Aztek

File this under ethics.

“Google Certified! Microsoft Certified! WC3 Valid HTML! Wow! These guys must really know their stuff! Sign the contract!”

“Not so fast. Did you verify they weren’t lying?”

“What do you mean? They have the little logo right there on their website. See? It says “Microsoft Partner.” More...

Dave Skorepa and Josh Brown of Aztek were recently interviewed by Dan Hanson (greatlakesgeek.com) about the latest web design technologies and techniques such as HTML 5, CSS3, jQuery and the Mobile Web. You can watch the YouTube video below.

As designers, we strive to learn all we can about your company in order to create for you the best possible web presence, but we can never know your company as intimately as you do. Clients are quite often able to bring great ideas and suggestions to the table that we may not have thought of. The most successful web designs spring directly from this kind of teamwork.

However, just as it is your job to know all about the widgets you make, or the service you provide, it is our job to know all about the web and what makes great web design. Occasionally a client has a suggestion that at first glance seems like a great idea, but may not be effective for a web site. Following are six of the most common misconceptions about web design and why you should avoid them on your site. More...

It happens all too often. After selecting a (seemingly suitable) web design firm and committing to a project, you may find the company you picked was not a good fit and the relationship sours. Like an unhappy marriage, you want out -- and want to take what’s yours with you. You did after all, pay for your website.

Not so fast buddy. More...

Last month I was invited down to Stark State College of Technology as a member of the Stark State College Information Technology Advisory Committee. Say that three times fast.

Kidding aside, this is a great endeavor that puts the Stark State IT faculty in direct contact with professionals in the field, letting them compare what they're teaching with what's being done in the real world. In short – making sure their graduates are as prepared as possible for the "real world."

More...

A great article from Web Designer Depot. It gives an excellent overview of how to get the most from your Web Design firm and launch a successful project. From the client's role in the prioject, properly identifying problems so the designer can provide solutions, to knowing when it's time to bring a professional copywriter for your content.

5 Things Your Clients Should Know

A great article from one of our favorite web design blogs (Smashing Magazine). A must read for the client Web Manager (or whoever is in charge of your company's website). More...

In which I summarize and give my thoughts on the presentations from the conference day. The conference was at the Roseland Ballroom, a really cool concert venue on 52nd Street. It was pretty much one speaker after another, with a few breaks. Here's what I heard and thought. More...

I just flew in from New York and the Future of Web Design conference, and boy, are my arms tired!

crickets

So anyway... the conference was very enjoyable, and a ton of information was presented. I will try to recap and give my impressions of the workshop day and the seminar day. More...