Hemanth Pai is the latest addition to the team, bringing his knowledge and expertise of emerging web and mobile technologies to our development department.  This Georgia Tech graduate (Masters in Computer Science) possesses skills in HTML, JavaScript, Ruby on Rails, and Objective C (to name a few).   He is currently working on the Blackberry version of the Mission Zero app, as well as various iPhone applications for our clients.

Of course, that’s all shop talk.  We asked Hemanth to tell us a little more about himself.   Who knew we had a budding entrepreneur on our hands!

Where do you originally hail from?
I was born in Udupi, a coastal city in South India and brought up in Bangalore, a major metropolis in South India.

Where did your work prior to Digital Scientists?
I worked for Intuit (makers of QuickBooks and TurboTax) as an intern over the last 2 summers – summer of 2007 in India and summer of 2008 in California.

What’s something we don’t know about you (and would never guess)?
My friends and I could have been the inventors of electronic cigarettes. About four years back (right around the same time when some Chinese guy applied for a patent), we participated in an Innovative Business Ideas competition.   We were all electronics & electrical engineers (with quite a bit of entrepreneurial skills), so we came up with the idea of electronic cigarettes.

We designed a heating element that was cylindrical in shape and would vaporize nicotine (in liquid format). We also came up with a rudimentary, yet solid business plan. And all of this happened in less than 10 hours, and our sole aim was to win. We did win the competition hands down, but the irony is we never thought of taking it forward and actually implementing it. We did use the same idea to win a couple other contests.

What’s on your iPod playlist?
Mainly Metallica, Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana and some Hip Hop & Pop.

What is your favorite blog?
My favorite blog is Zen Habits.

What blog do you wish your wrote?
I wish I wrote Engadget (getting your hands on the coolest, newest gadgets + bragging about it = nirvana).

Whose quotes are at the end of your email or what comic is on your fridge?
XKCD

If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?
Alizee Jacotey

As a digital marketer now, tell us what you love most about the industry:
Marketing involves anticipating and understanding the needs of the consumer/end users and satisfying those needs in a better way than the competitors.  How one uniquely addresses the needs of the end user is a challenging task.  There is a lot of scope for innovation and creativity. That’s what I love most about marketing.

Our marketing team immediately framed the project around an Art Meets Commerce point of view.  Our design team relished the chance to show off their creative skills.  The development team couldn’t wait to introduce the Contemporary to the world of Web 2.0.

We chose to let the art speak for itself on the bold new homepage.  Then we gave the rest of the site a minimal design treatment and layout.  Pages were created to be both visually stimulating and user-friendly. Content was kept to a minimum and folded into interactive elements.   This kept the look and feel of the pages clean, while putting important details within a user’s reach.   Exhibitions, Programs, and Support are now prominently featured and more accessible.   The addition of commenting and social tools, as well as a calendar, allows users to interact with site and share art, events and dates with their friends.  Users can now follow the Contemporary on Twitter and Facebook straight from the site.

We built the site around a robust content management system (CMS) that allows the Contemporary to quickly and easily update their site as programs and exhibitions change.  To save on editing time, we added PaperClip, a plugin, that automatically resizes uploaded images to fit the different pages.   The “Add to calendar” feature found on the Exhibitions and Programming pages is an example of the custom functionality we developed.   Additionally, jQuery makes the user experience a bit more enjoyable by providing image viewers, tooltips, hover effects, accordion sliders, and ajax functionality.

Whether it’s the sleek and modern look that makes the new site engaging for users or the easy-to-use management tools that lets the Contemporary focus on what matters most – art, of course! – the new site aims to please.

Visit the new Atlanta Contemporary Art Center website today.   Check out the current exhibitions or just browse the new scenery.

Given that the author is a noted figure in the sustainability movement, it was important for the book to have its own online presence. Therefore, we developed a microsite (just a little site, but filled with lots of great content).

In lieu of a traditional navigation and search bar, visitors on RayAnderson.com are directed to take three distinct actions:  Meet Ray, Read Ray or Follow Ray.

Meet Ray -  This page provides an introduction to Ray Anderson, multimedia materials, and a calendar of Ray’s speaking engagements, including venue information and the ability to RSVP.

Read Ray – From here, readers can purchase Confessions of a Radical Industrialist, as well as Ray’s first book, Mid-Course Correction.  They can also read selected press articles and browse Ray’s personal reading list.

Follow Ray – This is a dossier of Ray’s social media activities.   Readers can choose to follow Confessions of a Radical Industrialist on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, and of course, MissionZero.org.

To finish it all off, we applied a bold, modern black-and-white design treatment.

If you want to learn more, or maybe just see what the excitement is all about, check it out at RayAnderson.com.

Join us at The Atlanta Contemporary Art Center this Saturday, September 12 from 5PM – 10PM for:

• Annual Meeting – 5PM
• Exhibition Openings – 6PM
• Open Studios – 7PM
• Awesome Band – Anna Kramer and The Lost Cause – 8PM
• Brand new SHOP
• Brand spanking new Website – thanks to Digital Scientists
• BBQ (plus) Cash Bar

Friends with Benefits*

$15 per person / $10 members (children under 12 free)
*Proceeds benefit our programming.  Annual Meeting free and open to the public.

