Friends of the Lake District is an independent charity and the only membership organisation dedicated to protecting and enhancing Cumbria’s landscapes.

We designed a brochure for Friends of the Lake District that appeals for support and aims to generate donations for their key projects. These projects range from protecting the Lake District from the catastrophic effects of climate change to bidding for the prestigious, internationally recognised Dark Skies status. The Appeal for Support brochure uses bold, block colours that compliment the beautiful photography used throughout.

MyCumbria is a Cumbria Tourism membership scheme exclusively for Cumbrian residents, offering discounts and special offers on attractions, food and drink, leisure activities and shops throughout the entire county.

We developed a WordPress website for the client. The site is built around the listed businesses which offer MyCumbria discounts. The site features an easy to use filter and search engine. The search results are displayed in a map or list view which allows users a quick overview of discounts available.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

SSL CERTIFICATES

Recently, Google announced that it will label any non-HTTPS webpage as ‘Not Secure’ in the address bar. Mozilla’s popular browser Firefox, also flags up that the ‘Connection is not secure’. Internet Explorer also displays a padlock icon in the address bar. The three popular browsers don’t differentiate between the type of data that might be shared, treating both high and low risk data the same.

WHAT IS HTTP AND HTTPS?

You may have noticed that websites usually start with “http://” or “https://”. HTTP is the protocol used to transfer information and is sent in ‘plain text’. HTTPS is the secure version of this (enabled with the use of an SSL certificate). SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer and this digital certificate helps clarify your identity to your website visitors, encrypts data that’s transferred via your website, ensuring confidentiality for the end user, and ensures data integrity – the information can’t be manipulated or corrupted en-route.

SHOULD YOU MOVE TO HTTPS?

If you are taking payments online then you should definitely use HTTPS. Even if your website doesn’t take online payment then you should consider upgrading to HTTPS. Adding an SSL certificate to your website will re-assure visitors that you take safeguarding their information seriously and clarifies your identity. There is also a slight advantage within Google’s SEO rankings to running https but this is fairly minimal and your site content has a much greater influence

UPGRADING TO HTTPS

We can purchase and arrange the install of the SSL Certificate, then transition your website from http to https. The Certificate runs for 1 year and our starter SSL packages cost from £ 80.00 plus VAT, renewable annually. There is a one-off cost for the install/transition of £ 60.00 plus VAT.

We recommend purchasing your SSL through Designworks if your hosting is with us because we cannot guarantee a third party SSL working on our servers. However, if you already have a third party certificate or wish to purchase from another provider you should supply all information you have and we will:
a) Ascertain whether we are able to install the third party SSL on our servers.
b) Provide a quote for installing the third party SSL on our servers if possible.

If you would like to go upgrade to https or talk to us about this, please get in touch. Call 01539 723254 or email: max@thedesignworks.co.uk

JMP Architects provide a comprehensive architectural service managing the procurement process from feasibility through to completion. Their work is extremely varied from private house extensions and new build houses to commercial education healthcare and leisure projects across the UK.

We worked closely with the client in developing a WordPress website for the company.  The website focuses on the people and the projects with an aim to keep clicks to a minimum. The resulting website is a content rich home page with background information, team section, a selection of projects, Twitter feed and contact information all contained on the home page. Other sections of the site include a portfolio page, with a project filter, and blog page. The finished website has a clean and minimalist design.

Lakeland Logs is a family-owned business based in Cumbria. They supply sustainable British hardwood and softwood logs to customers throughout the UK.

Their new WordPress Ecommerce website was developed to help with increased demand and provides an easy to use system for both client and end user. The company’s delivery drivers are able to download and print orders complete with delivery instructions.

In order to enhance the appearance of the website we provided photography which included product and lifestyle imagery.

In 2016 we were awarded a three year contract to provide graphic design services for Rusland Horizons. It is a programme of projects which are focused on the natural and cultural heritage of the scheme area in South Lakeland, Cumbria. It aims to involve people in restoring and enhancing the unique wooded landscape of the area.

