Today is my first full day of freelancing as a web designer! Until now, I’ve been moonlighting; working in the mornings before my day job, on my lunch breaks, during evenings, and on Saturdays. Starting today, I’ll be freelancing 1 full day each week, and I’ll be adding days over the next few months, transitioning […]
I refreshed my branding for 2012 because I converted OptimWise from an IT services business to a web design business. The branding refresh included a new logo and color scheme, so I redesigned my web design business site, OptimWise.com. Besides branding, the other impetus for the redesign was to use responsive web design, so the […]
I redesigned OptimWise.com to feature a new color scheme and a responsive design that adapts to fit your screen size, so it works on smartphones, tablets, and traditional computers. My friend Todd Karsemeyer of DESiGNTEK Graphics created the new logo which represents the Web and optimization, and hints at the letters "O" and "W" for […]
I'm thinking of redesigning the OptimWise logo. What do you think of these logos? I want a symbol that represents OptimWise. The name is a combination of optimize and wise. I'm trying to convey that the websites I create empower my clients to be better and more efficient, but it's about more than technology; I […]
Note: CONGA is now offline. Looking for a technology group or event in West Michigan? CONGA maintains a list of these groups, as well as a calendar of events. I added this calendar to my personal Google Calendar so I don't miss any events. I've met some brilliant people doing innovative things through these groups. […]
I recently built a custom home productivity PC for a client. The PC was built for web browsing, Microsoft Office, and watching DVDs. The operating system (OS) is Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. Here are the components, with links to Newegg. Processor (CPU): AMD Athlon II X2 245 Motherboard: Foxconn A6GMV Video card: GIGABYTE […]
Today I went to the Business Technology Trends Tech Lunch at Herrick District Library, put on by the Holland Chamber of Commerce. Jason Kehrer, Chief Problem Solver at The Image Group, presented 7 emerging technology trends to an audience of local business owners and professionals. Throughout the presentation, we discussed how these technologies are affecting […]
xkcd, one of my favorite geeky web comics, posted their second proportionate map of online communities: Online Communities 2. It represents the relative amount of social activity of various sites and programs as the size of fictional countries on a map. I wasn't surprised that Facebook is so huge, but I had no idea that […]
I recently built another custom gaming PC for a client. I previously blogged about the budget Intel gaming PC for Fall 2010; this PC uses an AMD processor instead of an Intel one. Here are the components, with links to Newegg. PC Accessories This build was inspired by:
I just finished building a custom gaming PC for a client. Here are the components, with links to Newegg. This build was inspired by:
Slammed into the lockers? Check. Picked last for sports? Check. Wedgies in the hallway? Check. Yup, I grew up a geek. In grade school, I preferred reading to playing sports. I especially liked science; Bill Nye the Science Guy was one of my favorite TV shows. When I was 7 or 8, my dad brought […]
On June 16, four West Michigan startups pitched their ideas to aimWest, a group of local professionals and technology experts. The startups are backed by Momentum, a Grand Rapids-based venture firm focused on web technology entrepreneurs. Each of the startup companies are using the web and social media for their fledgling businesses. Members of aimWest […]
