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Not our usual sort of website...
9 March 2009
We are not normally fans of fixed-sized box filled with fancy design-style web pages that leave little room for text and information, it
seemed much the most appropriate look for local outdoor and fashion clothing retailer Beachcomber.
Working with this local firm on a simple starter site was also an unexpected opportunity to dig out our cameras for interior and product shots as well as
rummage through our extensive collection of local landscapes for some suitably moody and outdoorsy beach pics...
Reebook CramAlert ID database with customer web front-end
29 July 2008
A major new database and web application developed by Strange Software for Alert ID Services has gone live on time, to coincide with the launch in press,
radio and TV of a new emergency personal ID service, promoted in conjunction with Reebok and Steve Cram. Initially intended for runners but with a much wider appeal,
customers buy and wear durable personal wristbands giving both an emergency hotline number and a unique personal identification number. Customers details, linked to the
tag number, are stored in the database accessible to staff at a 24-hour response centre... in the event of a person being found injured or unwell, the response centre can both
contact relatives or next-of-kin as well, in appropriate cases, pass important medical information to the emergency services. One or more people from the same family or group
can be registered on each account on the system, each with their own personal id bands, and a customer log-in allows the account owner to amend and update the information for
all family or group members at any time over the web, ensuring that contact and medical information is kept up-to-date.
Underlying the system is a multi-user SQL database with custom applications written in C. These firstly provide Alert ID staff with rapid access to customer records
in the event of an incident. The system creates a flexible record of each incident, allowing staff to record details of the situation and their responses. Automatic reminder lists of
'open' incidents ensure that staff keep trying where relatives or other persons cannot be contacted first time. A browser-based front-end with appropriate security and firewalling
allows the system to be used from different sites so that, for example, night-time calls can be handled by a different staff to day-time.
A separate web application provides a customer portal to the database, providing access via username and password to that customer's specific account only, through
a friendly and easy to use web-interface. The system also interfaces to company's sales website, pre-loading customer details taken at the time of purchase so that they are available
when the customer receives the product and first logs onto the system.
Real-time web booking system for Fairy Fair
1 May 2008
The Fairyland Trust contacted us about a difficult problem... thousands of
visitors arriving each morning of its popular Summer Fairy Fair event and trying, en-masse, to
get the best remaining tickets to whichever workshops their children most wanted. The solution was to develop an advance ticket booking system, similar to that used to sell concert or
airline tickets, but adapted specifically to let visitors pre-book their choice of 11 different workshops repeated in five different sessions during each day. Strange's
web application used a MySQL database to enable users to first book admission for their party and then choose whatever combination of workshop sessions they wanted from those still
available. By providing a live availability display up-front, parents and children could pick which day to attend and get the best choice of their preferred activities. The system
enforced a maximum number of workshops per child to ensure fair-play and provided automatic warnings if the choices didn't make sense (for example, booking three workshops at the same
start time with only two children attending).
Having made their choices, users' bookings were paid and confirmed there-and-then using a secure on-line payment service and an e-mail sent giving the booking details
and a link to collect an entrance ticket. Users could then collect and print their own entrance ticket in the form of a colour PDF including their booking details as well as a
map and guide to the event.
The evening before the first day, the system produced reports for fair staff operating the workshops and gate, allowing workshop tokens to be arranged and issued quickly
to visitors as they arrived, removing the mad scramble and long queues of previous fairs...
 More back chat...
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