News
We're hiring: Rails Web Developer
Requirements:
- Full time, on-location only;
- At least two years Rails development experience;
- Javascript/CSS experience;
- TDD with cucumber/RSpec experience.
Great if you've got:
- Agile/SCRUM, but we'll train you if you haven't had the pleasure;
- CMS experience in MT, EE, WP, or similar;
- Working understanding of server environments;
- Unix chops: We're a Mac shop, Microsoft skills noted but not required.
Benefits:
- Humane working schedule with personal project time
- SIRA/401k matching retirement program
- Healthcare
- Competitive salary
- Holidays and paid vacation time
- Monthly Design Friday afternoons to learn something new or share your personal project
- Conference opportunities like WWDC, RailsConf, Event Apart, and more
- Training and development
- Contribute to meaningful open source projects
- Pre-tax public transportation cards
- Brick and timber loft open office space with bike-to-work amenities
Fresh and bold new look for Players Sports Group
Players Sports Group has organized sports leagues, tournaments, and social events for adults since 1993. Linked to the best athletic facilities and venues in the city, the organization continues to grow as one of the largest year-round sports and social clubs in Chicago. We redesigned the website to meet their growing needs. The new site has larger calls-to-action and more imagery, news alert sections, and social networking features. Users can access sports rules, message boards, review schedules and standings, view facility maps, and register for leagues under each sport while the staff can keep content fresh using a custom built content management system. Sign up for some action!
Announcing: SpoonFeed from RIA
We're proud to welcome SpoonFeed, Restaurant Intelligence Agency's one-stop digital dashboard that connects busy restauranteurs to their team, their peers, and the media with really easy-to-use features. We built this application from the ground up for RIA's clients to receive industry news and marketing tips, update press kits, guided social media coaching from RIA staff, join internal discussions, and manage their Twitter accounts through a streamlined, single interface. As SpoonFeed continues to grow, more valuable features will be added for users to stay one step ahead of the new PR world.
The Propeller Fund regrant program launches
It's often hard to quantify the ingenuity and productivity of Chicago's visual art community, let alone recognize the innovation, collectivity, and resourcefulness that characterize it. The Propeller Fund is a regranting program that aims to spark ambitions and promote the public's interaction with this type of work, building on the varied and informal models for creative activities often bypassed by traditional funding sources. We debuted the Propeller Fund's website to document and promote projects supported by the grant. Neoteric Design provided a new brand, social networking features to help foster the dialogue and get the word out, and a customized content management system to give the support staff control over site updates.
Redesigned website offers a library of sex and relationship advice from experts
The World Health Organization estimates that more than 100 million acts of sex occur every day. The team of experts at Good in Bed are here to help you learn about and live your sex life to the fullest. We redesigned their website with engaging features, blogs, and tools to highlight the library of the latest resources offered by sex and relationship specialists. A tailored content management system enables the team to easily maintain the site. At GoodInBed.com, users can preview and download eBooks and mini-guides that are private, printable, and portable. Users can also pose questions, participate in discussions with experts or reference the glossary of sexuality-related terms.
Power failure in Phoenix is causing problems for one of our dedicated servers.
Our Network Operations Center writes to us this morning at 10:25am:
Today, our Phoenix data center experienced a major power failure issue
which disrupted services for each of our customers. The purpose of this
e-mail is to provide you the details about what has happened, and what
Codero is doing to restore services to our customers.
At approximately 8:00AM Central Time, utility power to our Phoenix data
center and the surrounding area was cut. The City of Phoenix has not yet
informed us of what caused this issue. Upon failure of utility power,
backup generator fired-up as designed but the switching gear failed to
transfer load to the backup power. Codero staff immediately contacted all
of our power vendors as well as building maintenance since the transfer
gear and generator are not owned by Codero and are out of our physical
control. Unfortunately, the electrical group which could manually
transfer the load did not arrive before our UPS and battery loads
diminished, and electrical service shutdown.
Upon arriving, faulty breakers had to be replaced before they were able to
transfer the load to the backup power source. Shortly after this transfer,
utility power was restored, and the PHX data center is currently back on
utility power.
One of our primary PDU's experienced issues as a result of the complete
loss of power. This PDU services many customers, as well as many of the
primary core network gear. Engineers immediately went to work on fixing
the PDU issue. We will provide an update on this as more information
becomes available.
Codero is currently powering on servers which are not affected by the
PDU's failure, and we will continue to notify you via e-mail as well as
on our twitter accounts (@CoderoNOC and @Codero) as soon as more
information becomes available. We offer our sincerest apologies and our
assurance that we are doing everything within our control to return
services to normal for you.
In addition to communications throughout this situation, we will provide
you a complete report on the issues and what Codero is doing to ensure
these problems don't reoccur in the future as soon as we can.
Regards,
Codero
Roundtable discussion at DePaul's Careers in Information Technology
I'm looking forward to meeting up with DePaul students interested in technology careers in a program sponsored by the DePaul Career Center. I'll be volunteering time in a series of roundtable, network-style discussion sessions. I'm always interested to hear the entrepreneurial dreams of students, to share my own story, and share resources and experiences that might be helpful along the way.
What kinds of questions would you have, if you were starting out your career?
