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

Thirteen Years In The Internet Industry

This year I am celebrating 13 years in the Internet Industry. I can hardly believe that I’ve been building online experiences for 13 years! So much has changed since 1996… the “information superhighway” was young and untested. In fact, most businesses that I dealt with back then saw no real value in the Internet. It was a toy. Kind of like blogs were a few years ago, or twitter was a few months ago. Now everyone’s onboard, and there seems to be this frenzy to find the next big thing — to spot business value in the “toys” before anyone else does.

After 13 years of writing code, I often find myself burned out. I find it especially difficult to write one more line of code when I realize that 99% of what I wrote 13 years ago doesn’t exist anymore. The Internet is such a fleeting, instantaneous place. One millisecond you’re hot, and the next you’re not. So, to encourage myself and to celebrate, here are a few of my favorite, worthwhile projects from the past thirteen years and the lessons I learned from each:

• United Way’s ENCompass Project (1998-2001)
  Designed to house information on all Northwestern Illinois non-profits to provide a unified service experience for constituents. The system was originally a joint project with Orlando, Florida-based Human Resource Technologies and Northwestern, Illinois-based InterClay Software (my employer at the time). Lesson learned: non-profit projects are rewarding when people work together to build something great
   
• Milio’s Sandwiches (2000-Current)
  Designed to provide online sandwich orders. Yes, we took online sandwich orders in 2000. In 2008, Milio’s did nearly $1 million in online orders despite the fact that there are no Internet connections in-store. This was a joint project between Rippe-Keane Marketing and e-Media Resources. Lesson learned: there are always solutions, even to the most challenging problems
   
• OshKosh B’Gosh E-Commerce Site & Corporate Intranet (2000-2005)
  Designed to offer all of the famous OshKosh kids clothing online. The project was a huge success from a design standpoint, but the web application platform based on IBM WebSphere failed. I worked for e-Media Resources & The Gunter Agency at the time. We were in charge of the online experience — the design side of things. Lesson learned: design is always worth the investment. design is not just graphic designers. it’s for every project stakeholder - managers, developers, CEOs, customer service reps, etc..
   
• Firestone Tires E-Learning (2007)
  Designed to offer all of the Firestone Tire Center employees comprehensive customer service training. This was an e-Media Resources / Gunter Agency project. Lesson learned: take on projects that are new territory, learn constantly
• Sun Prairie Today Online Newspaper (2004-2008)
  Designed to allow journalists and the community at large in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin to post photos and stories easily. The site run by Paul & Teresa Bauman, was a huge success. Lesson learned: write amazing software designed for people instead of developers. even non-technical people can easily update a web site with only 20 minutes of training.
• BankingMyWay.com (2007)
  Designed to allow people to search for bank rates simply. The site was an e-Media Resources project. Lesson learned: teamwork is the more than the sum of it’s parts

Love what you do. Learn constantly. Give back. Here’s to another enjoyable and unforgettable Thirteen Years!

~ Collin Schneider, Founder / Systems Designer