Common is an interactive agency
Our services range from strategic work helping clients understand and develop their products and services to all aspects of interaction design and development for web, mobile and other platforms.
About Who we are and what we do
Small in size but big in experience and output, Common was founded in 2005. We're based at The Media Centre in Huddersfield and have clients across Northern England, London and beyond.
We differ from other agencies by focussing on creating excellence in user experience, regardless of platform, technology, interface or product.
Our user-centred approach produces intelligent solutions that create customer satisfaction. They are delivered by people and technologies previously used for ground-breaking digital services such as Ananova and Orange World.
Our clients are continually impressed by our big agency approach and experience delivered with the speed and flexibility of a small business.
We have deliberately nurtured this approach and believe in using our network of partners to ensure that, where work requires a specialist service, we have the right one available.
What we do
Websites
Websites are at the heart of our business. We design them, build them and manage them. We can handle all aspects of technology leaving our clients comfortably in charge of the content.
Mobile
Whether it's a website that works on mobile phones, a text messaging service, or an application that uses GPS capabilities we have the expertise you need to bring your mobile service to life.
Strategy
Whilst we usually focus on how to deliver something, we also help our clients to understand what and why, using research methods such as user testing, expert reviews and statistical analysis.
How we do it
We believe strongly in user-centred design. This means that, in addition to our clients' goals, we consider the user at every step of the process. This is very different to the technology-centred approach of "Let's add xyz feature because it would look cool!"
To stay user-centred we use an iterative design process managed using online project management tools, ensuring we can easily share and review progress with our clients at each stage.
Our skills
Different projects require different skills. We have invested in a small team of highly skilled and experienced people who are passionate about what they do...
Concepting
Even the best digital concepts can start as a sketch on paper. Or a diagram on a whiteboard. Or a doodle on a napkin.
Our design process starts with discussion, mixed-media resources and free-thinking which is captured and then used throughout the development of the solution.
Functional design
Stemming from our experience in traditional product design, we know that design is about much more than the visual effect.
We create wireframe layouts to design the overall function of a page which can then be tested and reviewed before progressing to the visual design stage.
Visual design
User experience is strongly affected by first impressions, and visual design is fundamental in creating the right impression.
We know what's hot in web design trends [and what's not] but we also utilise other media to stay creative and to ensure our visual designs stay fresh but supportive of our clients' brand.
Usability & accessibility
It's not enough that something always works. It's not even enough if it's stunning to look at too. Really great products have to be simple for everyone to use.
By keeping the needs of the user at the centre of our design process we ensure our solutions are right for our clients' users.
Technology
As individuals and professionals we actively use and explore current and forthcoming technologies, meaning that our clients don't have to.
Whether it's SEO, SMS, blogs, Flash, xHTML or CSS. We have the skills and experience to use the right technology for each job.
Development practice
Web and multimedia development is now rarely a matter of creating brochure-like web pages. That's why we've developed and nurtured a robust development process.
Our development process ensures that whether we need to quickly roll-back to a previous version or have a go at something new, it's all taken care of.
Like what you hear and have a project to discuss? We're only a phone call or an email away so get in touch and we can take it from there.
0870 990 5036
hello@commonagency.com
Ben Childs
Experience Director
Formerly Head of Multimedia Design at Orange UK, Ben founded Common in 2005 and fulfils the role of Experience Director. But what does he actually do?
"I look after our clients, understand their needs and their users' needs and ensure that the skills and experience of the whole team are used to deliver the best possible solution. This means I get to stay creative and up to date with the technologies instead of 'only' managing the business [which is my other major responsibility].
If you want to know more I'd be happy to chat. Try me at one of the following..."
Twitter
Linked In
Will Grange
Senior Developer
Kim Lawler
Interface Developer
Tom Morgan
Interaction Designer
