In every success story, you will find someone who has made a courageous decision
January 12, 2021Solaris Technologies has always valued each and every one of their clients. The company has had tremendous experiences with many different clients and they have always honored being part of the journey of different people. One of the most memorable journeys was that of a client’s website called the “Australian Crafted”. This was a unique project as it was not something that Solaris Technologies comes across very often. The company wanted to create an online marketplace where they could promote and sell locally crafted hand made goods. However, it was not just a business, it was more than just that. This was a community. The story behind how the company got initiated is unique and it gives hope to those who come across it, as it allows people to believe that there are still individuals in the world who are invested in the preservation of culture and multiple dying art forms. A community of like minded creative individuals who wanted to create a platform where the buyers and the sellers would get together to socialize, interact and buy goods. This is a great new initiative and we, at Solaris Technologies, were interested to know what made our client take this path of work. After hearing our client’s story, we were pleasantly surprised to know the thought process behind this project. It was truly a story worth believing in and it made the team of Solaris Technologies personally invested in this project.
THE CLIENT
Our clients were a group of friends who had met each other through work. They would take their lunch breaks together and get together at their closest coffee shop to break bread together. Over time, these individuals became really close friends and they would discuss different ideas that they had in their minds. On one very ordinary day, as the group was sitting and talking to each other, one of them asked, “Hey Mindy, where did you get that shirt from? It’s a very lovely tie and dye print!” to which the other replied, ‘My neighbor made it. She has been trying to earn some extra cash to support herself’. When asked where her neighbor had set shop and what the best way to reach her was, Mindy had no concrete answer. On further investigation, the group realized that Mindy’s neighbor didn’t really have a platform to work from and she was not in a state to set up her own shop either.
This bothered the group initially, however; soon the conversation moved to a different topic. A long time passed and none of the individuals talked about the matter again. One fine day, when the individuals gathered for their usual meet up session, one of the men said that he had something to show. He pulled out this curved slab of wood out and put it on the table. The convex side of the slab has an intricate design that has been created by scraping the surface of the wood and creating geometrical designs over it. These designs were painted with different colors to create a beautiful design that brought delight to the on-lookers. The man then explained how this was a hand crafted remake of the infamous aboriginal Australians shield that they used to make to defend themselves. There was a moment of silence in the company when Mindy said, “Have you ever wondered how we are gathered with so many talented individuals that we are totally unaware of? There are so many veiled talents lingering around us and we are completely clueless about all of these things. Today, we don’t know the craftsmen that are in our locality and if that continues, these skills, talents and crafts will slowly diminish. We are on a path to losing our creativity and heritage”.
Everyone agreed with Mindy. That day, the group anonymously decided that it was time to take an initiative. They would meet after office hours and decide how to go about this project. There were many plans that they had to go over. There were so many things to consider and go over; how to source the right craftsmen, how to get these craftsmen to join them, what would sell and reap beneficial, who would be interested in buying these products and how to target them. While all of these different aspects were being considered, one of the group members came up with an idea to invest in a website. This would allow the new found company to display the available items and reach a lot more people with their work. That is when our clients approached us with their idea. We, at Solaris technologies, listened to the ideology behind the website very carefully. After understanding the unique idea behind the website and discussing all the details that need to be taken into consideration, Solaris Technologies joined hands with this group of creative thinkers to take the first steps on a journey towards greatness.
THE WORK
“The most difficult step ever is the first step. It comes with doubts, uncertainties, and all sorts of fears. If you defy all odds and take it, your confidence will replicate very fast and you’ll become a master!”
― Israelmore Ayivor
The work started off with a lot of hurdles and there were a lot of concerns that needed to be addressed. The team of Solaris Technologies worked with their client to address each and every single detail of the work that needed to be catered to. The client was asked multiple questions about how they wished to proceed, the categories they wished to cater to, and the requirements they would have over time. This allowed the group to go over a lot of minor details that otherwise seemed to have gotten missed. Solaris Technologies allowed the clients to focus on sourcing crafts and handled the technical part for the company.
