Member Spotlight

The AMC is proud of it's members and seeks to spotlight them. Here are some highlights from recent reports.

June, 2005

Lisa Holten Takes Client Messages Beyond Printed Words

Today, reaching your key audience goes beyond the printed word. Your message needs to travel seamlessly to the Internet, to multimedia presentations and to reports, books and publications that capture people you want to reach. You need Lisa Holton and The Lisa Co.

The Lisa Co. provides writing, editing and research services with one goal in mind - developing the best content to reach key audiences. And she does it with respect for her clients'  time, goals and budget. 

LISA founded her company in 1998 and writes mainly for corporate and higher education clients. She's also a published author of finance books and a ghostwriter of business titles. She published “The Essential Dictionary of Real Estate,” [Barnes & Noble Books/2003] and “How to be a Value Investor” [McGraw-Hill/1999]. She is a former business editor and reporter for The Chicago Sun-Times. 

For complete details about Lisa Holton skills and services visit her site. She can be contacted at Lisa@TheLisaCo.com.

Experience Pays Off For Katie Sullivan

Katie Sullivan has been a media consultant/project manager for the last eight years. She has led teams to develop award-winning web interactives and Macromedia educational games. Her work has gained recognition from Forbes Magazine (Best of the Web, 2000) the Public Relations Society of America (Bronze Anvil, 2003) and the EMMA Foundation (EMMA Award, 2003) "recognizing excellence in educational multimedia."

Since 2003, Katie has also worked part-time running a computer lab at an early childhood learning center Glenview. Her work there has further informed her decisions about effective educational software design.

You can contact Katie Sullivan at uniper@msn.com .

May, 2005

Pete Czuchra’s Cyber Com, Inc. Wins Member’s Choice Award From the Greater O’Hare Association

Cyber Com, Inc. is proud to announce the winning of a Member’s Choice award from the Greater O‚Hare Association. This is the second year in a row Cyber Com, Inc. was nominated for the award and the first year we won the award. This award recognizes members for “exceptional customer service, innovation, ethics and leadership.” Cyber Com, Inc. has been a member of the Greater O’Hare Association since February of 2000.

Founded in 1995, Elmhurst-based Cyber Com, Inc. produces Web sites for business, specializing in features that present a company’s marketing message in the way that show them best. Cyber Com, Inc. uses advanced, stable technologies such as 3D panoramic virtual tours, 3D spinning objects, streaming video and Macromedia Flash. They also produce audio for the Web using Real Networks, MIDI and MP3. And Cyber Com, Inc. helps businesses get noticed on the Web with search engine optimization and conventional marketing. They also have extensive 3D animation capabilities for video and CDROM

The Greater O’Hare Association of Industry & Commerce is dedicated to being the premier regional business organization of northern Illinois. Their focus is to provide members with unique business and personal development through networking, education and marketing opportunities. They are committed to growing and sustaining a strong regional community by providing business advocacy and supporting philanthropic causes.

For more information, contact: Peter Czuchra, http://www.cyber-com-inc.com or call 630 941-7691.

Interactive Media Pioneer Scott Wheeler Still Going Strong

One of the original team members who helped develop Macromind (now Macromedia) Director, Scott Wheeler, continues to change and grow with the times.

Wheeler Multimedia Consulting, Inc. specializes in creating and programming CDs, DVDs, and web sites for all types of interactive applications. Scott Wheeler, president, and Ted Canji, production manager, provide a range of services that include development, production, duplication, and consulting.

WMC enables graphic designers, video producers, marketing specialists, web designers and photographers to offer interactive media to their clients. WMC consults with these creative people, learns their goals and guides them through the process by managing the development as well as technical aspects of each project.

Projects completed by WMC include educational and promotional CDs, Shockwave® games, DVD demo reels, web sites, kiosks, business card CDs, a unique presentation builder for Nike's sales reps, training and simulations, and even a PDF launcher. Right now, they are working with award-winning producers, directors and educators on 27 interactive training CD-ROMs. These educational tools will be used to help foster parents master their challenging roles.

After managing the training department at Macromind (now Macromedia), Scott started his own company in 1989. His firm has been helping people make multimedia ever since. Clients of his Chicago based firm, Wheeler Multimedia Consulting, Inc. have included Amoco, Ameritech, Apple Computer, Macromedia Inc., Maddock Douglas, Motorola, Frankel and Sedgwick Productions.

