ABCDM.xyz – Dreamhost customer (Mexico)
Cities are constantly changing and evolving as new groups flow in and out and businesses and communities grow. These changes affect both the city’s layout and structure as well as the residents from diverse neighborhoods. Culture-focused projects can help guide these changes so they include the views of all city residents. One great modern example of this change in action can be seen from this week’s #WebsiteWednesday: ABCDM.xyz.
ABCDM.xyz is a collaborative culture project created by Laura Janka Zires, an architect for UNAM and urbanist for Harvard. ABCDM.xyz was created to address major urban changes happening in Mexico City. These changes are both cosmetic, like new building developments and general city repairs, as well as cultural, like gentrification. The cosmetic changes are often strongly tied to the cultural ones, and gentrification is one of the most impactful kinds of cultural change. Gaining an understanding of these terms helps show their effect, as gentrification in cities refers to the process of renovating and improving a house or district so that it conforms to middle-class taste. Fostering understanding of these terms for residents in Mexico City is one of the main aims of ABCDM.xyz.
ABCDM.xyz works to create a better understanding between city residents and those pushing for structural changes in a two-part process. First, the project collects, organizes, and analyzes language used in Mexico City to create an “urban dictionary.” The dictionary of terms is “urban” in that it breaks down specific terms related to the urban renewal happening in Mexico City. This gives residents and decision makers alike a better understanding of the sometimes confusing terms that describe changes happening in their city. For example, terms like “gentrification” did not previously exist in the language of residents in Mexico City.
Second, the project makes this research engaging and personal by discussing one term from the dictionary in each episode of their XYZ podcast (or X and Z in Spanish), available on GooglePlay, iTunes, and Spotify. The podcast, as ABCDM.xyz says, “gives voice to visionaries, to those responsible for public policy, to academics who define theories, to those who live urban realities, to those who oppose pre-established notions, and to ordinary citizens.” ABCDM.xyz believes that including the varied perspectives of the city’s residents will help to make sure that it grows in the most beneficial way.
The XYZ podcast is meant to exist as an open space for debate on issues like gentrification while allowing all who will be impacted by them to have their say. The podcast analyzes one word from the urban dictionary each episode. They not only explain the meaning of the word, but also dive deep into exploring its effects, goals, and potential outcomes. A great example of this approach in action is their episode on urban ecology. The term is not easily understood at first glance, so ABCDM.xyz brought on experts like Isla Urbana Director of Socio-Ecological Education Dolphin Montaña and UNAM sustainable architecture professor Pipola Gomez to explain what the term means and the impact it will have across Mexico City. The episode questions the concepts of urban ecology, looks at opportunities it could create, and studies if it is the same in rural areas as urban areas.
The goal of these discussions is to inform residents of Mexico City so they can be an educated and active part of shaping the future of their city. The podcast is branded with a very memorable name, as well. XYZ is a clever play on words and fits perfectly with the ABCDM.xyz domain name. The ABCDM.xyz domain itself represents both the alphabet (tying in the dictionary aspect of the project) and Mexico City (which is often abbreviated as CDMX).
The project has ambitious aims, and backs them up with impressive institutional support. ABCDM.xyz is supported by institutions like UNAM and Mexico’s National Fund for Culture, as well as real estate developer Refurbano and urban development community Comunica la Ciudad. This support gives ABCDM.xyz the backing to conduct their research and produce interesting stories on their podcast. It also shows the broad-ranging support ABCDM.xyz has in Mexico City.
ABCDM.xyz works to give a voice to the diverse culture of Mexico City and amplify the voice of the city’s residents. With their creatively branded .xyz domain, they can also amplify their message to cities around the world and inspire others with their example. Listen to their podcast to learn their urban dictionary. Stay up to date with their work by following them on Instagram and Twitter at their handles which exactly match their domain name.
Property.xyz – Internet.bs customer (United Kingdom)
Great founders often share the ability to look at an industry, see a need for change, and create a product or service that addresses that need. To reach the right audience and scale their solution in the market, founders need a memorable brand and the ability to broadcast their message globally. In this week’s #WebsiteWednesday, we’ll speak with a co-founder who saw a need for simplification in the property investment industry. He invented a platform that he envisions will become the future of property buying, and launched it using the perfect branded domain name: Property.xyz.
