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

The Truth is in the Red Flags Off-site link

When is it time to rebuild a website? The obvious scenarios include big, hard-to-miss events. But more times than not, there are red flags flying in plain sight, signaling it's time to move on.

December 5, 2023 | 24 Days in Umbraco

Put Your Oxygen Mask on First, Before Assisting Others: On Maintaining Internal Projects.

Internal projects are often put off for client work, but making sure your internal projects reflect what you can do for your potential clients could be the factor in closing a deal.

November 13, 2023

How Developer Cross-training Helps Projects Succeed

Cross-training developers results in increased productivity, more collaboration, and better results for client projects. 

October 24, 2023

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

A Vision for a Pain-Free Migration

Migrations don’t have to be a pain — Blend has a process and vision going forward of how to make the migration process simpler. 

October 12, 2023

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

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

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.