minty

Minty's madly passionate about boardgames, education, websites and other geekery. He codes in actionscript, php, css, javascript, lingo and HTML, loves the power of the written word and makes a mean seared-steak salad with feta and roasted pine-nuts.

Taylor Boutique online shop

 News, Website News, Website portfolio
Aug 052011
 

The lovely people at Taylor Boutique continue to create amazingly stylish and yet incredibly practical garments, and recently decided to make the jump to an online shop.

We used the NZ-designed Instinct WordPress Ecommerce plug-in to integrate the shop into their existing blog. Because it uses a similar interface to blog posting for creating and altering items in the shop, we were able to hand off some of the updating to the Taylor people to do themselves.

This proved very useful when they launched their Summmer 2011-2012 range - just after we'd headed to Fiji to escape the depths of Carterton's winter! Rather than have to chase us, designer Vicki Taylor added garment images and sent products live herself.

So if you're looking for a tasty serving of superbly stylish and functional clothing, be sure to check out the ridiculously versatile Circle Dress, prepare for some summer colour with the Oblique Tunic, and drool over the Tracey Nuels TN_29 shoes and the Kohl and Cochineal bags!

You'll feel even better knowing it's all NZ designed and manufactured!

Taylor Boutique online shop

Taylor Boutique online shop

We also maintain their blog and website, so to see some luscious full-screen images of the Summer 2011-2012 range, head over here.

Carterton Chiropractic Clinic

 News, Website portfolio
Jul 112011
 

Chiropractor Stefan Pallister has over 40 years experience in clinical practice and chiropractic education, which he puts to great use at his Carterton Chiropractic Clinic!

And sometimes, all you need to get started on the web is a single page. Nothing astonishingly fancy here, but it's lovely to whip up a quick, simple online presence to help local businesses flourish!

Carterton Chiropractic Clinic website

Carterton Chiropractic Clinic website

Taylor Boutique at Urbis Designday

 News
Apr 062011
 

I've got a background in film, and have also done a fair bit of work on interactive museum pieces, so I quite appreciate atmospheric and intriguing installations, especially when they're like some intriguing movie concept made real.

And that's what caught my eye in the description of Taylor Boutique's "Reveal" display at the Urbis Designday:

"I divided the room with eight amazingly technical blinds from Luxaflex, which were automated to lift and fall randomly so the spaces changed and concealed and revealed different parts of the installation. We challenged perceptions of reality as mannequins floated above the couches, the outline of shirts hovered over ash lumber stools, all while beautiful models transformed their outfits from dresses to tops, from work to play, all in-front of the 1500 people who came through the showroom." Continue reading »

Red Moa Gallery website

 Website portfolio
Mar 312011
 

 

A recent addition to Carterton's shops is Red Moa Gallery. A great way to fill in half an hour is to have a look around the interesting and varied works in this well-thought-out space (as well as a coffee or lunch at next door Bambino). Owner Andrea needed an online presence where she could show the work to a wider audience.

We went for a dark background for the website so the artwork would jump off the page.  The interface is simple so as to keep out of the way when viewing the art. The Flash slideshow in the gallery section allows viewers to click through each artwork or sit back and let the images change automatically.

Red Moa Gallery

Taylor Boutique’s 2011 Reveal Collection online

 News, Website News
Feb 252011
 

We've just updated the Taylor Boutique site with Vicki's new 2011 'Reveal' collection. As ever, her pieces are astonishing, while remaining incredibly practical and versatile:

They've got their famous Circle Dress back in stock- it's an amazing garment that can transform to be worn in a variety of ways. So if you're in Auckland or Wellington and have a love of fashion, do drop in and say hi, or come along to the champagne and macaron opening of the collection this Saturday 26th Feb!

Otherwise, you can salivate over the collection on the website, and add items to your wishlist by clicking on the pictures!

 

The Taylor Conceal Raincoat

 

Five Men Standing

 Boardgame portfolio, News
Feb 222011
 

You're poised on the emerald pitch at Eden Park for the Final of Rugby World Cup 2011. It’s the dying moments of the game. The score is deadlocked and the crowd is screaming. The ball is passed out to the back line: the outcome hinges on what you do next!

Five Men Standing is the official game of Rugby World Cup 2011. It's for both lovers of the glorious Game, and those who have never held a Rugby ball in their hands. Fast paced, competitive, and with no sissy turn taking, this is a game of frantic action and fun!

Each player controls a set of 5 Rugby players, drawn from 2 of the world’s top-ranked teams competing in RuWC 2011. How you manipulate, position, and toss these players will determine the ultimate victor.

