effectively using a 404 error message

It's hard for artists to truly feel "finished" with a piece. Especially for a pet project. Every time we open up our site for review, we want to add more details, whether they are great or small. This also applies to how we work, we like to keep adding even to the minor element of our website, even if no one will see them or notice.

The "404 Error" page is an example. When someone has a type-o in entering a directory name in our site, (or any site, for that matter) an error page or notice will usually pop up. These are typically bland, with default type stating "error" on a white, and otherwise blank page.

We didn't leave it as such...here's what we did:

(ABOVE: the graphic. BELOW: the graphic in context. Click for close up.)

So if you were to manually type in "www.bearbearcreative.com/services" instead of what it should be ("www.bearbearcreative.com/services.shtml" - [note the ".shtml" at end of the word "services"]), it would take you to this specially designed 404 error page, and more clearly orient you around our site. We made it functional and easy to understand that the page is an error/non-existent, while staying thematically cohesive to the site theme. Go ahead and try it out!

Also, isn't this just much more friendly than seeing "404 error" in 24 pt Arial? I know when I see just "404 error" I feel a little startled. "ERROR" --- It just looks like a word that wants to bite you. (Yes, I know that real bears can bite too, but in this case we're talking about cuddly bears...and anyways, sometimes biting isn't so bad. Hehe.)

Look in the future for these kinds of details and additions on top of new site content. Who knows, we may quiz you on it and you can win a prize!

new site vs. old site

For those of you who did not get to see what the old site looked like, here is a screenshot for comparison:

And yes, the old site design did NOT have a background color. It was sitting in white like that. We had not implemented a consistent grid structure then, and with the expansion of new and plentiful content in many different sections, (such as our store, services, and webcomics) a redesign was in order. This resulted in a solution that combined interactive and animated Flash, javascript, php, html, css, e-commerce elements working like organs in a body for cohesive functionality, accessibility, security, and entertainment. Ta-da! The new site (generally - updates are constantly taking place for freshness):

Graphically and conceptually, it is a tribute to pop-art, comic art, and Japanese pop culture with the boxes, borders, comic lettering for headers, high chroma colors, benday dot pattern background, and cute images. After all, it was comics, sequential art, and cute bears that inspired our business in the first place as well as much of our personal art works and design philosophy of "Story Meets Design." (see our "about" page on the official site)

When you look at it, we want you to think about HAPPY COMIC BEAR STORIES and DESIGN GOODNESS! Warm and happy fuzzy cheerful feelings! We have fun doing what we do! And we'll have fun with you!
Check it out in full size in all it's cuddly splendor!