WMC suggests several tips on their site. http://www.wheelermultimedia.com/index.html

Contact Wheeler Multimedia Consulting, Inc. at contactwmc@wheelermultimedia.com .

April, 2005

Meet HerGeekness

Anne-Marie "HerGeekness" Concepción is an accomplished design studio owner, consultant, trainer, author and speaker on all things related to digital design and production. She is equally at ease and deeply engaged in the print as well as the online worlds; and that resulting wide-ranging knowledge of hers, enthusiastically shared, earned her the affectionate moniker "HerGeekness" long ago from clients turned fans.

Anne-Marie founded her cross-media design studio, Seneca Design & Training, in Chicago in the late 80's "with a Mac II, a $7,000 LaserWriter, the Pagemaker 2.0a manual and a 300-baud (not kilobaud, just baud) US Robotics modem." These days her studio creates print, web and interactive PDF projects for clients including the Joyce Foundation, the International Housewares Show and LobsterGram. Anne-Marie is also a seasoned Adobe and Quark authorized trainer with clients across the country, recently helping the designers and pre-press staff at BBDO, McDougal Littel, Loyola Press, Playboy Enterprises and McDonalds Corp. master the latest design software. Publishers bring her on as a consultant for help with design/editorial workflows (she specializes in InDesign/InCopy) and business owners call on her for web site/online marketing help.

Her first book, Professional Web Site Design from Start to Finish (HOWDesign Books, 2001), continues to garner great reviews on Amazon.com; and her features and columns have appeared in numerous design and computer magazines. Anne-Marie's free bimonthly e-zine, "DesignGeek," with "tips and techniques for the digital designer" is enjoyed by thousands of designers around the world. Visit DesignGeek Central and subscribe to DesignGeek at her studio's web site, senecadesign.com.

Contact Anne-Marie at 773-539-3531 or at amarie@senecadesign.com.

March, 2005

Judi Lapinsohn Tests The Waters

Since 1995, Judi Lapinsohn, of Judi Lapinsohn &Associates, has been consulting and conducting qualitative research (focus groups, mini groups, individual interviews) in the areas of brand and marketing strategy, web site/software usability, and concept testing of all sorts . While her career began in advertising working with Proctor & Gamble, Judi spent over 12 years in marketing and sales management positions at computer software companies before starting her own market research business. Her strong technology background and insights have made her a natural choice for tech clients and others who offer more complex value propositions. She works extensively with both consumer and business to business market segments across a wide variety of industries including air travel, retail, automotive, business services, food and technology.

Judi's use of creative techniques to elicit discussion and optimize insights was also fostered through her unique experience as an improvisational actor after training at The Second City. Combined with a perceptive ability to analyze and communicate key learnings, Judi's rich background makes her a versatile, highly effective, solutions-oriented marketing research partner.

Judi is a member of QRCA (Qualitative Research Consultants Association), attended the Focus Group War College, and has been a member of the AMC since 1996. Contact Judi at Judilap@aol.com .

February, 2005

199Print.com Provides Online Solution for Short-Run Color Printing

199Print.com (http://199Print.com) is a new, innovative eCommerce site that sells high quality, short-run color printing at extremely low prices.

The driving principle behind 199Print.com is that customers shouldn’t be forced to pay for what they don’t need. AMC member Gregory Chambers, founding partner of 199Print.com offers this observation, “During my twenty years as a graphic designer I’ve purchased thousands of dollars worth of color offset printing from many of the finest printing shops in the Chicago area.”

Greg goes on to explain, “Clients invariably complain that most printers charge nearly the same amount for printing 500 hundred pieces as they would for 2,500 (or 5,000) The printers’ cost of pre-press and make-ready is just too high to justify starting up their presses for short run jobs. Sure, they might offer the option of digital printing but that technique just doesn’t match the quality of fine offset printing on good quality paper.”

Clients invariably question, “Why pay the price for 2,500 brochures when I only need 500?”

It was with these comments in mind that 199Print.com was built ­ to serve the huge pool of business customers who need short-run color printing at reasonable cost.

