This week’s launch is a very interesting project for a Cheshire based company, AJ Tyzack, who provide technical sales services for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, chemical and cosmetic industries throughout the UK and Ireland. We used an uncomplicated colour palette of blue and black combined with a clean white background to create a fresh and clinical design, which accurately reflects the company’s line of expertise and places emphasis on the simple, punchy imagery dotted around the site, in order to quickly get their message across to potential clients. Take a look at the results here and see what you think.

AJ Tyzack web site screen shot

What will it be next week? Watch this space and find out…

You can view our latest produce at www.ajtyzack.com

Anyone for Beer?

Toby - Beer wizard in chief at Redwillow BreweryHere at ADOmedia we love getting involved with local businesses. We also love promoting products that we feel passionate about and so our latest website development for Redwillow Brewery was something of a dream project! A local business providing one of our favourite products, yes you guessed it, Beer!

The Redwillow micro brewery is the brainchild or potentially, as he puts it, “mid life crises” of owner and beer wizard, Toby. He loves beer even more than we do and has created a fantastic array of pale ales, porters and IPA’s in a range of flavours that even Willy Wonka himself would be proud of (had he actually existed and made beer rather that chocolate of course!) Toby chose our e-commerce and content management package which will allow him to sell his products to those who wish to stock up for home enjoyment, promote his brewery to the more discerning establishments and keep his customers up to date with his latest produce, news and events.

Redwillow Brewery web site screen grab

The new website has a pared down, clean and modern look placing emphasis on the striking bold colours and elegant design of the company logo which is displayed throughout the site in the comforting and evocative form of pump clips. Take a look here to find your nearest retailer or drinking hole stocking the delectable Redwillow ales.

Why not step out and try one (or three) for yourself and let us know what you think. It is Friday after all… enjoy!

You can view the web site at www.redwillowbrewery.com

Karin Sheldon

Ami, our current work placement, has already been busy in the studio. She has just produced and sent to press this cracking editorial advert for the Sep/Oct edition of Crafts Magazine – one of the UK’s largest publications for the craft industry.

Our client Karin Sheldon, an award winning silver smith and jewellery designer, approached us with a tight deadline to create the artwork and Ami got stuck into the brief.

Karin Sheldon's Craft Magazine editorial advert

The result is impressive… the client loves the final design and we are sure that it will look great in situe within the publication. Well done and big kudos points to Ami, great first piece of commercial work there and a strong addition to the portfolio!

Cheshire Young Farmers Clubs

ADOmedia have just launched a fun and colourful website for Cheshire YFC. We were approached to create the new online presence as the federation felt that it was time for them to allow their members to be able to keep up to date with all the latest events going on in and around Cheshire in the farming community. The site also allows them to update their latest news and info from the Federation, host numerous galleries from past events, allow for Cheshire YFC to spread the word about their organistation and attract new members from around the local area.

The results have been very promising so far with numerous enquiries already coming in from interested potential new members.

You can view our latest produce here – www.cheshireyoungfarmers.co.uk… enjoy!

Cotesfield Farm B&B

ADOmedia have just launched the website for the newly refurbished B&B Cotesfield Farm. The beautiful working farm was recently taken over by the Morrison family and offers a warm countryside welcome to all who stay. They approached us after seeing the great work that we have undertaken in the past with 20 Albany Street and Harrop Fold Farm and the end result has been received very well by their prospective clients.

From the logo design, the external signage, the website and the printed literature and stationery, and the photography shoot ADOmedia carried out the full caboodle!

Cotesfield Farm B&B website screen shot

To view our latest offering you can visit the site here – www.cotesfieldfarm.co.uk

MCTC Events

ADOmedia have just launched the new website for Macclesfield Counselling and Training Centre. The new site focuses on the events wing of their business and allows visitors to easily view and book places on the many courses, training seminars and conferences that they organise. Using a content management system the client is easily able to create events and set multiple pricing levels and attendance limits. The end result is a very clean and easy to navigate website that the client just loves – it has drastically reduced their admin time and this allows them to get on with the work they do best!

MCTC Events website screen shot

To view the latest produce from ADOmedia visit the site here – www.mctcevents.co.uk

Mr D-livery

ADOmedia have just launched the website for local food courier business Mr D-Livery. Mr D-livery are a Macclesfield based firm offering take away and restaurant food delivery to your door.

Mr D-livery website screen shot

To view the website please visit www.mrd-livery.co.uk.