MOCP.org featured in Communication Arts: 50 Years of Photography issue
We are amped about our clients doing what they do best, and making more headlines! A big shout out goes to the Museum of Contemporary Photography for their "Web Watch" column feature in the September/October 2009 issue of Communication Arts: 50 Years of Photography. Search their entire permanent collection of visionary work since 1936 online through their easy-to-use, awesome database of great photography.
Big kudos to the LPCC for receiving two communication awards!
We're happy to announce the terrific news that the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce (LPCC) has been selected as the top recipient in two categories of the Communication Awards program by the Illinois Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. LPCC's website and quarterly newsletter, The Source, was honored top spots and given state-wide recognition for its excellence in marketing best practices.
LPCC's website is chock-full of valuable tools and content featuring a daily news blog, workshop and events calendar, and directory that serves to highlight business and cultural resources, build publicity for their members, and keep their neighborhood constituents up-to-date. We are proud to have provided an effective website for the LPCC, empowering them to generate more business value for the community... that gets noticed!
"With chambers across the state working diligently for their members, and producing high-quality materials to promote these efforts, we are humbled by this selection."
--Kim Schilf, LPCC President and CEO
We're hiring: junior web UI developer
Update: this position has been filled. Thanks.
You'll be working in a fast-moving, four-person design shop in the heart of Chicago's design district, River North. Expect to handle multiple projects throughout the day, and interact directly with designers, developers, and clients. We use an agile, iterative style of design and development; expect rapid revisions and implementation cycles using SCRUM methodologies.
Requirements.
Expert knowledge in xHTML/CSS, modern markup techniques, and the major Javascript libraries that make interactive web UI experiences possible. You'll be working with layered Photoshop mockups; all markup is hand-crafted. This position is not primarily a design position; however, you should be able to iterate over CSS design revisions easily.
We're primarily a Macintosh shop; Microsoft skills noted but not needed. PHP/Rails desirable. Experience with CMS systems--Movable Type, Expression Engine, WordPress a plus.
You must provide three examples of your own development work, two references, pay history, and a link to your portfolio site. Interested? Email your cover letter and a resume to jobs@neotericdesign.com. If interviewed, you'll be asked for an hour of your time to demonstrate your JS library chops to the team.
Note this position is on location only: contractors, recruiters, off-shore development firms, please hold your fire. Really! Don't ring us! It's going to waste your time and ours! Thanks.
The fun stuff.
We're centrally located in River North; Ed and Nick bike to work daily, and the CTA is right outside. Within blocks we have dozens of lunch options, and kick out together on the occasion to discuss work, music, the art scene, technology, what have you. Our office is on the small side, open planned, Ikea throughout. We are essentially collaborative: tossing ideas back and forth, brainstorming together, solving problems cooperatively. We iTunes DJ most of the day, or someone will lead tunes for a few hours across the shared sound system; it's a benevolent democracy until Nick plays ragas or something too minimalist or house or Holiday tunes and gets voted off the speakers. We care intensely about what we do; you'll have the opportunity to work with design and usability experts, and grow your skills through seminars, conferences, and the like.
New website helps users find mobile apps they'll use and love
We helped to launch a new website that helps consumers easily browse and discover applications for the iPhone™ and iPod® touch. The first comprehensive website to combine social networking, editorial articles and reviews, and advanced discovery tools, this website helps users to explore and contribute to the growing landscape of mobile apps. Users can create a profile, build a library, chat with other users, and get consumer advice on the hottest apps available.
Continue reading "New website helps users find mobile apps they'll use and love"
The Obama Cabinet iPhone app release
Neoteric Design is proud to announce the release of The Obama Cabinet, our first iPhone app! Did you know that Arne Duncan played professional basketball before beginning his political career? Or that four of the sixteen cabinet officials are held by women? Find out who's who and what they do as Presidential advisors. This app contains biographies and job descriptions for each U.S. Cabinet member.
Learn more about the Obama Cabinet, iPhone Application.
Chicago's Urban Initiatives launches redesigned website
The dedicated crew at Urban Initiatives works with local educators and parents to enrich and support the academic, physical, and character development of children from Chicago’s under-served communities. The redesigned website reflects the organization's new growth and accomplishments as a vital health and education program, helping kids reach their potential. New features include a bold and energetic style, larger photography of kids engaged in the core programs, a blog of current events containing photo galleries, a more comprehensive partnership area that recognizes their numerous advocates and relationships throughout the region, and calls-to-action for newsletter subscription, social networking, and ways support the organization.
Full service accounting firm relaunches website
We’re pleased to announce the launch of the redesigned website for Blackman Kallick. The feature-packed site offers a broad variety of resources for customers and current clients. We’ve refined the company brand and designed clear channels to publications, articles, white papers, and company news. The site was built on Movable Type, enabling the client to fluidly update and manage the content on this robust site. Congratulations to the teams at Larger Pond Marketing and Blackman Kallick!
TVWeek website redesign launched
We’re happy to announce the launch of the redesigned website for TVWeek.com, longtime publisher of the popular suite of blogs TVBizwire, In Depth, and TVMoJoe for the television industry professional. Readers can follow their favorite blogs to stay abreast of the current industry conversations and interact with the community about the latest in broadcast media. The fresh, newly streamlined site now features Open Mic[link] where users can register to create their own profiles, comment, vote, or contribute as a participant in the community blog.
Hello, Urban Initiatives
We are happy to announce that we are working with the dedicated crew at Urban Initiatives to redesign their website. This non-profit health and education program works with educators and parents to enrich and support the academic, physical, and character development of children from Chicago's under-served communities. Soccer programs, cultural outings, and extracurricular activities safely engage and encourage the kids to reach their potential.
TV MoJoe Blog Helps Make Sense of Video World, from TVWeek.com
We've just launched Joself Adalian's new blog, TV MoJoe, at tvweek.com. Joe is working to make sense of the vast video universe of the 21st century, with a particular focus on the people and programming that populate the five much-maligned broadcast networks. Check it out: it features a fresh look and feel, engaging photography, and watch-this-recommendations.
Event Planners Find Plans, Toolkits at Event Space Website
We are proud to present the new EVENTS+SPACES website. Managed by the Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc., EVENTS+SPACES is a suite of three major location venues available for exhibitions and special events: L.A. Mart, 7 W New York, and Chicago’s own Merchandise Mart Properties. Tailored to the needs of event planners, the sites help them envision the possibilities of these unique new spaces. The site provides a tour of the unique and versatile spaces from each venue through interactive floor plans, photo galleries, and downloadable fact sheets.
Neoteric Design Named Movable Type Creative Partner
We couldn't be more pleased that Six Apart, the makers of Movable Type, announced us as professional Design Partners. We've been working with MT as an easy-to-use web publishing tool since 2003.
For our clients--ranging from businesses to nonprofit organizations--its broad flexibility allows us to customize create websites with a wide range of features, from calendars to article libraries, blogs to image galleries, program announcements to event archives.
Six Apart ran a case study on our design and development processes as well. The case study highlighted our work with Crain Communications' TVWeek, the Museum of Contemporary Photography, and Blåkläder Workwear.
Thanks Six Apart!
Specialty food market website for unique Chicago dry rub seasonings
We've launched the redesigned Char Crust website, which features this local company's entrepreneurial history, recipes, newsletters, and highlighted retailers-of-the-month.
Hungry? Foodies and barbecue aficionados are firing up the grill year-round armed with a greater variety of tools and seasonings. Char Crust enhances the cooking experience with their dry rub seasonings for all meat and fish that sear and form a beautiful crust that "seals in the juices." The family business has its origins at the legendary Al Farber’s Chicago Steakhouse in 1957. Since then, award-winning signature flavors have been added and carried by merchandisers in their meat and seafood departments, barbecue, marinade, and spice aisles. Check it out!
Event Talk: Social networking and digital marketing for small business.
The Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce is developing a monthly program, the Small Business Forum, to track trends and business challenges for small businesses in Chicago. I'll be a panelist for Social Networking and Digital Marketing, a conversation about social networking tools and their impact on businesses. It's April 16th, so come on by and join the conversation!
Nick.
Welcome aboard, National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
We're excited to be working with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP). The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy is the independent, international, and impartial association that assists its member boards of Pharmacy in developing, implementing, and enforcing uniform standards for the purpose of protecting the public health.
For the redesign project, we'll be conducting extensive design research with group and individual interviews. We'll be testing design concepts and new navigation strategies, working with IT to implement a content management strategy for marketing and communications, and integrating goal-based analytic tracking throughout the site. We welcome the NABP aboard!
Welcome aboard University of Chicago's Smart Museum of Art
We are pleased to work with the talented staff to redesign the website for the University of Chicago's David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art. The museum presents original works of art through their extensive permanent collection, publications, special exhibitions and programs. A part of the University of Chicago campus, the museum is a unique educational resource for the academic and larger community.
Welcome the Merchandise Mart's EVENTS+SPACES
We are proud to be creating the new EVENTS+SPACES website for the MMPI. Managed by the Merchandise Mart Properties Inc, Events + Spaces is a suite of three major venue locations available for exhibitions and special events: L.A. Mart, 7 W New York, and Chicago's own Merchandise Mart Properties. The new website will present the unique character and capabilities of each venue and will feature floor plan previews of the versatile spaces. Welcome aboard!
New year, new websites
2008 has come to a close—but we were busy launching a number of new websites for our clients. Congratulations to each of these fine organizations!
Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce
lincolnparkchamber.com
The LPCC serves as a catalyst for business success and economic development in Lincoln Park. The redesigned website features an easy-to-use content management system, extensive news, blogs, and media feeds, and integration with the Chamber’s membership management system, ChamberMaster.
Coleman Entrepreneurship Center: DePaul University
cec.depaul.edu
The Coleman Entrepreneurship Center is an entrepreneurship support organization at DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. We developed the Center’s custom content managed website using Movable Type. It features articles on entrepreneurship, an events calendar, email newsletters, a blog, and a new visual design.
Luna Negra Dance Theater
lunanegra.org
Luna Negra Dance Theater creates, performs, and teaches contemporary dance by Latino choreographers. The new website features performing artists, event calendars, community outreach and a behind-the-scenes blog.
MPAACT: Afrikan Centered Theatre
mpaact.org
MPAACT nutures, develops, and sustains Afrikan Centered Theatre grounded in the many cultures and traditions of the Afrikan continent and its Diaspora. Our redesigned website features current and past productions, a store, newsletters, and a behind-the-scenes blog.
