Cyber-Duck
| Private | |
| Industry | Digital media |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Founder | Danny Bluestone |
| Headquarters | Elstree, Hertfordshire, UK |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Danny Bluestone, Matt Gibson, Sylvain Reiter |
| Owner | Danny Bluestone |
Number of employees | 35 |
| Website | www.cyber-duck.co.uk |
Cyber-Duck is a full service digital agency based in Elstree, United Kingdom, specialising in providing user experience (UX) design, mobile web productions and software as a service (SaaS) solutions to companies ranging from FTSE 100 companies to startups. The company was founded in 2005 and employs 35 staff in offices in Elstree, Hertfordshire and Farringdon, London.
History
Cyber-Duck was established by Danny Bluestone in 2005 in his flat in Mill Hill. After a few months, the firm moved into its first office in Churchill House, Borehamwood. Within the first year Cyber-Duck worked with Ogilvy, London Creative, A Right Result, Wisteria and Adaptive Affinity.[1]
In 2008, the company moved offices to Devonshire House in Borehamwood. The company won 7 awards in this year.[2]
In 2009, the firm developed a relationship with the mentor of the BBC's show Million Dollar Traders, Anton Kreil in order to produce his personal website[3] and several other web-based projects such as Hablib.com.[4] Following on from this, they developed a project for the virtual gifting service, BoonSpace.[5]In 2010, thefirm were commissioned to develop a website for the European Commission in the U.K.[6] The site went live in November 2010,[7] and was part of a new move from the European Union to make U.K citizens aware of the benefits of being an EU member state, thanks to wide Euroscepticism in the United Kingdom. The work was featured on BBC News,[8] Telegraph.co.uk[9] and New Media Age.[10]<
By this point, Cyber-Duck began working on software as a service projects and took on another in the form of OfficeCavalry.com.[11] The site was built as a portal for freelancers to find work from users with projects. The firm also released the DuckPad, an iPad web app to provide an enhanced user experience for the growing iPad market [12]
In January 2011, the company announced that they would be working alongside Arsenal F.C on a project for Arsenal Double Club, a project started up by Arsenal in the Community. I
In August 2011, the company moved to a self-contained premises in Elstree, Hertfordshire. At the same time, the company announced a new awards ceremony, known as 'the Duckies' to be held in September. T[13]
After being asked to produce an interactive comic for Channel 5 (UK) television show, The Gadget Show, Cyber-Duck were featured in an episode which was first aired on 23 September 2011.[14]
In December 2011, Cyber-Duck founded The Digital Pond, a free networking group for business executives in London. It was devised for attendees to learn, discuss and share innovations in the digital sector. The topics have included things like web design skills and practices, web development and best practice for digital marketing strategies. As of August 2013 the group consisted of 739 members.[15]
>Danny Bluestone spoke at UCD2012 about how Cyber-Duck uses Agile and Lean frameworks alongside UCD to produce award-winning applications and websites.[16] He was also featured in UX Magazine and on Design Week. The firm also got involved with the Young Rewired State for the first time, hosting children and teenagers from Hertfordshire and North London.<
Bluestone was featured in the BIMA (British Interactive Media Association) Hot 100, a list which recognises the 100 most influential personalities in Digital in the UK.[17]<
Cyber-Duck completed the build of their new responsive website, which was featured in Smashing Magazine.[18] Matt Gibson featured on the BBC Watchdog (TV series), where he helped the program research websites and their checkout processes. He also featured on the front cover of Web Designer Magazine, presented a workshop at UX London (with Danny) and spoke at meetups and conferences. >
Awards
In the early years, Cyber-Duck won accolades for working on the Greenworks Energy website on behalf of Jewson.,[19] part of the Saint Gobain group. The company also won multiple Interactive Media Awards,[20] Horizon Interactive Awards.
When the company moved its office in Borehamwood, it featured in the local press for achieving growth during the 2000s recession.[21] On 1 June 2007, the company received an honorary invitation to lecture at the Landsdown Centre and was featured in the Middlesex University's centre's media.
In 2010, the company claimed 3 Davey web awards [22] as well as a "Best Use of a Website" award at the Construction Marketing Awards for OAG.[23]
The company won a Webby, selection as an official honoree, in 2011 for their work on OfficeCavalry.com [24]
In 2011, the team was accredited with 14 industry awards, including an Interactive Media Award for the "Best in Class for Travel/Tourism" for The Far Horizons website.[25]
In 2012, the firm claimed 13 accreditations and were listed on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 company in Europe, the Middle-East and Africa,.[26]
References
- ↑ About Cyber-Duck
- ↑ Cyber-Duck awards
- ↑ antonkreil.com & Cyber-Duck Ltd win Outstanding Achievement Award
- ↑ Property Trading Goes Social as BBC Star Launches Web 2.0 Platform
- ↑ BoonSpace - Send Money as a Gift
- ↑ EU begins web push to promote services to UK Citizens
- ↑ "European Commission launches website for Britons", BBC News, 23 November 2010
- ↑ BBC News - European Commission launches website for Britons, 23 November 2010
- ↑ Banks, Martin (24 November 2010), "Telegraph.co.uk - EU launches website to dispel "urban myths"", The Daily Telegraph, London
- ↑ NMA - European Commission takes public information online
- ↑ User-Friendly Freelancer Marketplace Created by Cyber-Duck Launches
- ↑ C21 iPad Entertainment Summit - Speaker Biographies
- ↑ A birthday, a new office and the Duckies awards
- ↑ The Gadget Show - Series 16 - Episode 6
- ↑ The Digital Pond
- ↑ UCD2012 welcomes Danny’s talk about Agile UX
- ↑ BIMA HOT 100, 2013
- ↑ Adapting To A Responsive Design (Case Study)
- ↑ Greenworks' Solar Panels Website Given Mark of Distinction, Greenworks Energy
- ↑ Interactive Media Awards - Awards Gallery
- ↑ Company finds its wings amid economic dowturn, The Borehamwood & Elstree Times, 23 March 2009
- ↑ Cyber-Duck Strike a Hat-trick at the International Davey Awards 2010
- ↑ OAG - Best use of a Website (PDF)
- ↑ 15TH ANNUAL WEBBY AWARDS OFFICIAL HONOREE SELECTIONS - EMPLOYMENT
- ↑ Cyber-Duck win Interactive Media Awards for Best in Class - Travel/Tourism
- ↑ Cyber-Duck listed in Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA