So we wanted to quickly post an update on the recent happenings at Rareview, but also let you know that our blogging and twittering will be purposely trailing off this year, which we can discuss more at a later date. For now, we’re continuing where we left off in 2009, where we saw a host of new projects (especially during the 3rd and 4th quarter as budgets seemed to loosen), opportunities to partner with Fortune 500 companies, the serious adoption of our project management software Projecturf, and the complete renovation of our Los Angeles studio. Using this momentum as a stimulus, our team is acutely focused and engaged in great projects that will launch in 2010, and we feel fortunate to be working with extraordinary clients who want to do innovative things.

Expect great advancement and progress this year from Rareview, including a more solid definition of purpose. After several years of what we think has been great work, we hope to outdo ourselves yet again. We know the stakes are high and we don’t want to disappoint. Good luck to you all, stay busy, and feel free to send us an email or call us at 310-373-9303 if you want to discuss a new project, collaborate, share ideas, or just chat. Here’s to a happy, fun, and productive 2010!

After roughly two years in existence, our old website is being moved into the dusty old archives where it belongs. We need to do this to make way for our new, improved, sleeker, and more modern website. It’s not simply the design that needed an overhaul, but the code.

Our new website is a hybrid of various technologies. It’s built in XHTML/CSS and uses jQuery (Javascript) as well as Flash for animations. We trimmed the content and focused more on the work. The portfolio features additional design work (i.e. concepts) that our clients reviewed, but didn’t necessarily pick as their final design. We also introduce a new way of telling the user about some of the features of our work, using notes that fade in over the large work canvas. Our new site works on the iPhone by using CSS techniques to show images underneath our Flash files. In addition, the code is optimized for Search Engines and speed. All-in-all, it’s a complete makeover from the ground up; and one we’re quite excited to share!

Take it for a test drive at www.rareview.com.

The Archives
Although we’re tempted to let our old site fade into the journals of Web history, we’ve received too many compliments and praise to let it die. So, we’re going to keep it around for a little while longer. It’s for us and our friends to enjoy. If for nothing else, to see how far we’ve come.

Rareview's Old Website located at www.rareview.com/blackandgrey/

To access our old site, visit www.rareview.com/blackandgrey/.

This is a precursor to what is eventually coming, but we have made some minor, yet very significant changes to our identity. Specifically, our logo has gotten a makeover. 

We haven’t fully rolled this out yet, but we want to share it with our community. In our existing logo (we’ll call it “old”), the rv in the center of the orb is just a standard typeface. The same is true for the text rareview and our tagline. After careful consideration and various explorations, we have decided to leave our orb in place (for brand recognition purposes, and because we still like it!). However, we have changed the text, removed the tagline, adjusted the proportions, and created our own unique rv inside the orb. Although these changes are somewhat minor, we believe they will have a major impact on our brand. 

As a custom shop that prides ourself on the highest quality work, it’s very important to us to have a unique image. The new logo accomplishes that. It’s no longer a standard typeface, but custom drawn letters that flow much better, and represent a futuristic path; one where we are always changing and adapting to the ever changing landscape on the Web. 

You’ll also notice that we dropped our tagline. We believe our firm is more recognized now and we didn’t want to be pigeonholed into a certain category. While it’s true that we still focus the majority of our time on interactive design and development, we are also expanding and exploring other avenues. We have a software company (Projecturf, which is also getting a makeover), for one, and we have other initiatives on the horizon. 

So while this change may not be considered a drastic variation of our existing brand, it’s certainly a better indication of who we are. We’re excited to roll this out, as we continually work to enhance and solidify our brand with clients, staff, fans, and the industry at large.

Rareview Interactive
811 N. Catalina Avenue, Suite 3006
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(866) 611-0207 toll free
(310) 373-9303 direct

We are now located in the Redondo Technology Information Center, less than one mile from the beach, so any of you great designers or developers that want to work with a great team, in a great part of Los Angeles, please reach out.

In the next few weeks, we’ll be announcing our new location officially. Until then, thanks to all our clients, staff, and fans who have helped us grow through encouragement, challenges, and respect.

We all know that Search Engines play an absolutely pivotal role in driving business to your website. That’s where Rareview Search Engine Marketing (SEM) comes into play. For years we’ve built high-quality, dynamic websites and applications for customers in virtually all industries. But after the site was completed, they’d ask us, “site’s built. now what?” It’s a natural evolution for us to help our clients get their websites seen, which is why we have started Rareview SEM as a division of Rareview Interactive. We have a team led by a professional with 10 years of experience working on the client side as well as working for a big SEM firm. He’s attained the highest level of certification from Google, Yahoo, and MSN and is helping us start, run, and manage this new business. 

To find out more about it, check out www.rareview.com/sem/.

If you’re interested, give us a call at (866) 611-0207. We can help you maximize your site traffic and website ROI regardless of who built your website.