Creative Nature’s innovative FrogWatch website design has been named the most outstanding at the WA Web Awards, after winning the award for best government website.
Designed by Timothy Paul and developed by Steven Taylor, on behalf of the WA Museum and Alcoa, the website at http://frogwatch.museum.wa.gov.au features the first comprehensive listing of all frog species in the state using an interactive, multimedia online library.
The site includes stunning close-up photography of 80 types of frogs found across WA, their regional distribution, mating habits and audio recordings of their mating calls – and an inventive “frog finder” tool that searches via climate zones across WA.
Search results return a gallery of photos and soundbites of frog calls that can be paused or played simultaneously, creating a chorus of nature.
Creative Nature Lead Developer Steven Taylor said the most rewarding part of the project was creating a website that could effectively showcase the WA Museum’s vast collection of media that had been maintained over the years.
“That specific media content was integral in crafting a cutting-edge website that has now been named the best government site for 2008 and the best overall,” he said.
“Creative Nature was delighted to help Dr Paul Doughty and his fellow FrogWatch personnel at the WA Museum get their information out to the public, where it’s needed most.
“The WA Web Awards are a rare opportunity to benchmark our work against the best in the business and we’re thrilled Creative Nature has scored these awards.”
Creative Nature Principal Consultant Marie Howarth added: “Fine websites take time in their making, especially if they dare to be ground-breaking and combine inventive ideas with elegant design.
“The FrogWatch project has been a bold and engaging project from start to finish and I’m please our hard-working team has been recognised for their efforts in producing a truly breathtaking website.”
The WA Web Awards, now in their fourth year, showcase the most creative, innovative and functional websites created and launched in 2007-08. Timothy Paul also won the student award for the Pink Cactus website at www.pinkcactus.com.au.
Creative Nature Communications, based in Burswood, was established three years ago and delivers a range of services including public relations and communication, graphic design, web development, online applications, multimedia, community relations and stakeholder engagement.
The complete list of WA Web Award winners can be found at: www.wawebawards.com.au/judging/2008-winners/