Neighborhood

Molly Butz
Molly Butz
February 7, 2012

Tips for Taking Better Pictures

I grew up with a dad that’s a semi-professional photographer. He’s always taken photos for his own pleasure and now and again been asked to take pictures at work, weddings and the like. Now that he’s retired, he’s filling his days with many hobbies, but no matter what he’s doing, I bet almost any day of the week he has a camera in his pocket.

Molly Butz
Molly Butz
December 6, 2011

Neighborhood Holiday Happenings

Your calendar is probably already teeming with family gatherings, charity dinners and company holiday parties, but just in case you’ve got a moment to spare, here are a handful of fun holiday options in the greater Madison area. 

If theater sounds like fun, check the Overture Center website for your favorite classic performances including A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker and Guys on Ice. In addition, A Fireside Christmas is back, bringing with it beautiful singing, breath-taking dancing and gorgeous costumes in nearby Fort Atkinson.

Molly Butz
Molly Butz
November 2, 2011

Consider an eNewsletter...

If you’re a business owner or manager and not currently sending a newsletter (of the electronic or printed variety) to your customers, it might be time you did. It may seem like all of the new blogging and social media opportunities are the best ways to advertise, network and generally get your name out there, and they can certainly be a rewarding avenue to explore, but don’t let those options overshadow a time-tested marketing tool: The Newsletter.

Although a well-designed, professional-looking, printed newsletter can be very valuable, we’re not necessarily suggesting you dust off your ruler, scissors and clipart books and start snipping. However, pulling together useful information and insights (in regular intervals) and presenting them to your customers electronically can be an easy, consistent and cost-effective marketing boost.

Sound good? Here are some things to consider…

Mindy Caldwell
Mindy Caldwell
October 4, 2011

Fun for MY Whole Family

You may have recently read about one of my projects we featured in our portfolio about the new Madison with Kids Annual Guide. If not, it’s a quick read about a neat project.

What has been especially cool for me about this project since it rolled off the presses in July is how much it has come in handy in my own life. I have a 4-year-old daughter who is always interested in having a new adventure and exploring our city in the process. Working on the guide has made me much more aware of all that the greater Madison area has to offer, plus a better sense for how much fun you can have for little or no money. The guide includes a two-page spread showing all of the parks in Madison as well as a listing of places where kids eat for free. At our house, there’s nothing better than a trip to the park, followed by dinner at a restaurant.

Sean Shields
Sean Shields
September 6, 2011

Remember Me! Please?

A hamburger and a ping pong ball with a face on it don't have much in common. Yet when you see one of those little balls on someone's car antennae you immediately think of Jack in the Box burgers.  Why? Because the company has spent considerable time, effort and resources to draw an indelible link between that image and the company itself.  Your brain is now helpless to consider the two  linked at the most fundamental level.  Voila, that's branding.

Jay Edgar
Jay Edgar
August 12, 2011

Use Your Inner Geek to Save You Money

This is the third in a series of articles on Needs Analysis.

On the Geek Scale (1-10), where are you—are you a taped glasses, pocket protector 10? An iPod-using, Google-searching 4? Or maybe an "I don't even know how to turn ON a computer" 1? No matter where you are on this scale, you can bring out your inner geek to save money when getting proposals for a project.

Jay Edgar
Jay Edgar
July 22, 2011

Programmers' Dirty Little Secret

Learn about the dirty little secret that many developers keep from you, and what you can do to avoid it.

Ben Caldwell
Ben Caldwell
July 21, 2011

Headed for Camp!

While we won't be doing any swimming, canoeing, or hiking at DrupalCamp WI this weekend, we're looking forward to spending some time outside of the office with a few folks from the Drupal community.

Jay Edgar
Jay Edgar
July 8, 2011

I'm the Idiot, Really

Years ago, I sometimes thought people were stupid.

In my 20 years as a programmer, I have never—not once—gotten a Request for Proposal (RFP) that had enough detail that I could accurately estimate the project. Why don't they give enough information? I used to wonder. Luckily, in 20 years I've also learned that whenever I think there's stupidity around, I only need to check the mirror to find the source. Works every time.

Ben Caldwell
Ben Caldwell
June 24, 2011

What's all this Drupal stuff you keep talking about?

We've had a number of clients ask us this question recently. Different people will tell you different things about what Drupal is and why they use it. For Pushing7, it's all about knowing that we're building sites on a flexible platform that can evolve in virtually any direction. What this means for our clients is is that when we're presented with questions about whether we can add a feature or display content in a specific way, we can answer the question with a resounding "yes!"