Cookie Policy
Last updated: January 2025
We use tracking technologies on sparkmind-node.com to help our website work properly and understand how visitors interact with our content. This policy explains what these technologies do and how you can control them.
When you visit our site, small text files get stored on your device. These help us remember your preferences and improve your experience. But we also think you should know exactly what's happening behind the scenes.
What Are Tracking Technologies?
Think of them as digital notepads. They're small pieces of data that your browser keeps temporarily or permanently. When you return to our site, we can read these notes to remember things about your previous visits.
Most websites use them. They're how the internet remembers you chose dark mode, stayed logged in, or added items to your basket. Without them, every page load would feel like your first visit.
Some tracking happens through our own systems. Other bits come from services we use to analyse traffic or show relevant content. The key difference is who controls the data and where it lives.
Essential Operations
These make the website actually function. They handle things like remembering you're logged in, keeping your session active, and ensuring forms submit properly. We can't really offer you a working site without these, so they're always active.
Functional Preferences
These remember your choices. If you've adjusted text size, selected a language preference, or customised your dashboard layout, functional tracking keeps those settings intact between visits. They make the site yours.
Performance Analysis
We want to know which parts of our site work well and which don't. These tracking tools count visitors, measure page load times, and show us where people click. All the data gets anonymised before we see it, so we learn patterns without identifying individuals.
Marketing Context
Sometimes we show content based on what might interest you. These tracking methods note which pages you've viewed so we can suggest relevant courses or resources. We don't sell this information, but it does help us communicate more effectively with people who've shown interest in UI design education.
How We Actually Use This Information
- Keeping you logged into your student portal without constant re-authentication
- Remembering which learning modules you've completed so you don't lose progress
- Understanding which course pages get the most attention to improve our content
- Testing different layouts to see which ones help students find information faster
- Measuring how long it takes pages to load so we can fix slow areas
- Showing relevant programme information based on what you've previously viewed
- Preventing spam and automated access attempts that could disrupt service
Data Collection Duration
Some tracking data expires when you close your browser. That's called a session - it only lasts while you're actively using the site. Other pieces stick around longer because they need to remember things between visits.
Preference settings might last months. We don't want you resetting your choices every week. Analytics data typically persists for a year or two, which gives us enough history to spot trends without hoarding information indefinitely.
We regularly review what we're storing and delete anything that's outlived its usefulness. If you clear your browser data, most of these files disappear immediately from your device.
Taking Control of Your Settings
Your browser gives you several options. You can block all tracking technologies, though this might break some website features. Or you can delete them periodically to start fresh. Most browsers also let you block third-party tracking while allowing first-party files from the sites you actually visit.
Here's where to find these controls in common browsers:
If you're on a mobile device, look in your browser's privacy or security section. The exact location varies, but most mobile browsers put these controls front and centre now.
External Services We Work With
We use Google Analytics to understand traffic patterns. They set their own tracking files according to their privacy policy. We've configured our account to anonymise IP addresses and respect Do Not Track signals where possible, but Google still processes some data on their servers in the United States.
If we embed videos or maps, those services might also place tracking files. We try to use privacy-enhanced modes when available, but you're technically interacting with those third-party platforms when you use embedded content.
Changes to This Policy
Technology moves quickly. We might add new tools or remove old ones as our needs change. When we make significant updates to how we handle tracking, we'll post a new version here with an updated date.
We won't reduce your privacy protections without notice. If we start collecting different types of data or sharing information in new ways, you'll see that reflected in an updated policy.
Your Rights Under UK Regulations
Privacy law in the United Kingdom gives you specific rights about data collection. You can ask us what information we've gathered, request corrections to inaccurate data, or tell us to delete everything we're not legally required to keep.
For most tracking on our site, your browser controls are sufficient. But if you want to exercise broader data rights or have questions about what we've collected, get in touch through the contact details below. We'll respond within the legally required timeframe.
You also have the right to lodge complaints with the Information Commissioner's Office if you think we're handling your data inappropriately. We'd prefer to resolve concerns directly, but that option exists if needed.
Questions About Our Tracking Practices?
If something in this policy doesn't make sense or you want more detail about specific technologies we use, we're happy to explain.
Email us at info@sparkmind-node.com
Or call +44 7789 462598
SparkMind Node
16 Palmerston Rd, Southsea
Portsmouth, Southsea PO5 3QH
United Kingdom