Fort Myers Web Design | Brian Joseph Studios » Southwest Florida http://www.brianjosephstudios.com Fort Myers Web Design Naples Web Design Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:08:14 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 New Website Launched – Sanibel Sea Schoolhttp://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/new-website-launched-sanibel-sea-school http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/new-website-launched-sanibel-sea-school#comments Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:10:44 +0000 admin http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/?p=1327 We recently completed a custom blog design for Sanibel Sea School. Their old blog was a WordPress.com hosted blog, and we recommended that they bring it over to their main website to host it there. This helps a lot with search engine optimization, and is generally a better idea to keep your users on your website.

The work we completed for the custom blog design for Sanibel Sea School included:

  • Custom blog design to match the current website
  • Import of previous WordPress.com hosted blog
  • Configuration of database, and all imported data
  • Configuration of “recent posts”
  • Addition of buttons to connect with Twitter, Facebook and RSS feed
  • Category of archives

We are also currently completing an online classroom website for them and are excited to see that launch very soon also.

You can check out the new Sanibel Sea School blog hereRecent Posts:

]]> http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/new-website-launched-sanibel-sea-school/feed 0 Labor Day Weekend Fort Myers Beach & Naples 2010http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/labor-day-weekend-fort-myers-beach-naples-2010 http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/labor-day-weekend-fort-myers-beach-naples-2010#comments Sun, 22 Aug 2010 15:40:31 +0000 admin http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/?p=1285 Labor Day weekend in Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, and Naples is always a fun time of year as there is a lot to do for all ages.

Here are our two main picks for things to do on Labor Day weekend in Fort Myers Beach, Fort Myers, and Naples this year.

Go on a Dolphin Cruise or Fishing Charter on Fort Myers Beach

Eat at Bayfront Bistro for a truly unique waterfront restaurant experience

  • If you would like to enjoy a special lunch or dinner over Labor Day weekend on Fort Myers Beach, there is no better waterside restaurant than the award-winning Bayfront Bistro. The views of the back bay from every seat in the restaurant, both indoor and outdoor, are both beautiful and relaxing and the menu at Bayfront Bistro will delight everyone in the family!
  • Mention Brian Joseph Studios sent you and they will give you $5 off of your bill if it is $30 or more.

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]]> http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/labor-day-weekend-fort-myers-beach-naples-2010/feed 0 New Website Launched – Sandbill Homeshttp://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/new-website-launched-sandbill-homes http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/new-website-launched-sandbill-homes#comments Thu, 19 Aug 2010 22:00:48 +0000 admin http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/?p=1279 We are excited to announce the launch of a new website for a new client, Sandbill Homes. Sandbill Homes is dedicated to providing high quality homes in every price range, with a distinct emphasis on affordable housing in the Southwest Florida market.

Brian Joseph Studios was responsible for the design and development of this new website. With a custom design to match their existing branding, we created a strong, clean and professional online presence for Sandbill Homes and we’re excited to continue working with them to market the site online and drive traffic to it.

The new Cape Coral Foreclosures website features:

  • A custom web design
  • Interactive “Featured Properties” slideshow on the homepage
  • Custom built Google Map property search tool
  • A custom plugin developed for listing management in the backend
  • “Favorites” tab that allows users to save properties to a cart-like system
  • Lead tracking and management tools in the backend
  • “VIP of the Week” – weekly email to subscribers  containing exclusive, non-MLS Sandbill Homes
  • Online “Schedule a Showing” feature
  • and a lot more!

Check out the new Sandbill Homes website now by clicking here . You can also follow them on TwitterRecent Posts:

]]> http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/new-website-launched-sandbill-homes/feed 0 Mercedes-Benz Launches New Brand Claim “The Best or Nothing”http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/mercedes-benz-launches-new-brand-claim-the-best-or-nothing http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/mercedes-benz-launches-new-brand-claim-the-best-or-nothing#comments Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:09:02 +0000 admin http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/?p=1275 Mercedes-Benz has been having a pretty successful 2010 so far, with worldwide sales up 16% from the same period in 2009.

In June 2010, the company launched its new brand claim “The Best or Nothing” which is now appearing in print, tv and online campaigns. While this new brand claim has only recently been made public as a marketing tool, the motto was originally adopted by the founder of Mercedes-Benz, Gottlieb Daimler. It is this principle that Daimler developed the Mercedes-Benz product under, and expects each employee to live by.

Another interesting aspect of this new Mercedes-Benz branding is that high-ranking members of the Mercedes-Benz staff are being featured as brand ambassadors in each element of the campaign. This not only adds a personal touch to the message, but also displays the company’s ambition to lead the auto manufacturer industry now and in the future by presenting the variety of specialists and engineers working on innovative energy efficient solutions.

Additional information on the new Mercedes-Benz brand claim can be read hereRecent Posts:

]]> http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/mercedes-benz-launches-new-brand-claim-the-best-or-nothing/feed 0 Speculative Work and Why It Hurts the Clienthttp://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/speculative-work-and-why-it-hurts-the-client http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/speculative-work-and-why-it-hurts-the-client#comments Sun, 01 Aug 2010 16:04:53 +0000 admin http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/?p=1252 We recently received an inquiry  from a well known real estate company based in Southwest Florida.  We were offered the opportunity to enter into a bid process with the hopes of being selected as the winning firm. To enter a bid, the company required that each design firm create two homepage designs for them, and they would select the design they like the most, thus selecting a winner.

The details of what the winner receives are unclear in the inquiry, with the only promise made being that the designer will receive compensation if they are chosen.  This brings us to the major problem with this process:

This company will only compensate the winning firm for their work, time and effort. All other designers that enter a bid receive nothing.

A competition like this is called “Speculative Work” and is disrespectful to both the design industry and the designers involved.

The approach they are pursuing is one that compromises quality of work  and also violates a tacit, long-standing ethical standard in the communication design profession worldwide.

If this was spec work, one of these dogs would be fed at the end of the race!

AIGA, the nation’s largest and oldest professional association for design, strongly discourages the practice of requesting that design work be produced and submitted on a speculative basis in order to be considered for acceptance on a project.

There are two main reasons for this position:

  1. To assure the client receives the most appropriate and responsive work. Successful design work results from a collaborative process between a client and the designer with the intention of developing a clear sense of the client’s objectives, competitive situation and needs. Speculative design competitions or processes result in a superficial assessment of the project at hand that is not grounded in a client’s business dynamics. Design creates value for clients as a result of the strategic approach designers take in addressing the problems or needs of the client and only at the end of that process is a “design” created. Speculative or open competitions for work based on a perfunctory problem statement will not result in the best design solution for the client.
  2. Requesting work for free demonstrates a lack of respect for the designer and the design process. Requesting work for free reflects a lack of understanding and respect for the value of effective design as well as the time of the professionals who are asked to provide it. This approach, therefore, reflects on the client’s practices and standards and may be harmful to the professional reputation of both the client and their  business.There are few professions where all possible candidates are asked to do the work first, allowing the buyer to choose which one to compensate for their efforts.

    Just consider the response if you were to ask a dozen lawyers to write a brief for you, from which you would then choose which one to pay!

    We realize that there are some creative professions with a different set of standards, such as advertising and architecture, for which billings are substantial and continuous after you select a firm of record. In those cases, you are not receiving the final outcome (the advertising campaign or the building) for free up front as you would be in receiving a communication design solution.

There are designers and design firms that will agree to “work on spec”. They will most likely be less professional and less experienced  than a firm that disagrees with speculative work.

If a designer agrees to work on spec during the bid process in the hopes of being chosen as the winner, it displays a level of desperation which is a common characteristic of an unsuccessful business. If you as a client choose to work with a designer that agrees to spec work, you should not be surprised when you don’t receive the level of service or quality that you are hoping for.

There is an appropriate way to explore the work of various designers. A more effective and ethical approach to requesting speculative work is to ask designers to submit examples of their work from previous assignments as well as a statement of how they would approach your project. It is also wise to judge a design firm’s merit by reviewing their client list. You can then judge the quality of the designer’s previous work and easily determine the level of skill and experience the designer or firm possesses.

More useful information on spec work can be read here

Update – Sunday, August 1st 2010

We responded to the inquiry notifying the client that we would not be entering into their bid process and we included much of the above information in our email to them. It appears that a few hours after our response, the company has now modified the document (hosted on their servers) that contains the details of the bid process that they are sending to designers.

They are no longer requiring two homepage designs to enter with the bid, but have added the alternative option to meet with them and “schedule a time to show us why….you are different from the rest.”.

This still isn’t ideal , as they are still asking for bidders to present design work for free (unless chosen as the winner) as the first option, but at least we helped to educate them and encouraged them to re-think their process. Recent Posts:

]]> http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/speculative-work-and-why-it-hurts-the-client/feed 0 Social Media Day in SWFL – June 30th 2010http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/social-media-day-in-swfl-june-30th-2010 http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/social-media-day-in-swfl-june-30th-2010#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:52:20 +0000 admin http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/?p=1247 Come celebrate Social Media Day with Mashable and 536 other cities around the globe. Southwest Florida’s City of Palms Social Media Day will be celebrated at the Firepit City Grill at Gulf Coast Town Center on Wednesday, June 30th 2010. Firepit has graciously agreed to provide some complimentary appetizers and drink specials.

The purpose of Social Media Day is to “celebrate the revolution of media becoming a social dialogue”. However, as far as we can tell, it’s basically a happy hour. So if you’d like to come out on a warm Southwest Florida evening and have a drink or two with a few of your cool social media obsessed friends please RSVP at Mashable Meetups. We’ll look forward to seeing you there. You can also connect with other attendees on the Facebook invite Recent Posts:

]]> http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/social-media-day-in-swfl-june-30th-2010/feed 0 Brian Yerkes Selected for Advisory Boardhttp://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/brian-yerkes-selected-for-rasmussen-colleges-school-of-technology-design-advisory-board http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/brian-yerkes-selected-for-rasmussen-colleges-school-of-technology-design-advisory-board#comments Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:33:26 +0000 admin http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/?p=1019 As you may know if you are a regular reader of our blog, Brian Yerkes is the owner of Brian Joseph Studios. Brian is a well respected leader in the design industry both locally and internationally, and is a member of various steering committees and boards.

