November 08, 2009

Courthouse Libraries BC New Website

Courthouse Libraries BC have just launched their new website. The revamped online presence can be found at courthouselibrary.ca and represents a completely fresh take on how the organization interacts with its user base on the web. In addition to a significantly updated design, key features of the new site include:

* Integrated search - a single, powerful search application that can search any or all of 10 different library sources (e.g. the library catalogue, their in-house "asked & answered" database, their unreported decisions database, etc.);

* Practice Portals- practice-specific hubs designed to provide practitioners' with ready access to key resources, texts, legislation, leading authorities and recent news in a single environment. There are five practice portals initially (Civil litigation, Family law, Personal Injury, Wills & Estates, and Practice Management & Technology) with plans already underway to add more;

* User Accounts individual user accounts that can save preferences, order histories and searches;

* News filtering by practice area - self-explanatory; and

* A new blog, "The Stream" which will serve as a platform for Library staff to provide their insight and commentary on law and legal research developments relevant to British Columbia lawyers.

Also of key importance in my view is that CLBC's extensive involvement in the development and operation of a separate (and excellent) legal information site geared specifically to the public - CLICKLAW - has enabled the organization to focus the new Courthouselibary.ca site squarely on the needs of practicing lawyers. While both sites are fully accessible to anyone, separating out the offerings to cater more specifically to their respective user bases can only result in better user experiences across the board.

Skunkworks is proud to have been involved in several aspects of this project although full credit goes to our friends at Habanero Consulting Group for the top-notch site build and to the Courthouse Libraries' team for their vision both in engaging in extensive user consultation and research into what users wanted from a new library website and in their willingness to explore new approaches and priorities even where such choices represented fundamental shifts away from established library processes. It's accepted wisdom in marketing circles that brave clients make for interesting work. For me, this has been a textbook example of exactly that.

Posted by dougjasinski at 10:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 28, 2008

Take The BC Courthouse Library Website Lawyer Survey & Enter to Win an iPod Touch!

Skunkworks is currently working with our friends at the BC Courthouse Library Society to obtain user input and feedback in preparation for the redevelopment of the Courthouse Library website. One component of the process is a short 3-minute web survey for B.C. lawyers that will help us assess technology and online usage patterns for this key user demographic. Survey participants will also be entered to win one of two 8G iPod Touch music player/portable internet devices. Help us help the library build a better website by taking the survey today. You can access the survey here:

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October 02, 2007

Video is coming to law firm websites

Earlier this month Skunkworks Creative Group launched a new law student recruiting micro-site for Vancouver law firm Bull, Housser & Tupper LLP that prominently features a multimedia section called BHTV. BHTV features video interviews of several of the firm's young associates speaking on topics such as the firm culture, their expectations and the reality of work at the firm, as well as a guided office tour.

My personal view is that you can expect to see a great deal more use of both video and audio content on law firm websites in the year(s) ahead. 5 key reasons why:

1. Video makes a law firm's core offering - it's people - the centerpiece of the marketing;
2. Video is an excellent tool to help law firms differentiate from their competitors;
3. Video is sticky, meaning that people will stay on your website longer;
4. Video is becoming more prominent both in other professional services and on the Internet generally; and
5. Video is becoming less expensive and easier to produce over time.

Will video replace the written word? (I am reminded at this juncture of the late 70's new wave song "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles) The short answer is no. But will most major law firms have at least some video content on their website within the next five years? My bet is yes, for the reasons already noted.

Posted by dougjasinski at 06:17 PM | Permalink

September 26, 2007

Welcome to Water Street

It's been a simultaneously hectic and energizing few months at Skunkworks as we have completed a number of major projects, launched ourselves into several more, and most recently, moved from our old Yaletown office into larger premises on Water Street in the nearby Gastown district of Vancouver.

For those not familiar with it, Gastown is one of Vancouver's oldest neighbourhoods, and sits at an interesting cross-roads on the edge of the downtown business district. On one side sits the Canada Place cruise ship terminal, disgorging a seemingly endless stream of American tourists on their stop-over before heading up the Inside Pasage to Alaska. On the other side is Vancouver's notorious Downtown Eastside. In the middle, sits Gastown, which at the moment seems to be infused with an almost palpable energy as it re-invents itself for probably the tenth or eleventh time. High tech entrepreneurs, Vancouver Film School students, folks down on their luck, small business owners and artisans seem to all be in the mix. It's not typical fare for many lawyers, but it sure feels like the right spot for an agency like Skunkworks that straddles both the legal industry and the advertising agency worlds. All of us at the agency are feeling the sense of renewal that a change of environment often brings, and looking forward to settling in for a longer stretch this time in our newly expanded HQ.

Posted by dougjasinski at 08:51 PM | Permalink