For posterity here is what our site looked like before:

The new website is the result of four months (intermittent) work. It began in the new year with a plan to improve our copy writing across the site. It then slowly evolved into a larger scale project to upgrade the shop and add a new section too.

General:

We took this opportunity to improve the typography across the site. The type is now larger and as a result much easier on the eyes. We now also use a sixteen column grid for most of our pages which gives us greater flexibility for layouts. We have continued to use watercolour illustrations on the less content heavy areas of the site and left the journal relatively unchanged (for now).

The message:

Without words the web is meaningless. The two previous versions of our site have been focused largely on design but this time we wanted to focus on our message. All of our design and code is produced here at toggle HQ, by hand and we wanted to make this more apparent to visitors. Before starting to redesign the site we had already written the content which we collaborated on via Google Docs. Our new homepage loads one of six random messages that provide you with a snippet of toggle wisdom. We will be adding more wisdom in future – as we get wiser.

The shop:

The first version of the toggle shop was very much an experiment that has turned out to be very successful. The old shop software was perfect for our trickle of orders at the start but over time we have started to require something more feature rich. Our new shop allows us to have much greater control over the e-commerce experience we provide. We can now offer discount vouchers, create invoices and update customers as their order advances through our office. The shop also provides us with summary of sales and statistics making it much easier to keep up an eye on how we’re doing.

If you follow us on twitter we will be sharing our first discount code very soon!

The labs:

Last month we announced Speclative and Postiory – our first two labs projects. We are always working on internal projects here at toggle and we wanted a place to showcase these ideas. The labs was born.

We hope you like the changes (there have been many more than just those mentioned above) and look forward to your feedback.

Netbooks have become extremely popular over the last two years, the price and size are extremely appealing. Nearly every major PC manufacturer has got in on the netbook craze and plenty of other unexpected companies too. Nokia is one of those companies stepping outside of its comfort zone with the Booklet 3G.

I have always been partial to the idea of a netbook although I am not completely sure why. Over the last 12 months I have had a look at a few options (the HP Mini 110, the Compaq mini 311 and Dell Mini 10) but for the most part the build quality of the machines has been pretty poor. Plastic chassis and flimsy keyboards are a common feature.

The Good

Nokia seem to have the build quality wrapped up well. The Aluminium body feels extremely sturdy and while the keyboard is plastic, its feels strong and responsive. It is a stunningly well designed and attractive little gadget. Inside it packs the very standard Intel Atom 1.6 GHz processor but despite this it seemed fast enough for most netbook related activities (web, video, music). Perhaps this is testament to beautiful things working better? Other highlights of the booklet 3G include the battery life (around 12 hours) and the built in 3G sim card slot – negating the need for a large 3G dongle.

The Bad

While size is one of the big attractions of netbooks it leads to many compromises. The screen resolution is too big (1280 x 720) for such a small screen and the keyboard feels cramped when typing. The screen is surrounded by a large black bezel which suggests the chassis could accommodate a larger screen and it would certainly benefit from it. The keyboard area also has space for larger keys which would be a big help. The other two negatives are the price (£650) which is twice the cost of similar specification machines and the operating system: Windows 7. Having used OSX for the past six years it seems like a step backwards with Windows 7. I would rather see and use a well thought out Linux distribution, perhaps Jolicloud?

Conclusion

Netbooks are a fairly strange concept if you think about it. As our mobiles get more powerful, do we need a device to bridge the gap between our (bigger) laptops/desktops and phones? After all the gap between our computers and phones is getting smaller all the time. My feeling is that I do not need a device that sits in this space, at least not at the moment. I am left wondering what are people using netbooks for and when?

If you would like to find our more about the Nokia Booklet 3G you can find the full specification on the Nokia site and we have also uploaded a few unboxing photos to Flickr. We would also like to say thanks to WOMWorld/Nokia and Carl for supplying the test unit. Keep an eye on the toggle shop for netbook cases arriving in the next few days.

iPad

When we first heard about the iPad we were disappointed. Our biggest complaint is that the device runs the same operating system as the iPhone, this instantly limits the software that can be run on it. We were hoping that the iPad would be a laptop replacement, allowing applications like Photoshop to be controlled with touch. A touch controlled tablet could have massive implications on the way we design with computers.

On refection its quite easy to see that this device is not aimed at creative computer folk. It is a consumer device that offers a platform for consumption: music, film, games, applications, TV and books from iTunes and the new book store. While this is a limitation for us, it does open the device to a massive target audience. It is the first computing device I can actually see my less technical grandparents using. With the 3G version they would not have to take out a broadband contract and we could finally send them emails. Touch is a massive part of this change as it negates the need to learn how to operate a mouse and the app store provides the right kind of software if they wanted more from the device. This will make the iPad a hugely popular gadget.

