Update: BuddyPress have chosen Hello Eco Living as a showcase site to accompany their new 1.2 release.
We spent summer 2009 developing one of our most exciting web projects to date. A full blown online magazine, social network and blogging platform for Hello Eco Living.
Challenge presented
We’d discussed a number of eco-related projects with Laura and Chris, and were absolutely delighted when they asked us to develop their Hello Eco Living brand and website. They wanted a site that delivered an online magazine full of practical tips, and a related online community that pooled expertise, discussed and shared ideas on how to adopt a more eco-conscious lifestyle.
Our solution
Our graphic and branding ideas went through several iterations, ‘high tech’ revolutionary initial concepts giving way to wonderfully welcoming ‘eco-lutionary’ logo and design. The web design is our most ambitious project to date. An outwardly simple set of pages, subtly enhanced with beautiful typography, is underpinned by an extremely powerful social networking engine. Javascript is used to enhance the XHTML, CSS front end, and a content management system allows Hello Eco Living to easily add and edit their magazine stories. The final touch is the integration of a blogging platform that allows site members to create and author their own eco blogs.
End results
Hello Eco Living have an engaging and pervasive brand that unites a whole suite of online features, and even out onto their Faceboook and Twitter pages. Their website is ambitious and immensely powerful. The Beta version launched in September, two editions of the magazine have gone out, and membership of the social network is starting to grow.
In January, 2010, WPMU.org listed Hello Eco Living as one of the “10 Latest and Greatest Inspirational BuddyPress sites“.
