Thoughts

Thoughts and Articles from Blend Interactive

Sam Otis & Corey Vilhauer  |  May 26, 2022

Flexibility First: Designing for Mobile and Beyond

A striking arch.

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

Karla Santi, Corey Vilhauer & Deane Barker  |  September 21, 2021

Q&A With the Authors of The Web Project Guide

The Web Project Guide - From Spark to Launch and Beyond.

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

Sam Otis  |  June 25, 2021

Designing for Dark Mode

A plant and a hashtag symbol outside of an office.

Dark mode is increasingly becoming a part of modern web design. But is it right for your new site? Blend's lead designer Sam Otis talks through the benefits and potential pitfalls.

Design and Front-End

Corey Vilhauer  |  August 20, 2020

Design Through Discovery: Blend's Strategic Design Philosophy

A castle chess piece on a stylized background.

Blend’s strategic design philosophy is one of Design Through Discovery: we design in a way that's usable, useful, and collaborative with those who will use and maintain the final product.

Agencies  |  Content and IA  |  Design and Front-End  |  Discovery and Scoping

Corey Vilhauer  |  March 6, 2020

So ... What Is Discovery?

A rocket with a line from A to B.

Building a website is like building a house — each decision is built upon the decisions that came before. Just as an architect doesn’t just throw a number at you and begin working on blueprints, we don’t begin working on a project until we fully understand the scope. We do that through our discovery process.

Content and IA  |  Design and Front-End  |  Discovery and Scoping  |  Strategy

February 15, 2020  |  The Web Project Guide

Chapter 19: Implement the Design

A rocket ship being built.

To take visual design and turn it into a fully functional (and responsive) web design is a mix of programming, math, and human interaction.

Design and Front-End

November 15, 2019  |  The Web Project Guide

Chapter 13: Develop the Graphic and Interface Design

The framework of a rocketship.

With knowledge of the content and how it’s organized, along with your organization’s marketing assets, you can visually plan the site from wireframes to fully rendered design.

Accessibility  |  Design and Front-End

May 16, 2019  |  The Web Project Guide

Chapter 2: Set Your Expectations

A rocket ship going from point A to point B on a dotted line.

What does it mean to get started on this project? Let’s set a scope for what this project will include, as well as give some thought to what “success” means – and your realistic chances of achieving it.

Design and Front-End  |  Project Management  |  Strategy

Corey Vilhauer  |  February 21, 2018

Web Accessibility: A Primer

A key, signifying accessibility.

This primer is designed to help you get a high-level view of what web accessibility is, how it affects your customers, and a little bit about what can be done.

Accessibility  |  Content and IA  |  Design and Front-End  |  Strategy

Corey Vilhauer  |  December 30, 2014

The Rule of Firsts

 A computer monitor being filled with water.

Mobile first. Content first. Users first. Which one is really meant to be first – and what do we mean when we say “first” in the first place?

Content and IA  |  Design and Front-End