Updated version of PRAS.by. Manifesto 2015

We are launching the updated version of our website with new possibilities and new personalities

The website of Belarusian art studio PRAS has already been redeveloped for several times. Our first website was created way back in 2011 based on Python Django and was to perform the functions of an ordinary blog for the two founders of the studio, Aliaksiej Kuĺbicki and Mikalaj Tamaševič. That website had limited functionality: we were able only to add news and our projects. Nevertheless, the first website already had the illustrations of “prases” (irons). We deliberately used metaphors: the heavy pras (iron) rises like a balloon, floats like a ship and rushes like the fastest race car...

PRAS-2011 envisaged commenting on news and projects. Because of the endless advertisements of about 25,000 entries per day we decided to get rid of this option once and forever

Meanwhile, as the portfolio grew, the requirements for the website also gradually increased – ordinary tag classification was insufficient (although the previous approach taught us to fit any idea and method into specified limits). In 2013, two years after the old website had been developed, art studio PRAS launched an updated website which was developed according to the latest layout trends by the head of our frontend-development department Aliaksiej Vasiĺjeŭ. The website used ASP .NET platform (thus, we gave up PHP and created the website from the scratch). The new website responded much faster than the old one, new sections “Articles” and “Vacancies” appeared and the authors were matched to the projects. However, there is always room for perfection...

So, in 2014, we started reconsidering the structure, the layout and the software part of the website. Having created a high quality new admin panel in September 2014, we decided not to proceed with the previous website but to create it once again from the very beginning using the same ASP .NET for almost six months...

Luckily, everything has its limits and on the eve of the 4th website’s anniversary we are launching the updated design, improved front-end and completely reconsidered back-end

New PRAS-2015 is able to download its content 2.5 times faster and to constantly present useful information in the background. The new navigation system is simple even for an inexperienced user (if you visited websites, go to the next website). We have upgraded the “breadcrumbs” and people are navigated only to the previous level which prevents some projects from appearing in several categories. Meanwhile, tagging allows users to find all promo-sites or logos eliminating small subcategories.

Using the previous version of the website every day, we noticed that visitors do not know how to use the built-in interactive features and do not see how to write to us. In general, in 80% of cases they do not understand what we do. Apart from that, earlier, pages were translated using cookies, which was a disaster for the studio’s international marketing. It turned out that Google simply did not index those pages and that almost completely eliminated foreign traffic at PRAS.by.

The current studio’s website performs 100% of these functions: we have become faster, more extensive, better and closer to every user

And we do not stop and change the size and the competence of our team. Art studio PRAS starts the third era of its existence from the updated working tool, the corporate website. Let the third era be marked with innovations, constant improvement and implementation of ideas!

What’s next?

During the next months, PRAS.by will start its own interesting projects and will get a responsive-version and integration with other studio’s developments. Our dear users can continue following our activities in our social networks and of course on our website. We are looking forward to your feedback and promise to respond :)

Enjoy studying the new possibilities of the best corporate website of design and programming developers’ studio PRAS.by