Archive for 2009
Does exactly what it says on the tin; just the posts that relate to the above...
Get a good education
A key feature of the BA(Hons) Graphic Design Programme at York College is its involvement with Design experts from industry. Phil Shackleton and Mike Danford from creative group Mixd have worked with the students as creative consultants on projects including Brand Creation, Promotion and Interactive Design.
“The experience has been of immense value for the students” said Programme Leader Alan Preston, “The presentation by Mixd was inspirational and the knowledgeable input from Phil and Mike gave students a greater insight into working as design professionals within the creative industries.”
If you know of an educational establishment that may wish to enhance their curriculum by working with creative professionals, please contact Mixd
Mixd – the lean, green, creative machine…
Now spring has finally sprung I’ve started how I mean to go on and rode my bike to work this morning. It’s a fair trek from Otley to Harrogate, especially if, like me you’ve not been riding your bike for some time, but hey ho!
Things I learnt riding my bike to work:
- 06:30 am is too early to get up to ride my bike but most definitely worthwhile
- I wore my Mixd “Lean, Green, Creative Machine” high visability jacket with pride
- Some car drivers appear to like being close to me
- I’ve saved ££££££ on fuel and am doing my bit for the environment
- I’m also doing something good for me
- I feel like I’ve really earnt a double chocolate biscuit with my coffee this morning
- I’m sure the ride home will take at least 10 minutes longer
- I’m looking forward to doing it again
The power of Twitter
Twitter is everywhere. Stephen Fry, Chris Moyles, Jonathan Ross, Phillip Schofield and many other celebrities are talking about it, it’s on the Ten O’Clock news and even the new Number 10 Downing Street website features a Twitter feed!
But despite the world-wide media frenzy, some people (in fact, most non ‘techy’ people) still need a basic introduction. So, just what is it? How do I use it? And (most importantly!) how can Twitter help my business?
So what exactly is Twitter?
I’ve heard all sorts of explanations and read numerous articles about how Twitter works but in the plainest, simplest ‘non-technical’ terms – Twitter is a very simple and quick communication method that fits neatly alongside other communication methods we’re all already using every day including text messages, email and mobile phones. Just get yourself a Twitter identity and soon you too could be ‘tweeting.’
The idea is to post a ‘feed’ of short messages about yourself or your business, each no more than 140 characters long. This can be as simple as saying what you’re working on or having for lunch but it can be used for so much more. At Mixd, we’ve started using our Twitter feed as a way of informing clients and customers what’s going on in the office, about new business wins and other exciting news from the Mixd team. We’ve even advertised job opportunities… with instant results!
Twitter can seem trivial, and certainly it doesn’t yet appeal to everyone. But from our perspective it really does have some amazing marketing potential. For instance, just recently I ‘tweeted’ (i.e. updated my Twitter status) to let friends know that I was heading to North Wales to go mountain biking. Within moments of posting this update I had a response from a local hotel in the North Wales area, wishing me a great day’s biking and suggesting that if I needed somewhere to stay that night they had a room available, at a great ‘last minute’ price!
Now that’s powerful stuff!
Mixd gives Bob a job
Mixd would like to give a warm welcome to the new guy, beardy Bob (his name’s Bob Tait and he has a beard). We think a group hug is in order; mind you, Bob’s girlfriend Vic knows that when it comes to the hugging stakes, no one is quite like Bob!
Bob’s role in the team will be as Producer; making sure the left hand knows what the right hand is doing and ensuring that the legs are going in the same direction… forward.
It’s no surprise that Bob’s career path (if a little wavy at times) has taken him onwards to be an organiser, a project manager… a producer. Bob makes things happen, always has… guess he always will. It’s not just in his career that he makes sure things come together well, scrap that, superbly. From the early years of playgroup projects through to the current day with cricket club events and his gigging rock n’ roll band, Bob has always been instrumental (he’s actually a vocalist, but it’s a turn of phrase).
In his professional life, Bob has safely and smoothly overseen numerous creative projects to fruition for many high profile organisations, including the Department of Trade and Industry, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Learning and Skills Council, the National Trust and the University of Leeds.
Oh, by the way, he loves music, the great outdoors and his garden …and quite fancies keeping chickens.
