Dec 21
DesignHammer Helps Tavve Project "Market Leader" Image
DesignHammer Media Group, LLC has completed just completed an interface redesign for the Tavve Software Company web site.
Tavve came to DesignHammer with a problem — their web site said "small company" rather then "market leader." DesignHammer moved Tavve’s site from an out of date splash page styled home page to a contemporary informative design. The new home page features Media Quotes, Product News, Trade Show Dates, as well as links to Press Releases. DesignHammer used CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) to format the new text, as well as created templates to allow Tavve staff to move all of their content into the new design.
Tavve is a multi-point solution provider that develops and markets industry-leading network management tools. These unique and unparalleled hardware and software solutions are focused on fault management and event correlation, performance reporting, automatic network mapping, and remote network management. Located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, Tavve’s mission is to provide real-time, scalable, distributed network management solutions.
Nov 15
DesignHammer Awarded State Government Contract
The Public Schools of North Carolina has awarded the contract to maintain the Workforce Development Education content of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction web site to DesignHammer Media Group, LLC. In addition to maintaining the current content, DesignHammer will develop content delivery methods, as well as provide consulting services.
The current site includes over 450 static pages, featuring content pertaining to the nine WDE Program Areas as well as Feature Areas, including Course Curricula, Teacher Education Resources and WDE Course Blueprints
The mission of Workforce Development Education is to help empower students for effective participation in an international economy as world-class workers and citizens. Programs in Workforce Development are designed to contribute to the broad educational achievement of students, including basic skills such as reading, writing and mathematics as well as their ability to work independently and as part of a team, think creatively and solve problems and utilize technology.
Workforce Development Education in North Carolina is organized in grades 6 through 12 in the public school system. The program begins with exploratory courses and leads to specialized classroom instruction in grades 11 and 12.
In 1999-2000, over 427,000 students in grades 6-12 were enrolled in workforce development education courses. These courses were taught by over 6400 teachers and with the assistance of over 440 support personnel in special populations and career development. Sixty-nine percent of all students enrolled in grades 9-12 took at least one workforce development education course.
Oct 12
Substance Abuse Specialties Reflects on New Site
Substance Abuse Specialties, Inc. is not a newcomer to the World Wide Web. After two web sites failed to meet expectations however, SASI turned to DesignHammer Media Group, LLC to craft a new web presence. In the middle of September, DesignHammer deployed a new web site for SASI.
A month after Morty Jayson, Vice President and General Manger of SASI reflected on the new site. According to Jayson, "DesignHammer, like the other developers that we spoke with, came into our office and asked the standard questions that all developers ask: What is your goal with the site? Who is your targeted audience? What are your products? The one factor that made DesignHammer stand out above all others was the fact that they listened to our response and responded appropriately. The others heard nothing we said and verbalized a "canned" response to all of our inquiries. The site has generated a lot of very favorable comments as well as new sales and inquiries. We are very pleased to report that it exceeds all of our expectations and would highly recommend DesignHammer to anyone who is in need of web site development."
The updated SASI web site features a new look and an increased selection of products. New products include hinged-top containers, municipal barrier tape, prisoner property and medical examiner bags, germicidal solutions and fluid control solutions for environmental clean-up and biohazard control. Furthermore, navigation is made easier through a drop-down menu of products available on every page.
Other additions include HTML versions of SASI’s "Field Notes" newsletter. In addition, links are available to connect users to additional resources and industry/trade associations.
Substance Abuse Specialties Inc. is a supply source for a complete selection of transport & collection products, specimen bags, kits & containers, headquartered in Cary, North Carolina.
Sep 20
DesignHammer to Redesign Two Intranet Sites for RTI International
DesignHammer Media Group has been chosen to redesign two Intranet web sites for RTI International. The StaffNet and NewsDesk sites are used by RTI’s nearly 2000 staff members both at its main campus in Research Triangle Park, NC and at its regional locations. RTI’s Intranet, provides online resources, news and a wide variety of administrative and employee services information.
“The aim of this redesign will be to give StaffNet and NewsDesk a design that is responsive to users and their needs, a common look and feel across all pages, clear and consistent navigation, as well as better search capabilities,” said Lisa Bachelder, StaffNet Webmaster.
In addition, part of the redesign will provide “a set of approved guidelines and procedures to manage growth and change; the current StaffNet site is a mix of old and new content with no consistent look, organization or navigation,” Bachelder added.
As for selecting DesignHammer, Bachelder said, “it was very much a case of being familiar with Frank’s [Yonnetti; Partner and Graphic Designer] other work for RTI and getting good recommendations from RTI staff who had worked with him.”
The new redesign assignment is DesignHammer’s sixth design project for RTI International. The designs are expected to debut in the summer of 2002.
RTI International is an independent organization dedicated to conducting innovative, multidisciplinary research that improves the human condition. With a worldwide staff of more than 2,000 people, RTI is active in health and medicine, environmental protection, technology commercialization, education, and decision support systems. Universities in North Carolina founded RTI in 1958 as the first scientific organization in and centerpiece of the Research Triangle Park. RTI International is a trade name of Research Triangle Institute.
