Darwinism at the Office: The Evolution of vivid

vivid studios began as a multimedia publishing company in 1990, authoring books like Multimedia Demystified, one of the first to offer a detailed methodology for interactive development. In the early days our portfolio consisted largely of CD-ROM projects, most notably one with marketing guru Regis McKenna that taught users about infrastructure marketing and strategic positioning.

The rise of the Web provided a natural segue into online development. By 1993, we were prototyping interfaces for clients like Delphi Online and The Well, one of the very first online communities. Both projects whetted our appetites for creating online user experiences. The following year we began building websites for major corporate and entertainment clients like Sony and 3Com. By 1995, we'd committed ourselves to work in the online arena.

We then went on to create Web-based scavenger hunts ("Net hunts") for clients like Silicon Graphics, Microsoft, and Sony Entertainment. These early Web games established large, loyal followings from participants and helped us deepen our understanding of interaction design.

As the Web's popularity grew, so did our skill set and client base. We conquered prototyping, complex Inter/extra/intranet development, and training programs. Our experience bred relationships with clients like Microsoft, J.Walter Thompson, Bell Atlantic, Bank of America, Computer Curriculum Corporation, and The Names Project/AIDS Memorial Quilt.

Over the next few years, we added branding and strategic planning services to our arsenal of Web development skills. In early 1997, we leveraged our strength in developing adaptable system architectures, our proven methodology, and ongoing R&D efforts by undertaking projects with Nike, Sun Microsystems, Netscape and many others.

Through perseverance, hard work, and most of all talented people, vivid has sustained a position within the industry through a history of creating engaging, one-of-a-kind online opportunities with our clients.

Capitalizing on our accumulated strengths, we now focus on online ventures -- businesses from start-ups to strategic initiatives in established companies. Recent clients like HealthAxis, the first health insurance service online, and FinAid, the most comprehensive annotated collection of information about student financial aid on the Web, demonstrate these ventures. And, our work in progress promises to revolutionize standards in Internet branding, community, and commerce.

With a vast amount of intellectual property, reusable code, component technologies, and an enthusiastic, challenge-loving staff, vivid has evolved gracefully to meet and exceed market opportunities. And, much like our clients, we'll continue to work ahead of the competition.