The illustration style which we created is based on traditional printing methods and reflects the craft skills of the workers and volunteers in the Rusland area. The typography is based on letterpress – an old, traditional method of typesetting and printing words by hand. The overall style gives a great feeling of community and nature.

We retained the logo, however, we gave it a background to sit on and updated the typography to help it look more contemporary and fresh, and to give it a stronger presence as it sits alongside a strong/bold style of illustration.

The colours used reflect the project seasons: blues and soft greens in Winter, reds oranges and yellows in Autumn, vibrant greens in Spring and Summer.

Wishing all our clients and suppliers a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

We will be closed from Friday 23rd December 2016 until Tuesday 3rd January 2017.

Jasper Sanders + Partners are a young and innovative design studio based in Manchester, with an expertise in interior architecture. Their new bespoke WordPress website reflects the innovative nature of the company with its minimal content and visual approach.

The design follows a detailed brief in which the client specified font weights, colour usage and the horizontal and vertical spacing throughout the site. The resulting website is exactly as per the client’s specification and provided some positive feedback.

“”WOW! Well done everyone at Design Works. It’s so exciting and looks awesome – great effort by all!” –  Jasper Sanders, Design Director

We’ve given The Green Rooms a brand refresh whilst creating new marketing material, including a brochure and a gift voucher wallet. The Green Rooms offer spa and beauty treatments from the Castle Green Hotel, Kendal.

The design boasts a strong colour palette – the lime green gives a fresh, contemporary feel whilst the viridian green acknowledges the reputable and established Castle Green Hotel. The internal pages make use of white space to ensure the information regarding the treatments is clear and completely legible.

The floral logo mark becomes a motif throughout the brochure, providing a modern visual for the internal pages as the brochure doesn’t use any photography.

The National Trust’s sport kit has been produced and is now available for Trust employees. Designworks designed a range of running, tri and cycling kit; produced by Champion Systems. The corporate colours provided a light green base colour which offers high visibility — ideal for evening and early morning runs and bike rides. The design features the National Trust Sports’ coloured waves, web address and Twitter username. The custom cycling kit has a  clean design which is really noticeable when out on the road.

Designworks worked with London based recruitment marketing agency, WDAD Communications, to deliver the Pizza Hut Delivery Careers’ website. The  project was completed in two phases. Phase one was the job search, this had a successful soft launch in Yorkshire followed by a nationwide launch. Phase two was the design and build of the careers website. Both phases use WordPress as a Content Management System.

The first phase job search functionality integrates with a mapping system. Through mobile GPS the system identifies a user’s location and displays jobs within a selected radius. On desktop devices users are prompted to insert their postcode. The map data comes from a third party source and the information is integrated into the map.

The second phase was the design and development of a bespoke, responsive WordPress website. The website concept uses pizza slice shapes to create a navigational spinning pizza wheel and an angular web page design to separate content. Finding a suitable solution for both elements was a challenge but it really sets the website apart and gives it a unique look. Video is used throughout the site to engage with the target audience.

Yesterday’s Tour of Britain stage in Cumbria provided a thrilling finish in Kendal, Belgium rider Julien Vermote pipped Great Britain’s Steve Cummings to the line.

After the event, Sir Bradley Wiggins spent time with his fans in what could be his last road race. Hopefully, seeing the Tour de France winner and the most decorated GB Olympian has inspired the next generation of Kendal cyclists.

We’re doing our bit to find and support the next Laura Trott and Bradley Wiggins by helping create, promote and market Kendal Cycle Club.

The club has had an amazing first year and here are some of the highlights:

• 278 paid members
• Sport England Clubmark status
• national media coverage
• a club Sportive
• strong social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and Strava
• well designed club kit and branding
• the formation of a junior committee
• regular Go-Ride sessions

You can find out more about Kendal Cycle Club and see how the club has quickly developed since it started on 1st October 2015.

