Studio Upgrade

After over 20 years at our current location we are finally upgrading to a bigger studio. It has long been an ambition of ours to upgrade to a studio with a full video and photographic set up and finally we have achieved that goal.

Of course with any big move comes the obligatory clean out operation. For 20 years since the dawn of digital media we have created projects on everything from vhs to blu-ray. 100S of mini-dv and DVCPro tapes all backed up to 100s of mechanical hard drives. 20 years worth of memories is not something you can easily throw away, so more hours than were perhaps necessary were spent reminiscing over the good, the bad and the ugly, old clients and colleagues, and late nights during hot summers working to impossible deadlines.

Jobs ranging from sticky nightclub shoots in Blackpool to fashion runways set against the glistening cote d’Azur of Monaco were all re-watched during the agonising process of what to keep. Old show reels and promos were viewed for the first time in years and we were able witness our transformation from a group of young graphic designers, videographers and coders to the more mature, but only slightly more sensible collective that now forms REAL DESIGN.

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There were over ten draws of physical media that were reduced down to a 8tb hard drive over the course of three months as well as old cables, PC’s and print media to be recycled.

We ended up giving over 100 hard drives to our friends at R3 Data Recovery who not only securely destroyed the data contained on the drives but also recycled them for parts.

It has been a physically and emotionally difficult process but moving forward always is. We would like to thank you for your continued friendship, support and patronage as we move into the next exciting chapter of REAL DESIGN.

Posted on 15th Jun 2022 16:32:24 by surrect.media

Tags: News, Studio Move.

REAL DESIGN Free Consultation

Every relationship starts with a discussion, and to make the initial enquiry even easier we have a simple form to fill in and we will give you a call right back. The initial call will last a few minutes, in which we will find out a bit about you and your business, what you might need now and possibly in the future.

This will give us enough information to start our research process; looking at competitive business, product market place, brand strategy, search engine optimisation competition, animation or video development, etc. every aspect of your inquiry, to best understand what solution you will need along with possible complimentary services that might add value.

This process can take a few days and we will prepare a document, which outlines our findings, along with a budget and timelines. This information is provided completely free and with no obligation, we want you to have as much detail and information moving forward - be it with us or a different agency.

Once you have our document and you have had a bit of time to digest our suggestions and information, we will arrange a face-to-face meeting with you to discuss our findings, see if our initial consultation meets your expectations and outline the next steps with us.

For over 20 years REAL DESIGN has provided ethical media solutions to customers around the world, based on honesty and integrity, we see each of our clients as a relationship not a project. Our main services are brand development, graphic design, video production & web creation but we also offer some niche solutions; augmented reality, commercial & studio photography, copy and script writing, live streaming, marketing campaigns, social media engagement, sms/mobile marketing, virtual reality, viral video creation.

REAL Facts:

 - REAL have been in the media sector for over 20 years, developing new technologies for our customers to use - making them stand out.
 - We have a 98% retention on customer relationships, we still work with customers from our first year in business.
 - We will only offer customers what we think they need, if a service is not needed, we won’t offer it. Upselling is only effective if it’s complimentary.

So why not fill out the quick form below to start your free consultation with us now.

Posted on 4th Mar 2022 09:19:08 by surrect.media

Tags: News.

Design Trends 2022

As a new year starts we look at the world of ‘predicted’ trends and digest what we think is going to make a large splash in 2022, a year where the future stands side by side with the past. It’s a time when AI-generated content, NFTs and the metaverse gain momentum to elevate user experience. And then on the other hand, Y2K aesthetics and 70s psychedelic art help content creators spark nostalgia and better connect with their audience.

The Metaverse

What is the Metaverse? a collective virtual shared space. Today, boundaries between real and virtual worlds are blurred.

The metaverse is a perfect fusion of physical, augmented, and virtual reality. The Metaverse is a public virtual world that may be accessed via the internet. It creates a “virtual world” experience by simulating human emotions and gestures.

The metaverse encompasses the entire social and economic structure that exists in both the actual and virtual worlds. Avatars, content, and goods may all travel around freely. It’s a living, breathing experience that never pauses or finishes like a game.