The work went on for a very long time and it was a wearisome task. It took many drafts to get to the right one. The team members at Solaris Technologies truly believed in the cause behind this initiative and they worked passionately to make this project come to life. The company would listen to all the ideas of the client and guide them to opt for the most reasonable and appropriate route that would benefit their work the most. The clients were heavily invested in the process as well. They enjoyed talking to the project manager and getting feedback and suggestions for the work that was being provided. This helped the client and the team from Solaris Technologies to come up with the most cost effective and efficient mode of work.
“Whatever you go into, you have to go in there to be the best. There’s no formulas. It’s all about passion and honesty and hard work. It might look glamorous, but it takes a lot of hard work. The blessing with the arts is that you can do it forever”.
-Hugh Masekela
The team of Solaris Technologies had predicted on behalf of the client was the time difference. Given that Solaris Technologies operates in Los Angeles while the client was in Sydney, Australia. The time difference between the two was not ignorable. With Sydney 19 years ahead of Los Angeles, and the client wanting to be invested in the process in real time, Solaris Technologies realized that this could become a hassle that might not be controllable. Which is why, the company devised an organized plan where the project manager shared the detailed progress of the project with the client. This pre planned schedule allowed both the client and the Solaris Technologies team to communicate in a more manageable manner. This way, both sides could clear their schedule in the predefined time period and make sure that there are no delays. Of course, the company was always available for the client on other instances as well, in case the client has a query, needs a suggestion or wants to make any sort of changes to the work in progress. The company made sure that even the minutest detail is taken care of. Some of the details of the work are as mentioned below:
Colors:
The client wanted to incorporate the color blue in their website. This preference was due to the fact that the color represents reliability, and stability. The color blue is viewed as a very professional color and it gives off the vibe of professionalism and trustworthiness. The client wanted that for their website. They wanted people to feel that this is not just an arts and crafts project and that there is more to the website than what initially meets the eye.
The colors that were primarily used to design the website were #00ced1, #71dddf, #393939, #99999 which are shades of bright blue, light blue, black and grey. Grey was preferred over white as it assisted in making the final product look complete. It did not make the website look empty or give off the vibe that something was missing on the page. It acted like the perfect shade that brought everything together. It also added to the professional look of the website that the company was aiming for.
“Every point in your career is a learning lesson – I learned a lot about how much work is required to grow a user base and create a new product. I also learned that things take time and extreme hard work and passion”.
-Whitney Wolfe Herd
Two different shades of blue were used to make sure that the page does not look too plain or formal. It allowed the page to have more color and be more vibrant without disrupting the color scheme of the website. A tirade of blues was placed out in front of the client to choose from to which the clients replied, “We’ve never known so many shades of blue!” The client and the company worked hand in hand to discover what works best for the website and suits the image that the client has regarding the website. It was a time consuming task however, with the expertise of the Solaris Technologies team members, it was made easier and completed in a lot less time than it would have taken otherwise. These colors really brought life to the work of the clients and the clients were pleasantly surprised at the outcome of the website. The client commented that the colors of the website made them think of the sky right after the sky had poured down its blessings and cleansed the earth with drops of hope. Which is exactly what the company wished to achieve with their company: they wished to become the light at the end of the tunnel; the hope for these crafts to survive, the desire to keep the heritage alive against all odds.
Typography:
The write up for the website had to remain catchy and professional. The experts at Solaris Technologies went over many different fonts to find the one that would best fit the clients work profile. Looking for the right font has always been important for the Solaris Technologies team; they understand that a font can make a huge difference in the message being conveyed. When a company sends out any content on their website or application, the content is sent as plain text, there is no emotion or audio attached to this text to give it life and meaning. That is where the font comes in. The font allows the company to set the tone of the things being said in the text. It adds the highs and lows of speech to plain words and assists in the process of allowing viewers to see the data in its true light. This is why Solaris Technologies emphasizes on the selection of the correct font, as they realize that the wrong font can have the wrong connotation in the reader’s mind. To make sure that the reader has a clear image of what the company is trying to say, it is essential to choose a font that portrays what you as a company wish to say.