Coolketubah.com
Coolketubah.com
Cool Ketubah offers a fresh, modern take on the traditional Ketubah, each individually designed from the creative mind of Chicago-based graphic designer, Jason Pickleman.
Happy Holidays!
We hope to be the first to wish you the best holidays, and cheers to a Happy New Year!
Nick, Ed, Sonia, and Josh.
Welcome, Blackman Kallick
We are pleased to be working with Larger Pond Marketing to redesign the Blackman Kallick website. Operating since 1962, Blackman Kallick is the ninth largest accounting firm in Chicago. As a single office firm, they offer personalized services to clients based in the Midwest and operate in national and international markets. Welcome!
Welcome, University of Chicago, Open Practice Committee
The University of Chicago has long been at the forefront of research in many disciplines. Working with a talented team at the Department of Visual Arts, the UC Web and IT teams, and our friends at jnl design, we're happy to have launched the Open Practice Committee's new website.
The OPC seeks to explore "the atmospheres and attitudes that make art contemporary." To help fulfill its mission, the site provides event calendaring, video archiving, and blogging on contemporary art events and lectures. The website content is managed with WordPress, using specially-designed templates. The calendaring system is a highly customized implementation of Trumba, a campus-wide sharable calendaring system.
Congratulations to everyone at the Open Practice Committee!
Welcome aboard Clark Street SSA
We are looking forward to redesigning the website for Clark Street Special Services Area (SSA). Established by the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce, the Clark Street SSA serves to finance and manage the revitalization of of the neighborhood in a fair and transparent way for the community. Welcome!
Urban Gateways website redesign launched
We recently launched the redesign of Urban Gateways, Chicago's center for arts education.
The mission of Urban Gateways is to ignite the full creative potential of all young people, and it prides itself on being the largest multidisciplinary arts organization in Chicago. Our redesign goals included highlighting the importance of the children impacted by the program, displaying the diversity of the arts that Urban Gateways employs, as well as showcasing the professional artists themselves.
Working with the talented people at Urban Gateways has been a joy, and we celebrate the launch of their redesigned web site with them! Congratulations.
threewalls website redesign launched
What a pleasure working with the fine folks at threewalls. We've launched their redesigned website (in record time!) this week.
threewalls -- an arts organization dedicated to contemporary art practice and discourse -- brought us in to rethink how their website worked and what kinds of messages it conveyed. We wanted to highlight artists' work, the organization's programs and event calendars, and open a space for blog-style discussions. And of course, implement an easy-to-use content management system that was flexible enough to cover a variety of current content, yet grow with the organization over the years.
We used Movable Type. The site highlights their residency programs, projects, exhibitions and for-sale publications; their blog will cover news, events, and reviews. And I love the home page image switcher, currently highlighting Patrick Lundeen's work.
Congratulations, threewalls!
Dedicated server power outage.
Update: as of 12:00PM CST, the server has been restored. Thanks for your patience.
Unfortunately, the data center where two of three of our dedicated servers live has experienced a power outage at around 4.15 CDT today. The data center reports that the "entire power grid in that area is down," and that the local Power company does not yet have an ETA for resolution.
The data center has a UPS system and generator for its own power source. However, they write that "the transfer switch that cuts the data center over to the generator power source failed. We have our Electrical contractor on site now trying to resolve the issue. They have not provided an ETA for resolution at this time."
Usually these things resolve within a few hours. Apologies for the disruptions.
Welcome aboard, Josh!
Josh Davey has accepted a position with Neoteric Design, bringing his skills in web development and content management systems to our team.
In addition to coding, he'll be extending our client training and usability testing services. Josh received his MA in Religious Studies from the Chicago Theological Seminary and his BA in Religious Studies from Anderson University in Indiana. With all that Greek and Hebrew, one might think his coding skills were just divine inspiration! But programming and user-centered design are just some of Josh's many interests, which span from bass and acoustic guitar to literature and game design. Congratulations Josh! Welcome!
RailsConf, Ho!
Once a year, the brightest stars of the Ruby on Rails world convene to talk, brainstorm, code, teach and learn. This year's schedule offers more technical sessions then ever before. I'm looking forward to four days of design, tips, coding, and testing techniques. I hope to post updates here, so stay tuned for highlights. Thanks!
We're hiring: Web Developer
Update: This position has been filled. Thanks.
You'll be working in a fast-moving, three-person design shop in the heart of Chicago's design district, River North. Expect to handle multiple projects throughout the day, and interact directly with designers and clients. We use an agile, iterative style of design and development; expect rapid revisions and design and implementation rounds.
Requirements
- Expert knowledge in xHTML/CSS. You'll be working with layered Photoshop mockups; all markup is hand-crafted.
- This position is not primarily a design position; however, you should be able to manage CSS design iterations.
- Working understanding of hosting environments, SQL, MySQL database management. We are a Unix shop; Microsoft skills noted but not required. PHP skills required; JavaScript desired; Rails a plus.
- Experience with CMS systems: WordPress, or eZ Publish; Movable Type especially. You should be comfortable with MT's tag-based template language and archive build outs.
