Spir.to presentation and workshop for the Match Up and Develop a Startup, on Saturday the 24th of February, at FORTH central building. Creating a unique digital experience, whether it's a simple web site or a complicated application, is a key feature of most business activities. The positive user experience (UX) gained through a user interface (UI) is the most important component of a successful interaction.In this workshop we saw the steps between theory and practice , and how we can make the difference with a unique proposal that shines amongst others. We also talked about life, love, design and everything in between :)​

For one more year, it has been our pleasure to be part of the vibrant energy that is Starup Safari Athens, the biggest open doors event for the startup ecosystem. We presented at K44 collaborative space, taking about branding, visual communication and the secrets of the universe. The subject of our presentation was Hacking your Brand Image, and it discussed the options and opportunities for an upcoming startup, to create a strong base for a unique brand. You can see the presentation slides here . Keep on hacking!​​

Spir.to participated with an art installation at monitor festival in Heraklio Crete on 4-6 of November. The installation was under the title "Look inside u". An anthropomorphic furniture divided in three levels allowed the observer to look inside through little holes in every level and search for answers . The level of consciousness, the level of the heart and the level of the stomach. An interesting interactive contact between people and art ! You also can find the e-artbook here. Enjoy ! 

We were thrilled to support Caravan Next’s Roots festival that took place in the beginning of September in Heraclio, Crete. The festival presented a wide array of creative activities, including dance, theater, music and much more! We provided the visual communication for the various applications of the festival, aiming to create a visual identity that would project the vibrant and energetic feel of the festival itself! Check out our Caravan Next project page for more!​

Now, this has been quite an experience! Was it the impressive setup and organization of the event? Was it the amount and variation of the people we met and  talked to? Was it the city itself? In any case TNW Conference in Amsterdam never stopped delivering on all levels.We were there to present our new baby project, Briefine, a creativebriefing tool, conceived and developed through hard earned experience, aimed to bridge the gap between the client and the designer.Although it was advertised as a startup/investor meet-up, its realvalue was in the connections we made with people from around theworld. It wasn't only about making business or collaborations, butsharing mentalities and points of view.We are looking forward to returning next year for more networking greatness!

