February has been packed with celebrations, learning and client catch-ups! We marked Fanatic’s 24th birthday, enjoyed a team brunch by the waterfront and attended meetups on conversion optimisation and PHP development. Our team has also been out and about, from GA4 training at Bristol Zoo to client visits in London and Miami – blending strategy with a little sunshine.
Back in the studio, we’ve been refining SEO, accessibility and performance, including building a custom carousel from scratch and improving how we future-proof development projects.
We regularly enjoy a team breakfast, and last week, we headed to the Bristol waterfront for a walk along the river, followed by a delicious meal. Our usual spot is the Mud Dock Café, but this time, we decided to try the Arnolfini – and it didn’t disappoint! We tucked into a tasty Mexican brunch and enjoyed plenty of good conversation along the way. This is always a popular social event, giving us a great chance to catch up with different team members on the walk there and back.
Sorry, no photos this time – we were too busy enjoying ourselves to remember to take any!
Last month, Stathis spent the day with Bristol Zoological Society’s marketing team to run a GA4 crash course. The session covered everything from key functionalities and navigation to how to turn GA4 data into actionable insights that can help improve their digital marketing efforts
With GA4 being a big shift from Universal Analytics, the training was all about helping the team feel confident using the platform, making sense of their data, and understanding how to track what really matters.
It was also a great chance for him to catch up with Amy, who was Fanatic’s Head of Content a few years ago – always nice to reconnect with familiar faces!
By keeping things lightweight and well-structured, the carousel improved page load times, ensured stable layout rendering, and made the site more accessible to both users and search engines. Using native HTML elements also meant better indexing and an all-round smoother experience. Plus, without bloated libraries, Phil had full control over animations, lazy loading, and responsiveness—all while keeping SEO best practices in check.
For projects where performance, accessibility, and SEO matter, sometimes building things from scratch really is worth it!
While the talks were mostly introductory – geared towards those new to accessibility – Christina still found them thought-provoking. It was reassuring to see that her approach aligns with those who have been working in the field for much longer. What resonated most was the reminder that accessibility is often treated as a legal checkbox when, in reality, it’s about digital equality. As more of everyday life – banking, shopping, communication – shifts online, ensuring digital spaces are inclusive for everyone isn’t just important, it’s essential.