Property.xyz is a free-to-use property listing platform designed by property investors, for property investors. Property.xyz co-founder Robert Jones says his team’s vision is “to build the world’s most intelligent property platform.” He and his co-founder came up with the idea for the platform when they recognized the fragmentation in the UK property market. “There are hundreds of different websites to go to for each part of the process from search, to research, to arranging viewings,” says Robert. With Property.xyz, the co-founders created a software that aims to replace this fractured model with “a frictionless process for estate agents, auctions and new build developers to upload their properties for free and easily via their existing CRM.” To ensure they had the technical infrastructure to take Property.xyz to market, Robert and his team worked with a range of tech architects, as well as cloud and software engineers.
When creating Property.xyz, Robert and the team focused on building a true full-service solution that could revolutionize the property industry by covering everything from A to XYZ. “(We asked) what does the future of property buying look like? Not just in the UK but around the world. Not just residential property, but commercial, land, renting, homeowners. What does the process look like when you have the latest technology and no friction? So we imagined Property.xyz.”
To promote this new platform, Robert and his team also knew they wanted a domain name that was bold, forward-thinking, and fit with their long term vision. “We’re creating a property platform that works for everyone,” he says. “All buyers. All sellers. All agents and suppliers. Covers all geographic areas. All property types. All property categories from residential to commercial. All steps of the property process. All available data in one place. A centralised platform. ‘Building the world’s most intelligent property platform.’ We felt (the name) Property.xyz achieves this perfectly.” The Property.xyz domain fits their mission and model perfectly, as it is a generic and brandable name. .XYZ is also a global domain name with universal reach, as x, y, and z are recognized worldwide as the ending of the alphabet. This allows Property.xyz to attract users from any country, helps their platform stand out without limiting it to any one market or region, and gives them a domain name that will scale alongside their global efforts.
The .xyz community is known as a home to many innovative startups looking to revolutionize their industry. Starship.xyz, an autonomous delivery robot startup from Skype’s co-founders, Engine.xyz, a $175 million “tough tech” incubator from MIT, and driver-friendly rideshare app Be.xyz are just a few of the many examples. Their mission to create a global solution that simplifies property buying and selling shows they share the same spirit of innovation that the .xyz community is renowned for.
Choosing a strong, memorable name is critical for any global brand. The best brands use their website URL as an opportunity to make a lasting impression on potential users and set themselves apart from others in the industry. With Property.xyz, Robert and his team have a brand name that makes a statement, shows their innovative nature, and sticks in potential users’ minds.
Property.xyz and its creators show that innovation comes from recognizing a need for change and coming up with a solution that is capable of bringing it. Armed with their memorable, expertly branded, globally reaching .xyz domain, Property.xyz is ready to take their services to the world and revolutionize the property investment industry.
ClassNotes.xyz – GoDaddy customer (United States)
We’ve used our #WebsiteWednesday series to highlight many .xyz community members that have expanded their promotional reach via a well-designed website. Web push notification app PushPad.xyz promotes its services with a dedicated page showing the app’s features and potential benefits. UseMy.xyz is a great example of how to use your website as the center of a cohesive online brand for your app. In this week’s #WebsiteWednesday, you’ll meet another app creator that boosts their reach by pairing their .xyz website and their app to create a complete online educational experience for their users: ClassNotes.xyz.
ClassNotes.xyz is a startup from Austin, TX that provides educational resources to students from around the world. The company lists their foundational mission as their belief that “good quality education is a basic right of every human being.” ClassNotes.xyz claims their service improves standardized test scores by offering exam prep that costs 10 times less than tuition centers and academies. To get this reduced cost, ClassNotes.xyz says they’ve increased the efficiency of exam preparation by providing personalized feedback to each student according to their strengths and weaknesses. The ClassNotes.xyz service also provides analytics to students about their current preparation and what they need to focus on. Then, ClassNotes.xyz says they can create a detailed study plan and schedule for each student to prepare for their upcoming exams.
