The grand finale! Emily and Lea discuss the technical execution of ctrlclickcast.com’s mobile-friendly refresh. We chat about what it took to translate the design into a more modular, modern front-end as well as the challenges and process to upgrade the site to the latest version of ExpressionEngine. Tune in to find out more—plus a major announcement! < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes...
Mar 07, 2019•50 min
Tanzen’s Carrie Hane aims to demystify content strategy! We dive into how fundamental content strategy is to the success of a digital project — and ultimately, its organization! Carrie explains what to expect with content strategy, where it fits in a project life cycle, plus the value this strategy brings to designers, developers, and clients. < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: Tanzen...
Feb 21, 2019•48 min
The ExpressionEngine Community Association helped organize the last couple of EE Conferences — what else is in its future? EECA president TJ Draper explains their dreams for the EE community, advocating for education, as well as its overarching goals. Tune in for details on how you can get involved, too! < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: ExpressionEngine Community Association (EECA) ...
Feb 07, 2019•30 min
Why did it take 3 years to relaunch a modern, mobile-friendly ctrlclickcast.com? Lea and Emily dive into the business and logistical challenges in launching an internal project alongside client work. We chat about the plan and strategy we had 3 years ago, plus the content, IA and design process along the way. Tune in to hear insights on shifts we had to make to priorities and goals due to the delay. < Download MP3 >      &lt...
Jan 24, 2019•54 min
At the end of last year, well-renowned digital agency Vector Media Group acquired the equally-renowned Happy Cog. Why? And what does it mean for our industry? We get the details from Vector partners Matt Weinberg and Stuart Henry, who explain how the idea of an acquisition evolved over time and how quickly the deal came together once decided. They share the nuances of reassuring both clients and staff, as well as the challenges of merging processes and services. We also get their perspective on ...
Jan 10, 2019•47 min
We close 2018 with our annual Year in Review! What have we learned in tech, business and life this past year? We also share some fun faves to add to your watch, listen, read and play lists. Plus, special guest Erin Lewis is back to give a rundown on this year’s Rapidfire Questions. Spoiler: people have opinions about karaoke. < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: Craft Coding Challenge T...
Dec 13, 2018•44 min
Ups and downs in business are a given, but we don’t often talk about the downs. Without talking about our failures, though, how can we learn and find success in difficult times? So we’re giving you a peek behind the curtains at Bright Umbrella, sharing some of the business challenges we faced this year — including losing our largest client — and the changes we’re trying. No guaranteed solutions (just yet), but maybe we can all learn from each other! < Download MP3 > &n...
Nov 15, 2018•1 hr 5 min
Compassion and perspective. These are two elements that lead design toward a more accessible and inclusive future, says Senior UX Architect Francis Rowland. We discuss how inclusive design principles help audiences with mental health struggles while improving everyone’s user experience. < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: Mind UK locator NHS mental health support locations Alastair Som...
Oct 25, 2018•50 min
Our jobs as designers and devs can sometimes lead to burnout, bad habits, stress and worse. Career counselor and author Gina DeLapa joins the show to share practical tips that can help us thrive at work! Gina details the importance of self care and shares examples of what it really looks like in practice. We also discuss the importance of boundaries and self-reflection to help manage workplace drama and deal with negative feedback. < Download MP3 >   &...
Oct 11, 2018•53 min
Is your agency ready to hire its first employee? Friendly Design’s Ross Nover explains how his agency grew to eight full-time staff and why. We discuss business opportunities and time-saving, hiring vs. contracting out, plus the financial considerations involved when hiring. To help you decide whether to expand your staff, we share resources and advice on how to hire alongside its business benefits. < Download MP3 >      &lt...
Sep 27, 2018•48 min
Don’t let technology constrain your design flexibility! Travis Gertz joins the show to explain the importance of art direction and creativity when designing for digital experiences. He outlines some simple, practical ways to apply these nuances as well as larger-scale design flexibility. We discuss how to apply flexible design with Craft CMS, share other site examples that showcase editorial design, plus considerations with client workflow and technical performance realities. < Download M...