In 2022, digital spaces will acquire an even more realistic look with the help of AR and VR technology. Designers will opt for well-thought-out 3D elements and motion graphics that bring a brand new level of interactivity. To make audiences feel even more present, creators will amplify their projects with ambient music and immersive sound effects.

Psychedelic Art

We often look back in history for artistic inspiration. This year, playful and bold motifs of the 70s will resonate with content creators worldwide. The desire to escape monotonous reality, captivate audiences, and the accessibility of graphic software will foster experiments with psychedelic art in the digital realm.

Abstract psychedelia, Holographic and grainy backgrounds, complex abstractions, a rich mix of bright or highly contrasting colors, and different interpretations of psychedelic line art will appear in graphic design. Using a large number of design elements in one composition will provide designers with room for experimentation, and boost the commercial potential of projects.

The trends we’re already starting to see have the potential to inspire people in finding alternative ways to get away and escape, especially with all that is going on in the world. These trends will prompt people to think more creatively about how they can explore and have new experiences within the limitations of where they are.

AI-Generated (Art, Music, Data)

Today, “smart” increasingly means powered by artificial intelligence (AI) – generally machine learning algorithms – and capable of helping us in increasingly innovative ways. Smart cars use facial recognition algorithms to detect whether we are paying attention to the road and alert us if we’re getting tired. Smartphones use AI algorithms to do everything from maintain call quality to help us take better pictures, and of course, they are packed with apps that use AI to help us do just about anything.

AI has permeated the tools we use to carry out everyday work – from the ubiquitous voice assistants to language translation and tools that allow us to extract structured data from pictures, whiteboard scribblings, and hand-written notes. It also powers much of the robotic process automation that has enabled workloads to be lightened in admin, logistics, accounting, and HR departments. Whatever your industry or job function, you’re likely to find there’s an AI-powered solution designed to make your life easier.

AI will significantly impact content production as well. Brands and creators will get a chance to provide hyper-personalized experiences to their audiences, as AI-generated content will be more cost and time-effective. Music tracks on websites, AI voiceover talent for vlogs, NFT art or social content will be tailored to fit a user’s taste or mood.

Y2K Aesthetics

If you’ve felt nostalgic for the past two years, you’re not alone. A lack of new experiences and positive emotions can make an audience reminiscent of how things were back in the day. Millennials and Gen Z—the largest and most solvent generations today—are attracted to Y2K aesthetics that evoke happiness and serenity, similar to the kind they experienced in childhood or teenage years.

This universal nostalgia encourages content creators to use pastel color palettes that include pink, yellow, green, and blue. Design and photography projects will acquire retrofuturistic vibes with shiny features or film-like post-production, and find their way from blogger social media accounts to brand campaigns and ads.

Many people are tired of minimalist design! Lots of artists during the pandemic experimented with the technology of the late 90s or early 2000s, whether by reexamining the birth of MP3 players, digicams, or with retrocomputing.

This specific period, around the late nineties and early naughties, is characterized by crude interfaces, low poly CGI, bubblegum pinks, blues and iridescent colors reminiscent of the backs of CDs. In many ways, it approaches cyberpunk, but it is much more bright and innocently nostalgic instead of dark, neon and sleek.

NFTs (Non-fungible tokens)

Crypto art has attracted a lot of attention over the last few years, and with some buyers spending millions on memes and artwork, the NFT trend is set to continue.

Non-fungible tokens are unique digital files published directly onto a blockchain, meaning that only one person can claim the rights to each one. NFTs are attractive to both collectors and designers – who can buy and sell work without having to worry about it being replicated without permission. For example, Bored Ape Yacht Club created a billion-dollar ecosystem of cartoon apes a string of NFTs, which have been purchased by celebrities and collectors around the world.

“NFTs are probably the best way to monetize digital art at the moment, you make money on the sale of your NFT, and the fascinating part is you also get a percentage on the secondary sale of the artwork. This is a great way to sell your personal projects or create something new and thrive as an artist.”

While not everyone is a fan of NFTs – predominantly due to their environmental footprint and copyright concerns – we expect this space to grow in 2022 with an increased number of creators and buyers looking to get in on the NFT games.

Final Thought…

The trends of 2022 are drawing inspiration from both the future and the past. Metaverse, AI and NFTs, science fiction, Y2K and Psychedelic art. It’s hard to imagine some of these disparate personalities mingling at a party, but this year they effectively will be. And it’s exactly these unpredictable mashups that you won’t want to miss out on in the coming year.