Thanks to James Kirby for the photograph of Sir Bradley Wiggins and Rory with a signed Kendal Cycle Club cap.

Kendal will become the first town in the UK to have its very own branded gift card.

The gift card market is annually worth an estimated £5 billion with the bulk of that money limited to a few multinational companies. Kendal BID aims to shift that balance and encourage people to shop locally.

We worked closely with Kendal BID to create the gift card and promotional material including packaging, leaflet, poster and Kendal mint cake label. Kendal BID will package the mint cake, leaflet and card as part of their PR campaign.

The Ullswater Association is a membership group representing tourism businesses in and around the Ullswater Valley in the Lake District. They work on behalf of members to promote & enhance the area and to encourage people to visit.

We designed and produced the Association’s yearly member’s leaflet which is a map and visitor guide. The guide provides a listing for members, events, map of the local area and what to do and see. The new design has been well received by members with its fresh look and easy to use map and listing.

We created branding and marketing material for 1863 Ullswater, including web, print and advertising. The property has been completely refurbed and offers visitors a bar, bistro and bedrooms . The owners, Anne and Mark, have invested heavily in the building and they provide their guests with the quality of a boutique hotel but the homely welcome of a traditional B&B.

The branding brief was to focus on the date the property was built ‘1863’ and take inspiration from the Victorian period. The 1863 brand mark uses a six and a three to create a stylised Victorian flourish. The WordPress website is a simple Theme and the grey colour scheme allows the photography to really stand out.

Exped Adventure offer mountain expeditions and treks off the beaten track and always adventurous! We revamped Exped Adventure’s website with a redesign and additional functionality.

The site now utilises more imagery and video to market the treks and expeditions. The site uses a clean, visual design and offers a clear navigation to package tours or bespoke treks. Development in functionality includes a newsletter subscription and a download PDF pop-up, both these items help build on the client’s customer database.

Tata Steel’s Shapfell lime quarry, located in Cumbria, has been producing quicklime and limestone products of the highest quality since 1962. The quarry operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and has a high number of visitors to the site.

Health and safety is a top priority at the quarry. We were approached to design and build an online site induction. The induction provides information to ensure people visit and work at Shapfell safely. Having this as an online process enables Tata to manage visitors more effectively. The induction has three separate videos for hauliers, contractors and visitors followed by multiple choice questions on health and safety. Once the questionnaire is completed the user is prompted to take a photo of themselves using a webcam. This photo is placed on a PDF ID badge with their name and company information which is then printed.

Howells Solicitors is one of the largest law firms in South Yorkshire. The company have offices in Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley, and provide expert legal personal and commercial services.

We have worked with Howells for a number of years and provided them with branding, digital, marketing and advertising services. This project involved developing an intranet system to include: business updates, referrals, employee information, FAQs, events calendar, staff directory and staff training. The intranet sits within their WordPress website and so the information can be updated by the staff at Howells. With three offices across South Yorkshire the intranet provides easy to access information for all members of staff and has been a huge benefit to the business.

We’re very proud to be part of the Lakes and Dales Loop, an iconic 196-mile on-road cycle route through the best of Cumbria’s countryside.

The cycle route is part of the See More project and we worked alongside Jo Cleary and Isobel Stoddart who are both sustainable transport consultants.

We successfully bid for two pieces of work relating to the project: Branding & Marketing Strategy and Delivering the Marketing Strategy.

The branding process resulted in the naming of the cycle route ‘Lakes & Dales Loop’. The rationale was based on the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District being major tourism destinations and internationally (Tour de France) and nationally (Tour of Britain) recognised for cycle events. The word ‘Loop’ highlighted the route’s USP as a circular cycling route as opposed to a point to point ride.

The second piece of work involved developing the website and designing print. The website integrates with Strava’s mapping and offers users an easy to use map, downloadable GPX and turn-by-turn PDF. Service providers (accommodation, food & drink, bike shops/hire) are featured within a user-friendly mapping/listing page.

