I consider myself relatively well versed in most things digital. There is, however, one area of my digital life where I remain in the dark ages – my cell phone.

As our designer, @phil_franks likes to say, I’m still a member of the “Flip-Phone Club”. The main reason for my resistance until now has been the ‘leash’ stigma associated. “You’ll never pay attention to me if you get a smart phone”, says the girlfriend. I’m not proud of this fact. Truthfully, it can be a source of embarrassment. Recently, my own mother sent me an email containing the auto-signature “Sent from my Verizon Mobile Phone”. My heart sank. How could I have let this happen?

So why do I still have a flip phone? Why am I still using T-9Word texting, and taking fuzzy 1.3mp pictures? The answer is patience – I refuse to enter the smart phone world with anything but the best, and yet there is always something better and shinier ‘coming soon’. So what gives? Primarily, a 2-year Verizon contract. Add to that the shaky 3G service some of my iPhone friends experience with AT&T, and I just never made the leap. So now, 2 months free of my Verizon cage, I can go with any carrier, any phone. I have the mobile world in the palm of my hand – pun completely intended. So to make this decision, it only makes sense that I’ve done my homework.

The user experience is as important to me as anything else. Enter the Mobile Operating System. There are 6 major players in the Mobile OS market:

• WebOS (palm) – recently purchased by HP, and for good reason.
• Blackberry – long running and trusted for those leaning more business, less media
• Windows Mobile – exactly what it sounds like, enhanced with some multimedia offerings
• iPhone 3.0 – the most well known OS of the bunch
• Android – a relative newcomer, and from the minds at Google
• Symbian – not well known or widely used in the US, but these guys are the largest in the world

Rather than cheer for one or tout another, I’ll discuss the two that I find the most accessible and intriguing; iPhone and Android.

Clearly Apple knows exactly what they’re doing here. The Unix kernel on which the iPhone OS is built, is very well conceived. This results in great stability. It also means sophistication and very high standards for developers of iPhone apps. This less-open philosophy results in superior products, but might also hinder the OS’s success long-term.
Android is a young product, but enjoying a huge run at Apple’s mobile share. Thanks to some great hardware and software partners (Intel, HTC, ARM, eBay), they are well positioned. Android is also open-source. They have promised to give developers access to every aspect of the phone’s operation. This philosophy may very well pay dividends in the long run. Plus, it’s Google – c’mon. Most of my life is dependent on Google and their products – for better or worse – and if I can turn on my phone, enter one password and have my life seamlessly integrated, wouldn’t I?

Ultimately, I’ll be going with Sprint and the new HTC Evo. Sprint, because their 3G service isn’t bogged down with traffic like AT&T’s. Sprint, because they’re ahead of the other two in their 4G network expansion. Sprint, because I can pay $60/month instead of $100 for the same service. And HTC because their phones are incredibly well designed, and the hardware in the new EVO is equal to most netbooks on the market right now.

Yes, there will probably be a new iPhone released only a few weeks later. But I look at it this way – I’m getting a faster network, the fastest phone in the world (at least for a month or so) and providing the team here at dynamIt an Android phone to play with, and NOT root & brick (cough, @whitman @KPfefferle @mavrck).

Bottom line: no matter your preference, there is a serious battle going on, and we, the end user, are enjoying the benefits.
Maybe I’ll be singing a different tune in 2 months. If I am, I’ll be sure to let you all know.

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.