Web Agency series – Martin Fromm from Error

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On the third episode of our Web Agency series we talked with Martin Fromm, Director at Error. His digital agency, with only 6 people, is based in UK and originally setup in Liverpool with primarily London based clients.

Error Creative Studio creates human-centered websites and mobile apps. They’ve build the Little Big Planet website and have as usual clients the UK government, theaters across UK and BBC.

As usual with this serie, the episode was recorded in English.

Main topics:

• Who is Martin and Error [00:00:41]
• How did the agency name come up [00:01:49]
• The 4 days work week [00:02:46]
• What’s the impact on productivity of the 4 days weeks [00:04:50]
• How it’s pitched to clients [00:06:20]
• The possible application on other companies [00:07:50]
• Why keeping the agency small [00:08:37]
• How the company growth is measured  [00:10:10]
• How the work schedule is divided [00:12:43]
• How product development fits in everyday project schedule and it’s challenges [00:15:16]
• The trade-offs of building a product based on client work [00:19:01]
• How was the process of getting high profile clients [00:20:36]
• The process of being a full web services agency [00:24:06]
• Martin’s role in the agency [00:26:08]
• What are UX Workshops [00:27:40]
• Recommendations for someone starting in UX  [00:30:21]
• How UX workshops are pitched to clients [00:34:17]
• What kind of deliverables come from the workshops [00:36:27]
• Opinion about the current state of webdesign [00:37:59]

Quick questions:

• What do you see coming in the next 12 months that is going to create a big impact on the web?
  Typography, readability, flexbox and static sites generators
• Which is the mobile app you couldn’t live without?
  IA Writer
•  Which is the productivity tool indispensable for your day to day?
  Things and Hipchat
• A fundamental podcast or book?
  3 Books: Studio Culture, Rework and ZAG
• A conference you wouldn’t miss?
  Happy Startup School
• Any suggestions for our next guest?
  Kyle Macdonald, CTO from Carrot NY