We grow your brand

Unseen = unknown

Much has been written about branding, which we won't bother to regurgitate here. Suffice to say - your brand says who you are and what you stand for. But, more importantly, it allows your target market to identify with you.

In English, that means people like to buy from companies they feel safe with. That's why trends happen. The Penguin designers will help you create & build a brand which truly shouts (or gently whispers) everything you need to say about your company.

We solve your problems

Start at the end. What are you trying to do?

"I need a new website" can often translate to...

• We need more leads
• I want to sell online
• Our customers don’t know everything we do
• I want to be above my competitors in the search engines
• We need to attract more business
• We want to raise the profile of our brand
• Or something else

Of course, sometimes you just need a new website. And we’re fine with that, but it’s worth having a chat.

We aren’t here to sell you a website regardless of your problem. We aren’t here to sell you SEO regardless of your problem. We’re here to work out the right solution for you - and that’s exactly why we have in-house designers, developers and marketers: we’ll work out what you need to achieve and how we’re going to do it, together.

We make you money

Let's not be coy: whilst we all want to make the world a better, more beautiful place, there’s also a need to actually make some money whilst we’re doing it. We’re here to help.

Some of the things we do will make you more money by, say, getting you more leads, enquiries, customers. Promoting your brand. Building your business. Other things might make what you currently do more efficient (time, after all, is money). We might combine the two - automating some aspects of your marketing, for example.

But ultimately, whatever we do, we'll have an eye on how to make sure it’s well worth your while.

The best way to find out how we can help you is to talk to us.

App Development

We live in a mobile world, and the future will be ever-more so.

Whilst we make sure our websites work perfectly on mobile devices, sometimes something a little more sophisticated is called for - enter the world of the mobile app.

If you've used a smartphone or tablet, you've used apps. Useful software doing useful things, whether it's finding the nearest restaurant, helping you to identify (and listen to) songs or, well, let's face it - an addictive game.

Sometimes you'll know you need an app, sometimes we might identify that need for you. Sometimes we'll even explain why you don't need an app. All part of the service. But we can create something special that does exactly what you and your customers need - and then some.

Web Development

We’re rightly proud of our development team, and the awesome things they build, from our in-house software such as Fresh (for updating websites and running e-commerce) or Toolkit (a full email marketing service we’ve built from scratch) - or the ever-interesting and complicated problems our clients approach us with.

A lot of things in business - in fact, in everyday life - could be done better, and great programming is often a crucial step in solving those problems.

The first step is admitting you have a problem… to be solved. Let’s talk.

Branding

Matt is our chief designer, but there are others here who tinker with things when we think he’s not looking. Some of his work is on this page, but ultimately he touches every project we do in some way, shape or form.

Design is crucial: not just making things look pretty but making software easy to use; making websites intuitive; creating emails people want to read and adverts that make the reader act.

Whether you are looking to completely rebrand, or just make something look great and work well, the Elegant Intelligent Penguins will flex their creative muscles and create beautiful graphics, logos and layouts for you.

What are you trying to achieve?

Ecommerce

Buying things online is no rare thing, although it was when a few of us started out on the internet (we call it 'pedigree' - others call it 'age').

Our ecommerce service will help you from start to finish, creating, designing and building a highly functional (mobile friendly) shopping site you can manage yourself or let us look-after.

We can work with off-the-shelf software, or implement Fresh - our in-house, built-from-scratch ecommerce and content management system which can be easily customised to your exact needs.

Marketing

Just because you (or we) build something great does not, sadly, mean customers will come flocking to your door.

That’s where marketing comes in.

We’ll help you tell people about what you’re doing. In a nutshell. How we do it depends a lot on who you are, what you have to say and, perhaps most importantly of all, who you need to say it to.

Who is going to buy what you sell? Why do they want it? What will make them act, and where are they likely to look to get their problems solved?

Let’s get your business out there. Let’s get things moving for you. Let’s talk.

Lucy

Senior Developer

I'm based in Saffron Walden and the commute to London was becoming more of a chore everytime I caught the train! When the chance to work for smaller company working on exciting and varied projects came along... it took all of 3 seconds to jump at the chance. I have loved every minute since.

Boaz

ASP.Net Developer

I come from a little town called Thaxted in Essex, famous for composer Gustav Holst and Morris Dancing. I took a gap year after finishing 6th form where I moved to Scotland and crewed for Virgin Hot air balloons, before moving back down south and working night shifts in a factory (surprisingly the Scottish winter is pretty rubbish for ballooning).

I am an ASP.Net/C# developer with a background in Java and core programming - the really geeky stuff...these skills can be used everywhere, from small websites, through large websites with lots of bespoke functionality, to, most importantly, programming a lego mindstorms kit to fire nerf guns automatically. When you are a programmer at your very core, anything is possible, and I intend on proving that during my time at Intelligent Penguin.

Tom

Marketing

Before becoming a Penguin I’d been running my own business doing (initially) web development and (latterly) marketing since 1997 - didn’t quite make it to twenty years, but Intelligent Penguin tempted me down a new path: I’d sworn never to get a job. But here I am, excited and enjoying a new direction using all my old skills - and quite a few new ones. I ended up here because Jesse wanted to meet the man who wrote a marketing email every morning for two and a half years. There’s nearly 200,000 words there, but I don’t believe he’s read them all yet.

Jesse

Director, Owner, Everything Else

With over 20 years experience working with companies such as Hewlett-Packard, My Travel and American Standard in locations such as the UK, Europe, USA and the Middle East, I thrive on making marketing ideas and plans a reality.

I've set-up businesses, brought in new business, built client relationships, managed account teams, ran an agency and even turned the old creative hand to brand design.

From London, to France, from San Francisco to Dubai, from SME's to world class brands, I've been lucky enough to ply my trade in diverse environments and to diverse cultures.

Bringing this experience (grey hair) to a strong and dynamic Penguin team gives our clients a refreshing approach that puts their business at the centre of everything we do.

Ciaran

Junior Web Developer

When I first started web development I was about 10 or 11. Well – I say web development, it was more me clicking lots of buttons and hoping something interesting would happen! But after a few years, probably around the age of 13 I started to grasp the concept of what I was doing and I taught myself HTML and CSS from then on! In the last two or three years I’ve designed and built websites for local businesses, and the experience I gained from that has been invaluable. And now I’m here! And I love it.

Matt

Designer

I started designing posters and album sleeves for a couple of record labels years back, and things just grew from there. I’m now well versed in pretty much all aspects of web, print and brand design, and last year was awarded a certificate of excellence from Communication Arts. Aside from my career as a graphic designer, I’m also a freelance illustrator and musician, and am tentatively writing my first graphic novel which is a kind of romance/western/ghost story set in the afterlife.

Jack

Server Administrator

I've been tinkering with computers since I was little, first of all gaming and then later on I taught myself to code. Today I am the Server Administrator at Intelligent Penguin, which means I keep the servers up and manage customer's emails... and of course fix any problems that may crop up from time to time.

Outside of the computer world, I like to research how things function which usually leads to me taking things apart and putting them back together (I love nothing more than tinkering with and improving my motorbike engine!)

Helen

Account Handler

Over the last 10 years I have worked across a range of industries (not to mention continents) from local builders merchants to London-based multinationals. The consistent theme has always been that I've worked directly with clients - and I love it!

My role here at Intelligent Penguin boils down to making sure our customers - you - are happy. I'm your first port of call for any questions, queries or concerns and I will be with you from your first contact through to launch (this is my favourite part), and onwards to support you in anything you need.

I love working between the client and the team, watching a brand, website or idea come to life. It's amazing to see what's possible...