I know, I know - it’s not polite to brag. But please, cut us some slack here, because we really do have something exciting to brag about!

Yes, for the 3rd year straight, 76design has been made an Official Webby Honouree for the work we did conceiving, designing and building the Ottawa Public Library’s new children’s website.

This was a really innovative project and it definitely feels good to get this recognition. In case you don’t know the Webbys, they’re kind of like Oscars for the Web. We didn’t actually win a Webby - we got the equivalent of 2nd place. But considering our co-Honourees in the youth category include the likes of Disney Channel, Barbie and MTV, we figure we’re in some pretty elite company.

What’s even more amazing though, if I do say so myself, is that this is the 3rd year running that one of our sites has been a Webby Honouree. Last year it was our corporate website, and the year before it was the site we built for Maisonneuve Magazine.

76design is not a huge shop. We don’t charge as much as the big international agencies and our clients’ budgets tend to be - well - just a tad smaller than Disney’s. But the quality of our work speaks for itself. Year after year we rank alongside the world’s top interactive agencies in the toughest competition there is.

Next year we’re aiming to crack the final frontier and become an official Webby award winner. Which of our clients will benefit from that acclaim, and be the proud owner of one of the best websites in the world?

It could be you.

Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), a long-time client of 76design, ranked first in Laval’s University’s Directory of Evidence-Based Information Websites.

To see the entire list:

1. http://machaon.fmed.ulaval.ca/medecine/repertoire/repertoire.asp
2. Click “English”
3. Click “Complete List” on the left.

The main goal of the list was to offer a medical website directory which would include a rating based on objective and validated criteria.

I just thought I’d post a short note to talk about Third Tuesday last night in Vancouver. This is the third time I’ve attended Third Tuesday on the left coast and it was nice to see some familiar and new faces last night as I was one of three presenters delivering “mini” case studies on social media projects. I chose to talk about a site we did recently for the Ottawa Public Library: “BOPL’s Book Club“. As a social networking site geared at kids, I thought the rather unique challenges we faced while developing it would be interesting to the group. I’m no seasoned presenter but it seemed from the questions I got from the folks there that I I did an OK job. Unfortunately the combination of a very packed house, a long narrow room and my non-projecting voice meant that I had to present twice — once to each end of the room — and both times I got caught going over the 7 minute limit. Oops… if anybody has read my posts on the blog they won’t be surprised at all that I had a hard time keeping it brief.

Thanks go out to Tod Maffin once again for organizing (and asking me to present) and to CNW for sponsoring the evening. Looking forward to seeing everybody in December!

We recently redesigned the Portrait Gallery of Canada’s website, including a flash exhibition of fascinating collection highlights. Happily, our work was mentioned in an article about the Portrait Gallery in today’s Globe and Mail. The Portrait Gallery doesn’t yet have a new physical home, but we’re pleased that people are noticing its new virtual home.

You can find the Globe and Mail article here. And you can find the Portrait Gallery of Canada website here.

A beautiful way to discover what the world of travel has to offer!

P.S. It’s a 76design site!