Mixd Excels
As an organisation, Mixd is always keen to help others… and today is no exception. Based on the results of important scientific research (Bob closely watching Phil this morning and chuckling), this could save you from days of stress and sleepless nights of worry.
So here it is, the simple process of merging 2 (two) columns of data into 1 (one) using the Microsoft product ‘Excel’. Step one can be omitted as you see fit, but can be fun.
Step One
Watch colleague pull own hair out for up to 90 minutes (longer than this is just not on), trying to work out how to do it.
Step Two
Assuming the data to be merged sits in columns A and B, select column C and choose Insert > Column to insert a new (blank) column C.
Step Three
Assuming that data starts in row 2 (allowing for your headings), whack one of the following formulae into cell C2.
To hyphenate the merged data
=A2&”-”&B2
To merge with a space between the data
=A2&” “&B2
Step Four
Copy the formula as far down column C as needed (by dragging the bottom right corner of the C2 cell).
Step Five (the magic bit!)
Next, select the entire column C; choose Edit > Copy; then Edit > Paste Special; then Values and OK. This pastes the cell contents (not the formulae) back into column C.
Step Six
You can now simply delete columns A and B; easy.
Please send thank you cards to the usual address.
Mixd accepts no liability if this doesn’t work for you; apologies.
Mixd creative web design – Harrogate?
When Mixd opened its doors in Harrogate for the first time at the start of 2009, it heralded the arrival of a new creative force in the North Yorkshire spa town. Mixd is an exciting young business which started in Northallerton in 2004; but why the move to Harrogate?
Partner, Phil Shackleton, says, “We’re delighted to have made this move. Harrogate is an ideal location to service our existing client base plus the town’s travel and leisure connections are a great fit with our growing specialism in this sector.” Phil continues, “We’re expecting this move to provide a great springboard for the next stage of Mixd’s growth. Plus our firm desire to be a ‘green’ business is greatly helped by the fact that most of the Mixd team are now able to cycle to work every morning!”
There you have it. Now you know.
New year, new office and new website! Whatever next?
New year, new you… so they say. Well, here at Mixd, we’ve really gone to town on all things new. Whilst we can’t really take any credit for the new year, we must say how delighted we are with both our new physical home (a stone built period property set in a beautiful, leafy Harrogate street) and our new virtual home (on the world wide web which, in our mind’s eye, is leafy and beautiful too).
We throw open an invitation for you to visit both whenever you like… which one you visit is up to you. The office is but a stone’s throw* away from the Harrogate International Conference Centre, the focal point of this lovely town, and you’ll find a warm welcome Monday to Friday, 9 ’til 5.30. You can of course, visit the website wherever you find internet access, 24 hours a day… the only drawback being you’ll have to make your own brew (although anyone who has tasted one of Phil’s coffees will probably see this as very much a positive).
*please don’t throw stones, it’s dangerous and can have someone’s eye out (it’s even worse if you live in a glass house, so we’re told).
Follow Mixd on Twitter
If you just can’t get enough of us here, we’re also now broadcasting out into the Twittersphere. If you’re not in the know, Twitter is a microblogging service that makes it easy to keep up with your favourite people (hopefully us) on multiple networks and devices. Consider it Mixd’s ‘breaking news’… but not always as serious as news type stuff.
Jonathan Ross turns to Twitter
Turns out that Wossy (his Twitter username) has been using his recent, unexpected free time to turn himself on to this year’s biggest ‘buzz’, the microblogging world of Twitter. He has been letting people in on his movements (no toilet humour please); from cigar smoking to rescuing Captain Jack (one of his dogs, not John ‘here, there and everywhere’ Barrowman) from the snow.
The good people at Twitter must have been rubbing their hands together with glee following prime-time TV promotion by Wossy on his Friday Night with Jonathan Ross ‘comeback’ show. Not only was it watched by millions, but Wossy spent time discussing Twitter with one of his high profile guests and fellow ‘Twitterer’, Stephen Fry.
This must surely have resulted in a Twittering frenzy and many a new sign-up; I wonder if Andrew Sachs was one of them?
Whilst we can’t promise to be as insightful or humourous as Wossy, why not follow Mixd on Twitter?