Businesses today need to be nimble and can’t afford to warehouse large quantities of brochures and other marketing collateral. In fact, businesses now evolve so quickly that marketing materials often become obsolete before large quantities of them can be distributed.

199Print.com has been able to offer a killer combination of low-cost / high-quality simply through the reduced operating expense associated with an online presence coupled with very careful sourcing of printing and fulfillment partners.

They offer short-run printing at extremely attractive prices. 199Print.com was developed with an extremely user-friendly front end as well as powerful eCommerce functionality that powers the back end. The site is bright and friendly and features all the technical information that a print buyer might need to make a purchase decision.

Site Design Powered by Usability Tests

The site architecture is clean and intuitive. Valuable insights were gleaned from the informal user testing which was employed during the development of the user interface. Based on user feedback, all the content contained in the site is easy to find and written to be understandable to non-professionals.

User testing revealed that the complexity of preparing designs and buying printing can be overwhelming to some casual print buyers. Technical printing terms are confusing for those that do not deal with them on a regular basis. As a result of these testing insights, 199Print.com wrote the site content in an approachable, non-threatening style. Great care was taken to present “just enough” information without technical overload.

Other user-friendly features include a well defined 3-Step order process. Those involved in the user testing appreciated the obvious visual cues that indicated where they were in the order process.

The 199Print.com site is a real world example of how low-cost, informal user testing can guide site developers in the right direction.

Jason Rothstein’s idea of a good day

Jason helps organizations find better ways to communicate and educate through a variety of consulting services ranging from project management and needs analysis, to content development and information architecture. With more than 10 years experience providing leadership on technical and creative projects, Jason has had the privilege of assisting a wide range of companies tackle diverse challenges, like:

-- creating a vivid, engaging digital archive for a 60-year-old international magazine

-- analyzing how to teach radiological technicians to perform revolutionary new protocols that take them outside their comfort zone

-- conducting a top-down website usability audit and redesign for a professional association of more than 120 newspapers

-- designing instructional presentations and exercises to teach mechanical skills in a simulated environment

-- harmonizing impenetrable attorney-speak from two merging firms into a single, clear, unified message.

“How lucky am I that my work lets me indulge two of my passions? I love creative problem solving, and I love diving headlong into new subjects. Any day I learn something new is a good day to me. But when I figure out how to demonstrate something new, or communicate something in a new, simpler way, that’s a really good day.”

To contact Jason, e-mail jr@jasonrothstein.com, or visit http://jasonrothstein.com/.

Angela Washelesky Specializes In Advertising Law, Trademark, Copyright, Sweepstakes, Licensing, Privacy, Entertainment Law And E-Commerce

Angela is a partner at the law firm of Sachnoff & Weaver, Ltd., practicing in its Intellectual Property, Internet and Technology group.

Sachnoff & Weaver is a full-service law firm with 130 lawyers—big enough to be able to handle all of the issues facing businesses today, but small enough that legal fees are very competitive.

Angela’s practice group periodically publishes “client advisories” on topics that may be of interest to the members of AMS, including topics on trademark, websites and new laws affecting e-commerce. The current advisory “What Have You Been Doing With Your Customers’ Personal Information? New California Law Requires You To Tell” tells of a new law that went into effect in last month. Here is a link to the current advisories, http://www.sachnoff.com/publications/advisories.aspx, but be sure to check out the archived advisories as well.

Angela specializes in advertising law, trademark, copyright, sweepstakes, licensing, privacy, entertainment law and E-commerce including related contracts. She counsels a wide variety of clients, including Fortune 500 consumer products and services advertisers, graphic designers, web site designers and many technology-based clients.

Prior to joining Sachnoff & Weaver, Angela spent three years as Senior Counsel in the Marketing Practices Section of the Sears, Roebuck and Co. Law Department. Angela oversaw the negotiation of contracts for corporate sponsorships and event marketing, and the contracts related to the company’s many relationships with ad agencies, PR firms and freelance writers and designers. Angela helped ensure Sears advertising was legal, substantiated and properly executed. For several years, she was the legal liaison appointed to the Sears Ecommerce team, and to the Sears Privacy Committee. She dealt with deceptive pricing laws, FTC’s advertising claim substantiation laws, right of publicity and privacy laws, trademark and copyright laws, and sweepstakes and other laws related to promotional devices such as coupons and rebates and the use of “Free.”

