January 29, 2010
Last chance for Webby Award entries
by Allen
You too can be like this guy
As our last act as Webby Ambassadors for Canada for this year, I'd like to remind you that tonight at midnight is the absolute final deadline for your Webby Award entries. All sorts of great categories as usual, and this year the Webbys have added Green and Media categories. So go enter. Don't you want to be shirtless on stage in New York?
January 8, 2010
We need help!
by Plank
Plank is actively looking to add to our Montreal-based team. Are you young and eager and looking to start your web career at a great company? We are looking for a junior production person with basic knowledge of internet / digital design, programming, and integration. We need someone who can complement our team and is interested in working on exciting projects, generally in the fields of entertainment, technology and social action.
Your tasks will include:
- Simple graphic production;
- Building website templates;
- Website maintenance.
Our Expectations
We’re looking for someone fun! But seriously, you should have the following:
- Some related experience;
- Willingness to work locally in our Montreal office;
- Proficiency with Photoshop & Illustrator;
- Knowledge of HTML and CSS;
- Some knowledge of PHP a definite plus;
- Be passionate about all things digital.
We are a close knit team that continues to grow, and we’d love to meet you to see if we can squeeze you in. Act now! While there’s room. If you think you would like to be part of the team, please email your CV, portfolio and cover letter to warren@plankdesign.com. If you would like to learn more about us, please surf around our site. We hope you’ll join us!
November 25, 2009
WowWee helps out the kids
by Plank
Plank client WowWee has graciously donated several Robopandas to the Montreal Children's Hospital. Plank was doing some testing on WowWee's eCommerce and had some of the fun and lovable interactive panda robots delivered to our office. WowWee was kind enough to donate them to the Hospital, so thanks to WowWee for their generosity.
October 29, 2009
Happy 40th Birthday, Internet!
by Plank
Believe it or not, this is the internet today. At least a representation of it.
On October 29, 1969, at about 9 PM, the very first data was sent over the internet. Today we celebrate that historic moment, without which Plank wouldn't exist!
Researchers had set up the basic internet (at the time called the Arpanet), which linked computers at UCLA and Stanford. The goal of the Arpanet was to have people around the country (and eventually the world) being able to use each other's computers. So sitting in UCLA, researchers wanted to log on to the computer at Stanford. Sending one letter at a time, the "L" went through, the "O" went through, but when the "G" was sent, the whole thing crashed. So stop your complaining about Internet Explorer 6.
Alas, they got it up and running again, and there has been nary a glitch on the internet since. From those humble beginnings of logging on to a remote computer, to the rich and varied multimedia content we have today, you've got to admit the internet is pretty darn cool.
So light some birthday candles, pop some champagne, and celebrate forty years of data zipping around the world.
History of the internet on Wikipedia
October 28, 2009
Do you have your 5-word speech ready?
by Plank
A little guidance from the Webbys on getting your five-word speech right
Once again this year, Plank is very proud to serve as Canadian Ambassador to the Webby Awards. In case you don't know, the Webbys are the premiere internet awards in the world, honouring the best in websites, interactive advertising, online film & video, and mobile web. Winning one is a true honour, and the five-word speech for winners is a great tradition.
So this Friday is the early registration deadline for Webby entries. If you enter before midnight Firday, you'll get substantial savings on the normal entry fees. So enter today in one or more of over 100 categories. Some great new categories have been added this year, including green (environmental) sites and best use of online and social media.
So enter right now! Do it! You'll need the extra time to write your five words. It ain't as easy as it sounds.
October 19, 2009
"Above the fold" - a relic from a bygone age
by Plank
One of the things we often hear from clients is that they want to put the most important information on their home page "above the fold." While this term finds its roots in the layout of newspapers, it has garnered certain favour in the web world, especially after usability expert Jakob Nielson advocated for it. On the web, above the fold means that the most critical page elements should be visible in the first screen of content, without scrolling, at the most prevalent window size (which now would be 1024 x 768). Plank always felt that this philospophy was misplaced. And now there has been a study released proving we were right.
Our friends at Webmonkey, one of the pre-eminent resources for web developers, have published the results of a study done by CXPartners, a U.K.-based design agency, that completely debunks the above the fold myth. Using sophisticated eye-tracking software, the study demonstrated that users always look at the browser's scroll bar to check if they should scroll. And they do scroll. And an interesting fact emerges - the less you put above the fold, the better off you will be, as it will encouorage users to scroll down and check out all of your content.
The study offered three broad conclusions about web design and the "fold" that web designers need to consider:
- Less is more — don’t be tempted to cram everything above the fold. Good use of whitespace and imagery encourages exploration.
- Stark, horizontal lines discourage scrolling — this doesn’t mean stop using horizontal full width elements. Have a small amount of content just visible, poking up above the fold to encourage scrolling.
- Avoid the use of in-page scroll bars — the browser scrollbar is an indicator of the amount of content on the page. iFrames and other elements with scroll bars in the page can break this convention and may lead to content not being seen.
You can bet that at Plank we'll be taking those lessons to heart. Not that we didn't do that already. But now, when a client insists that all of his good content get crammed above the fold, we'll have the research to show that this may not be the best way.
September 23, 2009
Art! Anywhere! Like the Plank office.
by Plank
Look, it's Warren! Sitting in front of our art.
Do you have an office? A wall? Do you like art? Well ArtAnywhere is for you. A brand new service, ArtAnywhere allows companies and individuals to rent art (at a very reasonable price) from local artists. It's all centered around a soon to be opened web portal, where artists and "renters" can meet.
So Plank was thrilled to be approached by ArtAnywhere to be one of the first companies to be a renter. We are amazed to see how much the beautiful piece by Annie Briard (below) brightens up our reception area.
The service is set to launch in Montreal, Toronto, and New York City, right about now. In fact, ArtAnywhere has a fun event this Saturday for their launch. There's more info on the event's Facebook page. Join ArtAnwhere, Culture Days and even some Plankers to discover the world of Montreal art, and help get ArtAnywhere off on the right foot.
September 3, 2009
Her Excellency chats online again
by Plank
Her Excellency the Governor-General Michaëlle Jean last week chatted with members of the Order of Canada mentorship program, thanks to a Plank-built real-time chat system you can see in the picture above!
Last year, Plank was proud to build a new website for Her Excellency after having built Citizens's Voices. The new site is a private communications site for the mentors and mentorees of the program. The mentorship program brings 25 members of the Order of Canada together with 25 exceptional young Canadians. There is a very impressive list of people involved in the program.
The site is a secure, private site to be used only by mentors, mentorees and Her Excellency. It features private messages, private one-on-one live chat between mentor and mentoree, and private group real-time chat for all participants. We would link to the site, but without a password, you won't be able to participate! The picture above is the closest you'll ever get, unless you become a mentor or mentoree. Luckily for you, mentoree applications are now being accepted (form in PDF format) for this coming year's program. You'll have to do a lot more to get into the Order of Canada.
August 11, 2009
Plank pulls the plug on IE6 support. Sorta, kinda.
by Plank
The anti-Internet Explorer 6 movement amongst web designers and developers has seemed to reach epic proportions lately. Websites are springing up everywhere to push web shops to do something. And some great satire sites too. This has sparked huge debate in the Plank offices about eliminating support for the browser that is now 8 years old, and the constant bane of our integrators' existence. Well, the integrators will be happy to know that we are dropping IE6 support as of now.
Sorta. Kinda.
In a nutshell, here's what we're going to do. We will no longer toil away for countless hours making a website look and function exactly the same in IE6 as it does in every modern browser. If one of our clients wants that to happen, we will be happy to oblige, but they will pay a supplement for it. They'll be told this up front before any contract is signed. We will continue to fully support IE6 for all of our existing sites.
Now, our new websites will still work in IE6, but they just won't live up to the Plank highest-quality standard we have set. As Plankster Mitch used the analogy, IE6 will be like a black and white TV with a mono speaker - you'll be able to see what's going on, but you just won't get the full experience. Call it content-level support, instead of the design-level support we have provided all along.
It seems redundant to repeat some of the arguments why IE6 should die, but for completeness' sake here goes. And our clients deserve an explanation. As mentioned, IE6 is now eight years old, having been released in 2001. Plank has been supporting it since that time. But market share of IE6 is falling, and this will be hugely accelerated with the imminent release of Windows 7. As this happens, IE6 should no longer be considered a "mainstream" browser. In some ways, it's like Firefox was 3 or 4 years ago - with single digit market share, it did not make economic sense to support Firefox at the time. That's how we feel about IE6 now. Our hard-working employees are simply spending way too much time moving every last pixel and using every last hack to make sites look perfect in IE6. That just doesn't make sense (economic or otherwise) anymore.
We understand a serious issue about IE6 - that in some circumstances, from a technological or institutional perspective, people cannot upgrade their browser. Corporate users may not have the choice. We feel for these people, we really do. It is why the debate in our office has been so vigorous. But we feel it's only a matter of a short time before this changes too. And maybe, just maybe, eliminating support for a dated browser will help push those corporate IT departments to upgrade.
We gave up support for IE5.5 a while back, we would have done the same for IE6 eventually. Eventually has arrived.
August 6, 2009
Sorry, the blog post you selected isn't available from your location.
by Patrick
If you've never been presented with a message of that kind, chances are you live in the United States. For the rest of the world, its a message we see all too often on hundreds of websites telling us we can't enjoy the site just like everyone else because of where we live.
It all started with having withdrawal symptoms from the tv show 'The Office' (US). I needed to satisfy my impatience as the premiere of the new season approaches. I stumbled onto NBC.com hoping to watch some behind-the-scenes footage or deleted sub-plots. To my dismay, I was presented with this ugly message:
That is a violation of the simplest rule of the internet: everything is available everywhere. It's not the first time I've seen such a message, but this one definitely got a reaction out of me. Where else could someone go to see exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of their favorite show? I can't turn to the website of my local TV provider (who airs the show), because they don't have an extensive mini site for the show. Isn't the whole point of the NBC website to provide fans with a little extra to cement them into becoming long term fans? It's especially upsetting as a Canadian because of the proliferation of US culture here, why should I not be considered equal to the US fans of the show?
The location-based restriction is quite simple. There are large databases out there, some paid services as well, which track all the IP addresses in use and the region it is being used from. When you load the site, it cross-checks your IP address with the large database and discriminates accordingly. You can already guess that a workaround for this type of restriction is to pretend you're in the “accepted” region (via proxy, tunnel, etc..) but that's entirely asides the point. You shouldn't have to worry about your physical location in the world while you're surfing the WORLD WIDE web.
IP based region detection should only enhance your end-user experience, not hamper it. If I visit a weather site and my local city is the first option on the list, chances are that's what I was looking for anyways. Thousands of sites using similar approaches, eBay and Google to name a few. Hell, who hasn't seen an advertisement for “singles in your area” with the name of your local city listed? Those who instead choose to restrict their user base based on location simply don't understand the Internet.
Hopefully the situation will get better with proper feedback to these sites. If we segregate the web, at what point does it start to feel like the Canada-Wide-Web. See? I could have used the same technology to put in the country you're viewing from (in place of Canada) for even bigger impact. ;)
July 21, 2009
Robots for sale!
by Plank
Plank has been proud of WowWee.com ever sinced it was launched last December. A really cool site that was beatifully designed and laid out, it also superbly reflected the company and the brand. But now, there is just so much more.
Yesterday, Plank launched the next phase for the WowWee site, an integrated eCommerce system. Site users can get all the information they need about a WowWee product, then simply click a button to buy it.
That's the beauty of the eCommerce system we built for WowWee - its simplicity. The goal was to minimize the number of clicks a user needed to buy something, while presenting an interface that was clear and easy to use. Well, that goal has been exceeded. Users have told us that the interface is one of the smoothest shopping experiences they've ever seen.
What's also incredible is the look and feel of the eCommerce. The buttons, styles, text, images, and everything else are beautifully integrated to look like the rest of the site. Unlike many eCommerce solutions where you know something "doesn't look quite right", with the WowWee site everything fits right in.
So go check out the robots for sale!
July 20, 2009
Plank is thrilled to welcome our newest family member
by Plank
Plank is stoked to announce the latest addition to the Plank family, the newborn daughter of Production Director Steve Bissonnette and his partner Linda. She was born yesterday morning, and everyone is doing well.
She has not been named yet, except for the "Peanut" moniker that will undoubtedly be replaced by something more sensible in the coming days. A very hearty Mazel Tov from all of Plank to Steve and Linda. We couldn't be happier for you.
July 8, 2009
Plank is supporting CakeFest any way we can
by Plank
Cake PHP is one of the leading open source web application frameworks used today. Plank is proud that our own Joël Perras is one of the lead developers of the core code of CakePHP. And now, Joël is a featured speaker at CakeFest, the annual gathering of the CakePHP community, which this year is being held in Berlin starting tomorrow.
Joël is giving two talks at CakeFest. First, he'll be speaking on Demystifying Webservices in CakePHP, and his second talk is entitled High Performance CakePHP. We've seen Joël in action, and he's a fantastic public speaker. We expect him to really kill it over in Berlin.
Plank is such a strong supporter of open source projects in general and CakePHP in particular, we are proud to be a sponsor of CakeFest. We hope that our small contribution can help the CakePHP communitty thrive, now and in the future.
You can follow Joël's adventures in Berlin on Twitter.
June 26, 2009
eGuiders signs a big deal
by Plank
Well this is pretty cool. eGuiders, the online video portal designed and built by Plank, has signed a syndication partnership with Tribune Media Services, TMS provides entertainment, news and features content that reaches over 100 million consumers worldwide every day, through print, online and on-screen media. This is great news and we look forward to seeing what TMS can do with eGuiders content.
Under the deal, TMS will distribute eGuiders video recommendations to publishers across the online world. eGuiders is a unique concept, in essence an online video curator that takes the best of web videos and aggregates them into one site. But it's not just picking videos - it's who is doing the picking; entertainment industry heavyweights like Damon Lindelof, John Landis, and a whole host of Hollywood insiders.
Congrats to our friend Marc Ostrick, eGuiders co-founder and CEO on signing this amazing deal. The best for eGuiders is yet to come!
May 26, 2009
Warren is going to be on the radio
by Plank
Plank's principal and founder, Warren Wilansky, is going to be on the radio! Now, you would think that he would be going on to talk about the web or something, but no, that's not enough for Warren. He'll be discussing all things politics. For those of you who know Warren, you'll know that's right up his alley. Look for him to take on CJAD host Tommy Schnurmacher - Tommy's about to meet someone who has opinions as strong as his own.
He'll be on around 9 AM tomorrow, probably right after the 9 AM news. You can even listen online if you're out of town or at work. Break a leg Warren!
UPDATE - Warren has just received word that the appearance has been postponed until Monday (June 1st). More time to prepare.
May 6, 2009
Plank is growing again!
by Plank
Plank is trilled to welcome the newest member of the Plank team, CT Jones. We'll give you you a full blog post about him in the coming days, but in the meantime, check out his bio for more information.
Welcome CT!
April 28, 2009
Nancy @ FITC - Day Two
by Nancy
Day two at FITC Toronto has come to an end and I feel inspired after meeting some pretty well-known people in the industry.
Today was the first day there were some presentations given by women, so I didn't miss out on this chance to see some rockin ladies talk about their expertise. The first presentation was given by Carole Guevin of Netdiver magazine. Her style is totally fresh, she talked to the large audience about how to identify and appreciate your own unique talent or skill. In my mind this is a topic rarely touched upon in these conferences, with the assumption being that we already know our own originality & greatness. To say the least, her presentation was original.
I also got the pleasure of meeting Torontonian-turned-New Yorker, Marcos Chin. You may know him from his work as the illustrator for the large-scale campaign by lavalife. He shared with us how he got started, his techniques with pen, paper, & vectors, and talked about the themes in more current work.
Ironically, both presenters prefaced their talks identifying themselves as near-luddites. This being a technology festival, I was pretty surprised to find neither presenter had their expertise in technology, but rather in other fields which led them to using computers & the internet as tools.
Breaking it down at the
FITC Awards Party
Another highlight of the day was the 2009 FITC Awards. There were hilarious video clips, a great MC, and some of the top developers & artists in the industry. I got the chance to meet the flash developer behind the GE Augmented Reality Smartgrid which, in case you've never explored, you really must. I told him about the afternoon all the Planksters crowded around Stevey's desk to watch the cool Flash tricks on the site. I've also had the opportunity to befriend Joe Berkovitz, lead developer of Noteflight, a really cool app to share music writing on the web (please excuse my descriptives here, music language is pretty foreign to me!). Joe took home the award for Technical Excellence in Flash, and as the FITC site says of the prize, "..a can opener encased in Plexiglas along with a year of bragging rights".
Last but not least, I got the chance to meet the man responsible for this festival, Mr. Shawn Pucknell. He's kind, soft-spoken, and is obviously well organized to have put together this seamless conference so well. "I've got a great team" he understated, "I just ask that you spread the word about the FITC".
So now, let me be the first to say not only has this conference brought out talented and semi-famous people in droves, but has inspired & enthralled all attendees. This is my first time at FITC, and I certainly hope it's not my last!
Stay on top of the last day at FITC right here!
April 27, 2009
Follow along with Nancy @ FITC Toronto
by Plank
Plank's own Nancy Beaton is rocking at the FITC Toronto 2009 Conference. And she's already blogging about it.
But we just couldn't wait for Nancy's blog posts every night, so we whipped up a quick app to follow all the happenings at the conference. It tracks all the Tweets that contain fitc, #fitc and other related terms, and puts them all on one page for you, updating itself in real-time. Thanks to Plankster Joël for his hard work programming.
April 26, 2009
Nancy @ FITC - Day One
by Nancy
Nancy & Josh @ FITC
picture by @Sarah0s
Well it's been a really exciting first day here at the "Flash in the Can" festival in Toronto. The day started with a really interesting panel about math and design, fractals & natural patterns being something I'd never really thought much about until now. Second panel covered the possibilities of interactive design in today's marketing world, and the current trends and future possibilities. This panel was actually really intriguing, some of the examples and videos they showed were pretty thrilling.
My favorite panel of all was that of Josh Davis. It almost started off as a comedy routine, which got us in the mood for what was to come in the following hour. What an amazing talent this man has. Not only is he interested in creating his own original work, but it's important to him that he create it using different formulas - a kaleidoscope formula, Bezier effects, as well as randomly generated patterns based using interesting, even architectural shapes. I can only imagine how his mind buzzes.
I was initially interested in checking out Josh's work because Warren had mentioned meeting him at SXSW '05. This encouraged me to go up and introduce me as a Plankster, and Josh was more than welcoming - a truly lovely fellow.
Two more days of panels to go, and I'm HYPED! So many more people to meet & tricks to learn.
À bientôt!
April 1, 2009
Warren's fame continues to grow
by Allen
Plank's own non-boss boss Warren has been profiled in the latest issue of Concordia University Magazine. Warren, a graduate from Concordia's prestigious Communications program in 1996, is quickly becoming one of Concordia's most notable alumni in Montreal. But his humility won't let him admit it. Good thing I'm writing this, not him.
March 17, 2009
Plank @ SXSWi09: Day Four
by Allen
So only the closing party is remaining.
After an incredible four days, the Plank team is soon to be headed home. We really can't believe the panels are done and the conference is coming to an end. It has been an amazing time here in Austin, and we've learned so much and had so much fun, we wish we could stay here forever.
The highlight of today was undoubtedly the Core Conversation ran by yours truly ;-) We had a good crowd show up, and considering lots of people leave SXSW on the last day like toady, that was quite an accomplishment. It went really well, lots of great conversation and discussion about the business of web design. Big thanks to my co-presenter James Archer of Forty Agency for really coming through, even while suffering with the flu!
We'll have all sots of wrap-up posts in the coming days, so check back often. Montreal, we're coming home.
March 16, 2009
Plank @ SXSWi09: Day Three
by Allen
Your Day 3 report goes like this:
Warren has a sunburned (sunburnt?) head, and Bruce Sterling rocked.
Maybe I should have just tweeted that.
March 15, 2009
Plank @ SXSWi09: Day Two
by Allen
And the sunshine has made everything that much better.
Yes, the sun came out about 4 PM today and the temperature went up about 10 degrees, turning Austin into the city we all know and love. We're pretty soon heading out to dinner, but I wanted to quickly check in to just recap some highlights since the last post.
So last night was the opening party. Outstanding. It was so large, people were waiting 20 minutes to go to the bathroom! Afterwards, the great guys at Happy Cog organized an amazing karaoke party, and it did not disappoint. Costumes and fantastic stage performances were not expected, but the performers really delivered.
Today's highlight was again the keynote speaker, Nate Silver of Five Thirty Eight. As a fan of both baseball and politics, it was just great to hear what he had to say.
We're coming up on the halfway point. We'll be back in th office before you know it.
March 14, 2009
Plank @ SXSWi09: Day One
by Plank
Greetings from the frozen... South?
Yes, with daytime highs of 8 degrees and lows getting close to the freezing point, Austin weather is about the only thing to complain about right now. Plank has arrived in Austin TX for SXSW Interactive and the results have been fantastic. We've just gotten through our first day of panels and got some really interesting stuff under our belts.
We started out last night in grand style. While the official "opening" party for SXSW hadn't happened yet (it's tonight), the Plankers still partied and schmoozed their way down 6th Street. We ended up at a really cool "Pastries and Pasties" party at Emos, one of my favourite Austin bars. Despite the chills and rain, we still had an awesome time talking to people and getting into the SXSW spirit.
The day of panels was highlighted by a couple of great talks. First, we all got a lesson on "how to talk to programmers" (hint: learn to speak geek! ;)). But undoubtedly the highlight of the day was the keynote address, by Tony Hsieh of Zappos.com. Their unique corporate culture and customer service philosophy have made them a true success story, and it was great to hear that story straight from the CEO himself.
We're currently taking a five-minute break (that's all we have time for!) as we prepare for the big opening party tonight. Check back for more from Austin very soon!
March 11, 2009
Plank @ SXSWi09: -2 days
by Allen
On Friday morning, Planksters Warren, Sarah, Geoff and yours truly will be boarding planes to head down to Austin for the SXSW Interactive Festival. As I pause to quietly reflect on what SXSW has meant to me over the last couple of years, and calmly consider how much this year's Plank team will rock in Austin, I can only come to one reserved, simple conclusion - WE ARE TOTALLY F-ING STOKED TO GO!!!!!
Seriously, as always, it will be amazing. And the Plank team that will be down there is a solid mix this year. We've got the grizzled old veteran (me), the noob (Sarah), the guy who hasn't been in 5 years and is going to freak out at how big SXSWi has become (Warren), and Geoff the party machine.
But hang on, Geoff! We're not only there to party. We're going to learn, we're going to network, we're going to meet our peers, and do so much more. As I've said on this blog in the past, what's amazing at SXSW is the "gathering of the tribes" so to speak. You know so many people, but you only know them by username. Getting the face time with all these amazing people from around the Web around the world - that's what makes SXSWi special.
Oh, did I forget to mention that yours truly will once again be leading a Core Conversation (as I did last year)? This year I'm teaming up with the awesome James Archer of the equally-awesome Forty Agency. So if you are around Austin next Tuesday at 3:30 P.M. be sure to come by Room 5C!
This post is just the start of the Plank coverage from SXSWi. We hope to have all sorts of blog posts, and we're cooking up some amazing podcast and videocast ideas. You can always follow Plank on the Twitters, and my own account too. It's like you'll be there - 140 characters at a time.
For those who will be in Austin - let's get ready to rock.
March 9, 2009
PHPQuébec 2009 Wrap-Up
by Joel
From March 4th-5th 2009, I was lucky enough to attend the annual PHPQuébec conference, right here in Montréal.
To say that the conference was a a lot of fun would be an understatement. I had the pleasure of meeting (read: drinking with) Jeff Loiselle (@phishy), Andrei Zmievski (@a), Chris Shiflett (@shiflett), Chris Hartjes (@chartjes) and Sean Coates (@coates), as well as a few others throughout the duration of the 3-day conference. It was nice to finally be able to associate names with Twitter/IRC handles.
For those of you that could not attend, the slides from (nearly) all the talks are available from the PHPQuébec Conference website; I would suggest the PHP 5.3 slides (if you haven’t already read the related RFCs for closures, lambdas and traits) for a quick run-through of the new features being introduced in PHP 5.3. If you dislike Magento or Wordpress and would like to see how Sebastian Bergmann tears them apart for sub-par code & pattern choices, PHP Code Review is for you. Sebastian didn’t publish any of his comments, but the code on the slides should speak for itself.
If you’ve got some C chops, the PHP Extension Writing slides by Marcus Börger might be of interest, if you can make it all the way through without crying for mercy from the C gods. However, everyone at the conference recommended the Extending and Embedding PHP book by Sara Golemon, which seems to be the definitive guide for writing PHP extensions at this time. I’ve already ordered my copy, so where’s yours?
In addition to the slides posted, I would suggest looking over Andrei’s Regex Clinic for some real PCRE gems, and his VIM for (PHP) Programmers to understand why Real Programmers™ use Vim
All in all, #phpquebec was a blast. I’ll be attending next year, even if I have to pay the ticket price myself. It’s worth every penny, especially if the registration form for 2010 is as hackable as it was for 2009 ;-).
Note: This has been cross-posted on Nerderati, my personal blog.
March 4, 2009
Plank @ PHPQuebec: Mini-app to follow on Twitter
by Steve
Plank has sent our own Joël Perras to the PHP Québec Confernece taking place this week. He's whipped up this fun little app to track Tweets about the conference.
The mini-application searches the twitter api for the keywords "phpquebec,phpqc,phpquebec2009" every 5 seconds, and dynamically updates the page. No refresh required.
Find it here: http://www.plankdesign.com/phpqc/
March 4, 2009
Plank @ PHPQuebec
by Joël
With a great keynote address by Zeev Suraski on “Why PHP Wins”, this year’s PHPQuebec conference is off to a promising start, and it looks like it will only get better. With some of the most recognizable names in the industry, including Chris Shiflett, Andrei Zmievski and Sebastian Bergmann, combined with what seems to be a top-notch schedule, I honestly don’t know where to begin.
Check back here later for some more #phpqc09 updates.
February 12, 2009
Warren is the best non-boss boss ever!
by Plank
The Plank family does what it does best - talk and drink
Last night, all of Plank and some close Plank friends showed up to Else's to celebrate Warren and all he's done. Else's is Warren's home away from home away from Plank so it was the perfect location. It was a surprise, and he totally was:
The evening was just perfect. A fun, relaxing atmosphere that mirrored the fun, relaxing atmosphere Warren has created at Plank. Allen made a speech which is reprinted below. It pretty much sums up why we were there.
As you may or may not know, Warren lives and dies by one thing (well, besides Plank) - burgers. So kudos to Sarah who baked the most amazing cupcakes ever:
They were so realistic-looking, you kept thinking it would taste like burger, not cake!
We heart you, Warren Wilansky.
More photos at Steve's Flickr set, and an outstanding burger cupcake close-up from Nancy
Text of the speech given by Allen (excuse the in-jokes, and it loses something being written...):
"Good evening everyone. I’m ALLEN MENDELSOHN
Normally, I wouldn’t so embrace a moniker that is clearly making fun of me. Normally I would never tolerate being emotionally abused by my boss. But I think it speaks to the qualities of our BOSS, yes, BOSS, that I put up with that kind of shit. Not only put up with it, but embrace it.
And that speaks to what kind of boss he is. For all of the abuse I take, for all the inappropriate humour that comes out of his mouth, we all put up with it. Why? Because he is the greatest boss ever. I have had many bosses in my life, and there is no question about two facts – he has the most unique management style I have ever seen, and everyone and their mother wants to work for Plank.
Now, because this evening is all about ALLEN MENDELSOHN, I want to point out something else. All you have to do is look at my C.V. to see that I never stay in a job more than 2 years. Never. In a couple of months, I’ll celebrate my 4 year anniversary at Plank. That says a lot about Plank, but that says even more about Warren. He is the ultimate boss to work for, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I hope this speech, and this whole evening, has embarrassed the hell out of him. So join me in a toast. To Warren – the best non-boss boss the world has ever seen!"
February 5, 2009
The U.S. gets a little snow and Canadians benefit - Webby deadline extended
by Allen
Pretty cool time lapse photography of a snow storm in Boston
So last week I screamed at you that it was the absolutely last week to get your Webby entry in. At the time, I swear I was telling the truth! But thanks to a little snow in the States, the Webbys have extended the deadline by one week. So you have until tomorrow to enter your website, online video or advertising in numerous categories.
So if you think you made a mistake by not entering last week, you have been given a reprieve! Don't make the same mistake! Go enter now!!!
January 30, 2009
This is the last day for your Webby entries
by Allen
Yours truly hobnobs with Arianna Huffington at the 2008 Webby Awards
Do you want to meet celebrities and drink with them like me? Then enter your website, web video or online advertising in the Webby Awards. But do it today! This is the absolute last day you will be able to enter, and your last chance to get invited to the coolest ceremony around.
The Webbys are "the internet's highest honour" according to the New York Times. Do you want to get in on that action? Of course you do. So go enter! DO IT NOW!!!
January 26, 2009
Just five more days to get your Webby Awards entry in!
by Allen
My favourite photo from the holidays - the Webby Awards team poses for an old-school holiday card
The Webby Awards, the "ineternet's highest honor" according to the New York Times, has extended the deadline for entries until January 30. You can enter your website, internet video, online ad or mobile project in numerous categories. Fame and glory throughout the internet can be yours!
So what are you waiting for? Go enter. Do it now!!!
January 21, 2009
Plank goes to the Inauguration!
by Plank
Plank's own Geoffrey Weeks was our man in Washington yesterday for the historic inauguration of President Obama. He will be along with a full blog post soon, but for now, enjoy these selected pics, courtesy of the DC office.
January 5, 2009
Happy New Year
by Allen
The beauty of a Montreal winter can be found anywhere, with a good eye. Photo courtesy Plank's own ncbeets, photographer / designer / integrator extraordinaire.
We just wanted to wish all of our friends a very Happy and Healthy 2009. While we are sure you saw our holiday card by now, it's never too late to wish you all the best in 2009!
Plank has a huge year ahead. We've got our 10th Anniversary celebrations coming up this Winter / Spring, and a whole slew of new sites we've been working on to show you. We've got another huge gang headed to SXSW, and yours truly will once again be speaking. See you in Austin!
We hope you'll stay part of our family throughout the year, and that you have a great 2009.
December 19, 2008
Last day to get your Webby entries in!
by Allen
Just a funny little clip that premiered at the Webby Awards last year, thanks to The Onion.
Wanted to pop in to tell you TODAY is the deadline to get in your Webby Award entry. You know it's the most important web award, you know how much you want to be in New York to give a five-word speech, you know you'd like to meet Plank, your Canadian Webby Ambassador at the Awards show, so what are you waiting for? Go enter. NOW!!!
December 11, 2008
Webby submission time is running out - with video!
by Allen
So as I'm sure you all know by now, Plank is the Canadian Ambassador to the Webby Awards. It is now our duty to remind you that time is running out to get your entries in. The deadline is next Friday, December 19th. Go enter. Do it now!
But why have a nobody like me remind you? This year, the Webbys have gathered some of the most popular stars of the internet to make PSA-type videos to remind you about the date. The video above is from Collegehumour.com's Jake and Amir who always bring teh funneh. You can check out all the videos on the Webbys Tumblr page.
Dammit why are you watching videos? