In March, our company (Inner Circle Media) built a web-based tool for the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority that allows visitors to the DDA website to see how many parking spots are available in each parking structure downtown. That means that right now you can check the DDA site to figure out where to park before you make the trek downtown. Isn’t that nifty?!

Last year the DDA and Republic Parking invested in equipment (signs, servers, etc.) to display the number of available parking spots on electronic signs outside each structure. We worked with Republic Parking to make this parking information available online. Right now the DDA site is the only spot to find this info, but soon other downtown organizations may incorporate our widget into their sites as well. Read an interview with Stephen Smith (IT Manager at Republic Parking + DDA technology consultant) on Teeter Talk where he explains the project (and yes, he did the interview while on a teeter totter with a storm approaching).

During the next phase of the project, we’ll make the widget accessible for hand-held devices (PDAs, phones, etc.). Neato!

Congratulations Ann Arbor! Our city ranked #42 on the list of the “100 Best Places to Live and Launch” in a survey by Fortune Small Business. Towns across the country were evaluated based on business friendliness and lifestyle offerings, and Ann Arbor was cited as a good location for entrepreneurs to consider when starting and/or growing a company.

Why is Ann Arbor such a great place to start a company? Fortune Small Business says we have a strong high-tech industry. We’re also eco-minded people with a vibrant arts scene, award-winning restaurants, easy access to Northern Michigan’s freshwater lakes, and highly ranked college sports teams.

I would add that we also have a supportive and inclusive business community. We started Inner Circle Media in Ann Arbor nearly seven years ago, and had it not been for the relationships we’ve built in this town, we would not have made it past a year or two in business. Our success can be credited to our strong ties with other tech companies, marketing firms, groups at the University, and our heavy involvement with organizations like the Chamber of Commerce, Ann Arbor SPARK, the New Enterprise Forum, and the Women’s Exchange of Washtenaw.

If you’re competitive by nature and wondering how we stack up against other Midwest towns, Ann Arbor scored higher than Madison, WI (#46), Brookfield, WI (#72), Zionsville, IN (#57), Colombus, IN (#74), and Pittsburg, PA (#60). The only Midwest city to rank higher than Ann Arbor was Naperville, IL – which is just outside Chicago and ranked at #29.

Over the past few months, I’ve been talking with other Ann Arbor web companies and discovered an interesting trend – WE ALL TRYING TO HIRE THE EXACT SAME PERSON. Well, not exactly the same person, but we’re all trying to hire for the same job position.

We need experienced web programmers, especially those brilliant PHP and/or Ruby geeks who can jump right into projects, trouble shoot, and work well with a team. It’s also highly likely that these folks drink vast quantities of Mountain Dew, write code at 2 AM, and haven’t had a sun tan … ever. I say all this with kindness and admiration because our company depends on YOU. We want you join our team, and we promise to praise and reward your big analytical brains.

Seriously though - why are Ann Arbor web companies struggling to recruit for the same position? Why aren’t there enough good web programmers to go around? And how can we bring more of them here?

I think our local companies have an opportunity to band together and recruit more web programmers. Once they see that there are MANY career opportunities in Ann Arbor, they’ll be more likely to move here. They’ll understand that our region can offer them lots of job options and a career path where they quickly advance and easily change companies if need be. If you have ideas for how we can bring more experienced web programmers to the area, please comment on this post.

And for all you wonderful geeks looking for a new job, here are some Ann Arbor web firms who need you badly:

• Inner Circle Media (of course, I have to put us at the top of the list!)
• Dynamic Edge
• Ingenex Digital Marketing
• Igadea
• Boxcar Studio
• Linux Box
• MetaSpring (they’re looking for a designer right now, but always seeking great programmers)

I’ll keep adding to this list, so please let me know if you’d like your company added.

In the past 2 months, Inner Circle Media was honored with a Silver Addy Award and recognized by Corp! Magazine in their “Best of Michigan Business” competition (in the Marketing & PR Company category). Gosh, we sure are thankful when people like our work enough to give us awards!

First, let’s talk about the Addy… (By the way, that’s a photo of Carrie at the event)

Each year the American Advertising Federation receives 60,000 entries for its Addy Awards Competition. The Ann Arbor Ad Club calls for entries from local creative firms and determines winners who will compete on the regional and national level. We entered the web site we developed for Soul Tracks in the category of “Interactive Media: Web Site, Consumer HTML.” Soul Tracks is the premier online destination for soul music enthusiasts. Interestingly, Soul Tracks was started by Chris Rizik, co-founder and Board member of Ardesta, who’s passion for soul music is contagious. Boasting over a million hits a year, Soul Tracks is a vibrant web community with many contributors.

