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 24: Maintain and Improve (w/ David Hobbs) Off-site link

Corey and Deane discuss the people and rules that help run a website after launch. Then, David Hobbs, author of Website Product Management: Keeping Focused During Change, joins to talk about transferring a site from a project to a product — what that means to keep the site going after launch, where it most often fails, and how to streamline requests and set reasonable expectations for the future of the site.

October 17, 2023 | The Web Project Guide Podcast

Episode 23: Plan for Post-Launch Operations (w/ Meghan Casey) Off-site link

Corey and Deane talk about the idea of a web operations framework. Then, Meghan Casey, content strategist and author of The Content Strategy Toolkit: Methods, Guidelines, and Templates for Getting Content Right, joins to talk about content governance and ongoing maintenance — how humans are nearly always the problem (but not the humans you might think), the things you can do to plan for post-launch content, and how to deromanticize the bit launch in favor of content maintenance.

September 20, 2023 | The Web Project Guide Podcast

Episode 18: Select an Implementation Partner (w/ Tony Byrne) Off-site link

Corey and Deane discuss what clients should look for when selecting an implementation partner. Then, Tony Byrne, co-author of The Right Way to Select Technology and President of Real Story Group, joins to talk through the implementation partner selection process, including common mistakes, the value of domain knowledge, and how most projects should focus on technology first.

April 13, 2023 | The Web Project Guide Podcast

Episode 4: Create a Project Plan (w/ Brett Harned) Off-site link

Corey and Deane talk about how project plans rarely stay intact upon first contact with real life.  Then, we chat with Brett Harned, author of Project Management for Humans, about his definition of a project plan, creating better retrospectives, and how to help clients and project teams keep on track. (Also, Brett tells us the best album in his record collection.)

February 15, 2022 | The Web Project Guide Podcast

Episode 3: Form Your Project Team (w/ Patrice Embry) Off-site link

Corey and Deane talk about the roles missing from most new project teams — namely, the idea of a user and product advocate. Then, Patrice Embry joins the podcast to talk about forming a project team. And, of course, we talk about sports metaphors.

January 18, 2022 | The Web Project Guide Podcast

Episode 2: Set Your Expectations (w/ Karen McGrane) Off-site link

Corey and Deane talk about the concept of having it "fast, cheap, and good: pick two." Then, we chat with Karen McGrane of Autogram about our role as corporate counselors, dealing with overpromises, and the best mockumentary.

December 15, 2021 | The Web Project Guide Podcast

Episode 1: Know the Scope of the Project (w/ Bill DeRouchey) Off-site link

Corey and Deane discuss the opening beats of a project. Then, we chat with Bill DeRouchey, former lead product designer for Zendesk, to discuss his history with vetting and researching a new project during the opening salvo, territorialism, and Mike Watt.

November 22, 2021 | 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.