PixelMEDIA Inc.

Prior to the launch of the Mass Save website in 2010, customers had to visit multiple websites to learn about energy- and money-saving opportunities. The programs were sponsored by nine gas and electric utilities and energy services companies serving the state, with goals and guidelines set by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER). Because the design and navigation of each site was different, customers had to learn multiple ways to find information and application forms for energy-saving incentives.

Success Factors

The sponsors and DOER asked PixelMEDIA to consolidate the 6 separate websites into single Mass Save website and to create a unique brand identity. The new brand would serve as a recognizable focal point for a wide range of online and traditional marketing activities, and having a single brand would reduce the cost and complexity of maintaining multiple marks and identity systems. PixelMEDIA identified 3 key elements needed for a successful outcome: Read More…

Many sites utilize a search feature in order to help visitors find what they are looking for.  Especially with larger sites, visitors don’t want to take the time to manually navigate to the information they seek, but would rather use search to arrive at the most appropriate listings faster.  Here is an example of a site search box:

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Riding the Boston subway recently, I noticed several people crowded around one of the doors in the center of the car despite a clearly worded warning: DO NOT STAND IN FRONT OF DOORS. They stayed at the door during several stops, but did not get off. People getting on and off had to squeeze by them. The train wasn’t especially crowded; there was plenty of space away from the doors. So why were these people huddled in the one spot they were not supposed to be?

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The goal of any good web firm should be to provide clients with the best possible online face to the world.  Notice, however, that I use the term “best possible”.  The reality is that we as developers, designers, information architects, content strategists, account managers and project managers, are often limited by the budget, particularly in this difficult economy.  While a $100,000 website redesign might be off the table during tough times, “small victories” in key places can happen as part of the regular support and maintenance of your website, and often have a big impact.

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As new plugins become available to developers every day, jQuery is quickly becoming one of the most popular javascript libraries.  jQuery is an easy solution for interactive development and a remarkable alternative to traditional flash-based components.  In fact, the versatility of jQuery is truly astounding and in many ways, makes it a much better alternative to Flash. 

Although jQuery isn’t known to be the best solution for 3-D and vector-based graphics, there are several other areas in which jQuery out-performs Flash. Read More…

Business Challenge
Move people. That was the challenge that Segway®, the creators of the iconic personal transporters, presented to PixelMEDIA. Segway knows that once people experience riding a Segway PT, they want to own one. They needed a partner who could bring that same emotional energy and feeling online. This was a key driver for their website redesign: drive interaction, encourage a test drive, and link potential buyers to product dealers. The new website needed to reflect the motion, innovation, and selling points of their products—all while serving Segway’s three primary target audiences: individuals, businesses, and police and government. Read More…

Business Challenge
Cbeyond offers managed communications services to small businesses in several major metropolitan areas throughout the U.S. Its CbeyondOnline service and support portal allows more than 29,000 customers to view and manage their accounts, including phone, email, and Internet services. The portal is a valuable tool in assisting customers with their needs, while also reducing the number of support calls to customer service.

Always focused on improving service, Cbeyond turned to PixelMEDIA’s Usability and User Research offering to evaluate the application and find ways to enhance the customer experience—as well as continue to decrease the need for support calls. Read More…

Business Challenge
When SPECTRUM was rolled out over ten years ago at Networld+Interop it was considered the most revolutionary application interface of its time. After ten years of steady feature and functionality enhancements at the code-level, it was time to release an equally impactful user interface update as the product shifted from a client-server base to being fully Web-enabled. Read More…