Prior to joining Sears, Angela spent ten years at the advertising agency of Leo Burnett in Chicago. As an attorney, she handled the legal issues relating to the advertising production and related contracts for Proctor & Gamble, United Airlines, Reebok, Maytag and Sealy, to name a few. During her first five years at Burnett, Angela was a Commercial Clearance Administrator and attended DePaul College of Law, from which she graduated in 1992, Order of the Coif. She received her LLM in Intellectual Property with honors from John Marshall Law School in 2004.

Angela is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Copyright Society of the USA and a frequent speaker at advertising law conferences. You can reach Angela at 312-207-3854, awashel@sachnoff.com.

November, 2004

Plan - Create - Manage Sums Up Content Company

Content Company enables organizations to build sustainable websites. Content Company's tagline, "Plan - Create - Manage," sums up the company's capabilities and also hints at its philosophy: a website is just a pretty face unless it has the people, processes (and usually technology) to keep it alive. Content Company has helped corporations, associations and nonprofit organizations in Chicago and across the country use the Web as an essential business tool. Whether it's an intranet bringing employees together, a customer service site for existing customers or a marketing-focused site that brings salespeople's messages to life, the Web is part of almost every facet of every organization. And Content Company can help maximize the value of the Web by incorporating email marketing and other tools.

Hilary Marsh, Content Company's founder and president, has a solid background in writing, editing and publishing. She has focused on online communications since 1996, working for R.R. Donnelley, beautyjungle.com and Sapient.

Since its inception in 2001, Content Company has worked with Household International, the American Hospital Association, University of Chicago, Donors Forum of Chicago, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Greater Philadelphia Marketing Corporation and the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Content Company can help you choose a content management system, develop a strategy for your website, create email newsletters and train your communicators in how to write for the Web. For example, one new service offers a custom Content Report on your website.

"Our clients often know that their site isn't what it should be, but they may not have a sense of what is working and what is not, or how site visitors find and respond to the information on the site. Your Content Report will consist of a complete audit of your current website: * content effectiveness * writing quality * audience alignment * appropriateness of publishing schedule * effectiveness of the navigation design * search engine readiness * relationship building capability * strategic business focus. With this report in hand, you will understand the current state of your site, so that you can begin to take the steps necessary to make the site a critical tool for your organization. We offer two Content Report options: Lite is a no cost, summary overview; and Detailed is a full report."

For more information -- and to download valuable white papers and articles, please visit http://www.contentcompany.biz.

Siren Interactive -- Multimedia You Can't Resist

It's a very good time to be working with Siren Interactive. Companies needing better web sites, CD-ROMs, DVDs and email newsletters are coming to Siren to address their e-marketing and e-learning needs.

On a quest to continue their phenomenal growth this past year, Siren is attracting more new business than in any time in its five-year history. This Oak Park, IL business isn't showing any signs of slowing down.

The year opened with a much-needed move to larger quarters, which was just the beginning. Repeat business is at an all-time high, and the goals for new business were achieved by the acquisition of over a dozen new clients. The charms of a Siren are impossible to resist.

Companies in health care, finance and manufacturing are especially suited to Siren's talents. Clients seek inspired e-marketing and e-learning solutions that deliver measurable results and positive returns on their investment.

Managing this growth requires a strong leadership team, led by CEO Wendy White, who welcomed experts in marketing, sales and operations. A strong IT team and a crack administrative staff round out the infrastructure.

The production group provides the real magic. Designers, writers and programmers cast powerful enchantments on every project, under the supportive gaze of the project managers who make sure the toiling is always completed on time.

Journey through the Siren Interactive web site and see for yourself why their work is legendary, their dedication is unflinching, and their destiny is unlimited. Siren Interactive. Multimedia you can't resist. http://www.sireninteractive.com/

What’s Your Story? WisdomTools Wants To Know.

When was the last time you got lost in a really great story? WisdomTools® helps organizations address complex performance challenges using the power of story...actually, the power of their very own stories. Our flagship offering is called Scenarios™ and it’s fun, fast, and less expensive than comparable solutions.

