By Mary Barbour

Non-Profit Web Design: Acumen Fund

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After Hurricane Sandy tore through Brooklyn a few weeks ago, we’re more aware than ever of how much we need the helpful companies out there who are doing everything they can to help the world. This month we’re taking a look at some companies who are doing just that – and backing it up with awesome web design and UI/UX. Acumen Fund is a NYC based non-profit that has been working to combat poverty on a global scale. Their investment of time, energy and resources has continued to create awareness and generate funds to better the lives of millions of … read more

Posted in: Content Strategy · Graphic Design · Tips · Web Design · Tags: acumen fund · command c · command c design · custom website design · interface design · web design · website redesign · Leave a comment

Case Study for Senior Planet

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Last week, we went live with our redesign of the Senior Planet  website! Senior Planet is a social and informational site for youthful seniors who are still active in the community and want to stay hooked in.  They wanted us to update their site to make it easy to navigate, with a user-friendly interface that their audience would respond to. We did a complete redesign on WordPress, updating their image with vivid colors and  big pictures, bringing the most essential information to the foreground. We used large print and bold menu tabs to facilitate user navigation. We also built a … read more

Posted in: Case Study · Tags: command c design · redesign · Senior Planet · website redesign · Leave a comment

Need Tech Support After Hurricane Sandy?

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No matter what people try to say about New Yorkers, residents of this city know the importance of helping each other out, especially in hard times. Hurricane Sandy tore up much of the Northeastern coastline and has left many people in need of help. I feel so inspired every time I glance at Twitter and Facebook and see the newsfeeds buzzing with info on volunteer opportunities from both individuals and big organizations. If you haven’t already, hop on Twitter and search #sandy to see for yourself. In addition to the thousands of folks who continue to donate money, food, blood, … read more

Posted in: Tips · Web Design · Tags: command c · hurricane relief · hurricane sandy · ny tech meetup · sandy · support · tech · web design · Leave a comment

To Redesign or Not To Redesign?

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How do you know when it’s time to redesign your site? Marketing research has shown that redesigning every 2 to 3 years is most effective, but following generic rules like that can sometimes lead you down the wrong path. After all, there’s no sense in changing your site just for the sake of change.  As Paul Scrivens says in What is Design, “Don’t redesign just to do something new, redesign because you have a better answer to the question.” It’s also important to note that humans are averse to change! We are. As quick-thinking and innovative as we can be, we still … read more

Posted in: Graphic Design · Interface Design · Web Design · Tags: command c · command c design · custom website design · redesign · responsive design · website redesign · Leave a comment

By Design: My Role at Command C

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I’m rolling into my sixth month here at Command C, which seems like a good time to reflect on what it’s been like for me, as  a Fiction Writer, to get involved with a web design team. I’ve learned a lot these past months and been met with many perks and many  challenges (like how I’m currently resisting  the urge to use allegory and metaphor to further explain this feeling). Sara and I crossed paths through a 3rd-degree connection – one of those “Hey I have a friend who has a friend who runs a rad company who needs a … read more

Posted in: Graphic Design · Interview · Web Design · Tags: command c design · custom website design · entrepreneurialism · interface design · mary barbour · Website Design · Leave a comment

Engaging a Design Firm: Step by Step

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We hear a lot of stories from people who have searched and searched for a design firm to work with, only to end up having a crap experience that leaves them disappointed.  We want to save you the time and money wasted in this process by clarifying what exactly is important to look for in a designer and how to make sure you find a client/designer relationship that really works. Step 1: Don’t jump into a relationship too soon. This is possibly the most frequent mistake people make,  and it’s a big one.  You don’t decide to get married on … read more

Posted in: Graphic Design · Tips · Web Design · Tags: command c design · custom website design · interface design · web design · web design tips · Leave a comment

MarketPress: eCommerce thru WordPress

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MarketPress is another eCommerce solution to weigh against the options we’ve been discussing in weeks prior. How does it stack up? MarketPress is developed specifically for WordPress, which means that if you love using WP, you might find it suits you well. Working with your developer, you’ll be able to fully integrate your cart with your website – everything is editable from the same admin, ooh la la! On the flipside, MarketPress is a plugin that was adapted for a blogging platform that evolved into a full CMS. What this means for you is that although it’s designed to perform eCommerce, it’s … read more

Posted in: ecommerce · Tags: magento ecommerce · marketpress · plugin · wordpress · Leave a comment

Shopify: eCommerce Made Easy

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Shopify is an eCommerce solution that we like because it is smart, powerful and super easy to use. If you’re small merchant, you’re only selling a limited number of products or you’re doing all the shipping and distribution yourself, there’s a good chance Shopify is the right solution for you. The difference between Shopify and Magento is that Shopify is a hosted solution as opposed to open source, like Magento. This means that your store, sales, and other files exist and are accessible on the web as opposed to on your own server. There are benefits and drawbacks to this, … read more

Posted in: ecommerce · Tags: magento ecommerce · Pop Chart Lab · shopify ecommerce · 2 Comments

Magento: eCommerce on Steroids

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  Magento is one of the eCommerce platforms we like best. What do we like about it? For one, it’s amazingly customizable, which is kind of our shtick. It’s a super robust, open source software, which basically means the sky is the limit as far as what you want it to look like and accomplish – it’s also embedded with mobile optimization for making your eStore mobile ready. Magento’s multi-store checkout allows you to host several different sites/stores on one Magento installation, with a single checkout. (Check out GAP’s site for a great example of this). Shipping can also be seemlessly … read more

Posted in: ecommerce · Top Posts · Tags: magento ecommerce · 1 Comment

eCommerce 101: Magento vs. Shopify vs. MarketPress

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eCommerce is the general term for business transactions that occur on the internet. Everytime you shop for birthday gifts online, transfer money with PayPal, check your bank balance or bid on an awesome pair of roller skates on eBay, you are engaging in eCommerce. We primarily use three different platforms for building  eCommerce sites: Magento, Shopify, and a WordPress Plugin called MarketPress.  A lot of times, our clients want to know what the all around “best” platform is. But it’s not that simple! There are lots of different factors that help us determine which one will work best for each particular client. … read more

Posted in: ecommerce · Tags: magento ecommerce · 6 Comments