Legae Securities recently underwent a rebranding exercise. The company’s new payoff line, “creativity + wisdom = innovation”, needed to be conveyed through the all-new website. One Part Scissors created a website that is fresh, sophisticated and powerful for both content editors and users of the website.

The website links into existing features, such as a Private Clients portal, as well as new features OPS built specifically for Legae. One such feature is the Legae Alumni Network, which allows employees to interact in a specialized community website (See more about this aspect of the project here).

Another all-new feature on the website is a Research Portal which allows Legae clients to access the considerable analytical skills of the Financial gurus at Legae, through daily share recommendations, weekly sharetalk newsletters, and various technical financial analysis.

A photoshoot was done by Ivok Studios, and this ranged from obtaining general images of the office environment to convey a sense of the energy at Legae, as well as excellent portaits of the team, to be used on the website, as well as in the media.

The website is built based on the Drupal Content Management System, which allows a variety of users to edit the site, all with varying degrees of permission access, so that analysts can add their reports and various other research documents, content editors can create all forms of new content, and registered clients can log in and access research information. All the levels of access are controlled and secure, so the website remain safe from abuse while allowing freedom of use to all the different levels of users.

See the website at legae.co.za

This is what Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd C. Blankfein has to say about their Alumni Network site:

“Even after our people leave Goldman Sachs, they still identify with the firm and we want to foster that connection. We have a rich history and tradition, and we invest in it. Our alumni help us recruit. They participate in volunteer activities. They come back to speak to our people, and they do business with us. Not only does this help validate our culture, it provides a real, tangible value that transcends any single generation.”

The social network will allow Legae Alumni to remain in contact long after they have moved from Legae, as well as enabling Legae to use the platform to improve the work environment for current employees, based on open, honest feedback from former employees.

The Social Network is built on the excellent Ning platform, which allows for the rapid creation of a Facebook style community that is open only to Legae Alumni, ensuring privacy and exclusivity.

The home page of the Legae Alumni Network. The Facebook style layout lets people feel at ease right away.

A typical Profile page

The online chat feature allows Legae Alumni to reconnect and catch up with colleagues.

See the blog post on the original design here, or click here to visit the new site.

One Part Scissors has just completed the redesign of the Merchant West website.

The first phase of the project which began in 2006 was to overhaul a web-based admin tool which allows Merchant West to update the content of the website at any time. The new website has a clean, stylish look which captures who Merchant West is.

This website has recently been updated! Click here to read the new story about the upgrade.

See the new website at www.merchantwest.co.za