Ctrl+click Cast

Developer Andy McCormick of DuBose Web Development stops by the show to explain why his entire team develops and works on the cloud—not only for disaster recovery, but for better efficiency, workflow and cost savings! He explains how he evaluated various tools with real examples (including coding in the cloud!), how long the evaluation process should take, as well as the importance of documentation. < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: Dropbox JIRA Atlassian HipChat Confluence Bitbucket Start with Why by Simon Sinek Smartsheet LastPass 1Password Basecamp Peers Conf Cloud9 Codeanywhere CodePen ICEcoder Node Toad for MySQL Digital Ocean droplets Mitigating Disaster via Website Backups Slickdeals Groucho’s Deli Leave us a review on iTunes Review the show on Stitcher Sponsored By

Do your clients value the work you do and understand how it supports their business goals? If you don’t know (or the answer is ‘no’), then you need to start communicating better! We continue our client-friendly series exploring how technical web terms create a barrier between ourselves and our clients. In this episode, we tackle front-end development, explaining the technical terms and acronyms in ways non-web folks can understand! < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: Clients! You Need a Signature Design Style Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts Review our show on Stitcher Sponsored By

Creating a culture of fearless feedback not only helps foster better interpersonal work relationships, it ultimately helps your team, project, and company! Product Design Lead for the New York Times, Amélie Lamont, explains how to give AND receive feedback both in the perspective of a leader as well as a team player. Through practical and actionable communication tips, as well as anecdotes of best practices and fails, we discuss the nuances of what it takes to foster a culture of fearless feedback where you work. < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: Don’t Kill Them Softly: Fostering a Culture of Fearless Feedback Dichotomous thinking Employees Don’t Quit Their Job, They Quit Their Boss Never Split the Difference @goodforpoc DramaFever Speedy Romeo Leave us a review on iTunes Review our show on Stitcher Sponsored

The foundation of a successful brand? Authenticity. Reuben and Sherri Johnson — AKA The FlyDuo — join the show to share their journey of embracing authenticity and forming their non-traditional brand. They discuss the challenges of their agency’s early days, including hard lessons about their identity, choosing clients and saying no. And they detail their evolution to a brand that reflects who they are and, most importantly, connects with like-minded clients. < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: BizCraft Episode 35 Behind the Curtain #FlyDuoChat Unlabel: Selling You Without Selling Out Leave us a review on iTunes Review our show on Stitcher Sponsored By

Does an ideal content workflow exist? Listen to Jack McDade, creator of Statamic, talk about CMS content workflows both from a client and developer perspective. We chat about user experience expectations and verifying assumptions through user research. We discuss what makes a CMS easier to use, and how poor workflows can make users abandon a perfectly good system. Tune in to also hear how far Statamic has come since we last talked to Jack, plus what lies in its future! < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: Wilderborn Ecommerce in Statamic with Jason Varga Jaggy Gauran Assets documentation Assets focal crop Workshop add-on Statamic for Large-Scale Sites Block Element Modifier (BEM) Scalable and MOdular Architecture for CSS Modular CSS with Jonathan Snook Data-Driven Design with Matthew Oliphant Never Split the Difference Mr. Fuji Sushi Klask Leave us a revie

There’s no one size fits all approach to building client relationships. But if you want more long-term clients, you do have to be intentional. Susan Snipes joins us to discuss how she and her team at Q Digital Studio build long-term relationships. It starts with too-often forgotten basics like professionalism and good project management, but it also involves strategic communication after a project ends to demonstrate your ongoing value. We talk about being proactive with client communication and how to have “hard conversations” about things like rate changes. < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: ReCourses Practical Pricing Win Without Pitching Bureau of Digital Owner Camp Owner Summit Leave us a review on iTunes Review our show on Stitcher Sponsored By

More people are visiting the web on mobile than they do desktop today! Responsive retrofitting can be a cost-effective way to go beyond a desktop-only experience ASAP. Emily and Lea break down the importance of mobile-friendly sites and different ways you can tackle mobile-friendly projects based on client budget and priorities. We share front-end techniques and other processes that help prioritize audience and client goals, regardless of what device they use to access their site. < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: All digital growth now coming from mobile usage 61% of your site visitors will leave your site if it has poor mobile experience 19% of Americans  (That’s over 57 million people) depend on smartphone Google: Continuing to make the web more mobile friendly Mobile Speed Matters Strathcona High School case study

