|
Welcome to Catesby Design |
 |
 |
 |
|
Written by Administrator
|
|
Thursday, 12 October 2006 10:00 |
|
Welcome to Catesby Design, UK specialists in the design, development and maintenance of Web Sites and Web Applications. Our solutions start from as little as £350 for the design of a simple web site with annual maintenance fees from £200, and can be anything from a simple static web site up to a large content-managed site. It can incorporate bespoke database-driven applications and e-commerce functionality. We will offer advice about how to make your web site fit in with your organisation and the different ways that it could help your business grow.
We have experience in a wide range of technologies, including Microsoft solutions for both client computers and server systems. We specialise in building bespoke web sites around content management systems.
With a solid background developing traditional client-server systems for a wide range of clients, including a number of blue-chip companies, we have been involved in the development of web-based applications and systems since their inception. We can help you achieve a professional web presence and offer advice about related issues, such as accessibility, data protection and search engine optimisation. |
|
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 29 June 2010 11:55 )
|
|
|
Written by Administrator
|
|
Wednesday, 07 July 2004 12:00 |
|
Traditional Client-Server systems might have been eclipsed by the rise of the internet and the web using the http protocol, but we have worked on many such systems in the past. Clients have included National Milk Records (formerly part of the Milk Marketing Board), Glaxo Smithkline and Mars as well as some smaller companies and new media agencies. |
|
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 11 November 2008 13:44 )
|
|
Written by Administrator
|
|
Wednesday, 07 July 2004 09:54 |
|
Catesby Design has been providing consultancy services in the areas of software and digital hardware design and development since 1989. In 2000, we added web site design and management services to our offerings. From 2008 we are now able to offer our clients web site hosting, email and domain name services. See the Portfolio page for more details about some of the sites we manage or have worked on.
History
 In the early days, we were involved in the design of digital electronic circuitry, and systems combining dedicated hardware and real-time control software. Software development was mainly in various assembler languages but included some C, both cross-compiled and to run on a PC controlling specialized hardware. The picture shows a Disk Emulator card, used to test disk controller sub-systems to ensure that they would work correctly with disk drives that are operating at the edges of their specified performance bands as well as with a typical example.
 When Microsoft released Visual Basic, the company's focus changed to PC-based software programming and the design of desktop applications in VB. Version 1 was widely regarded as not a 'serious' development tool, mainly by those who had invested a great deal of time learning C++. By the time version 3 was in use, with its ODBC database links, the myth had been exposed. VB continues to be dominant even with the rise of intranets and the world wide web. Related languages VBA and VBScript are finding their way into other areas, such as office applications, as macro and scripting tools.
As the use of internet protocols, particularly http, increased, server-side scripting technologies started to appear, and we started to develop systems based around Active Server Pages, Visual Basic and client-side javascript to implement systems that would have been Visual Basic applications only a short while before.
With the rise of the Open-source software movement, we now embrace these tools and technologies as well. In particular, we use the PHP scripting language, MySQL database, and customisable packages such as Joomla.
|
|
Last Updated ( Saturday, 20 February 2010 11:34 )
|
|
|
Written by Administrator
|
|
Wednesday, 07 July 2004 09:54 |
|
For some sites, just presenting information to the visitor isn't enough. Some years ago, we worked on the UK specific site for a large European car manufacturer. They wanted some parts of the site to interact with the visitor; for instance, on the Dealer Locator page the visitor entered their postcode, and the web server looked up in the database to find their nearest dealer. Similarly, it was possible for a visitor to choose from the available models, variants, body styles, engine options and trim levels and see a list of the specifications and options available. The information was held in the database, and the web application allowed the visitor to choose from a series of options to specify their ideal car.
More and more sites are using a content management system to generate each page from combining a page template and information stored in a database. This application allows the client's staff to update the site easily, and much quicker than in the past. The client logs on to the site, and is provided with options to add and/or edit the different types of content comprising the site, using a user interface that is similar to a word processor. The template-based nature of the application ensures that it is easy for the client to produce pages that fit in to the overall site design. |
|
Last Updated ( Monday, 04 May 2009 10:50 )
|
|
Written by Administrator
|
|
Wednesday, 07 July 2004 09:54 |
|
These days, nearly everyone seems to have a web site. But a great many of them are unattractive, badly designed, or make it hard for a visitor to find the information or services they require. We are able to provide a professional approach to web site design regardless of the size or scale of the client's aspirations for the site. Take a look as some of our designs on the Portfolio page.
Our service goes beyond the initial design, however. Web sites will soon be ignored by people if they suspect that the site is neglected or the information might be out of date. For that reason, it is important to continue to implement small changes from time to time to ensure that out of date information is removed and new details added. It is also important to ensure that visitors' requests for further information are met swiftly.
|
|
Last Updated ( Monday, 04 May 2009 10:50 )
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
|
|
|
