Thoughts

Thoughts and Articles from Blend Interactive

Corey Vilhauer  |  May 21, 2026

The Digital Maturity Gap in Financial Services

Graphic showing two people stepping across pillars, representing navigating the gaps in our digital knowledge.

Credit unions and community banks have room to grow on digital — but the gap isn't about size or software. It's about strategy. Here's where to start.

Financial Services  |  Strategy

Jenna Bonn  |  May 18, 2026

Inside a Web Accessibility Audit: Tools, Testing, and Findings

A graphic of dialog windows and circle graphs representing how Blend tests for accessibility.

A web accessibility audit goes beyond automated tools. Here's how Blend combines automated scanning and manual testing to find real issues and fix them for good.

Accessibility

Corey Vilhauer  |  May 18, 2026

SEO vs. GEO: What Actually Changes for Editors

An icon of a complex web schema and an icon of a magnifying glass, signifying the balance between G E O and S E O.

GEO isn't a replacement for good writing — it's proof that good writing always mattered. Here's what shifts when you write for AI search, and what stays the same.

AI  |  Content and IA

Bob Davidson  |  April 14, 2026

Upgrading Blend Add-Ons for Optimizely CMS 13

Bob Davidson sitting at a table in his office.

After upgrading two Blend Optimizely add-ons to CMS 13 compatibility, Bob Davidson shares the three takeaways — including the new Application system, async content area filtering, and tag helper-based platform navigation.

Development  |  Optimizely

Corey Vilhauer  |  April 3, 2026

Thinking in Components, Not Pages: A Better Way to Model Your Content

A graphic illustrating a set of sites built using components.

Most web projects start by thinking in pages. But the sites that are easiest to manage — and best understood by search engines — are built around components. Here's why that distinction matters.

Content and IA  |  Design and Front-End  |  Strategy

Corey Vilhauer  |  April 3, 2026

The Process Is the Deliverable

A graphic visualizing the four-step proven process for Blend's strategic work: Understand, Focus, Architect, and Shape

Most web projects are defined by their deliverables. We think the real value lives in the process — the conversations, the alignment, and the thinking that happens before anyone opens a design file.

Content and IA  |  Digital Optimization  |  Discovery and Scoping  |  Strategy

Joe Kepley  |  March 19, 2026

Vendor-Led vs. Bring-Your-Own: Who Owns The Center Of Your Organization’s AI Universe

A graphic of a computer on a background of planets and stars representing the expanding universe of tools.

CMS vendors handle AI in two ways: built-in orchestration or bring-your-own tools. Learn how each approach works and which fits your AI strategy.

AI

Joe Kepley  |  March 9, 2026

Stop Starting Over: A Better Way to Build Association Websites

A graphic of a chain of paper cut-out people in front of a stylized web interface.

Learn how data orchestration helps associations avoid costly website rebuilds by decoupling content sources from the CMS — so switching tools doesn't mean starting over.

Associations  |  Development  |  Strategy

Joe Kepley  |  March 9, 2026

The Membership Magnet: Growing Your Association with Strategic Content Paywalls

Learn five content paywall strategies associations can use to grow membership — including tiered access, metered access, time delays, and sharing codes.

Associations  |  Strategy

Nick Cobb  |  February 25, 2026

Matching Your Dreams to Your Budget: Prioritizing Features to Fit Budget and Timeline

Graphic of a mouse selecting features for a website, representing the decision-making that goes into planning a site budget.

Learn how priority-based scoping helps you build the right website features within budget and timeline with a collaborative approach that prioritizes high-value features for successful launches.

Discovery and Scoping  |  Project Management  |  Strategy