Online innovation in 2016

July 5, 2016

In 2016, Andrew W Morse was again invited by WMA founder Bill Rice, to join a select group on the international judging panel of the WebAwards.

With a long history of visual communications and digital media, the founder of Digital Tsunami has considerable expertise to analyse and comment on submitted sites.

Judging criteria

Created in 1996 (the same year in which Digital Tsunami was founded), the WebAwards is dedicated to setting a standard of excellence for web development. The judging panel assesses the components of:

• Aptitude
• Copywriting
• Design
• Ease of use
• Innovation
• Interactivity
• Technology

For the judges, it is instructive to view a number of sites which excel in interactivity and innovation. These exceptional sites are viewed in context of the mainstream. The vast majority of submitted sites; while they may be well constructed, well organised, well written and visually attractive; do not deliver impact or engagement.

Innovation and interaction

There is a big emphasis on usability and innovation. Yet these are not new concepts. Last century, websites and software was referred to as being ‘user-friendly’.

Now, brands can spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, on information architecture; requirements specification, technical specification and functional specification documentation; usability analysis with eye-tracking and focus groups; and User Experience (UX) analysts; to ensure that functionality is as simple and intuitive as possible, to minimise abandonment rates and ensure happy customers.

In a world of immediacy, rapid change and global exposure, true innovation is evident, but hard to distinguish amongst the plethora of media we see every day.

Digital Tsunami has been fortunate to work with clients who appreciate the value of proven innovation when appropriate to the target market.

Three examples

Amongst Digital Tsunami clients, three prime examples of current innovation and interactivity stand out.

For a national educational organisation, Polymer 1.o was utilised to provide a simple, impactful and effective interface for teaching school kids to ride bikes safely. The Let’s Ride site was built with the developers beta pack and released on the same day that Polymer 1.o was launched. It can’t get much more innovative than that!

For a Chinese property developer, of paramount importance, was a responsive site which integrated both vertical and horizontal scrolling and video on all devices. Digital Tsunami delivered a bilingual (simplified Chinese character and English language) site which fulfilled this imperative, and used photography and succinct text to promote one of the most luxurious and well-engineered residential complexes in China: Master Residences.

For a government water management authority, simple, clear and editable interactive maps were a focal point. The lrwg.com.au site features interactive Google maps overlaid with location markers for: catchment areas, rivers and creeks, weirs and dams, fishways; nationally and regionally significant wetlands; as well as past and current watering events. These maps enable the plotting of water courses and the setting of irregular catchment areas, to dynamically demonstrate the impact of the water releases upon both farming land and the environment.

As a judge for the WebAwards, Andrew W Morse applies an awareness of current technologies, accessibility and efficient functionality, to consider all websites.

Digital Tsunami can do the same in your sector, and ensure that your brand communicates effectively with your clients and customers.