ClassNotes.xyz says their main focus is to help their global community of students access educational resources by digitizing and sharing materials through their app and user-friendly online platform. To accomplish this, they designed their app to work along with the ClassNotes.xyz site to create a flexible and complete learning service. Notes for classes in the curriculum are available on the ClassNotes.xyz website, and can then be downloaded onto the ClassNotes.xyz app. Notes are organized according to different subjects and student grade levels. ClassNotes.xyz even gives examples of past papers to help students with homework.
Both the ClassNotes.xyz website and app offer different services designed to provide a full service learning solution. In addition to test materials and guides, ClassNotes.xyz also features a student blog section. Here, students can share articles with advice for studying, choosing careers, and personal educational experiences. On the other end, the ClassNotes.xyz mobile app offers remote access to test prep materials, offline notes, downloadable materials, and flash cards, which are geared towards on-the-go learning. This dual approach and synergy between the ClassNotes.xyz app and website covers different areas of learning to give students test prep help no matter where they’re located.
The service already caught the attention of some notable backers. ClassNotes.xyz is partnered with the Public Information Technology Board of Pakistan and helps provide students prep materials for their exams. In addition, ClassNotes.xyz lists $4.3 billion-funded startup accelerator MassChallenge as a partner.
As ClassNotes.xyz shows, using your website and app together allows you give your audience access to your service no matter where they are in the world. This flexibility can then in turn make them more likely to continue using it. Of course, creating a website for your existing app starts with getting a memorable domain name, like ClassNotes.xyz has. Get the perfect branded domain name for your service and turn your app and website into the ultimate one-two punch.
AtelierInteriors.xyz – eNom / Open SRS customer (South Africa)
Carving a path for your career is not always a straightforward task. There are many options, and it can be a challenge to pick the right one for you. Your own style and confidence are among the best guides you have to follow when mapping out your professional path. Success can be found when you’re able to identify the skills that make you stand out and combine them with a strong belief in your work. This week’s #WebsiteWednesday features a celebrated interior designer who shows this method in action. Adri van Zyl decided to make a bold choice and change her career plan at the last minute to enter a whole new industry while using her personal taste to guide her business: AtelierInteriors.xyz.
AtelierInteriors.xyz is an interior architecture and design studio established in 2014 by Cape Town-based interior designer Adri van Zyl. Adri drives the creative side of the business while her husband Vincent helps manage the commercial side. Though she is now at the helm of her own successful design studio, Adri started her career with a plan to study law. The week before her classes began, however, she realized that she felt a stronger passion to study graphic design and photography, despite having no previous background in the arts. Adri’s decision to follow her intuition and passion proved to be both a wise and confident choice.
Through AtelierInteriors.xyz, Adri has made a name in her industry and taken on design projects for major retail, residential, and commercial spaces. Her work has also been featured frequently in notable decor outlets Elle, House & Garden, Architectural Digest, and House and Leisure, among many others. Adri continues to display a confident spirit in her work today by allowing her own taste and morals to guide her business.
As the AtelierInteriors.xyz website explains, the studio brands themselves as a “young, innovative, socially conscious studio that believes in bold design and doing things right. The full list of design services that AtelierInteriors.xyz offers covers everything from A to Z, so their domain perfectly fits with their business approach. This includes architecture and decor, furniture design, procurement, styling, and even project management. The studio says they maintain a focus on beautiful design that is also functional.
To see this approach in action, you can simply flip through a gallery of their past projects from the AtelierInteriors.xyz projects page. Clicking on each individual project will take you to a page sharing insight from Adri into the thought process the studio had for each interior design. For trendy wine bar and restaurant Mulberry & Prince, Adri created a French retro chic design that made it unique to the Cape Town eating scene. In the retail sector, Adri designed a boutique jewelry concept store for Famke Jewelry inspired by Memphis, a 1980s design movement. Adri’s versatility in her craft is also on display in the many residential projects she’s taken on, like her minimalistic approach for a luxury loft space in Cape Town’s city center.
