Think Say Do - Web Applications, User Experience

After Thirteen Years: Blog, Twitter, Gmail... Still No iPhone.

Believe it or not, after thirteen years of resisting, I have started to blog, twitter, and gmail. That’s amazing, because I’ve worked as a web consultant for thirteen years! And, I’m young — a prime target for all things social and online. Yet, my life is too real to interface conveniently with the online social scene. I’ve never had the desire, need, or time to continually post what I’m thinking or doing. And who in the world would want to read what I have to say anyway? There are too many interesting voices these days. So, why would I start now?

Good question. Here’s why I think I am starting now:

1. Because I have the desire to connect with other people to see how we can collaborate — two minds might be better than one. And I have the desire to share what I am working on and thinking about.
2. I have the need to promote my new consulting firm, Think Say Do.
3. I have the time to write now — I am now my own boss after all. And, I have thirteen years of pent up words!

Here’s what I’ve learned in my first few weeks of being web-connected:

1. Observe others: read your favorite blogs and think about why you like reading them
2. Practice makes better: write often and you’ll get better with each post
3. Find a voice: initially posts/tweets sound formal and dry, but with time you’ll find your own voice, the way you actually write and think
4. Create hooks: be provocative in your writing and headlines, then go on to say something useful
5. Make contacts: keep up with your writing, keep up with your contacts, keep learning and growing your connections

For even better tips, check out Pam’s site.

So, while I have finally started to join the modern web scene, I still don’t have an iPhone. I’m not a consumer of tech gadgets, so maybe once Apple starts making them completely recyclable, I’ll join the crowd.

~ Collin Schneider, Founder / Systems Designer / Blogger / Tweeter / Gmailer / Environmentalist

A Quick List Of What We've Been Doing

For those of you not familiar with Think Say Do, LLC, here’s a quick list of what we’ve been working on in 2008 and early 2009:

• Training Application System for Associated Training Services
  Allows applicants to apply for classes online and apply for financial aid. Ties in tightly with legacy applications in MS SQL Server. Applicants can save their progress and return later for status updates. This project was in partnership with e-Media Resources, LLC.
   
• Customer Information Management System & Visual Query Builder
  for Chamberlain Research
  Allows potential research participants to sign up online and fill in extensive background data. They can opt into and out of research panels. The system also includes a sophisticated Visual Query Builder for Chamberlain Research staff members to build participant lists in real-time. I’ll post more on this project in the future. This project was in partnership with e-Media Resources, LLC.
   
• Online Donation System for The Wesleyan Church World Headquarters
  (See earlier post for details about this project.)
  
  
  
• Inventory Management System for Peterson Machinery
  Prior to our involvement, customers were waiting several minutes to view a massive list of inventory on their browser screens. We reviewed the process and rewrote the entire system to allow searching and browsing. In addition we developed a back office management piece to allow staff to manage their complete inventory, including location information, as inventory is spread across several states. The site was a big success and has streamlined inventory management. As a final piece, we added a dynamic email quote builder to automatically create machinery quotes based off inventory data.
   
• A Bride’s Choice Florist, An award-winning wedding florist in Indianapolis
  Although we don’t often do web site designs, we took on this project for enjoyment. The site is built on a custom Content Management System (CMS) that allows staff to make content updates themselves. We also did some SEO work to assist with search engine ranking.
  
  
• Real-Time Sales Quotes iPhone Web Application for The Art Press
  The web application allows staff to generate real-time t-shirt order quotes for clients. Sales staff just visit the web application, add the job requirements, and they can get a real-time cost complete with material costs, labor costs, and delivery fees. The application can also take completed quotes and send them directly to customers via the iPhone’s email software.
   
• Custom Artist Stores for Vardagen Brands
  Vardagen prints private-label shirts for bands, artists, and small independent lifestyle brands. As part of the deal, artist get their own private-label store through Vardagen where they can sell their shirts to fans. Totally sweet gig. Vardagen fulfills the order and the artists get a generous cut of the proceeds. Think Say Do wrote the custom code for Shopify to allow per-artist private-label stores. Check Vardagen out!

We’ve been doing even more than that, but I wanted to list the major projects. If we can assist you in any way, let us know! Call us at 317-489-9184

~ Collin Schneider, Founder / Systems Designer