Not a week passes by at Bighouse Graphix without a conversation about updating or tweaking an existing site. Heck, we want to do this with our own site now and then, and you better bet we could give you a list of websites we’d love to get our hands on too.

It’s too tempting to wipe the slate clean without giving any thought to the current site. But before reaching for the eraser, the smart thing to do is to really review the site goals and call to action, measure google analytics and determine the real problem. In some cases, just a few smart changes make all the difference.

Lisa Lancaster, a veterinarian in Denver, Colorado asked us to design her website a few years ago. As a mobile veterinarian Lisa needs her website to provide her clients enough information that by the time she gets to their door they have a good idea of who she is and what she can do. Bad communication in this case means a lots of wasted time.

The website we created about 3 years ago had beautiful photos of Lisa with the horses she has cared for, a lot of equine related info and elaborate online forms for her clients.  Now, several years later, her business focus has expanded to include small animal care and some new holistic therapies. Along the way, Lisa also discovered that her online forms weren’t providing her with the information she needed. Worse, the forms often confused her visitors. So, the website that Lisa loved three years ago needed to grow and change along with her business.

Because we know that it’s not about how pretty your website is, it’s about relevancy and convenience, we completely understood Lisa’s request. We audited her current site, studied site traffic and usability. We looked at what information on her website was proving useful and what was getting in the way. We re-adapted the site structure and design while keeping the consistent look of the brand that we had developed for her. We shifted the focus from strictly equine services to also include small animals. By simplifying her online forms, strengthening her brand imagery and really pairing down what was important on the site, the end result was much stronger.

Take a look for yourself, Lisa’s new website is www.lancasterequine.com

Barack Obama visited Savannah this spring, spreading the word about good graphic design and our nation’s need for improved font choices, better website interfaces and quality printing. He stopped by Bighouse Graphix to shake hands with our very own Steve Mousourakis, a hard-working local small business owner who is creating positive change in our local economy.

Wait, what?

Yeah, most of that didn’t actually happen. But we are proud to say that the printed booklet we designed for the Savannah Technical College arrived last week and it features Obama’s press conference and visit to the school. The President chose to stop at Savannah Tech because of the excellent training programs offered there, particularly the YouthBuild program, which puts at-risk students through a combined GED/construction program. Here at Bighouse Graphix we’ve been working on print projects for Savannah Tech for some time and now seeing them featured on national news like this, well, it makes us proud.

So we showcased the historic visit with rich color photos in an 80lb classic laid navy coil-bound cover with custom 60lb ivory velum dividers and bronze foil-stamping featuring the Presidential seal.

The other day, when the samples came in, we photographed the big man right here in the studio… ok, fine, just the printed booklet.