Unlike most traditional models for learning, but just like our everyday lives, Scenarios puts real problems at the heart of each story. WisdomTools leverages proven techniques in problem-based learning, case study and team interaction, using an online asynchronous collaborative learning framework. The company was spun out of the Center for Excellence in Education at Indiana University in 1999, and has since worked with an array of Fortune 200 companies, educational institutions, and the federal government. WisdomTools has partnered with like-minded consultants and small firms to jointly deliver value to clients.

There are multiple avenues for generating revenue and having fun along the way. For more information, feel free to contact Lisa Schumacher, Lisa.Schumacher@wisdomtools.com or visit their web site: http://wisdomtools.com .

October, 2004

Noelle Gibbs Loves To Design and Create Interactive Solutions

Noelle is an interactive designer specializing in multimedia presentations, including CD-ROM applications, motion graphics, interactive kiosks, website design, and 3D modeling and animation. With over six years of interactive experience, Noelle has worked with marketing agencies to create promotional CD-ROM projects for Glass Mountain Wine, Maserati, Nestle, and the Texas Rangers. Most recently, she has re- designed the website for luxury sportscar dealer, Lakeforest Sportscars (www.lfsc.com). "Very simply, I love to design and create interactive solutions. I work smartly, innovatively, and effectively." To learn more about Noelle please visit www.noellegibbs.com .

Fosswood Helps Small Companies Use Technology To Stay Competitive

Fosswood, Inc is a Chicago-based Technology Solutions Consultancy founded by Albert (Big Al) L. Haywood Jr. in August 1999. Their goal is to assist small businesses by incorporating appropriate technologies to stay competitive in today's markets and build revenue. Fosswood offers services such as web design/re-design, web sites updating, graphic design, computer and software training, computer networking, Internet marketing, CD ROM/print material, and other technology tools for a wide variety of business.

Fosswood has a base of Instructional Designers and multimedia consultants who can design a technology plan for clients seeking business growth by using leading-edge technology and features. Their process begins by conducting an overall needs analysis of a client's current technology status. Next, they break down areas in a client's business that can benefit most from technology, and can have the most impact for potential revenue growth. Fosswood then devises a solutions plan to train and incorporate easy-to-use technology, while finally evaluating on how the effects of technology has supported the growth of their client's business.

Many of Fosswood's consultants have first-hand experience in most industries because of their diverse backgrounds. This enables them to understand the nature of a client's business and avoids the pitfalls that result from a lack of such understanding. The company philosophy, "Get It Done and Get It Done Right." can be a very worth-while experience for every client.

Fosswood takes pride in it's work and uses it's talents to the fullest potential to provide the very best service for their client's hard-working dollars! The company believes that an absence of technology can lead to missing hundreds if not thousands of potential sales leads.

Fosswood's current project,with the Village of Dolton, Illinois, involves re-design of their current city web site and providing future software training for their city employees. For more information please visit www.fosswood.com.

GMI/Birkey.com Helps Client Position Itself On The Web

AMSTED Industries, headquartered in Chicago, is a diversified manufacturer of industrial components serving primarily the railroad, vehicular, and construction and buildingmarkets. GMI/BIRKEY.COM helped Amsted position itself and its 9 subsidiary companies on the web by utilizing the creative and engaging presentation capabilities of “Flash™” technology. In addition to presenting the three “markets” in a “Flash Animation,” Amsted is now able to better control content administration, and communication efforts to key stakeholders.

The site also provides a creative and intuitive presentation of the industries to which Amsted companies provide their quality products and services. The new design features intuitive links to all Amsted owned company content and websites directly from the home page.

The new site architecture, based upon Microsoft Active Server Pages (.asp) and a SQL Server database foundation:

• Reduces page load times
• Makes the site easier to navigate
• Enables editing and managment of site content through a simple web-based interface

The database foundation also allows for:

• Future expansion (databases or ASP.NET)
• Easier updating of content through the client accessible Backstage area
• Future efficient searching of all content residing in the website

A decreased reliance on internal Amsted staff to update the site, allows Amsted corporate divisions and entities greater control of the content in their sections. In addition, the migration plan to the new BIRKEY.COM hosting environment gives Amsted.com access to more powerful and cutting-edge technology much sooner than with their past plan, and at competitive rates. For more info contact Randal Birkey.

