Web Developer Wanted Hired!

We are seeking an amazing developer.

Peapod Studios is on the lookout for a web developer to join our close-knit team crafting engaging experiences for a variety of outstanding clients. If you wield semantic HTML and efficient CSS like a boss, join us in crafting great work. Although you’ll be mainly working with PHP-based content management systems such as Drupal and WordPress, you can also expect to have some fun with third-party APIs.

Your main responsibilities:

You’ll be working with our Senior Developer and design team to build new standards-compliant Drupal and WordPress themes from PSD files and style guides. Detail is our middle name, so you’ll need to stay sharp! You’ll be developing custom Drupal modules and WordPress configurations as needed, and be fully engaged in our project process, acting as an advocate for technical excellence.

You will need to have:

What you’ll need to rock this gig:

If you are interested in this position, please send your resume/portfolio to jobs@peapod.ca
Thank you for your response, only those selected for interview will be contacted.

Two peas in a pod: MediaStyle.ca relaunch

We’re very excited to relaunch MediaStyle.ca this morning.

Peapod has watched Ottawa based communications shop, MediaStyle grow from a one-man home office to a four-person boutique communications firm.

MediaStyle isn’t like most public relations firms. Ian Capstick and his team focus on teaching people how to maximize their public relations budgets by teaching clients how to be better communicators. They also take on high-level content strategy and creation.

The re-designed MediaStyle.ca now provides more ways to access the rich archive of two years of near-daily content. The site also provides a much stronger showcase for their portfolio of videos, text and audio content. The new site even has a cute spot for the office to post about their well-known cupcakes.

The team at MediaStyle values handmade goods, they have impeccable style and as Ian told us at the start, “We’re way overdue for a new look.”

Here’s what else Ian has to say about his new site:

“I love how they have infused the site with subtle detailing and really captured what we love about the MediaStyle brand. It’s bold, but bespoke as well.”

We’re looking forward to our teams working together again soon.

Are You Ready to Join the Pod?

Peapod Studios is a boutique firm providing high-quality bespoke design and interactive solutions for a growing list of client/partners. We don’t just build websites, or design great brands. At Peapod we create exceptional experiences.

Peapod is now searching for an exceptional person to fill the position below. If you don’t feel your skills are a match for the open position we have posted, but would add value in another position, please contact us anyway. We are always interested in hearing from great people.

Web/graphic designer

We are seeking an amazing designer. As a key member of our interactive team you would be designing websites and application interfaces for a diverse client base, coming up with creative concepts all on your own, and refining concepts based upon client feedback provided to you. Working closely with our Art director on external projects and on internal sales/marketing/print collateral. You would also be working with front end developers providing Production ready files, HTML & CSS development – At least a basic understanding of standards-compliant HTML and CSS is required, as well as a desire to grow in this area.

Key Qualifications:

Experience designing for multiple mediums (Online Portfolio required)

(w3-compliant)

You should Have:

If you are interested in this position, please send your resume/portfolio to jobs@peapod.ca

Thank you for your response, only those selected for interview will be contacted.

…Cheers!

This week Peapod Studios was informed about the acceptance of our proposal to work on the redevelopment and redesign of the Château Des Charmes website.

Chateau Des Charmes Wines.

A Little History

Château des Charmes story began over five generations ago with a family that traces its roots to the Alsace region of France and the vineyards of French Algeria. Thousands of kilometers from its present day vineyards located at Niagara-on-the-Lake.

In these foreign lands, the ancestors of Paul Bosc began a heritage of fine winemaking that would serve the Bosc family for generations to come. This tradition of excellence continues today in the vineyards of Niagara-on-the-Lake where Paul Bosc and his family carry on this rich heritage of meticulous vinification by harmonizing science and art.

A graduate of one of Europe’s finest winemaking schools, the University of Burgundy at Dijon, Paul Bosc came to Canada from France in the 1960′s. He brought the Old World tradition of winemaking to his new home and he grafted that knowledge and tradition to the soils of Niagara.

Renowned British wine writer Hugh Johnson in his book Wine Companion has written:

“Canada was discovered, in fine wine terms, in the 1970′s when old fears and prejudices about which vines could survive were tossed aside. The formidable know-how that had been accumulating in new wine districts around the world provided answers to problems that had seemed insuperable. Paul Bosc became the first to plant a wholly vinifera vineyard. Award winning VQA estate wines include Icewine, late harvest riesling, an impressive range of both white and red varietals as well as méthode traditionnelle sparkling wines.”

We had to try it

Peapod Studios is picky about our clients, we want to work with the best of the best. We seek out companies and projects we can feel good about.

So we headed off to our local LCBO to grab some of the Châteaus offerings. We ended up with the 2005 Old Vine Cabernet- Merlot and the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, St. David’s Bench Vineyard.

Nom nom nom

The Cabernet Merlot was simply exquisite, the more it breathed the more fantastic it became, and the Cabernet Sauvignon reminded us of that summer in Rome.

We were hooked, The wine is fantastic, and the scenery and chance to visit and work with a company that is in arguably in the most gorgeous place in Canada. A family run business that returns its wealth to the community and environment. All the things we love and appreciate and aim for being ourselves.

“In the belief that quality and value go hand-in-hand, we at Château des Charmes have been dedicated to producing world-class wines in Canada by growing only the finest grape varieties.”

-The Bosc Family

Photo credit: whatsonmyplate

Peapod Architecture and Design Process

When Peapod Studios begins creating a website, we’re not just simply collecting a few key pieces of information and moving directly into the build process.

There is a great deal of discovery and strategy that goes into creating the final products we deliver. We start with several sessions of discovery, where we set the basic goals and criteria we’d like the clients site to meet.

Then we develop several individualized personas of who the key users and stakeholders of the site will be. Personalizing a users experience dealing with a website is a key part of ensuring success. We develop several pathways throughout the site, for them to easily obtain the information they desire or have come for while navigating the site.

Architecture and Strategy Documentation

Architecture Document

We take all of this information and use it to develop our Architecture and Strategy document. This will serve as a resource for both our developers and the client to refer to as we move forward to the point where we can begin the preliminary site mapping and wire-framing of the eventual site build.

WireFrames

wireframe

Once we have established the web sites core functionality and layout only then can we move into creating the initial rounds of designs, a process we call skinning. Initially we like to provide the client with three distinct rounds of creative, allowing the client to have several choices in the future direction of the design.

Design Begins

first mocks

Taking the clients feedback from the intial three mockups we can begin to build out more honed designs based on their feedback. This is not a perfect science, sometimes a client will go through more than one round of creative, although sometimes we nail it from the get go.

Design Sign Off

Final Design

WIth all the elements in place, we finally have the basis for build.

The documentation we have from the preliminary steps allows the developers to work knowing the ins and outs of the final structure, and gives them an extensive library to refer to. Art direction is minimized as most of the design lives within the styles created in the skinning stage.

Asigra.com