The route has already had a good amount of coverage with a piece in the Independent and articles lined up for the national press and cycling publications.

We’re delighted to have been involved with the Blade & Rose product brochure.

Blade & Rose is a leading British children’s clothing company based in Kendal. For the 2016 brochure, Blade & Rose decided to work with Designworks along with a new photographer. The professional photography certainly made our job much easier and the images were fantastic to work with. The vibrancy of the photography carried across to the print and the brochure’s colours really stand out.

You can view their online brochure.

Wishing all our clients and suppliers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We will be closed from Wednesday 23rd December until Monday 4th December.

The money we usually spend on Christmas cards and postage is donated to a charity of our choice.

Our donation is going to the Cumbria Community Foundation. The Cumbria Community Foundation is part of a national and international network of community foundations. Since inception in 1999 they have made grants totalling over £16m. They provide a means by which people and organisations can make a difference to the most disadvantaged people in the community.

This year Cumbria Community Foundation launched the Cumbria Flood Recovery Appeal which raises funds to directly support individuals and families affected by Storm Desmond.
 

We worked with Morgan Dental to generate more business by developing and enhancing their brand and, in particular, their signage. The practice is located on the main road through Windermere and is surrounded by accommodation providers. Their previous identity was blue text ‘Alastair Morgan & Associates’ in a gold oval. The gold signage blended in with the other guest houses and so it was time for a refresh.

It was clear that the identity had to work harder. We decided that the name should be shortened from ‘Alastair Morgan & Associates’ to ‘Morgan Dental’ this would make the identity concise and impactful.

A number of logo options were developed but the ‘toothbrush’ concept was the clear favourite. The idea uses the ‘m’ from Morgan to create the bristles on a toothbrush. The colour palette is a cyan blue and white which is more in keeping with a dental practice.

The signage has been successful in raising the profile of the practice and attracting more customers. The rest of the branding will be rolled out in 2016

The CAMRA Westmorland  Brewery Map has been redesigned and relaunched for 2015. 39 breweries are featured on the map which is based on the design of the London Underground map. As well as the breweries, regular beers along with a pump clip are featured on the poster. The print run is limited and each print is individually numbered.

View a PDF of the map here.

The Langdale Chase Hotel, an elegant country house hotel, is idyllically situated for weddings. The hotel is set within three acres of beautifully landscaped gardens, the grounds extend to Windermere and it’s the winner of ‘Best View in Britain’ Award.

The Langdale Chase commissioned Designworks to create an A4 pack to market their weddings. The landscape format contains 24 stitched pages and a pocket to house additional information. The print finish is a matt laminate and spot UV to outer cover.

Here’s the online e-brochure.

We’re currently working on cycling kit design and a WordPress website for the newly formed Kendal Cycle Club.

The club aims to be involved in all types of competitive and non-competitive cycling, including road, track, triathlon, mountain biking, time trials and cyclo cross. We have a reputation as a friendly club and welcome cyclists of all ages and abilities.

The kit design for Kendal Cycle Club kit has been approved by British Cycling. To make the design unique and to show the club’s provenance, there is an arrow pattern within the light blue. An arrow was selected because it signifies speed and direction. It also provides a link to Kendal’s history and specifically “Kendal Green” which was a hard-wearing wool-based fabric, and was sported by the Kendalian archers who were instrumental in the English victory over the French at the Battle of Agincourt.

Moorland Association members are responsible for over a million acres of the moorlands of England and Wales. This includes 860,000 acres of upland heather representing almost all of this precious habitat south of the Scottish Border.

We worked with the Moorland Association and Karen Barden Press and PR to create a responsive bespoke WordPress website. The new site incorporates social media and online payments which helps engage with members and increase revenue for the Association. The Support Us page offers members and supporters three payment options: Associate membership, make an annual donation or make a one off contribution. The updated design provides easy access to information about the Association and the work they’re involved with, for example carbon capture, water management and farming.

