Our Blog
7th of May, 2012
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We created a website for the Loftus Brothers! They own and manage our office building in the Cascade District here in Rochester. cascadeprops.com Check it out! We love our neighborhood even more now!
17th of April, 2012
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We’ve all started to settle into the second quarter of 2012, but WMNW is also settling into one additional thing this year - a new office!
There I said it. It’s been killing me. I’ve been waiting to say that for a long, long time. A few weeks ago we signed a multi-year lease, but I could barely keep the news contained. With the exception of a few close friends, not too many people knew until this past week when we actually moved in.
This is our ‘dream house.’ Our oasis. Our daily inspiration. And a place for our clients (or future clients) to visit us and break away from the norm.
It really hasn’t quite set in for us. (Not yet at least, but it’s starting to.) We’re actually still in awe of the 15-foot ceilings, the imperfect hardwood floors, and our view of the street below. This is the place Josh and I set out find when we first co-founded the company back in September 2009. Getting an office that would inspire us on a daily basis was a big goal for us, and we are proud to have finally achieved it after two and a half years of hard work.
So far we have had a lot of fun just envisioning what (and who) goes where. The space has three built-in cubicles. You might assume that we fought over the most spacious cubicle with its enviable window, but we actually decided against making these confined spaces into workstations. Instead, we’ve kept a familiar “round table” format. All three of us decided to hunker down in the common area with our desks strategically positioned to keep communication between us barrier free. Though g-chat will probably still be the preferred method of communication during work for some (ahem, Ian), we also decided that the aforementioned coveted mega-cubicle should be converted into a conference room, fit for some serious brainstorming and a welcome change of scenery.
Our short-term plan is to give the studio a facelift and change its current color scheme to give the space a more modern feel. It won’t happen overnight, but the change will come very soon.
We don’t view this as an additional expense, but rather as an investment and a reward to ourselves and our clients. We will produce better work here. We will work here longer. We will choose to bring clients here instead of to a coffee shop, and hope they feel as comfortable as we do here. We’ll continue to grow into this space slowly over the course of many months and can’t wait to see what happens next.
18th of November, 2011
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Small Business Saturday
For some of us, November 26 is an extra recovery day from eating too much turkey. For others, it means waking up at the break of dawn [again] to celebrate Target’s Two-Day Sale. But what it should mean for all of us, is the perfect opportunity to support our local economy!
November 26, 2011 is “Small Business Saturday”, a day dedicated to the small businesses of America. Over 2 million people have friended Small Business Saturday’s Facebook page and even major corporations like FedEx, American Express, and Google are showing their support.
American Express launched a campaign to get consumers to “shop small” during Thanksgiving weekend. Whether you’re a business owner or a consumer, Small Business Saturday is more than just a shopping event; it’s a way of acting on our commitment to the small business in America. You can help show your support by pledging to make a purchase at your favorite shop!
As a small business ourselves, We Make Nice Websites knows how important local support is and we’re grateful for all of the opportunities we’ve received in our 2 years of business. Most of our clients are also small businesses too, making us extra thankful that we’re able to collaborate together and help make a difference in Rochester.
Please show your support for all of the hard working folks in our community and buy something local on Small Business Saturday!
31st of October, 2011
RAF Reality Check at RIT
Last week We Make Nice Websites Creative Director Greg Cunneyworth was asked to be a part of the RAF Reality Check. The event was a great opportunity to sit down in a “speed-dating” fashion and meet senior graphic design and new media students from RIT. The students were encouraged to ask questions regarding the design industry. Because it wasn’t a portfolio review, the pressure to judge their work was off, which promoted easy-going conversation and purposeful small-talk.
We Make Nice Websites is currently looking for freelance designers to hire on a per project basis. If you or someone you know is interested in working with us, please send your portfolio to info@wemakenicewebsites.com
19th of September, 2011
Re: Graphic Designer for Websites needed (Rochester NY)
Over the last two years of being in business, an inevitable question often arises, “How did you meet your business partner?” Our reaction is usually the same every time… “uhh…we… just met through a mutual friend. This guy named Craig.” Two years (as of this past Sunday) have gone by since the initial connection was made. We thought it was time to share the true story of how We Make Nice Websites came to be.
Our mutual friend Craig’s lastname is Slist. In fact, you probably know him too…Craig Slist.
10th of June, 2011
Zoobilation 2011
Back about ten months ago, Mike Mooney, the owner of Full Moon Communications, asked if I’d be interested in helping do some design work for “Zoobilation”, a charity event held annually at the Seneca Park Zoo. Agreeing to help him develop a pro bono campaign for the event, Mike established a creative team consisting of myself, wordman guru Karl Weiberg, designer Dona Bagley, and father and son photography duo, Wayne and Matt Calabrese.
31st of May, 2011
Craig Charron
Illustration by Chris Lyons
Unbelievably, it’s been a little over a year since the Rochester and hockey community at large discovered the heart-breaking news about former Amerk, Craig Charron. It’s also been over a year since a group of his close friends, family, and former teammates first came together to help him fight the stomach cancer he was diagnosed with. “Sharky” as he was known, lost that battle on October 19, 2010—Although his spirit, legacy, wife, and four children live on becoming the main reason we all continue to fight for him today.
20th of May, 2011
RYP Social
So lately, I’ve been going to the RYP socials and have found myself becoming a regular at the events. For those of you who don’t know, RYP (Rochester Young Professionals) is an organization stated to help improve the careers, the social life, and character of their 3,000+ members. The RYP events are a success because the board of directors consistently selects good bars and restaurants to host the events. They leave the rules up to the people who attend the event, which mainly consists of drinking and a fair deal of “professional” mingling. At one of the last events, gregarious socialite and current President of RYP, Steve Vogt, told me they were in need of a sponsor for the next social being held at Bistro 135. He asked if I would be interested in having We Make Nice Websites be the sponsor for the night. I agreed before he even finished his sentence.
13th of May, 2011
Welcome back!
They say that a shoemaker’s son has no shoes.
Can you tell that we feel a bit bashful about our own blog? Or metaphorically speaking, our lack of shoes? Did you notice the new look— Nice eh? We hate to admit it, but our own blog has been a bit, well, neglected over the last few months.
In all honesty, our blog’s negligence is only evidence of our current workload and attention that we’ve given our clients. Actually, I’m sure that they didn’t mind one bit that our blog went un-touched for months, because it only meant we were working hard for them! But the time has come to buck up and finish what we started. With the help of our intern Kristen, we recently decided to give ourselves a second chance. And after careful discourse, we regrouped, collected our thoughts, and revived our blog.
8th of July, 2010
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Josh and I are on MAD MEN this season! Seriously. We are! Watch this trailer.