 In days of old, not more than five years ago, one could find all kinds of websites on the net. Smaller or bigger, well designed or not so much, professional looking or my-younger-cousin-made-it, there were more than meets the eye. One thing was certain: there was enough variety to go around. For better or worse, the next different thing was just around the corner.  Sure there were categories of sites, like the ones mentioned above, or even the now almost extinct Flash site category. Although some of them looked like the were made from the same mass production factory, the web was a colorful garden with all kinds of flowers in it, some beautiful and some not. So what happened? How did we come to talk about the death of web design? Primarily, mobile browsing happened. With the spread of mobile devices in later years, a new user experience emerged, that the old web design just couldn't cope with. The old websites had to be shrunk to fit the smaller screens, and the user had to zoom parts of them to be able to read the information. It didn't look good, it wasn't functional, and a new solution was needed to bring the browsing experience to the new age. That solution is responsive web design: the process of adjusting the position of site information, in relation to the size of the device screen, usually based on a grid. That eliminates the problem of having to shrink the web page, as it separates its data in modules and places them one under the other, to create a seamless viewing experience on any mobile device. The bad news is that by fixing one thing we are in danger of breaking another, equally important if not more so. Down the assembly line The introduction of grids in web design, and the crowd of templates that are based on them, created a new phenomenon for the web as we know it. A lot of sites look so similar to one another, that they could all be selling the same product or service, and no one would be able to tell the difference. The information is there, it is clear and easy enough to get, but in so many cases there is no character to support and distinguish it from similar offerings coming from the competition. To achieve usability we have lost the unique personality every brand should have to stand out from the crowd. The truth is there are so many options out there: blogging platforms and the countless templates for them, Content Management Systems, do-it-yourself platforms, tools that automatically adjust a design for mobile devices. All these bring everyone and every business, one step closer to making their own website a reality. The one small detail is that most of these solutions create results that look like inbred relatives. But if your website looks almost the same with your competitor's, how can a visitor make a decision between your offerings? If your online image can't project the value of your products or services, what will get you the job? Your site's texts that claim you are the best, just like everybody else does, or the prices you will have to bring down to beat your competition? Still, thousands of mostly smaller businesses choose a ready-made solution for they web presence. The templates are decent, even downright professional in some cases, and that is enough, right? Probably not. The price is (not) right If the need for a universal website building process is the one main factor to blame for the state or web design today, the need to cut costs is the other. They say that the best things in life are for free, and there is some truth to that, but it doesn't apply so well when it comes to websites and of course branding in general.  Today you can get an up-and-running website for $300; you can even get one for $5 in some online marketplaces, so why bother paying more? If you just look at the numbers, it makes perfect sense. But usually, when it comes to building a strong brand, numbers come second in importance, just after the feelings and ideas people have about it. If your visitors leave your website, seconds after they landed on it, because they didn't receive an interesting and valuable projection from it, you might as well have thrown these $5-$300 out the window. Honestly, no one likes cheap. You probably don't and your site's visitors, and prospect clients don't either. People would like to get something with less money, or even for free, but they would prefer it not to look and feel cheap. Would you wear a suit that looked cheap for a critical business appointment? Or do you consider the business you can get from your website visitors less important? It is true, times are difficult and budgets are running low. Still, "affordable" is such a better word, and concept, than "cheap". Although it is not clear in many business owners' minds, offline as much as online branding is an investment for their company. One should make it as long as it can pay back for itself, and then keep on making money. Its cost should be relative to the dynamic a business has to take advantage and make a profit from it. And like most investments, it is on a fine balance between throwing money away and not giving enough to create a competitive advantage that will return the investment. Web design can be bad for your business But why is this design related matter, a potential threat for you and your business, especially if it is a small one? After all, the survey said people don't care much about design, didn't it? In the way the market is set, regardless your business type, the basic rule is that the big fish will eat the smaller ones. The more money you have to invest in your business, the more competitive you can make it and the more chances you have to become a bigger fish. Smaller businesses start with a disadvantage in this, as in many cases by the time they feel it is time to invest, they have been eaten or faded away. There are exceptions to this, but exceptions usually just prove the rule. The one thing a small business usually has over a bigger one is its truth. The sincere wish its owners have, to provide value to their audience and the genuine products and services they have to offer. Then we hear all those success stories, where someone started in their basement and ended up being funded for millions. And here is where design comes in the picture and affects your business. Web design can be the primary, most appropriate tool to convey that truth, to an unlimited online audience through your website. By creating a unique web presence, custom-designed and tailor-made for your particular needs, you can control the image you project online, so it is not like any other face in the crowd. Bigger brands and businesses have a head start in this game,  as they have money to invest in their image and its promotion. The good news is that there are affordable - not cheap - solutions out there, and they can make a big difference in how your website works for your brand. The trick is not to look at the numbers first, but at the value these solutions provide and the advantages they offer to your communication efforts. The David vs Goliath paradigm Web design isn't dead, although it has seen better days. Businesses and their audiences will always need, well-planed visual communication to exchange their messages, no matter the medium. It is a good time though, for smaller businesses to take advantage of this gap in online presence and overtake bigger competitors. You know about the value of your products and services, without doubt better than anyone. If only you could let other people see, let them know about the truth in you proposition. Investing in your online presence and finding the right balance in how big, or how small, that investment should be, can provide you with a competitive advantage, and give your business the dynamic to stand out.  Affordable is always better than cheap and it can equip your brand with the tools that will write your story of success. Wouldn't it be nice if we could create an opportunity out of a potential demise?

This month we are thrilled to announce our collaboration with Club Globals and Capitals Business Circle for the creation of the logo and concept of their startup matchmaking event, Startup Connect, being held in Berlin at the 9th of December. Also happy and proud that our baby sister agency, Symvo, was commissioned to design and develop the event's website. You can get more information and take a look at the custom-made website at www.startupconnect.berlin.

We are super excited to announce that our mini-site project Hey Spir.to is officially nominated at the prestigious www.awwwards.com, in which the best of the web is being presented. The nominations are evaluated and selected by the site's stuff and then awarded by an international jury. We cross our fingers and wish for the best! If you are happy for us and you would like to help, here is the way:Go to http://www.awwwards.com/best-websites/hey-spir-to/ and vote for our website. To do that you will have to sign up, but if you choose to do it with Facebook or Tweeter, it only takes 5 seconds. In any case every little helps and we are counting on all of you do gooders out there!