To attain this balance of friendly and formal, we at Solaris Technologies decided to use the font Poppins in the following styles; regular, medium, bold and black. Staying in the same font and using different styles gave a flow to the writing of the website. The client agreed that going with this font will be the most suitable route to take.
When the website write up was finalized, with the colors and the text in place, the clients were asked to share their thoughts about the product at this stage. Once the clients had given the team at Solaris Technologies the green signal, only then did the work move forward. With both the text and the colors of the website finalized, things started to take a more formalized look and it was time to put everything together into a complete version.
Other features:
The clients had some unique requirements that they wanted to incorporate into their work. The Solaris Technologies team listened to the client with undivided attention and made sure that they understood every requirement that the client had. The clients wanted this website to serve as a community as well. They wanted people to be able to not just buy crafts but also sell them. So the team decided to create two login portals on the website instead of one. This way the sellers can’t log into a different page and see a different interface of the website that is designed in such a way that it caters to the needs of the sellers and guides them so that they can easily create an account and sell their products to interested buyers. It also allows the buyers to experience a clear and easy to navigate website without getting confused due to the categories that have been created for the sellers.
This meant that in one website, Solaris Technologies had to create two separate user interfaces for the client as the people visiting the company were divided into two major divisions; the buyers and the sellers. This division was created clearly and the content of the website was also designed while keeping this division in mind. There were multiple pages that were designed to cater to the various requirements of the business and each page was thoroughly researched and planned out before it was finalized. All the features that the client required were fulfilled by Solaris Technology. These included WooCommerce, pictorial galleries, account options, and many other features that were needed by the company for the smooth functioning of their work. The final design and product was well appreciated by the clients and they were jovial to see that their ideas had been well integrated and designed in the manner that was suitable for their new venture.
CONCLUSION
All the hard work that was being put into the project really showed its fruit when the project was completed. When the entire website was completed and shared with the clients, it was one of the most heartfelt moments. The clients admired the work that had been produced for them and they were in complete awe of how well the entire project had turned out. The moment was wrapped in an array of emotions as the team members of Solaris Technologies thanked the clients for trusting the company while the clients thanked the team members for doing the work exactly how they wanted it and exceeding their expectations.
The clients finally felt that it was time that they could launch their work and put it out in the world for the public to view. Mindy laughed and said, “So we are really doing this! It feels so surreal to be part of this venture!” and the team of Solaris Technologies could not agree more. The clients worked with Solaris Technologies over the years, whenever they were in need of an upgrade or they wanted to change something or add something to the website. The website has ever since been a platform where creativity is appreciated. It has a lot of sellers reach out and meet interested buyers and display their work. The website allows cultures to flourish and prevents them from dying out. It has grown over the years with many sellers who have stayed with the website over time and joined them for the long haul.
“To be a champion, I think you have to see the big picture. It’s not about winning and losing; it’s about every day hard work and about thriving on a challenge. It’s about embracing the pain that you’ll experience at the end of a race and not being afraid. I think people think too hard and get afraid of a certain challenge”.
-Summer Sanders
The company grew in size and started to ship outside of Sydney, into other regions and eventually to other countries as well. The site remains busy with potential buyers which makes it hard to keep up with the demand. To cater to these requirements, the clients of Solaris Technologies are always sourcing new talent to chaperone on a journey leading towards success. The website receives a lot of appraisal from the people who visit the site to order something or simply stumble upon it as they surf the internet. The company divided their work into categories which were created on the basis of the material used, for example, leather; iron; paper; wood etc. We, at Solaris Technologies, feel immense pleasure to have had the opportunity to work with such optimistic and innovative thinkers and guide them into making a website that would be most suitable for their company. Over the years, the company has stayed in contact with the clients and welcomed them into the Solaris Technologies family. The company looks forward to getting the opportunity to work with these people again and be of any sort of assistance that they can provide in the software domain.
