A Little Story

I was having lunch the other day with a principal at an interactive agency here in Columbus (Shift Global) and the waitress overheard part of our conversation (just some shop talk). I had been avoiding eye contact with her and my order was quick [more on this later]. As she set the check down she asked if we ‘did websites’, to which Bill answered yes, we both did.

She proceeded to tell us that she needed someone to ‘do her website’. She had engaged a firm months ago to get a site/app built, but they went out of business while under contract. They refunded her money in full and she was now looking for someone to dev it for her so she could ‘start making money’.

She was really frustrated because the original firm had quoted and accepted a contract for $5,000 and she was now getting quotes for 3x, 10x, 15x this amount [will connect to this later too]. She knew that “these prices were ridiculous and that it could be done for the original quote” (perhaps there was a reason the original firm went out of business?) She asked if we had cards. I sheepishly said I didn’t have any on me.

Why had I avoided eye contact? Why didn’t I hand over a card? Well, dynamIt has a policy to give at least a half hour of time to nearly anyone who gets in contact with us. We may know, immediately, that they don’t have the budget or the expertise to make an idea work (or we may know that the idea has either a) been done before or b) is just a bad idea), but it’s our practice to hear them out, at least for a while.

The funny thing is – this waitress had been at our office 2 weeks before, had detailed the idea and situation to me. She didn’t have a revenue model (I asked how she was going to make money and she gave me one of those “oooohhh yaaaa…revenue” looks) but did want some rather complex inter-user interaction. I’d given her a ballpark which I knew she probably couldn’t and wouldn’t go with. She had responded to the ballpark in an annoyed way, and we left it at that. Thus, my lack of excitement to see her again.

My point – GOOD.WEB.COSTS.MONEY.

This doesn’t just happen with individuals who have ideas that “rival Facebook and Google”. This happens with clients big and small, startup and established. In general, we find there are few cases in which people have a concept for what good web costs.

Because people have a Hotmail (gag) account, have searched Google before and may be able to purchase something off of eBay, they assume they know what goes on in web development and how much it should cost. I’m not saying that everyone needs to have intimate knowledge of the industry (my colleagues and I would certainly be out of work), but, people, PLEASE!

Good web is strategic. Good web is architected, is planned, is built, tested and strengthened. And, one thing that good web most definitely is, it’s NEVER DONE. You get what you pay for. There aren’t many industries where this is more true than web. A holistic and anthropological solution requires dynamic minds, critical thinking, problem solving and execution. People should and do pay for this.

Oh, and another thing – we’re not going to take shortcuts, hack things together and simply react to a problem. Not only our reputation, but good, sustainable and extensible web (the industry/platform) is dependent upon well-built applications and solutions. So, as I say, we aren’t going to simply react to a problem with budget and timeline in mind and risk compromising the product. Rather, we’re going to respond to a problem with a solution. Response and solutions cost money.

that is all.

one.

nick

Dynamit was honored as one of the “Best Places to Work” in 2010 & 2011 by Columbus Business First newspaper and Interactive Agency of the Year. Times are even better in 2012 and we’re hiring a Web/Graphic Designer for our aggressively growing team.

This is an exciting opportunity to work on cutting edge projects for well-known brands in a dynamic, entrepreneurial and highly creative environment. Please email resumes/cover letters and portfolio information (documents or links to online examples) to Gary Moneysmith via gmoney@dynamit.us.

A web/graphic designer on the Dynamit team will:

• Be well versed with Adobe Creative Suite: Strong knowledge of Photoshop, experience with Illustrator and InDesign.
• Have a strong understanding of Usability & Web Trends: Experience with user interface design, knowledge of best practices & examples of this in a portfolio or live site/application design. They will also be up-to-date on web trends and design tactics with examples.
• Have experience in user experience design (UXD) designing application and system interfaces. This experience is crucial for this position.
• Have Basic Programming Knowledge: We’re not looking for a developer here, but the designer should have the ability to design for web with a knowledge of the boundaries and how to design for execution by a programmer.
• Have a Strong Portfolio: We’d like to see much more web work than print.
• Be eager to learn, with a passion for design & the web. The designer should have a strong internal drive for industry knowledge and be committed to furthering the craft.

Experience is important, but personality is key. Our culture is what drives us, and we’re looking to build our team with someone who both fits and contributes to it.

The position is full time at our office in the Arena District in Columbus, Ohio. We offer a competitive salary and benefits package as well as a fun, high-energy, intellectually-stimulating work environment.

Benefits Include

• Competitive salary (compensation will be based on skills and experience)
• Fully paid medical/dental insurance for employees
• Paid parking
• Unlimited vacation time (within reason)
• Office bar + climbing wall — not recommended together

Don’t sit back. If you want to work in a fast paced work environment with great people who love what they do, apply today.

About Dynamit
Dynamit is a digital agency based in the Arena District in Columbus, Ohio. We work with clients and brands on digital initiatives that include strategy, design, user experience and development. We influence communication and commerce. Client work includes Hilton Worldwide, Charley's Grilled Subs, McGraw-Hill, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), E-Z-GO, American Electric Power (AEP), Columbus College of Art & Design and the Ohio State Medical Center (OSUMC) to name but a few.