by workshedAdmin | May 22, 2008 | Project Reports, Workshed News
Last week, we launched a particularly large project that we’ve been working on for some time for Western Bus Sales, the leading School, Commercial and Activity bus dealer in the Pacific Northwest. For this project, we partnered with Blue Dog Creative, who did the design, while we handled the information architecture, XHTML/CSS coding, PHP and CMS development, testing and hosting.
The site is almost completely CMS-driven, using our Pegboard CMS tool, which allows the WBS staff to easily keep their content and inventory up-to-date. The folks at WBS were great to work with and we wish them a prosperous future with their new web site!
http://www.westernbus.com
![Workshed completes web “experience”]()
by workshedAdmin | May 7, 2008 | Workshed News
Camas, Wash. (May 6, 2008)—Rare is the work assignment that very nearly is pure creativity. But that is just what Camas-based Workshed Creative Agency stumbled onto when it won the opportunity to partner with Andy Harrison at MacTechHelp.com to execute the vision of New York-based retired financier and philanthropist to the photographic arts, Howard Stein.
Stein, regarded as a pioneer in mutual funds and a father of social investing, long has worked to democratize access to photography. His vision: a web-based portal that provides an experience akin to looking at photography in a museum.“This is the kind of project that agencies dream of doing because it has all the elements of great creative work,” says Bret Van Horn, president and creative director of Workshed Creative Agency.“We are thrilled Andy Harrison at MacTechHelp.com thought to approach us when he sought a creative agency partner for this project,” Van Horn says.Workshed presented the right combination of talent and skill necessary to bring highly creative vision into reality.“As we grow the museum, this project will continue to require innovative, creative solutions that we not only execute, but accomplish within very strict deadlines,” says Harrison. “The creative experience that we all bring to the table makes for a unique, very thoughtful and ‘forward thinking’ look at photographic, socioeconomic, scientific and political issues.”The result: A completely flash-based digital museum where visual perspective is different from most non-gaming websites. At the Forward Thinking Museum, http://www.jgsinc.com/ftm, a docent greets visitors and provides a Digital Navigation Device. The docent then directs traffic to an elevator that seems to rise ad infinitum, stopping at galleries along the way.Forward Thinking Museum is laced with humor, irreverence and a leaning toward the surreal. It currently features nine photo exhibits, each with artist biographies and background information on the display. As the elevator that seemingly climbs to the sky implies, innumerable exhibits can be added.
Workshed and MacTechHelp have built a content management system that will enable additional galleries to be added easily by the JGS staff. An offshoot of Stein’s foundation, The Joy of Giving Something, the Forward Thinking Museum is a vehicle to call attention to hot topics in the world of photographic arts. The possibilities are endless.“We don’t know what it all means,” says Stein, “but we do know that this is just the beginning.”Of all the projects Workshed completes month-in and month-out, the agency is highlighting Forward Thinking Museum because it raised the bar.“Forward Thinking Museum establishes a point of reference for companies and organizations that are seeking innovative web development. FTM provides an example for where we can take our imaginations and apply creativity in all our endeavors, not just museums and online games,” says Van Horn.In addition to web design, development and consulting, Workshed offers an extensive list of capabilities. Services include: innovative brand-focused advertising, marketing and creative services, complete motion media production for television and radio, corporate videos, music videos and other projects, as well as directing and editing.Workshed‘s roster of clients also includes: Subaru, C3MS, Camas Farmer’s Market, The Pixie Project, Oregon Public Broadcasting, Downtown Camas, Washougal Town Square, Camas Educational Foundation and Amy Sacks Eyewear. MacTechHelp.com, based in Portland, Oregon, but consulting to Mac-specific businesses and individuals throughout the U.S., works to “make Mac geeks out of everyone.”MacTechHelp provides technical consulting services to people who need a little handholding as the world of technology gains complexity. Technical consulting, paired with a rich design background allows MacTechHelp to provide a very focused, and informative range of web, print, hardware and software specific services. MacTechHelp’s roster of clients includes: Joy of Giving Something, Michael Kenna Photography, Nazraeli Press, Ron van Dongen Photography, ASID Oregon, IDC Oregon, The Firm Public Relations and Alpha & Omega Financial Services.For more information, go to: https://workshed.com or http://mactechhelp.com.
by workshedAdmin | May 6, 2008 | Workshed News
Our most recent site launch just went live today for local clothing designer, Tina Richard. Her Pastel and Vaquero lines of clothing are modern, hip and fashionable. We had a lot of fun working on this site, designing it to look like her work table and also providing her with our new CMS tool, Pegboard. Check out her site to see what she’s sewing up in her studio and buy some of her stuff:
http://www.tinarichardpastel.com
by workshedAdmin | Apr 25, 2008 | Articles, Events
It’s been truly inspiring to see how much downtown Camas has changed and grown since my family moved here five years ago. When we moved here, there was very little to do in Downtown Camas, and we spent most of our time over in the Fisher’s Landing area when we wanted to eat, shop or relax at a movie.
Fast forward, and now we have a burgeoning city center, full of high-end shops, excellent eating establishments and a great group of friendly people staffing them all. This is something we should all be thankful for.
Unfortunately, whether it’s due to the economy or just a lack of interest, we are losing some businesses down here lately, and that makes us very sad here at Workshed. We see these people every day, we are their customers, friends, associates and supporters. To see one of our own close their doors and call it a day is like losing a close friend. Not only that, but it strikes a chord among all of us—are we next? Will our business slow down too? Will we have to close our doors?
Unfortunately, I think we’ve all felt the sting of the down economy at some level. Nobody wants to call it a recession, but it if looks like one, talks like one and acts like one, chances are it is one. We’ve noticed some of this trickling down to us during our sales process as of late, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t concern me. At the same time, I understand and can empathize with these people. How can one justify spending money when money isn’t being entirely forthcoming?
I don’t have any answers. Sure, I can tell you to spend money with us on marketing and a fancy new web site and all of your ills will be fixed—but that’s not a promise I’m willing to make. These are unpredictable times, and there is no cut and dry solution other than the pursuit of survival. Do what you feel you need to do to keep your business afloat.
The one thing we can all do is to spend money with local businesses. Make a weekly trip downtown, buy a trinket or new article of clothing at a shop, catch a movie (it’s cheaper and cozier than the Regal multiplex) and buy a great dinner. In the grand scheme of things these purchases are small, but on the whole, they add up enough to maybe help someone keep their doors open long enough to weather the storm. A community isn’t just the people who live in it, it’s also the businesses who make life more convenient for its residents, who give back to the community and who provide jobs to its residents. We are all responsible for the success of local businesses on some level.
Our sincere thanks to the businesses who have closed their doors recently or will be closing them soon. Your presence downtown made our days better and we are better off for having served in the business trenches with you. You will all be sorely missed.
by workshedAdmin | Apr 4, 2008 | Workshed News
The outage has been resolved and all of our servers are back up and running. Thanks for your patience!