When designing SoulTracks.com, we focused on both aesthetics and flexibility. As all you web developers know, there’s always a worry that when the client takes over the upkeep of a website, the aesthetics of the user interface will quickly slide downhill. With SoulTracks.com we knew we had to build a pretty website that would stay pretty even when new content (photos, ads, videos, news, etc.) was added daily. Inner Circle built the new site on the Drupal content management framework which allows contributors to continuously add new information - like free mp3 downloads, new artist photos, bios, album updates, critical reviews, and soul music news. Drupal also allows Soul Tracks staff to manage an increasing number of advertisers.

Keeping all this in mind, we entered SoulTracks.com in the Addy competition because the site is a great example of an well-designed, technically astute website that lets our client easily manage a booming online community. We thought it deserved recognition as an example of a truly INTERACTIVE website where the content is always changing. We were right - our entry was awarded a Silver Addy and we were invited to attend the Addy Award Gala, which took place at the beautiful Rackham building on the University of Michigan campus, just a short walk from ICM’s office.

Carrie and I attended the gala, and gained keen insight into what else is going on design-wise in Ann Arbor. We learned some important things at the gala:

• Ann Arbor has some major design talent. We were super impressed with the work displayed in the Addy gallery: standouts (our favorites) include Heidi Woodward Sheffield’s work for the Ann Arbor Book Festival; Scott Pryor of Pryor Design’s sales promotion for ele Cake Co.; and Perich Advertising + Design’s entire advertising campaign for the Detroit Institute of Arts.
• The Addy Awards are based on design, not function, and this is especially true in the web site categories. Winning (Addy-worthy) entries included beautiful, expansive photography and simple, clean home page designs. Addys don’t give extra credit for functionality or recognize the power of an online community. We’re not saying that this is the Addy’s role: we could enter our sites for other awards that look more at the technical side, but it was an important lesson for us.
• They ran out of dessert. Carrie and I were devastated to find that very early in the evening, the dessert table was empty and never refreshed again. Katherine’s Catering provided the food, which was delicious, and the wine and beer selection, as well as the jazz trio, were a great enhancement to the festivities, but no chocolate for us was sad indeed.
• The price tag was a bit steep: $50 for Ad Club members (or $60 for nonmembers). The event was a great opportunity to meet other creative types in the Ann Arbor community, but I wonder if attendance would be boosted if the entrance fee was lower.

Now let’s talk about Corp! Magazine’s “Best of Michigan Business” Award…

Corp! magazine asked 1000 readers which companies they considered the “best” in Michigan. Those kind readers chose Inner Circle Media as one of the “best” in the “Marketing & PR” category. It was not clear to us how they categorized winning companies, as our firm could have fit in the “Technology Firms” or “Small Business” categories too. Winners were featured in the January/February 2008 edition of Corp! magazine and at a breakfast event in Troy, MI last week. Several other Ann Arbor companies made the list including:

• Accent Reduction Institute (Small Business $1-10 Million- also an ICM client)
• Busch’s (Grocers)
• University of Michigan Health System (Health Care Provider)
• Uproar Communications (Marketing & PR)
• Milliken Realty Company (Real Estate-Commercial/Industrial)
• Gandy Dancer (Restaurants)
• Running Fit (Retailers)
• Menlo Innovations (Small Business)
• Ardesta (Technology Firms)
• Fry, Inc. (Technology Firms)

Congrats to all the companies who made the “Best of Michigan Business” list. We should all be proud of our combined accomplishments and our efforts to build and grow great companies in the Great Lakes State.

Here’s an interesting Harvard Business Review article by Boris Groysberg (I found it on the BNET website). In his article, Groysberg says when star performers switch companies, they often fail to be star performers at the new company – except if they’re women. Groysberg found in his study that women are more successful in transitioning from one company to another. Here are the top reasons why:

• Men typically form in-house bonds at their company, while women are better at building external relationships and networks with customers, mentors, colleagues, partners, vendors, etc. outside their own company. When they leave one company and go on to the next, they take these strong connections with them.
  

• Men typically consider compensation first when selecting a new position. Women are more likely to evaluate a variety of factors when considering a new job –especially cultural fit, values, and managerial style. Women often choose to work at companies that are receptive to female talent, open to a range of personal styles, and impartial in their performance measurement systems. Because women select new jobs based on a strong personal fit, they are more likely to find success in those jobs.

