Insights into Design and Technology
Create a better website experience with Hotjar
My new favorite tool to improve websites and web apps is Hotjar. Since it’s new, here’s the lowdown on what Hotjar can do for you and why we use it at Second Form.
It’s our turn to Feed the Machine
We love hearing stories from entrepreneurs and leaders who’ve successfully designed and built their own digital products & tools. So we created this show to talk about why they decided to do it, their struggles, setbacks, and the things they’re learning along the way.
How Drupal websites work
The promise of the internet (and the lie)
I remember looking in my rear view mirror and seeing a medley of flashing blue and red lights. It felt like my life was over. At least my birthday dinner was that night.
Drupal 7 + Bootstrap + Sass + GruntJS
Recently our team evaluated front end frameworks in an effort to accelerate our theming process. Our goal is to rev up our ability to create responsive layouts quickly without maintaining custom HTML elements and CSS. Bootstrap 3 and Foundation 5 were at the top of our list. At the end of a lengthy discussion, we decided to use Bootstrap 3. Under Drupal 7, Bootstrap is more stable than Foundation. But Bootstrap isn’t perfect out of the box.
Solve problems in motion
I obsess over how we do our work at Second Form. I don’t think it’s unhealthy, but this is the addict talking. I look at what we do as craft. Not everyone feels the same way. Many of my clients don’t. They see it as a means to an end and I can’t blame them for that. They have their own obsessions.
What’s Drupal?
You may have heard about Drupal from us or your website developer. So let’s dive in and talk at a high level about how this platform can help you build a faster, stronger, and more reliable business.
In the end, we are confident you’ll gain a deeper understanding of why Drupal plays a significant role on the internet and here at Second Form.
The hidden design cost of ‘free’ software
You’re paying through the nose for ‘free.’ Any business that designs software at any level—and that means nearly all of us—is paying for ‘free.’
I had that thought after hearing another startup idea that wants to be the Facebook of ________ (enter business vertical here). It occurred to me that there’s an ever widening UX gap between ‘free’ tools like Facebook and the websites and apps other businesses are making for their audience.
The death of the design shortcut
I always say no to people looking for shortcuts. It’s painful. Not because I don’t want to help. On the contrary, I love helping people improve their business. But I can’t help people who have the wrong perspective on what they need.