Using audits to drive change, Mechanics Bank launched with a new CMS and an improved design that follows web best practices. Find out how. 

Thoughts from Blend Interactive

One of Blend’s core values is a dedication to advocacy and progress — to expand upon and give back to the community that fuels us. This is where those thoughts live.

Search Results List

Episode 21: Migrate and Populate the Content (w/ Carrie Hane) Off-site link

Corey and Deane discuss an old migration project. Then, Carrie Hane, Principal Digital Strategist at Sanity and co-author of Designing Connected Content, joins to talk about preparing content for site migration — how good content modeling helps set up a site for future success, the psychological side of migrations, and a few horror stories from Carrie and Deane. Carrie graciously insists this is not the most depressing episode yet.

July 18, 2023 | The Web Project Guide Podcast

Episode 20: Implement the Back-end Functionality (w/ David Knipe) Off-site link

Corey and Deane discuss a high-level philosophy of back-end development. Then, David Knipe, Vice President of Product at Optimizely, joins to discuss back-end development — how developers and project stakeholders work together to make decisions, the difference (and balance) between technical perfection and audience needs, and the reasons why AI will help, but not take over, back-end development. Deane also equates developers to lumberjacks.

June 20, 2023 | The Web Project Guide Podcast

Episode 19: Implement the Design (w/ Ethan Marcotte) Off-site link

Corey and Deane talk about how front-end development has evolved past the early days. Then, Ethan Marcotte, author of Responsive Web Design and Partner at Autogram, joins to discuss front-end development and how the world has impacted how front-end design is treated and approached. We also joke about whether Deane actually “invented” responsive web design. (He didn’t.)

May 16, 2023 | The Web Project Guide Podcast

How Audits Improve Your Site: Accessibility, Performance, and Design Audits

Much like we maintain our homes from season to season, our websites need periodic audits — to see what has changed and what has not. In this post, we focus on three specific types of audits: accessibility audits, performance audits, and design audits.

April 19, 2023

Web Analytics and HIPAA: How to Protect Your Site — and Your Users — From HIPAA Violations

Websites are built, for the most part, for humans. Yet, the humans who interact with our websites are largely anonymous. Blend's CTO Joe Kepley discusses how to balance the need for better information, with a user's right to privacy, especially with existing HIPAA standards.

March 23, 2023

What is DXP Really Going to Do For You?

So ... what IS DXP? And how do you navigate the different forms and add-ons available within a digital experience platform (DXP)? Blend CTO Joe Kepley discusses the ins and outs of DXP, including how to prioritize the rollout of new features.

March 20, 2023

When is Headless the Right Solution: A Guide to Going Headless

If you’ve looked into building or upgrading a website in the last few years, you may have heard about “headless” content management systems (CMS). But what is a "headless" system? And, more importantly, when is it the right solution?

February 28, 2023

ChatGPT, Bard, and the New Wave of AI: What it Means for the Web

The path to computer intelligence hasn't proven quite so direct. On the surface, brains and computers seem very similar, but it's clear that computers aren't thinking yet. 

February 22, 2023

Corey Vilhauer Joins The Content Strategy Podcast Off-site link

Corey Vilhauer joins Kristina Halvorson on The Content Strategy Podcast to discuss his start in content strategy, his thoughts on communicating with clients and stakeholders, and his work toward demystifying the world of web projects.

December 13, 2022 | The Content Strategy Podcast

Episode 13: Develop the Graphic and Interface Design (w/Sam Otis) Off-site link

Corey asks Deane about his ideal web design, and Deane talks about how CSS ruined the web. (He’s kidding, mostly.) Then, Sam Otis, lead designer at Blend Interactive and designer of The Web Project Guide, joins us to talk about his history in design — from Flash to responsive web design, what young designers need to know about the web, and what he wishes clients would stop doing.

November 16, 2022 | The Web Project Guide Podcast

Beyond Blend.

Blend doesn’t just write here: we also write books, create videos, and dive deep into our individual disciplines. Check out some of our external sources of knowledge.

The Web Project Guide

A phase-by-phase look at the web design and development process, providing context to each step.

Coding with Bob

A YouTube series by our director of development, focusing on .NET coding and Optimizely development.

Eating Elephant

A blog about content strategy, information architecture, and understanding user needs.