Thoughts and Articles from Blend Interactive

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. 

AI  |  Content and IA  |  Strategy

Corey and Deane talk briefly about how hard it is to run a conference. Then, Sarah Winters, founder of Content Design London and author of Content Design, joins to discuss the difference between content design and content strategy, writing and designing for accessibility, and the work it takes to turn a big ship toward lasting content change.

Accessibility  |  Content and IA  |  Strategy

Corey and Deane chat about the first time they realized they really liked content modeling, and how modeling is the hidden language of content.  Then, Jeff Eaton, partner at Autogram, joins to define content modeling, the concept of content reuse (and its many issues), and the balance between philosophical modeling and actually doing the work in spreadsheets.

Content and IA  |  Strategy

Corey and Deane chat about Information Architecture for the World Wide Web — ”The Polar Bear Book” — and then our experiences with information organization in real life. Then, Lisa Maria Marquis, author of Everyday Information Architecture and You Should Write a Book, joins to discuss how to frame information architecture for those who aren’t web people, the hidden biases in organizing content, and a bit about why you should write your own book. (We also take a critical look at Lisa Maria’s bookshelf.)

Content and IA  |  Strategy

Corey and Deane talk a little about that time Kristina Halvorson (founder of Brain Traffic, co-author of Content Strategy for the Web, and executive producer of Confab and Button) visited Sioux Falls. Then, Kristina chats with us about content strategy — defining content strategy vs. content design, what tasks are often overlooked, and some basics on spinning up an internal web content team — including a bit of conference talk about the upcoming Button Conference.

Content and IA  |  Strategy

There’s a lot more to building a mobile-friendly and responsive site than just saying the words “mobile-first” and willing it into being. What does it mean? How is it done? In this article, we take a look at the process behind designing for mobile.

Content and IA  |  Design and Front-End

When a stakeholder says "Wordpress is better for SEO," how do you convince them it's simply not true? We tackle the CMS-agnostic nature of search engine optimization.

Content and IA  |  Strategy

From early logistics conversations to the book's publishing, distribution, and marketing, it's been a long road to the finish line for The Web Project Guide. Blend's CEO Karla Santi sits down with authors Deane Barker and Corey Vilhauer to discuss the book and the process.

Content and IA  |  Design and Front-End  |  Development  |  Discovery and Scoping  |  Project Management  |  Strategy

The expectations and demands of digital marketing managers have increased dramatically. Director of Sales and Marketing Taylor Lopour talks about how digital optimization can help.

Content and IA  |  Digital Optimization  |  Strategy

Better understand the scope of your site search with this site search glossary.

Content and IA  |  Development  |  Strategy