How we use cookies in our website design

Even here, in the virtuous environment that is the 9:55 HQ, we make regular use of cookies, but that is not a bad thing. It simply means we design websites that are responsive and helpful to both users and our customers alike.

Let me explain. A cookie is a small text file that typically contains two pieces of information: a site name and unique user ID.

When someone goes to a website that uses cookies for the first time, a cookie is downloaded onto their browser. When they return to the site, it checks for the cookie. The site is then aware that they have visited before and can customise the site accordingly.

This is helpful for making the site more responsive to frequent users by remembering log-in details and such like. It also enables us to track anonymous data, such as how many visitors a website had, what pages were visited and how long was spent on the site.

Cookies have had some bad press in recent years.  Some sites and their advertisers have made use of third party cookies that follow users’ activities for advertising and marketing purposes, essentially building up a “user profile” in their database. (Ever visited a website, only to later find adverts for it featured in your Facebook newsfeed? Creepy isn’t it?)

This has led to privacy concerns and the introduction of the so-called EU Cookie Law which puts an onus on websites to gain consent from visitors to store or receive any information on a computer or any other smart devices. In response to this law, you may have seen an upsurge in the number of disclaimers on websites explaining their cookie policy or giving users the ability to block some cookies.

With the websites we design we do not use cookies to monitor or track any personal information at all, which is why the websites we create are joyously free from that annoying “this site uses cookies” message. Our focus is on creating websites that engage users through quality design and interesting content, while our use of cookies is limited to enabling the smooth running of sites and recording some simple visitor statistics.