Photobox
A small part of a long story
Engagement
Special Projects
What we learned
Nothing is impossible
Client:
Photobox
Links:
www.photobox.co.uk
Sector:
E-Commerce, Digital Media
Deliverables:
Design & Application Development
Project Description
Overview:
GURUS worked alongside Photobox over a number of years to support various in-house functions.
Creating the UK’s first photobook application with the team at Photobox was extremely challenging and involved some out-of-the box thinking. It never ceases to amaze me how you can sometimes use tools to do things that they were never designed to do. Pretty much sums up the internet really…
Highlights:
Photobox Photobooks Application
GURUS were commissioned to build the companies first online flash application, that could design and produce a complete Photobook. The team worked closely with Photobox’s development team to utilise an API that used XML to pass information to Photobox’s production facility.
A lot of people said it couldn’t be done – Snapfish had accomplished it by working with a 30 strong team from Macromedia the then creators of Flash. We weren’t worried – we believed. Thankfully the team at Photobox agreed and 4 months later we launched the UK’s first Photobook application.
Photobox on Microsoft’s Media Center
Being the first UK developer to create a site for Microsoft’s Media Center, was an exciting challenge. The result was included on Microsoft’s Online Spotlight.
Background
Gurus was commissioned to create an Interactive TV application for Microsoft’s home entertainment platform – Microsoft Media Center. This gives you the ability to watch and record TV as well as view home movies, pictures and listen to your favourite albums, all from the comfort of your sofa.
The Online Spotlight area of Media Center extends its functionality to include best of breed, provider applications to enhance the user experience. As well as Photobox, other providers include MSN Music, Napster, Cinema Now, Reuters, BBC News, TV Tonic etc.
The Process
GURUS used Microsoft’s Media Center SDK to develop the core product and then did usability research to create what the “10 foot Interface” i.e. an interface can be used easily from a distance of 10 feet.
GURUS also did careful research on making it easy to use the remote control to access areas of the interface and use the alpha numeric characters on the remote to login to the client area.
The Solution
The final product allowed Photobox’s users to be able to access their albums and photographs from within Media Center. They could easily order photo prints and gifts using nothing but the remote control included with Media Center. Photobox became the first UK specific provider and the first global provider of photographic services on Microsoft’s Online Spotlight. GURUS became the first UK agency to provide a solution for the Online Spotlight.