E. Heidi Fieschko

Heidi Fieschko has recently reconnected with the AMC as she transitions into her next information product development opportunity. Most recently with a division of Harcourt Educational Publishers, Heidi led the eLearning department of Rigby Education in all 2004 interactive media product development. Though educational products have been a cornerstone throughout her career, Heidi has worked across a number of industries and market sectors. She is currently contracted as a design researcher / information architect with an internet consultancy specializing in portal sites, while evaluating her next opportunities.

Heidi has worked in digital media product and service strategy and development for over 10 years. Her HCI background includes the planning, implementation and analysis of user and product research, as well as software product design and production. Based on her experiences at the Institute of Design, IIT and at the innovation consultancy, Doblin Group, she maintains a brand experience point of view while exercising her product definition skills in information structuring, visualization, and interface design.

At business consultancies, eMarket Concepts and Doblin Group she led teams in developing customer-centered e-commerce and business strategies that leveraged the Internet and other mediated channels. Her key responsibilities included:

• Translating research findings into business strategies
• Translating strategies into a defined brand experience
• Translating brand experience into actionable product design directives
• Directing prototyping and testing
• Specifying products for implementation (Internet and CD-Rom based delivery)

Previous to Doblin Group, Heidi worked in the early Internet space while at IBM/Prodigy Online Services. As Executive Producer, User Interface, for Prodigy Internet she held U.I. design responsibilities for specific feature and function development while directing teams in the overall interface and interaction design of the entire system.

In addition to practicing in interactive media product development, Heidi has been an adjunct Professor at the Institute of Design, IIT, teaching graduate classes in Interface Design and Communication Design, for the past several years.

She holds a BFA in Communication Design from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master’s in Design from the Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology. She has also completed partial coursework towards a Master’s in Educational Psychology from National Louis University. Heidi can be reached by email at heidi@ehfieschko.com

September, 2004

Manifest Digital To Host Dreamweaver Product Team

Manifest Digital, a Chicago-based marketing and design firm has been selected to host the Macromedia Dreamweaver Product Team to provide insight and feedback. Macromedia specially selected Manifest Digital because of their frequent use of the Studio products as well as the diversity of work produced by the firm. “It’s a rare opportunity to provide feedback directly to the company who in many ways influences how effectively we can support our clients,” says Brett Gilbert, a Manifest Digital technology services specialist. “We’re impressed with their openness to feedback already and proud to host them at our offices so they can see how we get the work done.”

The idea sharing between Macromedia and Manifest Digital is one of a very limited number of focused meetings spearheaded by Macromedia as part of its roadshow effort. The goal for Macromedia is to remain in line with customer needs and gain forward-looking insights into its products.

Customers that have participated in the road show to-date range from one-person design shops to large companies, like Google and Staples. So far, Macromedia has visited about 25 companies in Atlanta, Boston, Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area. According to Macromedia’s private publication on the event, “The engineering-focused product review is designed to allow customers to share in the Macromedia product development roadmap.”

In addition to its core development and management teams, Manifest Digital has also invited a select set of student representatives from Columbia College and the Illinois Institute of Art at Chicago to gain a unique and educational perspective on professional development.

Manifest Digital is a marketing and design firm specializing in strategic services—branding, usability and information architecture. Learn more at manifestdigital.com

Mark Steiner Specializes In E-Learning

For over a decade, Mark Steiner has designed and developed e-learning programs for a variety of clients and industries. He holds a BS in Industrial Technology and an MS in Industrial Training.

Over the years, Mark has developed a myriad of e-learning programs and is intimately familiar with proven design and development methodologies. His project roles have varied from group director, project manager, and lead instructional designer to lead programmer and media specialist. He is currently President of his own e-learning consulting firm, mark steiner, inc., www.marksteinerinc.com .

Mark is also an Authorware guru with over eleven years' Authorware development experience beginning with version 2.0. He has instructed graduate-level courses on designing and developing e-learning projects, is a Certified Macromedia Authorware instructor, and enjoys speaking at a variety of training and online learning conferences in the U.S. and Europe.

Mark can be reached at mark@marksteinerinc.com .

Ricochet Digital Approaches Projects From A Concept Development Point Of View First

Ricochet Digital LLC is an interactive design firm. The company’s founder Tim Potranandana leads the company with a vision of introducing intuitive graphical user interfaces that empowers its users to accomplish their goals. All the while balancing the needs of clients to communicate, sell, educate, or entertain their user base.