What does it take to run a successful, diverse and inclusive tech conference? Is it a mindset? A formula? Peers Conference founder and organizer Jess D’Amico joins the show to share her approach to making Peers a people-focused, welcoming event. Jess details her approach to diversity and inclusion, which is less about formulas and quotas and more about a mindset towards openness and support. She also shares how she seeks and encourages speakers, especially first-timers, as well as the Call for Proposals blind review. And Jess talks about codes of conduct, why they are necessary and what preparation is needed to ensure they can be enforced. < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: Peers Conference Get to Know #eecms: Jessica D'Amico Peers Code of Conduct Callback Women Girl Develop It Women Who Code Black Girls Code Professionalism with Dan Mall Brooklyn Beta X

Don’t expect your clients to understand every aspect of the web — that’s our job! And the first step to improving sales and client relationships is to break down technical language barriers. Industry terms can confuse and intimidate, so Emily and Lea share analogies and scenarios that more clearly explains the value of web design at every step. Through non-technical explanations (complete with examples) Emily and Lea bridge the gap between what we do as web designers and how it relates to client values and goals. < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: 10 Reasons Online Marketing Is Smarter Than Traditional Marketing Can you justify design? Merriam-Webster definition of “ambivert” LaineyGossip.com Never Split the Difference Deep Sea Sugar & Salt’s Instagram Settlers of Catan Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts Review our show

Start 2017 with a new perspective on success and failure! Web developer and entrepreneur Erik Reagan returns to the show to share his own lessons learned about finding professional success and managing failure. We discuss what success and failure really is (hint: it isn’t you), how to define measurable goals, and the importance of learning and reflection. Erik also offers suggestions for managing the ebb and flow of priorities, so that success (or failure) at work doesn’t negatively impact home. < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: Focus Lab Watson Works Development Environments with Erik Reagan Sidecar Your Work and Your Life with Carl Smith When Failure Got Personal Warren Buffett Speaks The Atlantic Leave us a review on iTunes Review our show on Stitcher Sponsored By

For the final episode of 2016, Bright Umbrella assistant Erin Lewis joins us for one last Year in Review. We look back at all we learned in business, technology and life this past year. As we reflect on recurring and changing goals, we also address what we hope for 2017 with conviction and solidarity. And finally, the year’s Rapidfire Questions analyzed! Do pancakes triumph over waffles? Tune in to find out! We’re on hiatus until the new year (tune back in January 19, 2017), and we wish you all the happiest of holidays! < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: Performance Optimization: A Tale of 2 EE Sites Flexbox with Zoe Gillenwater Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss Preserve restaurant Caravaggio Sesame Street Fever Hiromi Uehara, jazz pianist Leave us a review on iTunes Review our show on

It’s simple: Ecommerce development is complicated. There are a lot of moving parts, from understanding business rules and tribal knowledge to designing for user experience and building internal systems that work. We tackle all of these points with Noah Bersohn and Peter Compernolle, with a focus on shipping and fulfillment. Noah and Peter share two client case studies, each with unique shipping and fulfillment needs. They detail their approach, which starts with a strong focus on discovery and proceeds quickly to prototyping for validation before diving into full-scale development. They also discuss the ecommerce frameworks and CMSs they use (and prefer), and how to strategically decide when to move from out-of-the-box to plugins or custom dev. < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: CTRL+CLICK ecommerce archive Craft Craft Commerce Shopify Spree Commerce

Do you have a marketing plan? If you’re a tiny freelancer or agency, the answer may be no — and can be contributing to your business’s feast and famine cycle! Marketing Mentor Ilise Benun helps peel back the realities of marketing to help your creative business. We discuss the three main marketing techniques to use, specific tips and examples from real-world clients (including Bright Umbrella!), and the mind shift required to be better at marketing your services to get the clients and projects you want. < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: Non Breaking Space Show: Thriving a Business Stop Asking for the Budget Marketing Mentor Case Studies Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor Designers Guide to Marketing & Pricing Get the Work You Want Marketing Plan The Pick a Niche Kit Command the Fees You Deserve MarketingMentorPodcast.com Free 30-minute mentoring sess

Ever needed to build a login-protected “member portal”? Or support subscriptions for digital downloads? Then you’ve secured site site content. But have you covered all the bases? Rachel Andrew joins the show to explain the what, why and how of secure sites. We each share real-world client examples, particularly in context with content management systems. Rachel specifically details how Perch CMS supports secure content, including using a paywall with Perch Shop. She also explains the core server requirements for secure content and details how HTTPS may soon be the default for all sites. She wraps up with an intro to HTTP/2 and how HTTPS goes hand-in hand with this new performance-focused protocol. < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: Perch CMS HTTPS TLS (Transport Layer Security) What is an SSL certificate? HTTPS Everywhere with Ngnix, Varnish and Apach