The Five Men Standing game comes complete with two Country Team packs, rules, scoring tokens, a combo ranking chart, a draw sheet and felt bag.

Country Team Packs can also be purchased separately. Each comes with:
* 5 figures
* 1 double-side figure holder card
* 1 sticker sheet
* 1 draw flyer

You can find out more at the official Five Men Standing website, or ask questions at the Five Men Standing forum.

Webstock racing card game- post mortem

 Boardgame News, Featured
Feb 222011
 

Some of the cards for the Webstock 2011 racing game.

Whew. Last week was madness!

There was the frantic rush to complete all elements of the Webstock racing card game, which included writing up all the rules and flavour text for the 43 cards, checking it all to make sure it went to the printers without error, and sorting out Twitter for the rolling release of further rules and tips. I was very glad to be working with the fab Kai and Diane again; we do really seem to complement each other in ideas and skills.

Continue reading »

Massive Five Men Standing giveaway in Rugby News

 Boardgame News
Feb 152011
 

Rugby News, the world's highest circulating rugby magazine, has a complete Five Men Standing game set (1 boxed game plus each of the 20 Country Team packs- retail value of $350!) and another 4 box sets to give away!

For more info, check the Five Men Standing website. Good luck!

That link will also lead you to the online version of their latest magazine, and it's a cracker. 79 pages chock full of Super Rugby 2011 info and pics. Warning: it's a time sink!

Webstock 2011 trading card game!

 Featured, News
Feb 022011
 

Speaker cards and envelopes from Webstock 2009

Way back in the last decade, in February of 2009, the fabulous Kai Koenig and I ran a trading card game at the brilliant and enthralling Webstock conference. It was a cracking success, with a google doc of the rules being uploaded by some intrepid punter on the first day, massive trading and analysis going on, and all the speakers rocking their own custom game card.

And we're back in 2011 to do it again!

At Webstock 2009 I got to meet one of my sci-fi idols, writer and futurist Bruce Sterling. This time, one of the true gods of comics will be there, the illustrious Scott McCloud. And aside from drooling fandom, the conference is packed chock-full of cutting edge presentations about the web, society, technology, comedy and how the whole shebang fits together. Can you tell how much I'm looking forward to it?

Continue reading »

Hurrah for 2011!

 Featured, News
Jan 012011
 

From us here at Nectarine, we bring you merry Christmas wishes and a big hurrah for 2011!

It's been a frantic and exciting time leading up to December, racing to meet website deadlines and ensure our Five Men Standing game was in stores, but with the fabulous feedback we've been getting it's all been worth it. Thanks to everyone who's supported us! And it's been brilliant to spend the last few days easing up and enjoying this time of year.

For my part, I saw the new year in (after the usual cheers and kisses) on top of a trampoline, tucked up under a duvet with 6 friends, chatting and laughing and watching for shooting stars and satellites passing overhead in the glorious Carterton night sky. We all felt like little kids- well, slightly cheeky kids perhaps, who stayed up for hours until the moreporks started complaining- and it was wonderful! Hope you greeted 2011 with similar zeal.

Pleysier Perkins website update

 Website News
Dec 212010
 

I've just completed an update on the Pleysier Perkins website, and they've obviously been a very busy crew! Six new projects in progress, including some astonishing beach houses. You'll see in the Press section that they've been featured yet again in Australian House magazine, but I reckon the big coup is having one of their houses on Grand Designs. Here's the teaser:

Julie and Patrick Eltridge bought in Sydney’s beachside Clovelly three years ago, paying $1.6 million for an old house on a sloping block. It was the land and its sea views they wanted, not the asbestos-riddled house. Continue reading »

Five Men Standing gets press coverage

 Boardgame News, Featured
Dec 142010
 

Five Men Standing, the official game of Rugby World Cup 2011 that’s a collaboration between us and IQIdeas, has been getting a bit of coverage lately.

Andrew Baker spoke to Murray Deaker on Newstalk ZB last night about the game, there’s an upcoming Otago Daily Times article and we chatted to Kerri Bowling of the Wairarapa Midweek and scored front-page coverage! Woot! World famous in Carterton (and, well, the rest of the Wairarapa).

Hey, is Oprah's still visiting the big west isle? Is it too late to score an interview there? I'm happy to jump up and down on a couch...

As the world counts down to the 2011 Rugby World Cup, a Carterton couple is hoping to bring some of the action into homes. Kerri Bowling reports.

