Services

Platform has the artist's work at the heart of the design process.

Websites
The process for design is two way, a collaboration in many ways between artist and designer. Each inputting their ideas to the design. The website is conceived in many ways as its own time based piece of work with the nature of the user's interaction with the site being central. No two pages are necessarily the same design-wise. In terms of site creation, a draft design is first created for any new site usually 2-3 weeks after receiving the initial site content and input from the client. From there the final design then takes shape.

A new service offered by Platform that promotes the work of the artists and makers it designs sites for. This includes news items on the latest sites being designed, the latest updates of new work, and of new and current exhibitions. All news will also be announced on twitter at arttalk. This is being offered as a free service to all platform clients, with new material being announced at least once per month. arttalk is an editorial service particularly aimed at galleries, craft and textile design markets, aiming to provide coverage for all contributions submitted. The plan is to also offer this service to any artist wishing to publicise their work for a small fee, please enquire for details.

Range of sites
As can be seen in the portfolio, Platform creates a range of sites: professional artist sites, to self managed online shops, blogs, open studio event sites and sites for small organisations and business start-ups.

Search engine optimisation
Complete within each website design is the building of a necessary structure that will aid search engine optimisation. However the optimising of any site is an ongoing process and will benefit from monitoring and reviewing on a continual basis. Add-on seo can also be arranged, monitoring your site on a regular monthly basis, should this be so required.

Site stats
Platform inserts an invisible counter into your web pages when they are designed. Each month the results of site stats can be emailed to you with information on number of hits, geographical location, pages viewed, referring url etc.

Web hosting + Email + Webmail
Platform can arrange web hosting and domain name purchase for you. Many of its design packages include the hosting for the first year, with it being renewed thereafter on an annual basis. As part of this, webmail can also be arranged enabling you to access your mail wherever you may be. For those wishing to set up email accounts through Outlook, Apple Mail, advice on how to do this can also be given. Each website domain will come with unlimited email addresses for use with your domain.

Updating + ongoing maintenance
After the first year, your website will be automatically renewed. The maintenance includes the renewal of your domain name, hosting, and email facility [if managed by Platform] together with two new image updates per year and text updates at any time. You simply email us with the changes and we aim to update your site as soon as possible. Urgent changes are done within 24 hours. Full details about the cost of annual renewal will be provided when applying for a quotation.

Prices
Platform bases its prices on the overall size of the proposed site, and on the complexity involved. There is no price per page, per image or per flash movie included as such but rather a price will be quoted for that will encompass the site as a whole. The ethos behind the design is to create a site that suits the work it is promoting and using whatever design skills are required to achieve this, as opposed to offering possibly unrequired add-ons. Differing rates are offered for artists, charitable arts organisations and commercial businesses. Flexible payment terms exist for artist websites whereby full payment can be made over the duration of the web project.

also.... Arts mentoring
Rosy has much experience working within the arts, both as a practising artist, and in an organisational capacity for arts organisations. As such guidance can be offered with the writing of funding appications, business plans, planning of an effective marketing programme. Please enquire for full details.

Should you wish to enquire about a quotation please email or telephone:

studio@platformdesigns.co.uk / 0131 669 9343