Cyber-Duck

Cyber-Duck is a digital transformation agency founded in 2005 and based in Elstree, United Kingdom. The company specialises in user experience (UX), software development and digital optimisation.

For the FTP software, see Cyberduck.

Cyber-Duck
TypePrivate
IndustryDigital media
Founded2005
FounderDanny Bluestone
Headquarters
Elstree, Hertfordshire
,
UK
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Danny Bluestone, Matt Gibson, Sylvain Reiter
OwnerDanny Bluestone
Number of employees
90+
Websitewww.cyber-duck.co.uk

The company employs over 90 staff in the UK and Europe. It works with clients from the financial, pharmaceutical, sport, motoring and security sectors, among others. These include the Bank of England,[1] Cancer Research UK,[2] GOV.UK Verify partner CitizenSafe,[3] The Commonwealth of Nations[4] and Sport England.[5]

History

Cyber-Duck was founded in 2005 by Danny Bluestone in his flat in Mill Hill, United Kingdom. After a few months, the firm moved into its first office in Borehamwood.

Projects with Ogilvy, London Creative and Wisteria followed before Cyber-Duck moved to offices in Devonshire House, Borehamwood. In 2010, the firm was commissioned to develop a website for the European Commission in the UK.[6][7]

In 2011, the company moved to a self-contained premises in Elstree, Hertfordshire. Shortly afterward, Cyber-Duck was listed on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA in recognition of its substantial revenue growth over the previous five years.[8]

As the company grew, its expertise also broadened. This resulted in guest spots on several television shows. Cyber-Duck was featured in an episode of the Gadget Show in 2011,[9] and Chief Production Officer Matt Gibson appeared on BBC Watchdog in 2013 to assist in researching websites and their checkout processes.[10]

The firm continued to attract business from companies in London, so the decision was made to open a new office in central London. The Farringdon office opened in 2015, and was followed by a rebrand.[11]

In 2016, Cyber-Duck went on to work with the Bank of England.[12] Ahead of the launch of the new polymer £5 note, featuring Winston Churchill, the company was tasked with creating a user-friendly website[13] to showcase the new banknote and promote public awareness. The success of the campaign led to further commissions, including 2017's website the New Ten[14] and a redesign of the Bank of England's main website.

The firm underwent significant growth in 2020, beginning working partnerships with Sport England and the College of Policing.[15] During this time they also launched DevOps as a new service.

In 2022, the Farringdon office closed and was relocated to a new office space in Holborn. The Laravel, Drupal and DevOps teams expanded, and Cyber-Duck became the lead Digital Agency for Worcester, Bosch Group. Several members of the team appeared on The Digital Society on Sky UK.[16]

Awards & Accreditations

Cyber-Duck is known for its focus on process accreditation as a driver of creativity. In 2011, the company obtained its first ISO 9241 accreditation in Human Centred Design for interactive systems.[17]

Two years later, Cyber-Duck obtained a further certification, the ISO 9001 for Quality Management Systems.[18] It acquired another certification in 2016 with the ISO 27001 – the focus of this accreditation was Information Security Management. In 2022, Cyber-Duck gained the ISO 14001 certification in Environmental Management.

Cyber-Duck's digital products have won numerous Wirehive 100,[19] BIMA and Webby awards.[20] Notably, the company's UX Companion,[21] a free iOS and Android app that is a glossary of UX theories, featured in Usability Geek[22] and Smashing Magazine.[23] In 2021 they were awarded as one of the UK's 100 Best Small Companies to work for, and BIMA10 shortlisted for their work with Sport England and This Girl Can.[24]

References
  1. Finextra (13 April 2016). "Cyber-Duck selected by Bank of England to build new polymer note Website". Finextra Research. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  2. "Cancer Research launches crowd-sourced marketplace for technology arm". The Drum. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  3. "GOV.UK Verify Partner, CitizenSafe, Launches Consumer Awareness Campaign with Cyber-Duck". Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  4. "The Commonwealth showcases inclusion and sustainability in a new website designed to bridge the digital divide". Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  5. "Sport England shares how it kept women active during the pandemic". Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  6. "EU Commission launches UK website". BBC News. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  7. Banks, Martin (24 November 2010). "EU launches website to dispel "urban myths"". ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  8. "Elstree-based company ranked in top 500 list". Borehamwood Times. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  9. The Gadget Show – Series 16 – Episode 6
  10. "Dark Patterns and Sports Direct on BBC Watchdog | 90 Percent of Everything". 90 Percent of Everything. 21 October 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  11. Cyber-Duck (25 June 2015), Cyber-Duck – 10th Anniversary Rebrand Story, archived from the original on 20 December 2021, retrieved 12 October 2017
  12. "Bank of England tasks Cyber-Duck with creating website to publicise the £5 polymer banknote". The Drum. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  13. "The New Fiver". thenewfiver.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  14. "The New £10 Polymer Banknote | Bank of England". thenewten.co.uk. Archived from the original on 23 September 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  15. "College of Policing website awarded to Cyber-Duck". Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  16. "Executive TV: The Digital Society". Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  17. "What on Earth is ISO 9241? | UX Booth". Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  18. "Why Certify? Accreditation can add value to UX design | UX Magazine". uxmag.com. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  19. "Wirehive 100". 100.wirehive.com. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  20. "OfficeCavalry.com | The Webby Awards". webbyawards.com. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  21. "UX Companion". uxcompanion.com. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  22. "UX Companion – How to Make Sense of all the UX Industry Jargon – Usability Geek". Usability Geek. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  23. "How To Make Side Projects Work at a Digital Agency". smashingmagazine.com. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  24. "BIMA10 Awards Finalist – Sport England, This Girl Can by Cyber-Duck". BIMA. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
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