Another area where AtelierInteriors.xyz show their sharpness is through their branding. They communicate with potential clients through an email address branded with their .xyz URL. They also use the URL as their social media handle, making for easy brand recognition and increased memorability. This coordinated marketing strategy allows AtelierInteriors.xyz to generate awareness of their website in all their promotion efforts. It’s also a great strategy for driving more traffic and potential clients to their business.
The .xyz community is home to many creative minds that aren’t afraid to follow their own unique style. Through their carefully crafted website design and promotion, AtelierInteriors.xyz and their intrepid founder Adri perfectly illustrate the spirit of creativity, innovation, and branding savvy the .xyz community is known for. Following your own unique taste is a great way to make your work stand out, and AtelierInteriors.xyz shows it can lead to great career success.
SamLavoie.xyz – eNom / Open SRS customer (United States)
It’s no secret that .xyz domains are popular among members of the design community. Rosch.xyz creator Ronny Schmidt says he chose a .xyz thanks to its perfect connotations with his 3D design work for Nike and Red Bull. Fashion designer DamoWang.xyz says he loves his .xyz because it makes the brand instantly stand out and get recognized. Multinational design contest platform Uni.xyz says their .xyz is perfect for them because it connects them with design enthusiasts globally and across all generations. Today’s #WebsiteWednesday is another .xyz adopter from the design community, and he uses his .xyz to give an informative look behind his work process: SamLavoie.xyz.
Sam Lavoie, creator of SamLavoie.xyz, is a San Francisco-based industrial designer, artist, and maker who says his interest lies in “developing compelling products and experiences.” As an industrial designer, Sam’s work focuses on creating products or designs to manufacture and scale for mass production. He showcases his many design skills on the impressive resume he’s linked on his website, which range from prototyping, casting and mold making, to even sewing. This is a great way to quickly show potential employers what he is capable of and helps him stand out in the minds of potential collaborators. Sam has laid out the content of his .xyz website as a showcase of his past projects, while also giving in-depth descriptions of his process from idea through creation. He shares this process in great detail via dedicated pages, a system which helps him share his knowledge with other designers and shows potential employers the true depth of his skills.
Sam’s work experience includes completing projects for a handful of notable companies. He competed in NASA’s Rover Challenge, an annual off-road collegiate race that draws teams from around the world to compete to build the lightest, fastest, and most capable 2-person off-road vehicle. He and his team’s rover placed 2nd overall from a field of 115 teams. Their design also took home the award for lightest vehicle. On the dedicated page for this rover project, Sam gives a full description of how he and his team built such a lightweight vehicle. He details their progress from initial sketching and 3D models all the way through to creating the design and putting it together for the competition. He shares photos from the creation and testing process as well which helps give a personal connection to his working process.
Many of the creative designs Sam features on his site involve items that aim to improve home life. For example, he created his lightweight indoor/outdoor leisure chair design Helium with the goal of producing a chair that is “easy to move around, easy to clean, and easy to relax in.” Another unique design Sam showcases on his site is the Mesa handheld vacuum cleaner which integrates stylishly within decorative potted plants. He’s also developed a line of glassware for glass maker Nachtmann called Erode. Sam designed the set to be simple, stylish, and usable for all ages. On each page for these projects, Sam shows the benefits of the product, how he came to the final design presented, and what steps he took to get from prototype to final product. This gives special insight into his process and is a great way to showcase his design ability.
Sam has worked on experimental designs as well, which he features on his website to show his process for his most imaginative projects. Some of the concepts include headgear made to optimize the wearer’s senses, a minimal calculator, and a modern-looking vest fitted with electricity to glow on command. He created a page dedicated to these designs to show them all in one quick and simple display. This page shows potential employers and collaborators his ability to think outside the box and the potential he has for creativity.
The .xyz community is home to amazing and inspiring designers from around the world. SamLavoie.xyz shows through the work on his thoughtfully designed personal website that he’s a great example of that community in action. His website is a perfect look into his process and sets him up to attract future collaborators and employers by giving a full picture of his creative process.