We're primarily a Macintosh shop; you should be comfortable on either platform. You must provide three examples of your own development work, two references, pay history, and a link to your portfolio site. Interested? Email us at jobs@neotericdesign.com.
Note this position is on location only: contractors, recruiters, hold your fire.
Neoteric Design attacked by spam through forged headers.
We are currently experiencing an attack in which an email spammer is sending out spam through a forged header that points to "info@" our domain name. We see about 10-15 bounced emails a minute, which means quite a lot of quantity is being sent. If you've received a spammy email from info@ our domain name, it's not from us.
I'll be monitoring the situation, and eventually write up my experiences with this latest form of identity theft.
Avoid Marketing Mishaps!
Presented by DePaul's Coleman Entrepreneurship Center and the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce, the panel "Marketing Mishaps: The Most Common Mistakes to Avoid" will be kicking off this Thursday. Drop by to learn about the worst mistakes I've ever made... as well as the mistakes I've watched clients make, over and over. My fellow panelists bring expert marketing, messaging, and entrepreneurial experience to the table as well.
New year, new home! We've moved offices.
4 years seem to have rushed on by down in suite 316 at 400 N Wells St. A fine office: we grew from two to four there. And while we still love the neighborhood--restaurants, business services, picnic sites along the river abound--we outgrew the space.
And as many of our current clients know, it was a little noisy at 316, what with the train right outside the window. We used to joke that if things got bad, we'd drop a ladder over to the platform and charge just $1 a ride.
Fortunately that never happened. Our new office is roomier, brighter, and directly above where we used to be! And while we still hear our beloved train, it's not quite so overpowering anymore. Give us a call and come visit sometime! Our new address is:
Neoteric Design Inc.
400 N. Wells St. Suite 416
Chicago, IL 60610
We're Hiring: Winter Internship Data Management Project
Update: this position has been filled. Thanks.
We're looking for a highly detail-oriented intern for a short term paid project this winter. Flexible times available (between 9-5 / M-F); approximately 30-40 hours total. You'll be managing data from multiple resources, fact checking, and collating data into a new system. A library science, liberal art, or similar background would be welcome. The right candidate may stay on for additional projects. We're a fast-moving, four-person design shop in the heart of Chicago's design district, River North.
Experience Requirements:
You must be local to Chicago, and have three verifiable references for past relevant work. Interested? Email us at info@neotericdesign.com.
This position is on location only: recruiters, off-shore firms, please hold your fire. That means don't call us. Thanks.
An Event Apart Conference in Chicago
In the short history of professionals working on the web, there have been many stars -- some, technical gurus who have created languages and specifications that we all use today; others, design wonks who have influenced not only the visual vocabulary of the web but media of all kinds. From them, a few manage to combine an understanding of both fields. And of these, a tiny handful have the skills, passion, and interest to share the latest of what they know to advance the professional field, to improve our craft.
I'm spending two days in Chicago at An Event Apart, listening to 10 of the best in the field, brainstorming, challenging, networking, and learning -- as much from the speakers as from each other. We're rethinking the 'given guidelines' of information architecture, pushing typographic boundaries on the web, brainstorming how to make the user's experience a better one, and re-crafting website writing to better communicate, convey, and brand. I'll blog the highlights of what I've picked up here over the next several weeks, so please stay tuned.
Come visit us at Showcase River North
On Tuesday, June 26th, from 4-7pm, we'll be at the River North's Holiday Inn Mart Plaza networking, cocktailing, and learning about the neighborhood's future plans from the new 42nd Alderman Brandan Reilly and Art Chicago Director Tony Karman. Get the details at the River North website, and come on down!
We're Hiring:Full-time Website Designer
Update: This position has been filled. Thanks for your interest!
Job Description
You'll be working in a fast-moving, three-person design shop in the heart of Chicago's design district, River North. Expect to handle multiple projects throughout the day, practice web design from sketches and research through design, development, and deployment. You'll manage multiple client relationships. We use an agile, iterative style of design and development; expect rapid revisions and design rounds from pen-and-ink sketches to completed web pages.
Web Design
Your design skills, from Photoshop to HTML markup, will be most important. Our house design style is business oriented, modern, and fresh. We're always pushing our skills and limits: we look forward to working with someone like-minded. You must have a clear understanding of typography on the web. You know the difference between an x-height and a cap height, and a pixel from a pica.
xHTML/CSS Design & Production
The web designer will be marking down layered PSD mockups into web standard xHTML/CSS documents. All markup is hand crafted: we don't use Dreamweaver in our shop, so you must read HTML, and possibly prefer to do so.
Content Wrangling
You'll be working with client documents, evaluating, organizing, and designing page content as needed. You'll be maintaining and revising existing client sites as well.
Experience Requirements
A strong liberal arts background is required: language skills are essential. Experience with hand coded HTML is required. You'll be marking up and designing in CSS--a clear understanding of the CSS box model is required, as is a desire to push your CSS skills.
Strong familiarity with Adobe's Photoshop, Illustrator, and Flash is required. We're mostly a Macintosh shop; you should be comfortable on either platform. You must provide three examples of your own web design work, three references, pay history, and a link to your portfolio site. Interested? Email us at info@neotericdesign.com
Note this position is on location only: contractors, recruiters, hold your fire.