Ricochet Digital provides interactive design, development and animation services to a broad range of organizations. Some past client projects have included an entire corporate website design and development for Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal, a law firm With 700 attorneys and other professionals in nine U.S. offices, online corporate training products for an Electronics Distributor Newark InOne that carries millions of products from over 400 manufacturers, and trade show animations for Hyatt Hotels to name a few.

“We always try to approach any project from a concept development point of view first, then selecting the most appropriate technologies that will get that concept or message across most efficiently, not the other way around. We believe it is this approach that makes for a more engaging and compelling user experience,” says Tim.

While the company only opened its doors in 2002, everyone on the team is highly experienced from various rich backgrounds. “It is paramount to have the right skillful people who are self-motivated and share the same goal of creating work that gets noticed, on the development team,” says Tim. Ricochet Digital team members are adept in skills ranging from design, animation, content development, multimedia authoring and information architecture.

For further information please visit the company’s website at www.ricochetdigital.com. Tim Potranandana can be reached at 773.205.7540

Monkeys Raise The Bar
That’s purple monkeys, as in Purple Monkey Studios, a software development company based in Oak Park, Illinois. These monkeys just keep climbing! Come November they will celebrate their 10th anniversary…quite an accomplishment after the dot.com bubble burst and then the downturn in the economy hit.

Russ Klitchman and Steven Saraceno, co-founders and business partners from the company’s inception in 1994, attribute their success to the firm’s clients and staff. “Our clients come to us with fantastic opportunities. Our staff brings their creativity, high energy and team work to the projects. The result is exceeding our clients’ expectations, not just once, but every time,” says Klitchman, CEO.

Those monkeys make it look easy…sleek designs that work in interactive media and technology solutions invisible to the end-user…just as it should be. “By successfully merging the creative talents of our visual communications group with the knowledge of our technology team, we produce applications for our clients that are engaging, persuasive and easy to navigate,” said Saraceno, president. No matter the industry, Purple Monkey is there. Listen to what their clients say.

Entertainment When Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises wanted a new corporate Web site to promote their restaurants and gift certificate programs on the internet, they selected Purple Monkey Studios. Lettuce commented that Purple Monkey understood the essence of what the restaurants were about, and successfully translated the grand image of their restaurants into a visually appealing Web presence. Lettuce appreciates Purple Monkey’s continual creativity, flexibility and immediate attention to their changing needs on a day-to-day basis. That keeps the individual restaurant and corporate sites continually up-to-date, and brings more people through the restaurants’ doors.

Education Today’s kids are raised on interactive media. Educational publishers like McDougal Littell know this and challenged Purple Monkey Studios to create a highly-engaging multimedia CD-ROM companion for a Spanish language book series. The resultant product is En Espanol: Take Home Tutor, a three CD-ROM set that grabs and holds the student’s attention with over 1,300 activities per CD. Purple Monkey Studios was the first company McDougal Littell thought of when laying out the project. Within two days from the initial phone call, the Purple Monkey team was at the client’s site. An executive from McDougal said, “They played a significant part in defining the project, moving it forward, and making it truly interactive. Better than any award one could receive for a software application, we’re receiving phone calls and e-mails everyday filled with positive feedback from our sales force that the product is a huge hit.” Purple Monkey ensures that the products they create hit the client’s objectives and improve the client’s bottom line.

Medicine The medical field relies on improved technologies everyday to enhance the level of care offered to their patients. The American Academy of Pediatrics wanted to develop an innovative Web-based tool that would promote best practices for treating a variety of childhood illnesses and diseases. This on-line tool had to be adaptable to offer doctors, physician’s assistants, nurses and hospital staff up-to-date information and methods to better chart and treat their patients. According to their program manager, “Purple Monkey blended the reporting and charting tools we needed to achieve the project’s goals with easy navigational features and a clean design. Knowing the end users may or may not be computer savvy, the intuitive flow had to be kept simple, while the underlying technology supported much more complicated functions.” Purple Monkey is proud to have developed this powerful tool that is now improving how our children are cared for and treated.

How High Can They Climb? Purple Monkey Studios continually raises the bar…in terms of technologies used, designs created, solutions provided, and applications developed. Never satisfied with past success or awards, Klitchman and Saraceno continually search out the next opportunity and challenge their employees to push the limits of what they do each day. These monkeys are on the move and aren’t afraid of climbing to new heights. For further information, please visit www.purplemonkey.com.

August, 2004

Technotribe Beats The Drum In The B2B Marketing Space! www.technotribe.com
Zip-Pak USA Technotribe worked with long-time client Zip-Pak, a division of ITW, to redesign its web site, www.zippak.com. This B2B web site provides information on Zip-Pak’s products, as well its ability to provide a complete range of custom resealable packaging solutions. Some of these solutions are illustrated through online case studies. The case studies let site visitors identify themselves as either a Marketer or Engineer and view content targeted to their interests. Because Zip-Pak has a worldwide presence, the international site visitor is welcomed by pages translated into French, German, Spanish and Japanese. Site visitors can fill out a contact form that routes the message to the nearest Zip-Pak office. The new site has generated an increase in contact information, as well as positive comments from industry watchers.

Micron Industries Corporation Inc. Micron Transformers looked to Technotribe for the launch of their initial web presence, www.microntransformers.com. Technotribe designed this 'phase one' site to present information on Micron's family of control transformers, including the ability to search an online product database. An automated upload feature allow Micron to expand and update the product download information quickly and easily. Site visitors can locate a Micron sales rep by clicking on an interactive map, or filling out a contact form that routes the message to the appropriate Micron contact. An extensive FAQ section informs electrical engineers on the importance of specifying the right transformer, and includes links to other industry web sites.

For more information about Technotribe contact Randy Lawrence, 847.526.1960 or randy@technotribe.com.

Ark Services Establishes www.arksvc.com/Unique

The website has been setup to sell Unique Handcrafted Collectibles and Gifts from Africa providing employment for the African artisans who make the products. Africa has a very high unemployment rate, reportedly about 65%. Most buyers are consumers who find the website via search engines and use the safe secure PayPal online payment system though other arrangements are available especially to organizations buying larger quantities. For more information visit the website ("window shoppers" welcome) contact Al Kishpaugh at ARKMALL@arksvc.com. or phone 708-371-3674.

Pollack Opens New Writing Studio

StoryStudio Chicago is a new center in Chicago's Wicker Park dedicated to fostering confidence and creativity in writing and storytelling through teaching, discussion, performance and community building. Writers and performers of all levels—from aspiring writers to professionals—are encouraged to participate. Whether you write for business or for personal expression, our classes, workshops and events encourage your individual voice to shine through the written and spoken word. For more information please contact Jill Pollack at info@storystudiochicago.com and visit http://www.storystudiochicago.com/ .

July, 2004

Free Open Source Content Tool Developed by Type A
Type A Learning Agency is excited to announce the first public release of Contemplate(tm), its open source web templating system.

Contemplate assembles text content, page layouts, and server-side or client-side scripts into dynamically generated or precompiled web pages based on arguments you pass into each page. From simple, content-oriented websites to complex, data-driven web applications, Contemplate separates different production tasks and allows writers, front-end developers, and web programmers to focus on what they do best. For more information and a free download, please visit http://www.typea.net/software/contemplate. To learn more about Type A Learning Agency, please visit their website at www.typea.net.

PowerSuasion turns information into action.

PowerSuasion Incorporated, founded by Karolus Smejda, improves work performance through custom interactive communication learning and consulting using actor-based and technology-based platforms. To find out details about PowerSuasion and download brochures about The PowerSuasion Players, My Writing Assessment, and One-on-one consulting please visit http://www.powersuasion.com. You can contact Karolous at smejdak@powersuasion.com

Carolyn Barth of CBWrites Finishes Web Site, Finds Agent

I've just wrapped up a 300-page web site for the University of Chicago (http://millercenter.uchicago.edu); I'm writing a video for Northwestern Hospital's Gala benefit; and I'm writing ad copy for a healthcare site. I've secured an agent for my children's book, Dogs in Clogs, too, and I'm very excited about it! Contact Carolyn at cbwrites@mindspring.com.

To find out about more AMC members please search our Member Directory!

Here is information about becoming an AMC Individual Member, Corporate Member, or Corporate Sponsor.