US Web Design Firm Wins International Web Design Competition.

When most people hear the name Limoges, they think of ornate, hand painted porcelain that has its roots in this region of France. But Limoges is host to a creative outlet of a decidedly more contemporary kind: the Web Design International Festival 2006, held this year on February 3-5. The concept? Assemble teams of up to four designers representing 10 countries from all over the world, throw them into a large convention space in a small town in southern France, and let the web games begin. This non-stop, 24-hour contest pits teams against one another to design dynamic, intuitive websites that must adhere to general themes given to the contestants just minutes before start time. For 2006, the theme focused on creating a rich media site for a mock architectural firm. The winners hail from Atlanta, GA—a first for the U.S. in this competitive space.

In just 24 hours, fueled by artistic adrenaline and no shortage of caffeine, the U.S. team (who go by the tongue-and-cheek name “The Mighty Fighting Tigers”) created a site that blends flawless architectural illustrations with streamlined animation—all set to a groovy mix that was written and recorded onsite during the competition. Carting around a keyboard, guitar, and Mac laptops, this foursome is the essence of collaboration—each bringing a unique talent to the design table. The team consists of Tony Shasteen (original illustration); Nathan Scronce (site design and Flash™ animation), Mark Kirby (site design and original score) and Sean McInerney (Flash™ application and data development). As business owners and colleagues of the Atlanta-based design firms Studio720 (www.studio720.com) and Creative Cannonball (www.creativecannonball.com), this winning lineup will soon embark on a 21-day world tour, meeting with top ad agencies and creative gurus from L.A. to Tokyo to showcase their portfolios and establish a global name in the industry. If these guys can create that site in just 24 hours, just imagine the possibilities. Or, better yet, let them imagine it.