Earlier this week, Rasmussen College, founded in 1900 with campuses in Minnesota, Illinois, Florida, Wisconsin, North Dakota and over 12,000 students, contacted Brian to ask if he would be interested in becoming a member of the advisory board for their School of Technology and Design. Brian was chosen as a result of his experience, knowledge and skill displayed in the design and development industry, and he is honored to participate on the advisory board at Rasmussen College.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to really get a closer look at what exactly design and tech students are learning today, and the processes that are involved in their curriculum. I’m looking forward to bringing my experience to the table and hopefully in the long run we can help the students to be even more marketable once they finish their education and go out into the field.” said Yerkes. Recent Posts:

]]> http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/brian-yerkes-selected-for-rasmussen-colleges-school-of-technology-design-advisory-board/feed 0 New Web Design Launch | Pool Tile Restoration of Napleshttp://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/new-web-design-launch-pool-tile-restoration-of-naples http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/new-web-design-launch-pool-tile-restoration-of-naples#comments Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:18:37 +0000 admin http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/?p=871 This week, we launched a new website for a client of ours based in Naples, Florida, “Pool Tile Restoration of Naples”, a pool tile cleaning and restoration company. Prior to this web design project, we completed the full identity design for this new company, and it has all come together nicely.

blog-pooltile

We designed a strong visual for this web design project, to ensure a unique online presence was achieved for “Pool Tile Restoration of Naples”. We also utilized some new CSS and Jquery technology to enhance the overall user experience of the website.

Included features in this web design and development project:

  • Content Management System
  • CSS/XHTML code
  • Blogging Platform
  • Jquery slideshow
  • Contact and Service Request Forms

If you have a pool that looks out-dated and has that white lime-scale buildup on the tiles, please give “Pool Tile Restoration of Naples” a call and check out their new website, they will bring your pool back to life! Recent Posts:

]]> http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/new-web-design-launch-pool-tile-restoration-of-naples/feed 0 Toys for Tots and the Florida Everblades, Fort Myershttp://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/toys-for-tots-and-the-florida-everblades-fort-myers http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/toys-for-tots-and-the-florida-everblades-fort-myers#comments Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:18:50 +0000 admin http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/?p=843 A few members of the Brian Joseph Studios team enjoyed an evening at Germain arena last night attending a Florida Everblades game. Apart from the hockey, there was another special event planned for the evening.

The Florida Everblades organization teamed up with “Toys for Tots” and asked everyone coming to the game to bring a stuffed toy animal to donate to the “Toys for Tots” charity. The plan was for everyone to throw their toy animals onto the ice when the Everblades scored their first goal. Unfortunately, as the end of the 2nd period was nearing, the Everblades were still without a goal, even though they came very close several times.

With about just over a minute left in the second period, it looked like the Everblades had scored, but the puck hit the post and flew across the goal mouth. Several fans in the crowd thought a goal was scored, and started to throw their toys onto the ice. The announcer amusingly instructed everyone “Do not throw your toys yet! They did not score a goal” as hundreds of stuffed toys began to flood the ice. The crowd didn’t take his request to heart, and the onslaught of flying stuffed animals continued, and lasted for at least 20 minutes.

Here is a short video we captured of the flying stuffed toys

The Florida Everblades players helped volunteers on the ice to collect all of the toys, and play resumed once the ice was clear. It was quite a wonderful sight to see so many people in the Southwest Florida community helping out “Toys for Tots” and the number of stuffed animals donated by the crowd was incredible.

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]]> http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/toys-for-tots-and-the-florida-everblades-fort-myers/feed 0 Fort Myers Web Design Firm Helps to Raise $70,000 for Breast Cancer Awarenesshttp://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/fort-myers-web-design-firm-helps-to-raise-70000-for-breast-cancer-awareness http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/fort-myers-web-design-firm-helps-to-raise-70000-for-breast-cancer-awareness#comments Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:55:25 +0000 admin http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/?p=834 Fort Myers web design firm, Brian Joseph Studios donated time and services to the 2009 “All Aboard Against Breast Cancer” Boat Show and Waterside Festival which took place on November 6th – 7th 2009.

The charity festival was organized by Snook Bight Yacht Club & Marina, and Marine Max to generate donations for Susan G. Komen Southwest Florida affiliate, and raised over $70,000 in two days.

Brian Joseph Studios was responsible for the design of all print marketing materials, and the overall online presence of the charity festival event. AllAboardFest.org was developed and launched to provide the event with a powerful website for this new annual event. Facebook and Twitter accounts were also launched as part of an active social media marketing strategy.

As an active member in the Fort Myers community, Brian Joseph Studios donated a large portion of their services to this local charity event and “we are looking forward to assisting with the promotion of this event in the coming years” says Account Executive of Brian Joseph Studios, Sarah McMann.

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