News Releases

DesignHammer Sponsors BarCampRDU 2013

David Minton — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:08:58 +0000

Durham, NC — DesignHammer will continue its sponsorship of the Raleigh-Durham BarCamp for 2013. This marks the seventh year for BarCampRDU and the fourth year of sponsorship by DesignHammer.

BarCampRDU is a “un-conference” where attendees of the event can watch as well as engage as educators with their peers. The event is open to the public and driven entirely by content created by those attending the event making for a unique, entertaining and educational experience.

BarCamps have developed worldwide, bringing together professionals from various industries to share their knowledge with peers. Other industries that have taken advantage of the BarCamp format include Real Estate, Marketing, Healthcare, and Education. There are also more topic specific conferences within the technology field that cover cloud computing, design, privacy, and UX sessions throughout the day for those interested in a highly focused event.

In addition to sponsoring the event, DesignHammer’s staff will be in attendance to pitch their own presentations, and contribute through participation in session’s often lively discussions.

According to DesignHammer Account Manager Stephen Pashby “I have been looking forward to BarCampRDU 2013 since last one in 2011. It is a great opportunity to connect with other members of our local tech community to learn and share knowledge in such a collaborative atmosphere.”

“I always look forward to BarCamp. It's a great way to learn new things and meet other people in the Triangle development community,” added DesignHammer Developer Jay Roberts.

DesignHammer Partner David Minton, who has attended BarCampRDU five times further added “I am very happy that some great people came together to continue BarCampRDU this year, after the conference failed to get enough support to happen last year.”

For those that cannot attend, the BarCamp sessions are usually covered by live bloggers and can be followed as it happens by searching for the BarCampRDU tag as well as following along with @BarCampRDU and #BarCampRDU on Twitter.

The event will be held at the NCSU Centennial Campus Engineering Building 2 in Raleigh this Saturday, March 18th from 8:00–5:00pm, with lunch served in the RedHat building meeting area. Reservations to attend the conference are available through the BarCampRDU website, though attendance is limited to 200. For more information, visit the BarCampRDU website.

DesignHammer offers chance to win a Nexus 7 tablet at Drupalcamp Atlanta 2012

David Minton — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 15:51:02 +0000

To promote DesignHammer's sponsorship of Drupalcamp Atlanta 2012 at the Cobb Galleria Centre on October 27, the company will be providing a chances to win a Google Nexus 7 tablet.

The conference is the premier Drupal event in the Southeast, expected to draw around 400 developers, designers, and business owners. The conference will include multiple tracks ranging from introductory, through advanced topics, and will feature a keynote by "mobile-guru" Josh Clark. Also, scheduled at 3pm is a presentation on SEO for Drupal 6 and Drupal 7 by DesignHammer's David Minton and Stephen Pashby.

Participate in the contest using the interface above. You can enter via email, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or all of the above! Each entry increases your chance to win! Or, stop by DesignHammer's table at Drupalcamp Atlanta and drop off your business card.

There is no cost to enter. Participants do not need to attend Drupalcamp Atlanta 2012 to enter. Only one business card will be accepted per person. The contest will run from 10/25/2012 until 11pm EST 11/03/2012. Only one prize will be awarded to any one individual. Prizes will only be shipped within the continental United States. Winners will be contacted via email.

DesignHammer offers two chances to win a Nexus 7 tablet at nonprofit conference

David Minton — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 20:53:03 +0000

To promote DesignHammer's sponsorship of the 2012 Conference for North Carolina's Nonprofit Sector at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel, Research Triangle Park on September 13–14, the company will be providing two chances to win a Google Nexus 7 tablet.

The conference is the premier statewide event for North Carolina’s nonprofit sector, expected to draw between 700-900 nonprofit decision makers from across the state, as well as foundation trustees and staff, corporate giving officers, and consultants and vendors who work with nonprofits. Conference participants receive exposure to national, cutting-edge speakers, access to high-quality information, and important connections with peers, grantmakers, and others. The conference is organized by the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits.

According to DesignHammer Managing Partner David Minton "we wanted to run a contest to promote the conference, and award a good prize, but but didn't want to exclude those who couldn't attend the conference. So, we offer two ways to win."

Attending the 2012 Conference for North Carolina's Nonprofit Sector at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel? If so, stop by the DesignHammer table between 8am and 6pm on Thursday and drop off your business card for a chance to win a Google Nexus 7 tablet. The winner will be announced during the Twentieth Anniversary Reception.
Can't attend the conference? Participate in the social media contest using the interface above. You can enter via email, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or all of the above! Each entry increases your chance to win!

