Nice Wee Sites

We’ve both been up to our necks in work since the new year started. John has been assisting a Barra/Eriskay enterprise with their existing website, while in the other geographic direction assisting an artist on Harris define what she requires in terms of ICT and a website for her business. Ruth has been working on a local accommodation website and discovering new plugins for use on future projects, as well as continuing her proofreading commitments.

It looks like this busy-ness will be continuing for a while. Over the next few months we’ll be helping local organisations and businesses launch three new websites, which will appear in the portfolio:

• one a new build self-catering establishment
• one a Uist organisation
• …and the third focusing on Uist sporting and leisure pursuits

Hence, we can’t start any new works until mid-April at the earliest. In the meantime, people seriously wanting a website can still get in touch, and we wish everyone good weather for the spring months ahead.

After a pleasant summer in which one half of the Nice Wee Sites team conferenced in Chicago and Seattle, we are both back on Berneray and looking forward to an autumn and winter of Uist-based website designing.

At the moment we are producing a website for a well-known South Uist tourist business. However, we can proceed with the development of several websites at the same time, so if you want a website – or are seriously thinking you may need one – then get in touch.

Also – look out for our advert in the September issue of Am Paipear!

A double-event today.

This afternoon saw us in the Kildonan Museum complex in South Uist. Here, we conducted a meeting with most of the staff, to help with their website requirements analysis. The meeting was centred around a presentation, which facilitated discussion and led to a nice list of decisions being made. On our return to Berneray, we’ll type this up, then send to the museum so they can take it (if they want) to various website designers and ask for detailed quotes.

But before our return, the evening saw us in Lochboisdale in South Uist. Here, we ran a workshop “So you think you want a website?”, for people who weren’t able to attend the Nunton Steadings workshop a few weeks previously.

Both these events were supported by the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund.

A busy day for Nice Wee Sites!

Today saw Nice Wee Sites involved in a large event in the high-tech and comfortable surroundings of Nunton Steadings in Benbecula.

Several speakers ran presentations and workshops on aspects of website design and maintenance. Our first presentation gave an overview of the Isle of Berneray Community website, concerning how we went about the design, obtaining content, involving the community, and maintaining the final website.

Our workshop later that day, entitled “So you think you want a website?”, went into more detail about the criteria and decisions involved in commissioning a website. This was a more open session, and an enthusiastic group of potential website owners grilled Nice Wee Sites on many aspects of getting and owning a website. Nunton Steadings has broadband, meeting and conferencing facilities, so we could demonstrate lived editing of a website.

After winning through through to the final of the Calor Scottish Community of the Year Awards 2005, the Isle of Berneray community website picked up a commendation in the category of “Community Enhancement through the Internet”.

To quote from the award press release:

In determining the outcome of the awards, the judges sought best practices within community groups, which could be used as examples to others throughout Scotland. “All twelve of this year’s finalists have demonstrated exceptional community focus, with a number enjoying active discussion forums and inclusion,” comments Dr Douglas Cruickshank, Community Enhancement through the Internet judge, and course leader for MSc in e-Business at The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen.

“The emphasis of this award is firmly on how communities use the Internet to improve local communication and promote community life. Most importantly the sites have to be accessible and easy to navigate rather than focussing on clever design techniques. This has been successfully demonstrated by the Isle of Berneray (www.isleofberneray.com) website and its ‘three clicks’ policy.

The Internet has had a profound effect on how we locate information and a remarkable number of Scottish communities have capitalised on these opportunities to promote interactivity and community spirit. With a population as small as the Isle of Berneray, the website has become a valuable tool in successfully promoting the area and knowledge sharing between residents,” continues Dr Douglas Cruickshank.