Jun 26
Wake County Public School System Unveils Redesign
The Wake County Public School System has unveiled a new home page and interface for the system’s web site designed by DesignHammer.
Features of the redesign include an up-to-date visual "look and feel," and text-based headlines and navigation for quick display and integration with database delivered content.
The Wake County Public School System is made up of more than a hundred schools, some 13,000 teachers and staff, and thousands of volunteers working together to educate the children of Wake County, including Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Zebulon and Wake Forest.
May 29
DesignHammer Partner Quoted in News & Observer Article
Today’s The News & Observer quoted DesignHammer Media Group Managing Partner David Minton in the article "Dot-coming to Internet soon: .biz and .info: Some worry they’ll create confusion" by Staff Writer Carlene Hempel.
When asked his opinion on .BIZ, one of the new TLD’s (Top Level Domains such as .COM, .NET and .ORG) recently approved by ICANN (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), Minton said "I think in some ways it’s going to confuse the situation. I think people are so conditioned to look for .com that if someone is getting a new domain as .biz, even if you tell somebody that you’ve got .biz, they’re going to hear .com, and they’re going to look for a .com."
The complete article is available at newsobserver.com.
May 9
DesignHammer Participates in Business Expo
DesignHammer Media Group, official web developers of the Durham Bulls Baseball Club, will be participating in the First Annual "Take Me Out to the Bulls" Business Expo & After Hours on Thursday, May 17th, 2001 from 3:00 – 7:00pm at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. DesignHammer will be one of over thirty companies participating in the event. Additional information is available at the Durham Bulls web site.
Apr 6
DesignHammer Revs Durham Bulls Site
The Durham Bulls Baseball Club enters the new millennium with a revised web site, and a new web site developer. DesignHammer Media Group LLC of Durham, has kept the AAA Bulls’ site truly "major league."
Fans of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays’ affiliate can get detailed information on Bulls tickets, schedules, players, news and statistics. Many popular features return, including an Interactive Seating Map that provides fans with a view from any seat in the Park. Current Bulls team and International League Stats and Standings are available every morning
New for this season for the Bulls’ faithful is a redesign of the Home Page. Most prominent is a new scoreboard with up-to-the-minute runs, hits and errors for home games, direct from the official scoring computer in the press box. The popular Live Play-by-Play and Box Scores for home games returns, soon to be augmented with line scores from away games.
Other new features include up-to-date information on the next home game including opposing team, game time, as well as when the gates open. Also prominently displayed are future special events, including special sponsor events and fireworks displays. For the well organized fans, an option to download the complete home and/or away schedule into Microsoft Outlook is now available.
Also new is a Sponsorship section geared to helping current and potential team sponsors choose the best venue for them to get their name out to the fans.
Updates to the site included refinements to the content management system that allows the Bulls’ media staff to maintain Upcoming Events listings, Game Summaries, Press Releases, Team Roster, Game Schedule and Player Transactions.
Mar 30
DesignHammer Contributes to the Community, Develops New Site for Independent Animal Rescue
In an effort to make a contribution to the community, DesignHammer Media Group LLC has contributed the development and hosting of a new web site for Independent Animal Rescue, an all-volunteer private non-profit organization that cares for stray, abandoned and abused companion animals in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Region.
"We have a real soft spot in our hearts for animals," said DesignHammer Managing Partner David Minton. The four DesignHammer partners care for five dogs between them, two of which were adopted from IAR. According to Robert Weeks, DesignHammer Partner/Technology "The volunteers at IAR and the work they do for the animals in this community are a big part of what makes the Triangle a such special place to live and work. The two dogs my wife and I have adopted from them have brought an amazing amount of joy into our lives. We are grateful for the chance to give something back to them and to this community."
The project included graphic design, information architecture, site automation and site implementation. The challenge was to provide an attractive, easily updated site for the client to aid in their animal rescue efforts.
Designhammer chose to create a new site based upon a custom written content management system developed using mySQL, PHP and templates to provide a site that would be easy to update and maintain by IAR’s staff of volunteers without any knowledge of html. This allows them to keep the site current without outside help so they can help a larger number of animals. Features including Weekly News, Weekly Featured Animals, Calendar of Events, Adopt an IAR Animal, a Non IAR Animal, and Success Stories are all maintained through this system. In addition, DesignHammer developed an Online Donations system to allow IAR to solicit contributions through the web site.
According to Jennifer Strom, Vice President of IAR "DesignHammer’s efforts created a comprehensive, easily navigable, attractive and useful resource for our leaders, our volunteers, and most of all for the general public we are trying to reach. Thanks to your team, potential adopters can now surf through our available animals easily and people looking to place an animal can download helpful pamphlets. New volunteers can learn about us and apply on-line for more information, and donors can contribute with just a few clicks of the mouse."
Mar 5
Wake County Public School System selects DesignHammer
The Wake County Public School System has selected DesignHammer to redesign the look and feel of the WCPSS web site.
The Wake County Public School System is made up of more than a hundred schools, some 13,000 teachers and staff, and thousands of volunteers working together to educate the children of Wake County,including Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Zebulon and Wake Forest.