A few people have asked us: “Will the iPad mean we need a new website?”. From the looks of the Keynote and demonstrations of the iPad, the built in browser (Safari) will be loading the desktop version of a website (rather than the mobile version). So those of us with HTML based websites should need to make very few changes (if any). Like on the iPhone, Apple have decided not to include the Adobe Flash plugin. This means that anyone with a Flash based website may need to consider some changes to their site. At the very least you should be serving a HTML version of your site to those visitors without Flash enabled. We will talk a bit more about the future of Flash in a moment.

While we may not be rushing out to buy the iPad (although I am sure we could be tempted), we will be making a new range of cases for it. We are waiting to have some of the dimensions confirmed to make sure our cases offer the correct level of protection and still allow access to the dock connector and necessary ports. We will be launching the cases in our popular fabrics (vege leather, polka dot corduroy and upcycled garments), so keep an eye on our twitter feed for updates.

Nokia Booklet 3G

The Nokia Booklet 3G is not a new device (it was announced in August 2009), however we were kindly leant a test unit two weeks ago. It is one of the few netbooks around that go head to head with the iPad: offering similar hardware, design and functionality. We will be writing a full review of Booklet 3G once we have thoroughly tested it.

The rise in popularity of netbooks is also changing our perception of design for the web. A few years ago it was assumed that our computer screens would get larger, with bigger resolutions. This has not been the case. Smaller devices have meant that screen resolutions have got both bigger and smaller at the same time. Could we begin to see websites move from pixels to vectors as a result? Having our designs scale to the size of the screen that requests it could be very handy. The HTML5 specification (that we talked about last year) also hints towards this change with support for SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics). This technology is also competition for vulnerable looking Flash plugin.

Flash vs HTML5 vs Google vs Apple vs Adobe

The primary application for Flash is online video, online games and heavily interactive websites. The Flash plugin has been with us for many years and as a result it is installed on around 99% of all Internet connected computers. Flash will not be disappearing overnight but its future looks more uncertain than it ever has before.

Our biggest problem with Flash has always been that its not an open web standard. To build Flash websites you need to run propitiatory Adobe software and plugins. This goes against the nature of the web. Flash is also notoriously difficult to work with in terms of accessibility and SEO and is believed to be the cause of many browser and computer crashes (for example: this Flash site will crash your browser). The one advantage of Flash has always been its cross platform compatibility. Flash renders the same across all computers, phones and operating systems that support it.

YouTube and Vimeo both recently announced availability of their video libraries in HTML5 (no Flash plugin required). The HTML5 versions of the sites only work in Apple’s Safari browser and Google’s Chrome browser. Both Google and Apple are working together on the same browser technology and right now those browsers are capable of delivering a Flash like experience using nothing but HTML and CSS. Add this to Apple’s reluctance to support Flash on the iPad and iPhone and a technology battle is emerging.

The situation gets more complex though when you realise that Mozilla (with Firefox) are refusing to support the same video format as Apple and Google. Why? Because once again we are staring down the barrel of a closed technology that requires costly licence fees to implement. Very similar problems to those we have with Flash. To top it all off Microsoft have said nothing and the latest version of their browser (Internet Explorer 8) barely supports HTML5 at all.

A Conclusion?

There will never be one. Technology is an ever changing landscape with competing companies and ideas pulling in many different directions. This fast pace is what makes our industry so interesting and I have to say that we enjoy keeping up with the latest developments and gadgets. We are constantly learning and researching to make sure the products and services we design are current, open, stable and the right fit for our clients. What new gadgets are you looking forward to this year?

Simplicity

2009 was an extremely turbulent time for us. We moved offices twice, and then back to where we started. We took on freelancers and paid work experience students. We talked about expansion, discussed diversifying, discussed focusing on one business area, launched our shop, a new website and the laundry service. All of these were experiments to establish a route forwards. A route that would hopefully afford us some financial security and allow us to continue doing the work we love. It is safe to say we moved away from simplicity in a the hope it would take us somewhere new. It didn’t – but at the same time some of these experiments were essential. We now know what we want, what works (the shop has been a huge success) and what doesn’t (huge overheads and staff). They are important lessons to learn.

Design

2009 was a good year for design. The shop allowed us to experiment with design a great deal. We produce our own packaging and labels as well as getting to make the actual products. We also experimented with print making, book binding and illustration for various projects throughout the year. We would like to do more handmade work – I think our own site illustrations prove that it can be very effective both online and off.

Open Source

Our Open Source efforts continued with Pixie and as a result we were rewarded with a runner up prize for “the most promising Open Source CMS“. That is a massive achievement and puts our little CMS along side some of the greats (WordPress, Drupal etc). Things were not all rosy for Pixie though. In July we received a legal threat from Tech4Learning with regards to a Pixie trademark in the USA. The letter was a “cease and desist” so we decided to ignore it. Our reasons for this are simple; If Tech4Learning would have approached us with a civilised inquiry then a discussion could have taken place about the Pixie name. Instead they took the route of a scared business. One that is afraid of competition. If anyone from Tech4Learning is reading this – we would still be open to a discussion about it.