Art Fair Site Launched for Merchandise Mart's Art Chicago
What's NEXT for contemporary art? The art world will pull out all the stops when it descends upon Chicago's Merchandise Mart for the annual Art Chicago/Artropolis event. This year announces the debut of NEXT, a curated art show designed to deliver what's fresh at the forefront of contemporary art.
This internationally recognized art fair will showcase the what's emergent in the art world and promises to turn the conventional booth experience upside down with informal cafes and social spaces for the audience, artist, and curator to interact.
It was our privilege to develop a web brand based on a provided identity. Bold yet minimal, the site features an easy to use content management system, and offers exhibitor services, downloadable applications, a calendar, and future news feed.
Redmoon Theater Website Redesign Launched
Working with the extraordinarily creative people at Redmoon, we've launched the redesigned website for Redmoon Theater, Chicago's most innovative and consistently engaging theatrical company.
Redmoon creates spectacles that transform streets, stages, and architectural landmarks into places of public celebration -- in a world that encourages ever greater isolation and individual focus, Redmoon Theater makes theatrical events in public spaces that challenge the boundaries that sit between people and that inspire a shared experience of our common humanity.
The redesigned website features archives of Redmoon's productions, updates on ways to get involved or buy tickets, a "behind the scenes" blog, and integrated photographic, video, and audio content. Congratulations to everyone at Redmoon! It's been an amazing process.
Bonus: can you find the hidden switch that throws the site from evening to dawn? Let us know!
Pan-Latin Restaurant Website Launched
Continuing to work with Susan Frasca's indefatigable team at Frasca Hospitality Group, we're launched the redesigned website for River North's favorite pan-Latin restaurant. As the place "where Latin America meets Chicago neighborhoods," this restaurant embodies the ideal combination of authentic home-style Latin flavors, an intimate and welcoming interior, and the largest Rum and Tequila selection in the country.
The website features lush photography, downloadable menus, and an easy-to-use content management system. Felicitaciones, Frasca Hospitality Group!
Iconic Chicago Steakhouse Website Redesign Launched
Working with Susan Frasca's team at Frasca Hospitality Group, we've launched the redesigned website for an iconic River North Steakhouse. Our goal was to take Susan's vision to heart: create a website that shows, rather than tells, the experience of the Chophouse. Flash movies pan over the restaurant interiors, and guests can easily make reservations online through OpenTable. We've incorporated useful new technology, too, with easy address and phone information text-messaged to mobile phones or handheld devices.
Congratulations to the Frasca Hospitality Group!
Welcome aboard, Sonia!
Sonia Yoon has accepted a position with Neoteric Design this March! We have often completed website redesign projects, only to have our clients say, "I wish you could do for our print marketing what you've done for our website." We're happy to announce that now we will: Sonia will be helping us to expand our design reach both on the Internet and in print. She received her MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BFA from The Rhode Island School of Design. She continues to expand her artistic practice through her pursuits in print and web design, visual arts and music. Outside of Neoteric Design, she also produces performances, collaborations, and multimedia events. Congratulations Sonia! Welcome!
Redesign for University of Illinois Chicago Workshop Launched
Working with the amazing team at External Education at UIC, we launched a site redesign for their recent workshop on blended learning and higher education.
The site features a fresh new look and feel that's appropriately modern for the leading researchers and practitioners of combined classroom and online learning programs. Featuring online registrations, workshop details, and travel information, the site is helping its attendees get oriented, sign up, plug in, and and get ready for the the three day workshop.
Merchandise Mart Art Chicago Conference Website Launched
Take 33 highly accomplished international artists and actors, technologists and designers, scientists and entertainers. For three days, set them in Chicago's Pritzker Pavilion at the Millennium Park, with conference attendees who are themselves artists, cultural entrepreneurs, gallery owners and museum curators, designers and collectors.
Set them all with the this question: what is the impact of globalism on the art world? What are the challenges and new possibilities?
We're thrilled to have launched this conference site, produced by the Merchandise Mart, conceived and developed by Burns Sowder Art Advisory, and branded by our friends at jnl graphic design. The site features detailed speaker biographies and "popup" portfolio images, online registrations, a downloadable, printable, 'take away' schedule, and more. Neoteric's clear information design allows this site of hundreds of detailed portfolio images, biographies, and complicated three-day schedules to be clear, easy to use, and to point.
University of Chicago’s Master of Arts Program in the Humanities Launched
Working with our friends at MAPH -- Candace Vogler, Jay Schleusener, Joan Wellman, and especially webmaster Braden Grams -- we helped to launch the redesigned department website for this unique one year Master of Arts program at the University of Chicago.
With its diverse audience of prospective students, current students, and alumni, the website was charged with helping to convey the unique value of the program, while keeping current students "in the loop" with department events, deadlines, and activities.
Neoteric designed the visual look and feel of the site based on existing identity materials and University of Chicago photography. We developed key Dreamweaver template files for the site. Our work was based on modern site design principles, and was easy-to-use and easy to update and maintain. Braden Grams, in conjunction with MAPH's entire team, developed the site content and created the site pages through these templates.
Congratulations to everyone!
We’re hiring: entry level / intern graphic design position
Update: This position has been filled. Thanks for your interest!