If this topic interests you like it does me, then this might interest you too (especially if you live in Ann Arbor / Southeast Michigan). We are forming a new women’s group called the Women’s Exchange of Washtenaw. Our focus is on helping women build and lead strong companies. The first WXW event will be held in early May. We’ll feature a panel of high-powered business women (a C-level corporate leader, a successful company founder, and a soon-to-be successful entrepreneur). Unlike many other local business groups, we’ll also have break out sessions where all participants will discuss struggles and solutions common to growing and leading companies. The event will end with the happiest of happy hours (my favorite). Topics and agendas for future WXW events will be determined based on the outcome of this first event.

Please let me know if you want to know more and/or get involved. More info will follow on this blog, on the Chamber website, and in the press soon.

Inner Circle Media has been lauded as a commuter-friendly business by the getDowntown program, which is committed to promoting alternative transportation options. Click here to read more about our sweet award.

There are so many people we’d like to thank: our parents, who taught us how to walk, ride the bus, and drive; our family members for supporting our carpooling efforts. Oh wait, there’s the music telling us to wrap it up…

When I talk with new web designers, they frequently ask – How do you keep up with the latest web design styles, industry trends, and the newest possibilities for user interface design? Of course, I tell them that it’s super easy because the “Web Design Fairy” visits me on a weekly basis and imparts her wisdom with the touch of her wand.

Seriously, if you want your designs to forever be cutting-edge, contemporary, and hip, it takes a lot of research (i.e. books, websites, blogs, etc.), a hyper critical eye, and an inner drive to continuously push yourself. It is NOT easy. It requires vigilance. Moreover, if you want to improve your designs, you have to be able to look at your own work with an unbiased eye and say, “Golly I bet I could do better” – which sounds easier than it actually is.

Here are my thoughts and recommendations for all you creative types who are worried about doing outdated web designs and are seeking continuous improvement:

1. First of all, you’re taking a great first step by being concerned about improving your designs. Many designers get into a groove and rarely stray from it. At some point in their careers, they do a design they like and then all future designs look like that treasured first design. They choose their favorite color palette, fonts, graphical elements, etc. and they stick with them. My recommendation is this – as you design, keep your mind and your eye loose. Try new things. Try to emulate other designs you like. Remember – nothing about your design is precious or unchangeable. Also, work the entire layout equally. Don’t get hung up on the perfect color for the search button. Make your best choice and move on. You can always make changes later.

2. Refer often to websites and blogs about good design. Here are a few sites that I check on weekly. They provide compiled lists of the latest and greatest new sites.

• http://www.designmeltdown.com
• http://bestwebgallery.com/
• www.stylegala.com
• http://www.webdesignerwall.com/trends/best-of-css-design-2007
• http://www.web100.com/index.html
• http://www.coolhomepages.com/
• http://www.designinteract.com

3. Save the sites you like in your “Bookmarks”and refer to them often. My list of fav’s is gigantic and very helpful, especially when a client says, “I want my site’s design to be really awesome and organic (or some similar combination of abstract words).” Then I show the client sites from my fav list that might fit his/her vision, and the client tells me “yes, that’s what I mean,” or “no, I that’s not what I was thinking at all. I really just want you to use earth tones and photos of leaves…”

4. No matter what trend is occurring, remember to always rely on underlying design conventions to guide users toward the intended action you’d like them to take. Use the page layout and a strong message to provide order and meaning. Don’t make users search for information or think too hard about what to do next. Don’t crowd the page – keep your design simple and make it easy for users to quickly accomplish tasks. No matter how funky your color scheme and design elements, it’s easiest for users to comprehend content that is arranged on an underlying grid (with columns and rows). Use various sized fonts (headlines, subheads, body type, navigation) to delineate the space and guide visitors. And finally, as the architect Louis Sullivan preached, remember that FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION. In other words, “Don’t decorate. Communicate.”

Good things come to those who talk. ICM was founded by two women who have grown our business by talking to EVERYONE. As Carrie mentioned in a previous post, we truly believe in good business karma, and often our business benefits from networking and collaborating. Women are notoriously good at talking, so when Marisa Smith’s company The Whole Brain Group was looking to move out of her home office and into downtown Ann Arbor in 2006, Carrie suggested she come check out our new space, as we had an area that was ready to be developed. Within a week, Marisa took the leap and started working on a plan to move into the new space. A year later, Whole Brain has grown from 3 to 6 employees.

Besides the shared space, Whole Brain and ICM have collaborated on a variety of business issues: we share the same fantastic bookkeeper and we developed a website for their product AccrediStation. Both of our companies develop web-based applications and sell web-based products. Both of our companies work with universities, we share a great telephone system company, and we have swapped IKEA ideas for our office equipment and furniture. Our lawyer gave us a good explanation of how to protect our reusable work product, (i.e., code we developed that we want to use across multiple projects), so we shared the ideas with Marisa so she could intelligently talk to her lawyer about it.