Continue reading »

Amazing Mammoth Hunt in Chinese

 Boardgame News
Dec 062010
 

It seems that Chinese company Magic Bird has taken a shine to some of the games we've worked on, including The Amazing Mammoth Hunt and Toppletree. They're currently translating them and preparing for a release in the Chinese market.

It's always fabulous seeing your work gain a wider foothold and expand into other languages. And we'd obviously be thrilled if even 2% of the Chinese population bought one of the games; heck, we'd probably settle for 1%!

Here's an image of the new board as it shapes up, compared to the original Mammoth board. Love those crazy new characters!

Mammoth Hunt- Chinese version by Magic Bird

Mammoth Hunt - original English version by Bek Farr and Romina Marinkovich

Games and monsters

 Featured, Tips and tricks
Dec 012010
 

As a parent, one of the things most of us deal with is the "monsters in the closet" problem. Imagination runs wild and bedtime becomes scary. Heck, as a kid myself, I had ongoing nightmares for about a year about monsters chasing me around the house. I eventually learnt to deal with it by imagining in my dreams that I could fly, and I'd just rise above them and laugh.

Go Away Monster game

But it took a while to get to the flight stage, so I reckon it's better to tackle these things early. There's a fabulous game for very young kids called "Go Away Monster" - it works brilliantly to let kids take control and believe that they can push those monsters around.

(If you're in the Wairarapa and want to read more about this and other fabulous family games, I've just donated a copy of the fantastic "Family Games- The 100 Best" to the Carterton Library. Pop in and see Viv, Ewan, Rachel or any of the gang and they'll get you sorted. Or you can, of course, buy any of the great games we've worked on!)

However, when the kids get a bit older sometimes a different approach is needed. Our 8-year-old started worrying about the closet beside his bed, and what might be in there.

In here lurks evil...

Swift action was needed! Out came the screwdriver and off came the door:

One door- gone!

But the following night he was still worried. So I popped back after I'd managed to get him off to sleep, and put up two signs that I'd knocked up quickly:

Just so everyone's clear on the rules around here...

We were woken up next morning by peals of laughter coming from his room. He obviously saw the funny side and we've had no closet problems since (no double entendre intended!). Mission accomplished.

Five Men Standing hits stores!

 Boardgame News, Featured
Nov 302010
 


As I write this, Five Men Standing stock is arriving in Whitcoulls stores around the nation, and it's also available via online retailer Fishpond.

And not forgetting our cousins in the great western island*, it should also be turning up in Angus & Robertson stores around Australia.

So if you've got a rugby-mad relative that you're struggling to find a Christmas pressie for, I humbly suggest you grab a copy, if only for the esteem that will be bestowed upon you as a wise and canny giver of gifts. Undoubtedly people will write sonnets and sagas praising your perspicacity and benevolence, and these words will echo down the ages.

But of course, the joy is in the giving, not the eternal fame. So grab your readies and get cracking!

* Hmmm. It's only been a little under six years since I departed the shores of Oz, and already my homeland has been relegated to a Kiwi territory. Still, when the All Blacks crush the Wallabies next year into so much as a fine patina of yellow, I too will revel in the glory as they raise the Webb Ellis cup in triumph. When in Rome...

Five Men Standing – the official game of Rugby World Cup 2011

 Boardgame News
Oct 152010
 

We've been very busy inventing, designing and otherwise beavering away at a new game, and we're very excited about it! It's called Five Men Standing, and it's the official game of Rugby World Cup 2011. Roll on Rugby madness- New Zealand is going to be a vibrant, pulsing party-land next year!

This game is a big step for us, because it's a true 50/50 collaboration with IQ Ideas- we're co-inventors and are contributing half the manufacturing and licensing costs. It's quite a commitment, but we know we've created, a fun, frantic game that also looks amazing, so we believe it'll do very well and has the potential to be huge.

I'll post more details once I've finished creating the official website, but here's a teaser shot of the box front and back to get rugby fans salivating!

** UPDATE ** : There's been demand for the site, so even though I have plans to put much more content online, you can visit what's there now at fivemenstanding.com ; in particular, the How To Play animation seems quite popular!

Dressage Wairarapa website

 Website portfolio
Oct 152010
 

The Dressage Wairarapa site provides a central point for information about the Wairarapa and Solway Dressage clubs, with details and entry forms for their upcoming events, online newsletters and a subscription service so riders can stay up to date with the latest equestrian events in their area.

Dressage Wairarapa website

This WordPress-based site allows the organisers to update the site themselves, providing results for previous shows, adding news articles and uploading details of new events. Bek designed a clean, crisp site with straightforward navigation, and both groups are very happy with the result!

View the site at www.dressagewairarapa.com .

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