There is no cost to enter. Participants do not need to attend the 2012 Conference for North Carolina's Nonprofit Sector to enter the social media contest. Only one business card will be accepted per person. The business card contest will run from 8am EST 09/13/2012 until 6pm EST 09/13/2012. The social media contest will run from 11pm EST 09/12/2012 until 11pm EST 09/27/2012. Only one prize will be awarded to any one individual. Prizes will only be shipped within the continental United States. Winners will be contacted via email.

DesignHammer recognized for exemplary workplace practices

David Minton — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 19:55:36 +0000

Durham, NC — DesignHammer has been honored with the 2012 Alfred P. Sloan Award for Excellence in Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility for its use of flexibility as an effective workplace strategy to increase business and employee success.

This prestigious award, part of the national When Work Works project administered by the Families and Work Institute and the Society for Human Resource Management, recognizes employers of all sizes and types in Durham, NC and across the country.

“We are honored to be recognized for this prestigious award,” said David Minton, Managing Partner of DesignHammer. “Our employees are our most valuable resource, and from the beginning recognized that creating a flexible corporate culture would allow them to work efficiently, and with greater job satisfaction.”

Workplace flexibility — such as flextime, part-time work and compressed workweeks — has been demonstrated to help businesses remain competitive while also benefiting employees.

“Our research consistently finds that employees in effective and flexible workplaces have greater engagement on the job and greater desire to stay with their organization. In addition, they report lower stress levels and better overall health,” said Ellen Galinsky, president of Families and Work Institute.

The Sloan Awards are unique for their rigorous, two-step selection process, which involves an evaluation of employers’ flexibility programs and practices, and a confidential employee survey. All applicants are measured against national norms from the National Study of Employers.

“As a recipient of the 2012 Sloan Award, DesignHammer ranks in the top 20% of employers nationally in terms of its programs, policies and culture for creating an effective and flexible workplace,” Galinsky said. “In addition, what makes this honor so special is that their employees have corroborated this, affirming that it is indeed an effective and flexible workplace.”

When Work Works is a national project to educate the business community on the value of workplace flexibility by sharing research and promising practices, and conducting the annual Sloan Awards. It is an ongoing initiative of the Families and Work Institute and the Society for Human Resource Management.

For more information about the When Work Works project and the Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Excellence in Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility, visit www.whenworkworks.org.

About DesignHammer

Founded in 2001, DesignHammer is an award winning, full-service, boutique website design and development agency. The firm specializes in graphic design, content management systems, online application development, search engine optimization, usability, and hosting, with experience serving the needs of organizations of all sizes.

About When Work Works

When Work Works is a national initiative, led by the partnership of Families and Work Institute and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), to help businesses of all sizes and types become more successful by transforming the way they view and adopt effective and flexible workplaces. When Work Works is one of the foremost providers of resources, rigorous research and best practices on workplace effectiveness and flexibility in the nation. The initiative administers the prestigious Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Excellence in Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility annually, which recognize exemplary employers for using flexibility as an effective workplace strategy to increase business and employee success. Visit www.whenworkworks.org and follow us on Twitter @FWINews and @SHRMPress.

DesignHammer Sponsors NCTech4Good Conference

David Minton — Thu, 10 May 2012 19:39:17 +0000

Durham, NC — DesignHammer was privileged to sponsor the third annual NCTech4Good Conference, held Friday, May 4, 2012, at The William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education in Chapel Hill, NC. The theme of this year’s conference was Productivity: Doing More With Less.

The conference provides an opportunity for people from across North Carolina to come together and share knowledge about technologies that can advance the mission of nonprofit organizations. The conference had scheduled presentations by leaders in the nonprofit technology sector in addition to participant-organized sessions on additional topics of their choosing.

“NCTech4Good hosted a great conference covering a diverse range of topics,” said DesignHammer Partner David Minton. He added “many of our clients are non-profits, many of which were in attendance, so it was a valuable opportunity for DesignHammer to stay current on technology trends relevant to this industry.”

In addition to sponsoring the conference, DesignHammer staff presented during both the scheduled, and participant-organized “Design Your Own Session” conference tracks.

DesignHammer Developer jay Roberts presented “Choosing a Content Management System,” while Account Manager Stephen Pashby and Partner David Minton presented “How to Plan a Web Project and Write an RFP.”

According to Stephen Pashby, “Participating in NCTech4Good was a great experience. David Minton and I were pleased to facilitate a session that offered a candid discussion between the nonprofit staff and vendors who participated, providing a multi-faceted view of a complex and often misunderstood process. We look forward to facilitating similar discussion in the future.”