Job Description
You'll be working in a fast moving, three-person design shop in the heart of Chicago's design district, River North. Expect to handle multiple projects throughout the day, and experience design from client proposals through research, mockups, production, and deployment.
Visual Design
You'll be responsible for design brainstorming and production. You'll be working to interpret our team's ideas into Photoshop mockups. You'll be working rapidly and iteratively, tuning elements and layouts in response to feedback both internal and from our clients. You must be proficient in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. If interviewed, you'll be asked for an hour of your design time, demonstrating your creativity, Photoshop skills, and ability to think outside the box and on the clock.
Experience Requirements
A strong liberal arts background is required: language skills are essential. This is a design, not a markup position. Experience with hand-coded markup is a plus but not required. In addition to your portfolio, we'd like to see three examples of your design work on the web. Flash is a plus, but not required. We're mostly a Macintosh shop; you should be comfortable on that platform.
Interested? Drop an email to work@neotericdesign.com with your resume and links to your work.
Welcome aboard Redmoon Theater
We're thrilled to be working with the amazingly creative people at Redmoon theater. The redesigned website will feature archives of redmoon's performances, updates on ways to get involved or buy event tickets, a "behind the scenes" blog, video content... and much, much more.
Welcome aboard, Travis!
Travis has accepted a position with Neoteric Design beginning in January '07. Many of our clients have had the opportunity to work with him on issues ranging from content updates to email management. His official title will be "interaction designer": a position that ties closely to his graduate studies in Human Computer Interaction at DePaul University. By definition, interaction designers focus on the relationship between products and humans -- how we interact with devices and interfaces of all kinds. At Neoteric Design, Travis will be working with website wireframes, task flows, user scenarios, mockups, and site mental/conceptual models, as well as content inventories, documentation, and training.
Congratulations Travis, and warm welcomes!
Summer Internship Position Filled
Travis Mandrell has extended his summer internship for the fall term. We couldn't be happier. His summer projects included revamping our client documentation, training clients on content management issues, editing hours of digital audio recordings created during an intranet usability test, and generally helping out around the studio. Not to mention taking over our music selection. Our standards have certainly been raised.
Neoteric Design redesigns itself!
It's been two long years since we've sat down and really thought through a website redesign for ourselves. Although we've been "tuning up" the old site several times a year, this represents a ground-up rethink of the site, our site contents, and how we manage it over the long run.
We've rethought how a sidebar traditionally works, and incorporated more iconagraphy and portfolio work previews. To keep ourselves on our feet and trying new things, we've implemented WordPress as our content management system. We've worked through a long series of customizations to handle our pages, portfolios, project news, and HTML email newsletters.
We'd love to hear what you think!
Christine's Concepts in Design
Client: Christine's Concepts in Design
Site: christines-concepts.com
We've redesigned and relaunched Christine Cmerjrek's website for her interior design, home furnishings and accessories shop. Christine's Concepts in Design is a magazine format website that highlights Christine's Lincoln Park boutique, past work, and custom design consultation skills. Her clients' testimonials, displayed on nearly every page, express her amazing skills and customer dedication.
Civitas Schools Intranet launched
We've launched Civitas Schools' private intranet this week. The web-based information and document distribution website keeps teachers and administrators across their four campuses up-to-date on school events and important news. Key curriculum documents are now shared between teachers at various grade levels as well, which helps to ensure the schools' consistently high quality programs.
Welcome U of C Masters Program
It's our pleasure to be working with the bright folks at the one year Masters program of the University of Chicago on their website redesign. A renewed information architecture, visual design, and site messaging will help their department better convey its value and relationship to the school at large, while offering improved information and services to its current and prospective students.
Usability study for Midwest Fortune 100 Healthcare Company
We completed a usability study on a proposed navigation redesign for this company's intranet. During our testing, we interviewed a variety of employees to learn about their expectations, needs, and concerns regarding their intranet. The interviews were recorded, and key sound bites were included in our report of findings.
The outcome? We learned that a new way of thinking about this company's products and services worked well and was very welcome, and that some of the navigation labels weren't as clear as they could be. Our findings helped to support this company's redesign efforts, and will one day save it hundreds of hours of productivity time.
Bridgehouse Museum site launched
We're thrilled to launch the McCormick Tribune Bridgehouse and Chicago River Museum website today. A project of Friends of the Chicago River, the museum website features accessible museum content, news and updates, and visitor information for the museum.
And while it's amazing to learn that there's coyotes and yellow perch along the Chicago River, nothing beats the view from the museum itself. If you time it right, you can even catch a bridge lift and watch the Bridgehouse's gears do their job.
Friends of the Chicago River site redesigned
Friends of the Chicago River faced a not-uncommon problem: their content managed website grew organically over the years, to the point where some pages were five, six, or seven clicks deep, and some site features were completely abandoned.
We worked with Friends to think through a new information architecture that made sense of their content. The redesigned site, in addition to offering a fresh and modern design, has been built to grow with ease.
Internship position open closed
UPDATE: Thanks. The summer intership position has been filled.
Job Description
You'll be working in a fast moving, two-person design shop in the heart of Chicago's design district, River North. Expect to handle multiple projects throughout the day, and experience web development from client proposal through research, design and development to deployment.