Sep 13, 2018•55 min
From optimizing performance to enhancing the user experience, crafting a good offline web experience can be complicated! Front-end expert and author Jeremy Keith joins the show to make sense of service workers and progressive web apps. Jeremy details the technical aspects, as well as the more complicated UX considerations, and shares real-world examples of offline experiences with service workers. < Download MP3 >      < ...
Aug 30, 2018•1 hr 6 min
What is philanthropy tech? Technology Affinity Group Executive Director Chantal Forster gives real-world examples of technology affecting change in our communities. She shares the staggering $60B figure that goes into philanthropic efforts and how technology may be the way to put that to better use. < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: Technology Affinity Group (TAG) Number of foundatio...
Aug 16, 2018•50 min
The service agreements you sign with your clients are more than just legal contracts. They are core to your business operations and client relationships. So you need to get them right! Lawyers Gabe Levine and Josh Barrett join the show to discuss what client services agreements like MSAs and SOWs need to include — specifically for creatives and digital agencies. They explain the importance of working with agreements that are custom to your services, as well as with a lawyer who understands those...
Aug 02, 2018•57 min
Design systems can be confusing, especially when people are still trying to define what it means! Adobe Design Engineer Sarah Federman stops by the show to explain what design systems are, why they’re important and the details in their actual creation. We explain how modularity is built in to design systems and how it’s evolved through the years. We touch on how crucial developers are to design systems, how to adapt design systems even for small teams, and share tips on explaining the time and c...
Jul 19, 2018•1 hr 4 min
If you want to solve a problem, you need to first understand the problem. That’s why data is core to Black Tech Mecca’s City Assessment Framework, which is helping increase Black participation in Chicago’s tech industry. CEO Fabian Elliott joins the show to explain BTM’s mission and how they use data as the foundation for change. He details their holistic approach, focusing on education, corporate and entrepreneurship. He also shares how BTM’s framework and model can help other cities and commun...
Jul 05, 2018•46 min
No matter how many upgrades and CMS migrations you go through, there are always issues. In Part 2 of this series, we tackle the technical planning, gotchas and QA of CMS upgrades and migrations. We stress the importance of setting the right expectations with clients, not taking one-click upgrades for granted, and share our tips on how to tackle the often painful process of upgrading or migrating to a new CMS. < Download MP3 >     &nb...
Jun 21, 2018•1 hr 1 min
From formats and techniques to performance and automation, images on the web can be complicated! Front-end developer and performance expert Kitt Hodsden joins the show to make sense of today’s options — and help you choose the options that are best for your projects. Kitt explains the historical background of web images, along with future-forward options like WebP and WebM. She also shares resources to help with virtually any approach to images, then dives into the solutions that consistently wo...
Jun 07, 2018•54 min
Business development is the key to business success, but where to begin? Alex Mejias, Foster Made’s Director of Strategy and Business Development, joins to the show to explain the fundamentals of business development. We discuss the mindset required for business growth, the basic sales process plus how to qualify leads. We share both the small and larger agency perspective about growth and business dev, the challenges we face and the nuances to consider when filling your agency pipeline. &lt...
May 24, 2018•1 hr
How can we improve diversity in design leadership? Access. Access to resources, education, other designers … access to the knowledge that design is even a career to pursue in the first place. We chat with Microsoft’s Product Design & Culture Lead Timothy Bardlavens about the lack diversity in the design industry and in leadership, in particular. We discuss the challenges of “diversity programs” that don’t actually deliver what people need, and how genuine leadership is needed for even gr...
May 10, 2018•1 hr 1 min
How do you decide whether to upgrade your CMS or if it’s time to consider new software? Do you understand the benefits of one or the other? In Part 1 of this series, Emily and Lea discuss the benefits of upgrading or migrating sites from a client’s perspective. We break down how the decision goes beyond tech, share processes with real-world scenarios, how we compare software, and quick tips on how to decide which direction to go. < Download MP3 >   &n...