NCTech4Good also hosts monthly meetings to share knowledge about technologies that can advance the mission of nonprofit organizations. NCTech4Good monthly meetings are coordinated through Meetup.com

David Minton Honored with Business Leader Magazine’s Top Entrepreneurs Award

David Minton — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 17:32:06 +0000

Durham, NC (February 24, 2012) — David Minton, Managing Partner of DesignHammer, has been honored by Business Leader Media as one of the 2012 Top 50 Entrepreneurs of the Triangle. The Top 50 Entrepreneur Award is given to dynamic and outstanding business professionals who greatly contribute to the growth of their communities.

“It is an honor to be recognized again for the work that my exceptional staff and business partners put forth everyday. They are the basis of DesignHammer and allow for such recognition as this.” As Managing Partner, David oversees the business aspects of the company, including sales, finance, and operations. David also consults with clients on important issues such as usability, accessibility, search engine optimization, and social media.

Business Leader Media, established in 1989, has become an important source for business news and provides local editions of Business Leader Magazine for various regions of North Carolina and the southeast. The publication regularly honors leaders in the community throughout the year with awards such as Top CFO, Women Extraordinaire, and Top 300 Small Businesses of the South Awards. The company presents ten regular award events each year for the Triangle business community.

This year’s ceremony was held last night at the Brier Creek Country Club in Raleigh, NC. A reception preceded welcoming remarks and dinner. The fifty-one honorees were then recognized with presentation of awards. Profiles of all of the winners are available in the Triangle edition of the Business Leader Magazine.

DesignHammer Releases Update for Carolina Theatre iPhone App

Stephen Pashby — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 19:32:00 +0000

Durham, NC (October 6th, 2011) — DesignHammer is pleased to announce the release of version 2.0 of the iPhone app for the Carolina Theatre, a Durham historical and cultural landmark. The latest version of the mobile application boasts an improved user interface along with new features. The iPhone app was first released in March 2011 and has maintained a steady rate of downloads over the last six months.

The Carolina Theatre iPhone app pulls content directly from the Carolina Theatre’s website, built by DesignHammer using the Drupal, an open source content management system. “We are excited to further connect with our loyal patrons with this significant update to the Carolina Theatre iPhone App." says Aaron Bare, Director of Marketing and Communications at the Carolina Theatre.

The latest Carolina Theatre app features a more intuitive and visually pleasing interface while maintaining the distinctive style and branding of the Theatre’s website. According to Jay Roberts, DesignHammer’s lead iOS developer, "The new version can take you to the Ticketmaster page for each event to buy tickets and brings Carolina Theatre's new blog directly into the app. The update also brings a host of other bug and UI fixes, making this the best and most stable version of the app yet." In addition, iPhone users upgrading to iOS 5 on October 12th need not worry; the Carolina Theatre app is already fully compatible with the latest mobile operating system.

The Carolina Theatre of Durham, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization hired by the City of Durham to operate the Carolina Theatre. The professional staff, along with more than 300 volunteers, executes a comprehensive performing arts program including live performances in music, dance, theater, and educational programming, as well as a nationally-respected film program that includes the county’s only first-run independent cinema, which operates 364 days a year, as well as four dynamic festivals – the North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, the Retrofantasma and Retrofantasma Classics horror series, the Nevermore Film Festival and the Escapism Film Festival.

The Carolina Theatre first turned to DesignHammer for web development services in 2008, and since then the two have worked closely together. DesignHammer has designed and developed the Theatre’s main website, as well as sub-sites for the Theatre’s numerous film festivals. DesignHammer also has sponsored several shows at the Theatre over the past few seasons.

DesignHammer Sponsors BarCampRDU 2011

David Minton — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:49:46 +0000

Durham, NC — DesignHammer will continue its sponsorship of the Raleigh-Durham BarCamp for 2011. This marks the sixth year for BarCampRDU and the third consecutive year of sponsorship by DesignHammer.

In addition to sponsoring the event, DesignHammer’s staff will be in attendance to pitch their own presentations and contribute. According to DesignHammer Account Manager Stephen Pashby “This will be my first BarCamp. I am looking forward to becoming further involved with our thriving local tech community.”

DesignHammer Partner David Minton, who has attended BarCampRDU four times added “I have had a great experience at BarCampRDU, connecting with fellow members of the tech community, learning from others through the wide variety topics covered each year, as well as getting to share some of what I know through leading sessions myself.”