Content wrangling
Intern will be responsible for working with client documents, preparing documents for the web, and loading client content management systems. You'll be creating client documentation and training clients on content managed websites.
HTML Production
Intern will be involved with creating web standard xHTML/CSS documents from Photoshop page mockups. All markup is hand crafted; Dreamweaver is not used in our shop.
Coding
Depending on your interest and experience, some PHP coding, or template coding in Movable Type and other content management tools may be involved.
Experience Requirements
A strong liberal arts background is required: language skills are essential. Experience with hand coded HTML required. You'll be marking up and designing with CSS--a clear understanding of the CSS box model is required, as is a desire to push your CSS skills. Don't be concerned if you're not a CSS guru--you'll learn our approach and CSS style during your stay. You must provide three examples of your own web design work. Strong familiarity with Adobe's Photoshop is required. Flash is a bonus, but not terribly important. We're mostly a Macintosh shop; you should be comfortable on either platform.
Interested? Email us at info@neotericdesign.com
ABOV redesign launched
Congratulations to Josh Schwartz at ABOV Inc on his recent award! He's won the "Favorite Gallery of River North" award at the River North Association's annual Meeting & Spring Fling at Sound-bar.
We're proud to have just completed the redesigned the Abov Inc. website - it highlights unique works of art crafted from satellite data. Be sure to catch Larry Ammann's Chicago Series - they're particularly breathtaking.
Hyde Park Art Center: A-List
Client: Hyde Park Art Center
Site: hydeparkart.org
The Hyde Park Art Center's A:List is a curated online artist database. It showcases some of the many artists who have exhibited or taught with the Center over the years. It's primary goal is to connect artists with teaching opportunities, commissions, curators and researchers.
It offers extensive information about artists' professional experiences, an online gallery of artists' work, and contact information for interested users to find out more.
The site was built on Movable Type, and allows staff to easily maintain artists profiles, the home page highlights, and various static pages throughout the site.
LPBDI Talk
Coming May 2nd, I'll be presenting a seminar at the Lincoln Park Business Development Institute's spring series, a four part mini-course titled "Unleash the Power: Internet Marketing A to Z."
Interested in getting a handle on a solid Internet marketing strategy? Wondering how to make your current website more effective? Come on by for this evening seminar hosted by the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by AT&T.
Art de Triumph redesign launched
Congratulations to Ron and Nancie King Mertz on the launch of their redesigned site, ArtdeTriumph.com! We worked with Ron and Nancie to create an online portfolio of their work - Ron's company creates collectible giclée prints and fine art cards from Nancie King Mertz's amazing oil and pastel paintings. Don't miss the Chicago series, which showcase some of my favorite spots in town.
Stir Crazy DVD Revised
In conjunction with the good folks at Good Studio, we've revised the POP video displays for Stir Crazy, a wild and exiciting restaurant that features freshly prepared pan-Asian cuisine. The Macromedia Flash DVDs cycle through menus, ingredients, and drink options, highlighting how much fun it can be to dine with Stir Crazy.
SVIAZ/Expo Comm Manual ‘06 launched
In partnership with Allmer Global Image Management, we're please to have launched the 2006 Expo manual for Russia's largest and most successful international exhibition and conference for telecommunications, information technology and wireless/broadband technology.
The web application - written in English and Russian - allows world-wide exhibitors to submit the many forms needed to specify their show booth requirements. Their forms are distributed directly to vendors, and monitored by the show's staff to ensure timely delivery and accurate information.
For more information, see our portfolio highlight, which offers a downloadable PDF case study.
Gutrich Chiropractic Redesigned
Congratulations to Janet Gutrich, Chris Halliday, doctors and staff at Gutrich Chiropractic and Naprapathy on the debut of their redesigned website! Janet Gutrich, last year's recipient of the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce's Small Business of the Year award, came to us with a nicely designed website - that was completely imaged, couldn't be updated, and wasn't visible to search engines.
Gutrich Chiropractic & Naprapathy offers alternative approaches to health care and health maintenance. Based in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, their practice is distinguished by its individualized attentiveness and culture of compassion and respect.
Janet Gutrich engaged Neoteric Design to redesign their website. It features easy content management updates, an online newsletter, and custom photography throughout. Its easy-to-read format has been tuned to answer key questions for potential new clients, while expressing the practice's unique values.
"It is awsome. I feel so accomplished, working with you. Thanks again!" - Janet Gutrich
We learned a lot working with Janet and her staff, both about her services involving drugless, non-surgical treatment options, and her customers' needs and concerns. The new site features in depth doctor biographies, testimonials, and a email newsletter to keep her patients informed on current topics in health care.
Welcome Civitas Schools
This fall we've begun working with Civitas Schools, a charter school management company. Civitas has the distinction of the highest graduation rate of any charter school company in Chicago, and has recently opened three campuses -- with more planned for the future.
Based on branding and design direction provided by our friends at Good Studio, we've developed these sites and incorporated an easy-to-use content management system using Movable Type. The sites feature Flash stories, key information for parents and students, and a visual design that carries through to the Schools' printed collateral. We're also developing a teachers-only resource intranet, designed to deliver successful past assignments, syllabi, academic handbooks, and more.
