Website of the month

Cli Gaidhlig new web-site, press release

IleTec design a new web-site for Cli Gaidhlig

Cli Gaidhlig, the Scottish Gaelic learners organisation have commissioned IleTec of Inverness to re-design their online presence www.cli.org.uk   .

The brief was to design a site that projected the image of Gaelic as a relevant, modern language with a positive future that matches its very rich heritage.
The site is very much a joint venture by and IleTec and Cli, it was delivered on time and within a modest budget.

IleTec’s in-house design team have come up with a tag-line…..’The Voice of 21st Century Learners’ and matched this to vibrant design. The main design features a sunrise signifying the current resurgence of the Gaelic language backed by abstract forms suggesting modern communications. Header images show iconic structures from modern Scotland, the Parliament, Falkirk Wheel, SECC and so on.

This is in definite contrast to any pre-conceptions of heather, thatched houses, old ferries etc all of which are valued images in an historic, heritage or tourist setting.

The best way to describe the site is by asking people to visit it but there are some features that may be of note.
The site is primarily designed for ease of use; the Home page has 6 main panels that act as portals to the site’s contents.

Within the site are sub-sites for Ulpan Gaelic learning, Cli courses (including booking facilities), and the massive Cli international database of Gaelic resources (with free submissions) making this a very large and content-rich web site.

There are also video clips, spoken audio and music files including a large archive of past Cothrom magazine articles presented as audio files, a major Gaelic resource.

The site carries an on-line shop, some free items for Gaelic learners such as spoken Gaelic pronunciation of everyday phrases and send a Gaelic greetings card, a Cli members’ area, Gbay….the Gaelic materials exchange shop, and, search and feedback mechanisms.

The site is, of course, bi-lingual with an English default to recognise that most users will not be fluent Gaelic speakers.

IleTec www.iletec.com has a wide portfolio of websites across the UK in all sectors but is pleased to specialise in Gaelic sites and to support our Scottish Gaelic language. Bi-lingual web sites require special expertise, it is not as simple as getting content translated, many factors have to be considered and IleTec has experience of producing bi-lingual sites that feature Gaelic, French and Welsh.

IleTec is proud and pleased to be associated with Cli Gaidhlig and its aims of furthering the use of the Gaelic language. The site is the result of a real partnership between two different organisations that share some core values and we hope it will be of great benefit to Cli, its membership and to the wider Gaelic community

IleTec, Feb 2009