Since my introduction to the Internet in 1994, I have not experienced another tool demanding such a high level of adaptation and change. It feels like there’s a new plug-in or add-on every week and a new “everyone’s doing it now” site to visit each month.

One trend that has drastically changed the way I work is micro-blogging. At least once a day, I check in with my feed on Twitter where I am following several industry leaders in the web design field. It's interesting to follow these folks in real-time as they troubleshoot and solve impossible problems in their own jobs. What they learn, they share… what I learn, I share, and the instant-feedback loop thrives!

Many people (myself included) will even hint at upcoming projects they are a part of and the challenges they face. Since we work for companies who are driving the look and feel of the web, I get a sneak-peek into what’s a few months away from being “hot" on the web.

Twitter and other forms of micro-blogging, such as Facebook status updates, provide me with a virtual peek into what’s going on in the world, keeping our ideas fresh. In our industry, it’s really easy to sit back in a dark office, cranking away on a project without interacting with peers. Micro-blogging gives us a chance to quickly, easily exchange information and ideas without interrupting our workflow. It’s a pain-free entry point into a world filled with inspiration!

A recent eMarketer report shows that 46% of women surveyed  by SheSpeaks use social networks, a number that extends across all age groups, from 18 up. Most women use social networks in ways that mirror their lives, with the top activities including reviewing/shopping for products online, reading news and connecting with others. 62% of those surveyed said they had talked about products on social networks, a number that was slightly higher for those with children ages 13 - 17. These statistics suggest that social media marketing, and not just placing ads, could be particularly effective among women across different age groups. Click here to read the full article.

Recently, Wright Strategies created a website for Vancouver, Washington artist Anne John.  She was looking for a site that could showcase her library of work, as well as keep followers up-to-date on her latest shows and exhibitions. To keep up with her continuously growing and evolving collections, the site is administrable by Anne herself, so that she can add and remove pieces when necessary.

For ease in administering her site, an automatic image resize tool was created to eliminate the tedious work often required of cropping and sizing images. It allows for larger views and additional views, to show finer details of each piece. To experience and enjoy the beautiful works by Anne John, visit www.annejohn.com.   

Happy Holidays! Is there any better way to recharge your batteries than through vacation or spending time with family? This past week my wife, Shauna, and I took a 16 hour drive to southern California to spend this favorite holiday of mine with her family. We ate and ate, and while we were eating, I learned a little Guitar Hero and did a little research on topics that could benefit our software development in the future.

We’re always on the lookout for the best, latest ways to improve our websites. One of the new concepts that I researched over the holiday, and will discuss in more detail in the future, is design patterns. The basic idea is that when we write a piece of code, there are particular coding patterns that can be reused throughout an application. Using these patterns allows for maximum flexibility, with a proven track record of success.

Our team will weigh the pros and cons on a number of these design patterns, seeing which ones we can use to improve our products. Look for more information on the latest design patterns that we will be incorporating into our work in the near future.