Galactus :: News
Home -> News
Flash games and much more besides...
We had a bit of feedback recently from a couple of new clients who thought that we focussed on producing flash games - to demystify this preconception we have compiled a top level description highlighting the technologies we use to produce clean, semantic X/HTML sites, alongside some examples at the bottom of the page.
Clean XHTML
We build all our sites using XHTML and make sure our code validates to the standards set by the W3C to ensure that our sites are accessible and work in today's browsers as well as those of the future.
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
Our sites are presented using CSS to ensure consistency throughout the pages and make global changes easier to implement in the future.
Progressive Enhancement
We use jQuery and Google technologies to progressively enhance our websites with animation effects such as fades and transitions as well as using Web 2.0 techniques such as AJAX and JSON to make pages load quicker and more smoothly. Progressive enhancement ensures that all users, even those with legacy browsers or functionally limited devices (such as mobile phones) get the best user experience they can.
PHP5
Our sites are preferably developed using PHP5, a powerful Object Oriented script language that provides secure, scalable and affordable back end development and reduced hosting costs when compared to Microsoft servers. However we also have developers that work with Microsoft technology if required.
Website examples
Widget for Life on Mars character DCI Gene Hunt
The widget will be used to promote 'The Wit and Wisdom of Gene Hunt' – the third in a series of spoof books based on the characters from the BBC series Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes. This book is a selection of DCI Gene Hunt's funniest and most controversial quotes, compiled by the two men who know him best… with photos & scribbled annotations from Ray Carling.
We love our jobs here at Galactus.
Click here to see some other widgets we have produced.
Search engine friendly websites in flash
More and more we have the same discussion with our clients - should we produce a site in flash or HTML? We all know that flash looks nice, dynamic and can often make your message jump out from the screen, but it's not search engine friendly like HTML.
However HTML ranks great in the search engines, but can look static for certain types of campaigns and doesn't always fulfil the creative tone required.
The good news is that we are now producing flash websites on the Gaia framework that allows a flash site to have much of the same search engine friendliness as an HTML site, plus other features including:
- Unique urls for each site section (unlike standard flash)
- Enables the use of the browsers forward and back buttons
- More intelligent bookmarking that makes it more search engine friendly
- Users without a Flash plug-in can still view a fully functional HTML version of the site
- Search engines will be able to fully index all the text content on the site
View examples of our flash sites built on the Gaia framework:
www.hivehub.co.uk
www.escapefromfurnace.com
www.thebadtuesdays.co.uk
Galactus to produce fantasy trailer for Mira Books
We’ve been asked to produce a trailer for adult fantasy novel ‘Storm Glass’ that will also be seeding across a variety of social networking and lifestyle sites, with the aim to provide an intriguing snapshot of the complete trilogy.
Main aims are to build a platform for the trilogy, boost sales and awareness, as well as communicate the thrilling and imaginative, fantasy elements of the books.
Click here to view some previous trailers we have delivered for our clients:
http://www.galactus.co.uk/projects/robots/trailer/
Galactus to develop Kelly Osbourne website
Further extending our experience in the book publishing and entertainment markets we are delighted to have been chosen to produce the official Kelly Osbourne website.
The site will focus on the launch of her new book ‘Fierce’ that includes Kelly’s own life experiences that aims to provide advice to other young women including embarrassing families, growing up in the public eye, to drug and alcohol addiction.
Main aims are to provide a hub for Kelly’s online presence, to promote the book and enable Kelly fans to engage with the book on a number of levels.