click here to see this live web site »»

Our work with Vagabond Opera –through 4 years, and 3 versions, of their web site– stands as an excellent example of our adaptability and commitment to continued service. The evolution of this site also underscores the power of a client-driven website running on WordPress…

Features:

• Custom web site design, powered by WordPress Content Management System(CMS).
• WordPress support empowered band members to update their own web site (while on tour!).
• Social network integration for Facebook & MySpace.
• Two original web site designs; launched at different times to match album releases.
• E-commerce / shopping cart integration.
• Integrated mailing list & gig-calendar systems.

Backstory:

The Portland, Oregon based Vagabonds originally got in the Loop in early 2006. They had just wrapped up a new album and a major photo shoot, and needed a fresh graphic design for the web site to match the album cover and images. Their old web site design was also plagued with non-standards-compliant code and was not only a bear to update, but didn’t work right in new browsers. Their logo was also just a bitmapped piece of clip art, and wasn’t really meshing with their new look.

Success (#1)…

This (first) rebuild of their web site focused on their rich vaudeville aesthetic, and established a traffic-flow model that increased usability. It was a major graphic design shift, helping to establish both their aesthetic and their credibility. The new web site design also included a logo overhaul which would sustain them through the next album.

Success (#2)…

About a year later, they were ready to upgrade the site with some functional new tools. We helped them move to a new hosting service specifically for musicians, and integrated a calendar, a mailing list system, and hooked up their e-commerce album sales system. We also continued to support them by helping to add new pages of content designed to help usability by different kinds of visitors.

Success (#3): Conversion to WordPress!…

By early 2008, Vagabond Opera had taken off, and was touring internationally under the management of two different agencies. They needed a website that not only looked and performed well, but could keep up with their globetrotting success. In less than a week, openloopdesign converted their entire site to the WordPress platform, integrated all their existing tools and content, and provided tech support to the band as they posted fresh content from their first European tour. Some of the photos from their tour are hilarious, and we were elated that our web site design and support could help them get Live on the web. You can check out a screenshot of that web site design at right.

Success (#4!): their current web site…

By 2009, Vagabond had evolved even further as a band, and had yet another fresh new look from a great photo shoot and hot new album cover art for their upcoming release. They again needed a total graphic design overhaul to match their new look. We pulled together a completely new design aesthic for the site from their new album art, and matched the (new) graphics to their existing web site’s standards-compliant code. Because we had a solid foundation of standards-compliant code, the site did not have to be recoded, cutting the costs of the new design implementaion in half. And because we used WordPress, all we had to do was upload the files, and click a button in the web-based admin tool, and the new design was running immediately. All their existing content was still there, with no extra work, but a fresh new look.

In case you missed it….

• Because we used standards-compliant code, they got a whole new web site design for half the cost, and…
• …because we rely on WordPress, all of their content stayed live, automatically, with no extra work.

Now that’s cause for an album-release party! If you’d like to see a live demo of how these two WordPress web site designs switch, contact us.

click here to see this live web site »»

Since 2006, we’ve supported the evolution of Barrett Ecological. In addition to the original site design, we’ve provided logo design at their initial start-up, re-branding after a change to the business name, and print design for business cards and print ads, always flexibly adapting to their needs as they adapted to the market. And when they launched a second business that grew from their success, we were there to help with that too.

Small-business Web Site Features:

• Custom web site design, powered by WordPress Content Management System(CMS).
• WordPress support empowered Portland, Oregon small-business owner to easially control his website.
• Integrated mailing list & event-calendar systems.

Original Web Site Design + Logo Design, Business Cards, and Print Ads.

Barrett Ecological first launched in 2006 under the name “Gaiascapes”, drawing on the rich textures found through the ecological landscpaes they created. Their first branding package emphasized very organic artwork that was used for both the site design and for print ads, business cards, and promotional leave-behind postcards.

Re-branding, Updated Web Site Design, Conversion to WordPress.

After a successful launch and first year, “Gaiascapes” had already expanded its offerings and decided to broaden their positioning with a change to the business name. So we updated their logo, and re-branded the web site while converting it to WordPress, so they could easialy update and control the content of their own website.

View their current site.