Optimistic forward thinking design will be the main overarching trend in the aftermath (hopefully) of the pandemic.

Posted on 4th Jan 2022 15:57:27 by surrect.media

Tags: Trends, News.

Core Web Vitals The Need to Know

Core Web Vitals, originally scheduled for May 2021, rolled out as a new ranking factor in two Google algorithms across June and July. Some website owners are concerned about how Core Web Vitals will impact their rankings in the SERPs (search engine results pages).

What Are Core Web Vitals?

Core Web Vitals are metrics that apply to all web pages and showcase how they perform based on real-world usage data. Page experience has been an important factor for a while, but it now plays a more significant role in helping you rank in SERPs.

Core Web Vitals refer to loading, interactivity and visual stability, so they’re made up of three distinct measurements that help Google to analyse your page’s UX (User Experience):

• Loading – Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)

•Interactivity – First Input Delay (FID)

•Visual Stability – Cumulative layout Shift (CLS)

The 3 Core Web Vitals Explained

Loading

LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) is the largest element on the browser since it indicates when content has shown up for the user; in short, it can be defined as the loading speed of a page. According to Google, loading time shouldn’t exceed 2.5 seconds.

Interactivity

Interactivity measures how responsive the page is and how quickly people can start interacting with it. If a user wants to access your website, but the page is processing something and doesn’t react to the person’s input, this will negatively impact your metrics.

Visual Stability

Visual stability refers to how your content moves on the page. For example, have you ever tried to click a link, but an image loads suddenly, and the link shifts down, causing you to open the wrong thing? Or you’re trying to read a paragraph, but an ad or video loads and shifts the entire thing down the page, preventing you from having a smooth experience?

Google believes all page elements should be as stable as possible since shifting layouts lead to a poor user experience (UX).

How Important are Core Web Vitals?

All three measures are crucial but now carry a lot more weight. Webmasters and SEO professionals must stay on top of these metrics to ensure the site doesn’t fall in rankings.

The idea behind attributing such importance to these metrics is that Google wants sites to provide high-quality pages people can enjoy. If the algorithm determines your page is quality based on these and other metrics, you’re likely to appear higher in search results.

However, this doesn’t mean the content of the page itself will lose importance. On the contrary, both matter. As Google says:

“A good page experience doesn’t override having great, relevant content. However, in cases where there are multiple pages that have similar content, page experience becomes much more important for visibility in search.”

How to Measure Core Web Vitals?

It is essential to measure the Core Web Vitals metrics and understand how they can impact your page experience. Google has several tools to help, such as Page Speed Insights, which allows you to see what can be improved regarding page loading speed.

You can also use Google Search Console for reports and analytics that show several ways you can enhance the UX of your pages.

It would help to keep optimising your pages to ensure no issues pop up, and this means staying up to date with the latest Google algorithms and information and tweaking your site regularly. For business owners, this can take up valuable time that could be spent running their business.

REAL and Core Web Vitals

You don’t have to worry about learning new tools and changing things on your site, as we can take care of everything for you. We’ll monitor your pages to prevent issues from arising and act fast to solve problems should they arise.

Core Web Vitals first became a feature of Google Search Console back in 2020 and, since then, our design and development team has worked together with our SEO department to make sure all our clients’ pages are optimised. We’ve managed to get URLs out of the Poor classification for both Mobile and Desktop use; we also worked hard to get as many URLs into the Good bracket as possible.

There are several ways to improve Core Web Vitals, including:

• Keeping your website simple by removing all non-essential elements that can slow a page down (such as plug-ins).

• Using specific sizes for images and other media to keep the pages’ layout as stable as possible.

• Preload some elements so that visual loading times are faster.

As an SEO agency, we look into these and more when we analyse your website, so you can be confident that we will catch all those small elements, which will make a big difference.

In Summary

Core Web Vitals are key metrics you must pay attention to in 2022 and beyond, as they will impact your page rankings.

If you’re looking for web design in East Yorkshire to ensure your website pages are fully optimised, contact us today, and we’ll be happy to help.

Posted on 16th Nov 2021 13:14:26 by surrect.media

Tags: News, SEO.