Western Lakes Teaching School Alliance covers North West Cumbria. The Alliance works with all educational providers across all ages and phases, from age 4 to 19 and including special schools.

The client’s brief was to create a website which could be managed in-house and fully accessibility across devices. The bespoke WordPress website was developed using Responsive Web Design and designed to make it user-friendly and informative. The three focus areas: What is School Direct?, Upcoming events and What is a Teaching School? are featured throughout the website along with news and contact details.

As part of Cumbria Tourism’s ‘See More’ campaign we’ve created a range of leaflets for walks from bus routes. The guides are aimed at encouraging people to leave their cars at home or at their accommodation and use public transport. As well as being a more sustainable form of transport, using a bus when you visit the Lake District gives you the opportunity to see so much more.  You can take the top deck of an open top bus or get great views from one of the Lake District passes on a small rambler service.

Our cycling kit design has been manufactured and is now being tried and tested. It’s already attracting a lot of attention with people seeing the distinctive jerseys out on the road and several enquiries on how to purchase the kit. The Designworks cycling collection has been distributed worldwide and is being used on the highways and byways of Switzerland and Australia . If you are interested in purchasing items of kit them visit the Champion System website to see what’s on offer.

The Strada careers website has been built in WordPress using Responsive Web Design. We worked with London recruitment marketing agency, WDAD Communications, to develop the website. The single page site provides users with a quick overview of the company and the benefits of working for Strada. Prospective candidates can click through to the job search engine to find a suitable role or register interest.

We’re pleased to announce the launch of a branded cycling kit for Designworks. The cycling kit design uses the striped ‘bar code’ of our logomark to create the profile of a mountainous route, similar to the hilly profiles on local rides out to the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales. The vibrant brand colours are enhanced on the black background and provide added visibility. Our logo, services and web address are all clearly displayed on the lycra to ensure we get noticed when we’re out on the road.

Cumbria Tourism’s 2015 Attraction Guide has been printed and is being distributed worldwide with translations in French, German, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese. Translating the guides into Chinese is part of Cumbria Tourism’s strategy to attract more Chinese visitors to the county. According to ITV Border news, a reported 190,000 students from China come to learn in the UK every year, and they are just some of the possible visitors being targeted in Cumbria Tourism’s new initiative.

The guide design was developed to complement the Food and Drink guide which is also produced by Designworks. Cumbria Tourism’s, Sue Clarke, explains why Designworks were awarded the contract for the Attractions and Food & Drink guides for a third year: “It’s the third year that Designworks has produced both our Attractions and Food & Drink guides. Their attention to detail and organisational skills are second to none which makes my role at Cumbria Tourism much easier.”

We’ve supported South Lakes BMX Park by developing and donating a WordPress Theme website to help raise awareness and funding for a regional standard BMX race track in the South Lakes.

BMX Racing is currently thriving after appearing in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. The current world champion is British BMXer Liam Philips and together with Shanaze Reade, a British female World Champion, they are inspiring more and more kids to take up racing.
 

Boeme’s new website has been developed in WordPress using Responsive Web Design. As well as a refreshed design, the new site includes an improved ecommerce system and Lookbook page. The fabric shop features a roll over image to display fabric variations, this enables browsers to view options without the need to click through. Products’ pages display ‘We Recommend’ and ‘Recently Viewed’ to improve the user experience and increase sales.

If you’re attending The Lakes Comic Art Festival this weekend, you might come across one of these leaflets. To give visitors a taste of Kendal we’ve created a slab of Mint cake and unusual facts about the town. Shakespeare, Henry VIII, cobbled yards, England’s highest climbing wall and the town’s festivals are all featured on the leaflet. The project was commissioned by Kendal BID to promote the town to a wider audience and specifically the international visitors and media who attend The Lakes Comic Art Festival.