Apr 26, 2018•50 min
Should developers understand design? Yes, says developer, designer and entreprenerd Tracy Osborn. She joins the show to discuss her “Hello Web Design” book, which gives developers and programmers a friendly intro to web design principles. We discuss why developers should understand design fundamentals and dive into some of the similarities with learning development principles. Tracy also details the handy shortcuts in her book — from color to typography to layout — that give developers instant, ...
Apr 12, 2018•57 min
Go beyond Google Translate! Acclaro’s Ira Frimere and Michael Harris join the show to discuss the business, development and process that go into localization for the web. We dive into client workflows, the business benefits of localization, balancing machine and expert human translation, as well as the UX, front-end and CMS considerations for multilingual sites! < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com >...
Mar 29, 2018•57 min
Project management isn’t just about tasks, time and budget. Good PM is about better communication, better outcomes and better profits! Digital PM Trainer Rachel Gertz returns to the show to dispel myths about project management and explain how essential it is to the success of a project and, more importantly, a client relationship. She defines PM for today’s digital projects, which is more than organizing and scheduling — it relies on a foundation of communication and empathy. Rachel also shares...
Mar 15, 2018•1 min
With new federal laws in place, accessibility is a huge priority for government agencies and organizations that receive federal funding. But accessibility is more than just technical specifications. Information Architect and Usability Engineer Jason Nakai joins the show to discuss the practical aspects of accessibility projects — for websites and software. We share experiences from a “simple” website accessibility project to a large-scale, federal software accessibility effort. We detail the imp...
Mar 01, 2018•1 min
Is your phone always by your side? Founder & CEO of the The Unique Empire Sonja Rasula says it’s time to disconnect in order for creativity to flourish and allow stronger human connection. In the first episode of 2018, we dive into the contradictory nature of technology as it simultaneously draws us closer and further apart. We discuss simple changes that allow you to regularly disconnect from your devices, how removing devices during meetings can improve communication, and ultimately, h...
Feb 15, 2018•56 min
For our 2017 finale, we look back at all we learned in business, technology and life this past year. We reflect on ongoing goals, challenges we faced this year and how we overcame them, plus we also address what we hope for 2018. Of course, we touch on our fave Rapidfire questions — what are they? Tune in to find out! We’re on hiatus for a couple months (tune back in February 15, 2018) but we’ll see you on the other side! Happy new year! < Download MP3 >  &nbs...
Dec 14, 2017•51 min
Will artificial intelligence (AI) make designers and developers obsolete? Or does AI and machine learning offer opportunity? Designer and educator Jason Tselentis joins us for a thoughtful discussion about how AI and machine learning are impacting creative fields today, as well as what the future may hold. Jason explains the nuances between AI and machine learning, and offers examples of both already a part of many design professionals’ daily lives. We discuss the fears and paranoia often associ...
Nov 30, 2017•1 hr
Workplace inequality is a tough issue to tackle — maybe a change in perspective is needed! Mattel’s Vanessa Dewey, lead of Development and Creative Experiences, joins the show to tackle how design thinking may be the way to break through. We discuss corporate policies and how to navigate being a woman in the workplace. We share communication techniques, impress the importance of empathy and the ROI of a more equitable workplace. < Download MP3 >   &nb...
Nov 09, 2017•1 hr 5 min
Surprise! We decided we needed another episode in our Demystifying the Web series. This time, we talk about web maintenance in client-friendly terms. We focus on how to help clients plan and budget for the life of their website and CMS, as well as how to explain different types of maintenance to clients. Using car and home maintenance analogies, we share examples of the maintenance services we provide our clients — including accessibility and performance audits, CMS updates and upgrades, and eve...
Oct 26, 2017•39 min