This year we need to look at ways to monetise our Open Source work – while we love to help, it has proved to be extremely taxing on our time. A decision needs to be made about the future of the Pixie project and we a currently experimenting with ideas. We will keep you posted.

2010

So here we stand at the dawn of 2010 (the year of the flying car! – ha) and its time to make new plans. We want to talk a leaf out of Carl’s (Fellow Creative) book and tip our hat towards transparency and honesty for the coming years. Being open about ideas, plans and money is a good thing. If you know where we stand you can decide if you want to stand with us (or otherwise).

Right now we are in a period of flux as we make changes to the business – both in terms of company structure and how we work. You will notice that Mike is no longer with us as he moves on to start a new business. But no fear, we are not going anywhere, we just want to make sure that whatever we decide to do in 2010 is the right choice for us and our clients. We are in the process of working out our plans and will post back the outcome. Decisions, decisions…

Our first toggle project was to build this very web site and as we completed it the enquiries for work began, as the year moved on our work load grew and unfortunately that led to fewer blog posts. New years resolution #1: Write more.

Our first year has been a success, we have had ups and downs but on the whole we go into 2009 on a positive note. We have projects to start, pitches to attend and a few 2008 projects to finish. The most important thing to come of this year has been the knowledge we have acquired about running a business and in particular how to work with our clients. They are all different, with different wants and expectations… in short: one size does not fit all.

Rather than write a post that looks back on the year that has passed I want to focus on looking ahead, what will be important to toggle in 2009?

Simplicity

I have always been a fan of simple: Less is more and more is often unnecessary. Having just read “The Laws of Simplicity” by John Maeda I am convinced that businesses and consumers need to start focusing on simple. Its no secret that the world has hit a tiny bit of economic difficulty and while the media will have you believe that this is a bad thing I can personally see a number of benefits to it. With less money it becomes more important to streamline and simplify. This means cutting out the unnecessary and focusing on simpler solutions that are easy to use and implement. For example we recently stopped our Basecamp subscription in favour of using email and Remember the Milk, this not only saved money but was easier for our clients (who are not all technically minded) to use.

We are also in the process of switching our business banking, its not an easy thing to do once a company is in motion but once we have done it our banking setup will become much simpler to manage: two bank cards becomes one, one online account becomes many and a number of our bank charges will disappear.

Simplicity is hopelessly subtle, and many of its defining characteristics are implicit… Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful. – John Maeda

Design

We built three CMS systems (Pixie, a toggle CMS and a property management system) and delivered numerous technical specification documents in 2008. It would seem that most clients are after “features” and that leads to conversations on development, not design. While we cannot get away from technology it is necessary to focus on the people that use it and not the technology itself. Design will solve problems that technology creates.

We aim to spend more of our time researching target markets, usability testing and researching our clients’ competitors. Letting design lead the development process will result in great experiences and better brands/websites. With current economic challenges it will be an attention to design to makes your product, service, brand or website stand out against those around you.

As part of this focus towards design, we will be heading to the Future of web design conference in April. 2009 is all about design…

Open Source

The idealism of the Internet manifests itself in Open Source. Open source proves that people from all over the planet can come together to make something greater than what is possible alone. I find Open Source to be inspiring and fascinating at the same time. On May 1st 2008 we launched Pixie as our first Open Source project, it has been downloaded over 8500 times and is in use all over the world. The people who use it are free to take our work and improve upon it and put back into the project anything they feel is missing. Pixie has improved over the course of the year and as a result everyone has benefited.

The WordPress team have proven that Open Source can be extremely successful and it is one the projects we watch closely with eager eyes. The new WordPress interface for version 2.7 has been thoroughly researched, tested and community driven. For the first time I feel I could give a copy of WordPress to a client and be confident in them using it and with that in mind we will be developing our first WordPress plug-ins in 2009. Beyond WordPress we would love to see how design can play a major part in the future of other Open Source projects, more designers should be giving time to projects in the hope that we can create greater software, that is simpler and easy to use.

The Internet is driven by people who donate time to projects such as PHP, MySQL and jQuery. Its time that everyone plays a part in giving back to the projects we use daily. If you feel the need to donate money in 2009 I would recommend you send a few pounds to a project you cannot do without.

We are already running two Linux servers and over the course of the year we will start testing both design and development applications that are Open Source. By 2010 I have a secret desire to be using nothing but open technology (web applications with at least an API or considerations for data portability and Open Source software)… is this possible? I intend to find out.

Thanks

So its 364 days until 2010 and I’m pretty sure we should all be wearing space suits and driving flying cars by then, we certainly have a lot of work to do! We are hoping to grow toggle beyond our comfort zone this year: A new office? New staff?… New clients! and of course continuing to work with those who have supported us so far. Bring on 2009!