How do you rehaul a 21-year-old brand? Eric Gillin explains how he helped relaunch Epicurious’ site through a phased, practical approach. We focus on the most important features of the site and which tools helped narrow these assumptions down. We talk about the difficulty of launching new features on a site with exponential visitor growth, developer impact, user experience, and parsing criticism. We also chat about their upcoming mobile app, how it differs from the site, as well as the future of food and digital. < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: Condé Nast's Epicurious Gets a Tech-Savvy Makeover Welcome to the New Epicurious Search Experience TheStreet.com WebReaper Vulcan Framework AMP from Google Node.js Instant Articles Mobify Adobe Analytics (previously Omniture) Optimizely React Native How Digital Killed the Recipe Beer Can Cabbage Recipe Momo

Is copy the same as content? Can copy influence design? Professional copywriter Stephanie Morillo joins the show to explain copywriting and how it impacts user experience. She shares examples of copy on the web — such as headings, form labels, alerts and notifications — and details how copy helps you connect with your audience and support your brand. Stephanie talks about where copywriting fits into the project process, as well as the importance of collaboration with stakeholders. She also shares great resources to help improve your copywriting and be consistent with copy, not just on your website but in all of your messaging. < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: #WOCinTech Chat WOC in Tech photos Copyblogger Chicago Manual of Style Merriam-Webster Dictionary AP Stylebook MailChimp Content Style Guide 18F Content Guide Making a case for letter casing The Copywriter

Ever dive into a project and realize the scope is completely off? How about realizing the client is the wrong fit? Paid discovery projects help minimize these issues. J Cornelius of Nine Labs explains how being more focused and intentional with a small discovery project benefits both you and your client’s business. We chat the various ways discovery projects can be executed, what they include, why they’re important, and how it sets the tone for the rest of the project. < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: Nine Labs' Risk/Knowledge Curve Diagram Sample Empathy Map (PDF) from Standford Design School Personas from Usability.gov Wikipedia: Value proposition TOOL Umair Haque Ahmad Jamal Bones Restaurant Leave us a review on iTunes Review our show on Stitcher Sponsored By

Performance matters. Tune in to hear real-world examples on how Lea and Emily tackle their client site speed issues! From fixing emergencies to thoughtful rebuilds, we discuss the specific ways we manage client expectations, budgets and resources while isolating bottlenecks. We reveal real solutions to fixing slow EE sites from different angles, including front-end, and discuss why it’s important to fix, test, and review in the first place! < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: Pingdom Diagnosing Performance Using New Relic EE: Debugging & Output WebPageTest.org YSlow Pingdom GT Metrix Google PageSpeed Insights Build Automation Using Gulp with Dan Tello Amazon S3 Cloudfront CloudFlare Low Variables Stash CE Cache Mustash EE Layouts Kirby Statamic The QA Process with Lewis Francis 8oz Burger & Co. Leave us a review on iTunes Review our show on S

Quality Assurance isn’t just testing. QA is a process that spans the lifecyle of a project. Lewis Francis, Director of Quality Assurance at Threespot, joins the show with a primer on QA for websites and apps. He talks about the difference between quality assurance and quality control, and explains where QA should fit into the project cycle. Lewis details how budget can dictate the scope of QA, but also the elements that are important for any QA process. And he shares a bunch of great tools and resources, from automated full-site validation to front-end testing to issue tracking. < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: Quality control Quality assurance Section508.gov Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) SortSite Contrast Ratio Xenu Link Sleuth Content Analysis Tool BrowserStack GitHub Issues Trac LICEcap Snapz Pro X Leave us a review on iTunes Review our sh

UX expert Matthew Oliphant stops by the show to help define what data-driven design even means! We discuss testing assumptions before a project begins, as well as how UX research affects process and the project lifecycle. From critical business decisions to design and development, we chat about different ways to test a website or app, real-world scenarios of testing, and how to make sense of it all to fulfill client and user goals. < Download MP3 >      < Listen on ctrlclickcast.com > Show Notes: usertesting.com usability.gov Optimizely Salt & Straw Human Performance Engineering User and Task Analysis for Interface Design Staging (cooking) Boys Over Flowers Expatriate Tapeheads (line at 1:18) Leave us a review on iTunes Review our show on Stitcher Sponsored By