In the Spotlight: Net Awards Nominees – Sparkbox and Wonderful Machine
DataYard’s friends vie for Agency of the Year and Redesign of the Year!
We love sharing good news about our friends, so when we heard that both Sparkbox and Wonderful Machine were nominated for net awards, we just had to tell you more!
Net awards
The net awards stand out because they’re not a pay to play recognition system. Nominations come from net magazine’s editorial team to recognize excellence in pushing the web forward—no entry fee and no application.
Nominated for Agency of the Year, Sparkbox stands out for us too! We spend a lot of time on the web and love to see different approaches to site design. The Sparkbox mission to make a more accessible and enjoyable web stands out in the sites they build and in their commitment to shared knowledge and education. Want to know how they rebuilt their own seesparkbox.com? No secrets, in fact, it’s a deep case study shared with everyone.
As site designers, though, Sparkbox knows that teamwork with the customer is key. Wonderful Machine was on a journey to rebrand, bringing a new logo to the game, and rebuilding their website from the ground up.
“We realized that the branding and website we were using to represent ourselves went against the advice we give to photographers every day, and it was time to take our own advice and start fresh,” blogged Creative Director Melissa Ginsiorsky.
Challenged with a need to be beautiful, device-independent, and database driven, Wonderful Machine joined with Sparkbox to build their vision. Working together, the collaboration is nothing short of impressive. We were honored at DataYard when these great teams selected us to host the platform that supports the new site.
Wonderful Machine’s net award nomination for Redesign of the Year is well-earned!
“Working with Wonderful Machine and Sparkbox through this re-design and deployment was a rewarding experience – even before I saw the beautiful site and learned of the nomination. I’m pumped for both of them, and pumped to be a part of their future,” says DataYard Account Manager Alek Mezera.
A rising tide lifts all boats.
There is more to these teams than just personal success. DataYard recognizes that making a better web helps everyone who builds sites and everyone who uses them too. It’s integral to our own mission, and key to the success of partnerships as we witnessed here.
“A very important part of my job here is working with photographers on their branding, giving them advice about how to present themselves (and their work) in the best light and letting them know when what they’re doing isn’t working,” shares Ginsiorsky. She was drawn not only to talent when she sought out Sparkbox to work on the new site, but also to the Sparkbox culture of giving back.
The Sparkbox crew’s Build Right initiative lets us all in on the game. Internal training, conference workshops, and the fabulous local Maker Series (with DataYard as a proud sponsor) have something for everyone collaborating on a site. This is the clincher that really binds these two business cultures into something truly special.
Vote for Success
We want you to help! Net awards voting remains open – through July 13, 2015. Use these links below to vote for:
