http://www.notionstudios.com/index.php/site/index/ en joey@notionstudios.com Copyright 2008 2008-02-26T06:47:00-08:00 http://www.notionstudios.com/blog/comments/working_with_expressionengine_intro/ http://www.notionstudios.com/blog/working_with_expressionengine_intro/#When:06:47:00Z Since recommending ExpressionEngine to all of my clients after doing a number of sites with it, just about all of the work coming in will now be integrating the CMS. Word of mouth may start the buzz, but seeing it in action really seals the deal.Though there is a learning curve, as there is to any CMS, ExpressionEngine (EE) is really simplistic in nature despite being packed with amazing features. It would take many blog entries to detail all of the things I really love about EE so let’s call this the intro of what will be an ongoing topic. EE is becoming a stable in my work and I get excited each time a new project starts. Creating dynamic section, like news, events or blog or anything else, is as easy as creating a weblog. You can then create a custom field group, for example, if creating a new blog you might name your custom field group “Blog Fields”. You can add as many different types of fields for this section (or weblog) as you need. Fields such as title, body, photo, etc. These are the fields that will show up when publishing a new entry. Optionally, you can create a Category Group to go along with the Blog to add even more functionality. For each weblog you create it will populate the publish tab in EE’s control panel with a simple dropdown list. EE makes these dynamic sections so easy to create and even easier to plug into your template. You can put a dynamic section anywhere in your code. Anywhere. For this site I have two weblogs, blog and portfolio. This simple concept alone has convinced several people to make the switch from whatever CMS they are used to. It’s a true Content Management System that doesn’t make you jump through hoops just to get it working. Development, ExpressionEngine 2008-02-26T06:47:00-08:00 http://www.notionstudios.com/blog/comments/project_management_with_basecamp/ http://www.notionstudios.com/blog/project_management_with_basecamp/#When:17:56:00Z There is no denying that if I didn't have Basecamp, I would be utterly lost with my project management. And with OpenID it makes it even more powerful.For those that don’t know what Basecamp is or are not familiar with it, it’s an intuitive project management web application created by 37signals. I use it for all of my web and graphic related projects. I’m sure I’ve barely even scratched the surface on what Basecamp can do for me and my business but it’s been a lifesaver in helping me stay on top of things. Anytime I start a new project I immediately put it into my basecamp with a milestone that tells me when the project is due or when the first meeting is, etc. I then add simple to-do lists that appear on that project’s page as well as on my basecamp homepage so I know exactly what I need to do with just a glance. And for the sake of a quicker read I’ll only mention the built in chat, message boards, file uploading, ical and other web calendar integration, RSS feeds per project, client access control (can the client add to-do lists, milestones, etc.) and to top it off a great use of AJAX controls for a smooth user experience. But perhaps one of the best features of the site is the simplest. You can customize the theme of your page so that when a client goes to their project under your basecamp it just feels right. I’ve styled mine to match my website with my logo and purple header and gray link tabs. Basecamp isn’t free, but it’s very affordable. I use the basic plan for $24/month which allows me to create 15 active projects with unlimited archived projects. I may end up upgrading as I’m always close to my limit. But for those that are new to project management and unsure if it is something they need, I recommend trying Basecamp’s free service which is limited to one active project. You can also try the 30-day free trial for all pay accounts. And if there are any other Basecamp users out there, I’d love to hear any tips on how you put your Basecamp to use. What’s your routine? Related Links Basecamp Development, Web 2007-10-03T17:56:00-08:00 http://www.notionstudios.com/blog/comments/switching_to_safari_from_firefox/ http://www.notionstudios.com/blog/switching_to_safari_from_firefox/#When:15:40:00Z I think I've finally made the switch to a new browser. For years now I have been a faithful and devote user of Firefox and it's changed the way I surf the internet. So why the need for change?I have tried BonEcho nightly builds streamlined for OSX, which is basically firefox but faster, and it still has the crashing problems and there are some issues viewing certain pages, specifically if they use sIFR. In an earnest attempt to switch I’ve tried Opera, Shiira (a japanese product based on Safari’s WebKit with some cool features like Tab Expos?), and Camino. The one thing that kept me going back to BonEcho/Firefox was the Live Bookmarks. The ability to view my favorite RSS Feeds with a single click (see image below). But now since Safari 3 Beta has come out, and they’ve fixed the bugs in the first beta release and shown how incredibly fast it is, I felt compelled to try the switch yet again. I can reorganize my tabs. I can to a page search with the new Find feature without opening a popup and it’s really cool looking with it’s page dimming and orange bubble highlighting my text. But I was missing one thing still that would complete my web surfing habits. Live Bookmarks. I finally decided it was time to let this task be separate from my browser and downloaded the OSX menubar plugin RSS Menu. And you know what? It’s not that bad! Plus it was really easy to link up to Safari by telling Safari to use it as it’s default RSS reader. I’ve finally made a comfortable switch to Safari 3 Beta. It’s not the perfect web developing browser yet, but I can live with it for a while. My short wish list for the final release is a Web Development and an Ad-Block plugin. But for now it’s happy surfing for me! If you’d like to give safari a try go ahead and download the newest beta release Safari 3 Beta. Did I mention it’s also for windows? You already knew that though right? Web 2007-06-23T15:40:00-08:00 http://www.notionstudios.com/blog/comments/welcome_to_the_new_notion/ http://www.notionstudios.com/blog/welcome_to_the_new_notion/#When:03:40:01Z A new website just in time for the beautiful summer days we are about to experience in Seattle.Hi, I’m Joey. I’m a freelancer and the sole-proprietor of Notion Studios. I’ve been freelancing for many years now but only in the last couple of years, since I’ve moved to Seattle, has it blossomed into something that seems more...real. Freelancing is and always will be a balancing act. Balancing finding the next job while working on the current job. Enjoying the luxuries of long lunches and early work days while lingering time crunches scream over your shoulder. I like to say that, as a freelancer, every day is a day off even though I still work seven days a week. Perhaps one day I’ll actually attempt the four day work week. I hope that I can now share with you my ideas, future projects and things that currently inspire me. There are still some tweaks to be made around here. I’ll be adding things frequently such as pictures of the office, Seattle, my lunch, share things I come across while surfing the web. All that good stuff! There are also plenty of projects and ideas brewing and some will even come to light in the very near future. If you are interested in keeping up to date with me and notion there are currently two feeds you can subscribe to with your favorite RSS reader (What’s an RSS feed?). Subscribe to Notion’s Recent Work Subscribe to the Notion’s Blog In the News 2007-06-13T03:40:01-08:00