Posted by jessette on March 8, 2011
Confectionery shops always appeal to me, its “deliciousness” arrest my design sensibilities. One fine afternoon in mid-November last year, I was scurrying along Orchard Road when my eyes were arrested by these delicious Christmas motifs from Marks & Spencer. Their biscuits and chocolate packaging designs are a feast for the eyes. I ran my hand on their glorious tin cans and an image of a gingerbread house caught my eye.
You can just imagine me standing there, staring at that tin box with all the intensity of a child whose eyes gazed upon a coveted dream toy. And that’s how the idea of a gingerbread house appeared before me.
I want to have fun with our Forecepts’ corporate Christmas eCards, so I created this simple, fun and quirky illustration of a gingerbread house. I added those four tiny birds flying up towards the top of the house carrying four Asian-inspired house accents. I have used curly Christmas trees in our last year’s Christmas eCard, I want to keep that as a “trademark”. 
Forecepts Gingerbread House
The fun had not ended that Christmas Season. I’m living in a country where people all get hyped up for Chinese New Year the same way that I used to get hyped up on Christmas Day when I was still a kid. My gingerbread house morphed into an eclectic mix of orange hues with pseudo-Chinese elements. And oh, the rabbits, they must be cute and at the same time, help to usher in a new year of prosperity. This time, we sent out Chinese New Year postcards to our clients.
Forecepts Chinese New Year Postcard
Gingerbread:
The harder German-style Gingerbread is often used to build gingerbread houses similar to the “witch’s house” encountered by Hansel and Gretel. These houses, covered with a variety of candies and icing, are popular Christmas decoration [5] often built by children with the help of their parents. This form of Gingerbread houses is also popular in Norway. (Source:Wikipedia)
The Rabbit:
Cuddly, warm and affectionate are the attributes of the Rabbit. Mysterious and a great party-giver and host, the Rabbit enjoys being the centre of attention once in a while. The Rabbit is occasionally over cautious and can be a bit boring. He is also one of the luckiest signs in the Chinese Astrology chart.
**This blog entry was first posted in my personal website: http://www.crayonslife.com/2011/02/gingerbread-house-and-rabbits.php
Posted by leepeng on August 25, 2010
Received this picture couple of months ago. Suppose to be something for us to feel funny and laugh at.
However, the similar picture was actually printed on my university software engineering text book.
It makes me ponder on communications.
A solution can only considered good if it meet client’s objective and solve their problem. In order to do this, understanding and passing of correct information is very important.
In industry practice, we have tools like functional specs, flow charts, screen prototypes and different kind of diagrams.
So do we come out with these documents just to fulfill the software engineering lifecycle or because we quoted documentation or just for the sake of coming out some documents so that both client and us feels good?
I felt documents is useless if it is not a tool for communication. When we draft a functional specs, we have to think in clients’ perspective to come out with something that they can understand so that we can discuss and confirm various business concepts and requirements using the document. At the same time, if we need client to visualise, we have to come out with screens so that we can discuss further or to trigger more views from them so we can have deeper understanding of their needs.
We are learning and doing our best to improve our communications so that we can have more happy customers.
Posted by leepeng on
Why SSL?
SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer.
SSL pages/sites are start with HTTPS (e.g. https://www.ctc.com.sg/paygate/payment.php)
You will see a lock icon in browser if it is SSL
It provide 2 main function: Encryption and Authentication.
Encryption
When we fill in a form in browser and submit, in default setting, the information in the form is transmit to the server as plain text.
This become not secure if the form ask us for sensitive information like NRIC, credit card info etc.
SSL can encrypt the transmission of info to ensure security.
Authentication
When a visitor come to a website, especially those require payment, he will always want to be sure that the identity of the website is what it claim to be.
Consider the website www.sony-asia.com. How we know this website really belongs to Sony. I can always register a domain call www.sony-southafrica.com and impersonalized as Sony.
SSL contains Digital Certificate to certified the website as who it claimed to be.
SSL Selection
There are many SSL provider and price can be very different depends on function and brands.
In general, there are 2 groups
SSL Cert with Domain name Authentication Only
This will certified that the domain A is really belongs to domain A.
We will recommend this if the website is just a pure online store and the business is not of big brand.
Another reason is the website only need SSL to utilise the encryption feature and authentication is not a big concern.
** Notice the Common Name (CN) and Organization (O) are the domain name.
Here are some package options
https://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/ssl/ssl.asp (Standard SSL)
https://www.thawte.com/ssl-digital-certificates/ssl123/index.html
http://www.geotrust.com/ssl/quick-ssl-certificates/
SSL Cert with Business Identity Authentication
This will certified that the website belongs to a certain business.
The approval might require more email authentication or event submit a fax or telephone call.
** Notice the Organization (O) is stated as TakeMeToAsia Pte Ltd
Here are some package options
https://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/ssl/ssl.asp (Deluxe SSL)
https://www.thawte.com/ssl-digital-certificates/ssl/index.html
http://www.geotrust.com/ssl/ssl-certificates/
http://www.verisign.com.sg/ssl/buy-ssl-certificates/secure-site-ssl-certificates/
Posted by jessette on May 7, 2010
Last year, Forecepts launched Orchard Central Mall’s website in time with the mall’s soft opening.
This year, we are happy to announce that we have worked with Orchard Central to update the look of their site. We came up with a simpler and sleeker design set against a very dark gray colour with the photo of the mall in the background.
If you ever passed along Orchard Road during night time, Orchard Central’s psychedelic lights illuminate the skyline. Our new design echoes the dynamism and playful interplay of their colour and lights. The rollover effect at the main navigation and the orange and pink small squares on the homepage and inner pages is a direct interpretation of the mall’s night lights.
The site is fully equipped with CMS (Content Management System) which allows the client full access to the database system.
Below is the new and old design for Orchard Central website.
Orchard Central's New Web Design
Orchard Central's Old Web Design
Posted by leepeng on January 14, 2009
We developed a website and tested it on Firefox, IE7, Safari, Opera and Chrome. After delivery, the client said that some functions were not working on their browser. We checked and found out that the entire organisation is still using IE6. So we advised them to upgrade their browser.
Shortly afterwards, the IT executive called and gave us a comment: “Your should make sure your website is BACKWARD COMPATIBLE! No way we gonna to upgrade our browser!” WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Posted by John on November 7, 2008
We’ve been in the web design & development industry for some time now and have had a fair share of clients with the wrong expectations of us. We’re not talking about you now darling, we’re talking about another client. Most of the examples here are actually over exaggerated and the prose a tad direct, be warned. WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Posted by John on November 6, 2008
Forecepts was recently featured under the Success Stories column on the Infocomm Singapore Portal. The highlight of the story was on our implementation of an instant hotel & flight booking confirmation system for CTC Holidays. Full story here.
Find out more about Forecepts’ booking solutions and reservation systems.