The first step in the Alpharetta High School Foundation (ASHF) project was creating an identity for the new organization. Using the school’s crest as a starting point, we were able to create a cleaner and more “corporate” identity that is appropriate for the foundation.

Next, Digital Scientists developed a website for AHSF constructed on the open-source WordPress platform. We used a premium template to cut down on design time, so that more hours could be spent in other areas of the project. The layout of the website was designed in such a way that it brought attention to the four core areas of the AHS Foundation: Academics, Arts, Athletics, and Services. Each of the four areas has its own page with a general overview of the “initiative” and the latest updates and milestones. If a parent or community member wishes to make a donation to the foundation, they can easily do so by visiting the donation page. The website also features an email subscription so visitors can stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, in addition to a list of upcoming events for the foundation.

Speaking of events, the Alpharetta High School Foundation is officially kicking off on October 2, 2009 at the “Black and Silver Celebration.” The event invites parents and community members of Alpharetta High School to participate in honoring the organization’s first Hall of Fame inductees, not to mention dancing and other fun. Alpharetta High School requested Digital Scientists to design four banner signs for prominent display the event, in order for attendees to easily observe current four “initiatives” and the identity of AHSF.

Overall, it was a pleasure working with Alpharetta High School in the creation of their new foundation. Digital Scientists is always glad to support its community and wishes the Alpharetta High School foundation the best of luck as it gets ready to launch in the upcoming weeks!

One of our first projects was to design a new website for the Alpharetta Police Athletic League.   We were pleasantly surprised by how far we could stretch those digital marketing dollars (technically, certificates) and the functionality we delivered for Alpha PAL.

It was important that the website showcase the Alpharetta Police Athletic League’s offering to the community.   The benefits of the league revolve around a safe and educational environment for local at-risk kids and includes programs such as:

Promoting these activities and the many facets of Alpha PAL, while simultaneously fulfilling their basic website needs, was quite a task.  We started with a WordPress implementation and a restyled theme. Next, we setup a YouTube channel to incorporate videos into the site, a Flickr account for photos, and commenting for the social functionality. We also created a Google account to display Calendars on the site.   Now, program directors at Alpha PAL can easily add events, program schedules, updates, and more.

Another goal with this project was to increase the amount of donations and sponsorships Alpha PAL receives. We used a tool called ChipIn, connected to a PayPal account, to accomplish this.  Visitors are able to support the league by donating small amounts through a site widget, which also displays the goal amount to be obtained.

Finally, we integrated contact forms so parents could easily get in touch with Alpha PAL and enroll their children in a program.

It was a pleasure working with the Alpharetta Police Athletic League, and we hope the new website helps this great organization grow.

You can find out more about Georgia Tech’s efforts at Greenbuzz or the Georgia Tech Office of Environmental Stewardship website.

We’ve included a PDF version of the presentation below (FYI: click on the presentation for full screen), which you can download here.

Also, we forgot to post our last Meetup recap, How to Architect and Position Your Brand.  For our marketing purists, this is the presentation for you.   We explore the idea of brand architecture and how to communicate features and benefits to customers.  We also offer up some tools of the trade to help you position your brand in the marketplace.

You can also download this presentation here.

Let us know what you think or what topics you want to learn more about.  We hold a monthly Digital Marketing Meetup at both our Atlanta and Alpharetta offices.  Cold beer, Mellow Mushroom pizza, and shop talk with the scientists – not a bad way to spend a weeknight.

The Contemporary has been a fixture on the Atlanta art scene since 1973, showcasing experimental – and often thought-provoking – work from local, national, and international artists alike. The Friends With Benefits event coincides with Atlanta Celebrates Photography Month, during which, the Contemporary will be opening photography and video exhibitions from artists Harry Shearer, Corin Hewitt and Will Rogan.

In addition, the Contemporary will be launching their new website at the event, designed by Digital Scientists. We’ve been anxious to unveil this beautiful design. It’s definitely what we consider modern art.

The Friends with Benefits event starts at 5pm. There will be live music, BBQ, and plenty of local art on hand. Tickets cost $15/person ($10 for members), with all proceeds going to the Contemporary’s art programs.

Event Details:

5-6 pm: Annual Meeting & Preview of 2010 Exhibits
6-7 pm: Exhibition Opening
7-9 pm: Open Studios, featuring Contemporary’s Studio Program Artists

Atlanta Contemporary Art Center
535 Means Street, NW
Atlanta, GA 30318
404.688.1970
www.thecontemporary.org

The Shoegazr project started with a solid digital marketing strategy.  By defining their target market and brand positioning up front, we were able to hone in on the functionality, design, and messaging that would appeal to the savviest of footwear shoppers.

The site is built on Community Engine, a Ruby on Rails social networking plugin.  While the price is always right with open source tools (i.e. free), we choose Community Engine for its versatile feature set.  Members are able to build a public profile, friend other members, join style groups (pumps, sneakers, platforms, etc), blog, and tag their favorite shoes with a Digg-like voting feature.

We also created a branded Shoegazr bookmarklet.  This browser-based bookmarking tool gives members the ability to peruse other shopping and fashion sites and automatically post their finds to the Shoegazr community – sparking discussion and commenting. To top it off, we integrated Facebook Connect, so Shoegazr members can include their Facebook friends in their social shopping activities.

Even though it’s in Beta launch, there’s already a flurry of member activity on the Shoegazr site (and some pretty fancy shoe porn).