For those that cannot attend, the BarCamp sessions are covered by live bloggers and can be followed as it happens by searching for the BarCampRDU tag as well as following along with #BarCampRDU on Twitter.

The event will be held at the RedHat offices in Raleigh Saturday October 15th from 8:00-5:30pm. Tickets are available free of charge through Eventbrite, though attendance is limited to 200. For more information, visit the BarCampRDU website.

DesignHammer Migrates Carolina Theatre Film Festivals Website to Drupal

Claire Carson — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:03:28 +0000

Durham, NC (August 19th, 2011) — DesignHammer, Durham’s award-winning web design and development firm, released a new web-based content management system to host content for the Carolina Theatre’s annual film festival series. The Theatre, a Durham historic and cultural landmark since 1926, hosts four film festivals per year, in addition to daily scheduled film screenings, as well as critically-acclaimed live performances.

The new festival website system proved essential in averting a crisis during the recent NCGL film festival. Trouble struck on August 12th when a pickup truck collided with a nearby transformer pole, plunging the Theatre’s screens into darkness in the middle of several films. According to Aaron Bare, Director of Marketing and Communication at the theatre, “the outage lasted for a couple of hours and we had to send people home, but thanks to our new Drupal site and content management system, we were able to push information out cleanly, easily, and quickly.” The interrupted films were successfully rescheduled online, showing the value of an easily updated website.

Currently in version 7, Drupal is a free and open source content management system (CMS) and content management framework (CMF) written in PHP with over 10,000 community-contributed modules to extend its functionality. The popular CMS is used across a full spectrum of applications, from small business and non-profit websites, to internationally recognized organizations such as the White House, and The Economist online. DesignHammer hosts Drupal on LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP) servers. “A feature-rich, yet robust and scalable framework without licensing fees makes Drupal easy to recommend to our clients,” said Design Hammer Managing Partner David Minton. DesignHammer provides Drupal development to companies and organizations nationwide and has launched numerous cutting-edge Drupal websites.

Prior to the redesign of the film festival web pages, the Carolina Theatre used static websites to publicize each event. The previous websites, independent of the Theatre’s main site, required assistance from volunteers and firms like DesignHammer to update each site’s content annually. The Theatre sought a new setup that would be easier to manage and revise.

Currently only content for the NCGL film festival is hosted by the new Drupal system; the remaining three festivals will be migrated as new content becomes available. Once the new content management system is completed, Theatre staff will be able to update each festival’s site content at will after DesignHammer moves the sites into Drupal. The improved sites feature a responsive website theme that creates both desktop and mobile web editions of the site without requiring two separately developed versions. DesignHammer Partner and Lead Designer Frank Yonnetti stated, “Another significant change is how the film schedule is presented. The new grid layout uses Drupal Views to display each film in its own node-block and organize the films by showing time.”

The Carolina Theatre has employed DesignHammer for website development services since 2008, including a complete redesign of the organization’s main website in 2010, and an iPhone app earlier in 2011.

DesignHammer receives Top 300 Small Businesses of the South honor

David Minton — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 17:54:09 +0000

Durham, NC — DesignHammer, has achieved a ranking of #19 for the Raleigh-Durham area and #138 for the South in the 2011 Business Leader Top 300 Small Businesses of the South honors. Business Leader recognizes a select group of companies, firms and agencies that lead their respective market segments though this award.

“I am thrilled by our recognition. I think it reflects the high standards our team adheres to and the quality of work we produce,” said David Minton, Managing Partner of DesignHammer.

Founded in 2001, DesignHammer is a full-service website design and development agency based in Durham, NC. The firm’s specialization in open source software provides its local and national clients with an economical means to high quality products. All work is performed within the U.S. to assure the highest standards are met.

In the past year, DesignHammer has donated staff time to local non-profits such as The Carolina Theatre and The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce. As a sustainable business, DesignHammer has achieved Green Plus Mover status by the Institute for Sustainable Development.

This year’s ceremony was held last night at the Brier Creek Country Club in Raleigh, NC. A reception preceded welcoming remarks and dinner. The fifty-one honorees were then recognized with presentation of awards. Profiles of all of the businesses are available in the Triangle edition of the Business Leader Magazine.

Business Leader Media, established in 1989, has become an important source for business news and provides local editions of Business Leader Magazine for various regions of North Carolina and the southeast. The publication regularly honors leaders in the community throughout the year with awards such as Top CFO, Women Extraordinaire, and Top Catalyst Entrepreneurs Awards. The company presents ten regular award events each year for the Triangle business community.