You may have seen last week a couple of teasers from me about a new online magazine feature on DGB called Design. I buried a small teaser at the bottom of the home page at the start of last week, then put out a preview page later on in the week. Well, after working on the idea and getting to grips with how it will work, it’s time to talk about it properly and explain how everyone can get involved with it.
Design – a new online magazine feature
The purpose of Design is simple. It is to show off both to the industry and the homeowner that the UK fenestration industry does some of the most spectacular and aspirational work within the wider construction sector.
You may have seen on social media sites like Fresh Home which are magazine style websites designed to show off some of the best work in the particular field they focus on. This particular site shows off some of the best homes, both internally and externally, providing inspiration for those wanting to move, who may want to build their own home, redecorate or just simply browse for idea. They have some amazing work on there, and they run a great site.
So, after being impressed at what I saw on there and other similar sights, I thought I would have a crack at doing my own – specifically for the window and door industry. So I had a bit of a think, thought about how it could work, how it would look etc, and decided that it’s probably worth giving it a shot.
The idea is this, to showcase the very best, most spectacular window and door installations from the UK fenestration sector. I am quite convinced that of all the components in the construction sector, the glazing is what really creates some of the biggest impact, and I want to show that off.
I originally called this idea “DGB Design”. But after a day or so at looking at it on the page, I dropped the “DGB” and went for “Design” instead, and that looked and sounded a lot better, so that is how it is staying. Design is going to be a magazine style feature within the wider DGB website, which is going to focus purely on the design and looks aspect of installations. These can be commercial or residential, in any material at all.
How does it work?
Well it’s quite simple. It’s going to be a completely free feature where companies will be able to upload images of their work, along with a write up of that installation. In order to be part of Design, these are the things you need to do:
- Upload an image you would like to be used as a high-res banner image – if the project has a name, please submit that too
- Upload a series of images you would like be used as a mini gallery for your project
- Upload a few paragraphs to explain the project, why those particular products were chosen, the thought behind the design etc. This will accompany the images on the project’s own page
- Submit your contact details. Design is going to be both industry and consumer facing, so if someone likes what they see, they might want to get in contact with you. Remember, this is all free
That’s pretty much it. So you do the uploading, I do the page organisation, which is going to look amazing by the way, and that’s that. You’ll be able to see a preview of your project via a stunning landing page I am creating, and you’ll then be able to view your project as a proper case study by clicking through to it’s own page. You get your work shown off on a dedicated, industry specific, design focused feature, for free!
Some if’s and buts…
Now, there are a few things worth mentioning. Firstly, although this is very much an installers kind of thing, I do encourage fabricators of all kinds to get stuck in too. All I ask is that if you’re uploading on behalf of one of your installation customers, please include their details and contact information too. It’s only fair!
Secondly, and this might sound a bit obvious to say, but please get permission to upload these photos before you actually upload them. Image theft is a growing issue in our industry right now, so please make sure everyone necessary is happy for your installation photos to go online.
Third, I will retain overall decision power as to what goes on Design. At the end of the day, this is a feature designed to attract some of the most impressive, jaw dropping installations. Therefore, I don’t want a page full of white PVC panels or black composite doors. We have enough of those already. If you’re thinking of uploading something, then make it a good one!
Other than that, that’s about it. There’s no upload limit, so feel free to send is as many projects as you wish. I really hope as many of you as possible will take part and make this a stonking feature that will grow and grow. I’m quite excited by this and how it’s going to look, it should be amazing!
As for time scales, I’ll be looking to get the full Design magazine live by the end of the week. If any of you have any questions or comments about this, please leave them in the section below.