Marisa even loaned me maternity clothes when I was pregnant with my son–now that is true collaboration!

Carrie Hensel, one of ICM’s fearless leaders, was recently profiled on the Michigan Innovators blog, discussing ICM’s future expansion goals and content management system. Carrie is one of many leaders discussing their business and their role in the evolving Michigan economy.

Bud Gibson, one of the founders of the blog and a teacher at the College of Business at Eastern Michigan University, has been busily adding profiles of Michigan entrepreneurs and business folks to a “highly visible repository of stories that showcase the modern, innovative spirit lurking in the Michigan economy.”

Why and how to make Southeast Michigan a worldwide hub for web developers

I got a phone call a few weeks ago from a Detroit man who wanted us to help his e-commerce website get better placement in the search engines. He didn’t want to completely revamp the website; he just wanted advice on search engine marketing. I told him that while my company performs SEO services, they’re usually part of a total website overhaul. When I referred him to a few local companies who focus on only SEO/SEM, he said, “Gosh, Ann Arbor sure does have A LOT of web companies. That city is like a web design MECCA.”

I thought about that concept – that our city and surrounding region is actually becoming a hub for web companies – and decided that our local web development community should brand and promote the region as a web development mecca.

Here’s why:

1. Global business opportunities: We already have some stellar local web development companies from large to small, those who develop huge e-commerce sites to those of us who build online communities. We could pull together to highlight the local web development industry, call attention to our combined capabilities, and bolster our reputation as a national and global mecca for web development.

2. Diversify or die: Clearly Michigan needs to diversify. We all know that the auto industry is no longer sustaining us. The State is currently promoting other industries including advanced automotive and manufacturing, alternative energy, homeland security, and life sciences. But the State isn’t doing much to highlight our IT industry – which is odd because I can think of at least 25 web and software firms who are prospering. No, they’re not firms employing 500 people; they may have just 10, 20, or 50 people, but they’re growing- by taking advantage of business opportunities around the State, country, and across the world. The State could benefit by promoting and learning from the successes of these small, agile, entrepreneurial firms.

Fine, enough pontificating. So, how could we make Ann Arbor a web development hub? Here are some thoughts:

1. Bring us BRAINS!

We have a deep pool of talent coming from our local colleges and universities - University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, local colleges (Albion, Adrian, Sienna Heights, Concordia) and WCC’s Internet Professional program. When I say “talent pool,” I’m not just talking about software engineers and MBAs. I’m talking about people who can communicate, write, speak, and build relationships with other people. I’m talking about people with the skill set to become great project managers, production assistants, creative directors, multimedia developers, Ruby on Rails programmers, and IT sales experts. We need to keep these smart folks in Southeast Michigan with fun, rewarding JOBS and long, prosperous CAREER PATHS. How can we create the jobs? Between the larger web companies (Google, Organic, Fry Multimedia, Enlighten…) and the numerous smaller companies (web design firms, web-based application and database development companies, SEO/SEM consultants), I think we could and do create quite a few jobs. Our firm plans to expand from 6 to 8 team members this year, which doesn’t seem like much, but if every web firm is expanding by 20%, that’s substantial!

2. Keep those BRAINS!

The way we keep talented, creative professionals is provide them with fun, affordable places to live (I’ll save my thoughts on this for another post), and provide them with long, prosperous CAREER PATHS. No, they don’t expect to work at the same company for their entire career. But they do need stepping stones on their career path – which is what all those web companies I mentioned above can provide. For example, we may train someone as a production assistant; that person might go to Pure Visibility as a technical manager, and then on to Fry as their Director of Technical Sales. If we don’t provide young professionals with career paths, they will go to other cities and states that do. (And just so we’re clear, the project managers we train within our company have transferable skills that could be applied to all kinds of other industries – our project managers might leave our company to help some of those Michigan-based alternative energy companies manage their projects, and that would be A-OK with me.)

3. Local Companies Collaborate

You’ve probably heard the buzzword “open innovation” a few too many times in the past week, but I’m going to say it again. Open innovation, Web 2.0 development and collaboration instead of competition are the concepts that could help our companies develop quicker/cheaper/better web-based applications and allow us to compete on a global scale. The way we’ll become a global center for web development is by building our community, networking, sitting down for coffee, hosting national and international events, sharing our thoughts and ideas with each other, and teaming up to accomplish great things. They say in some cases “the sum is greater than the parts,” and in Ann Arbor’s case, our combined efforts could make our community the place where web experts reside and web companies grow.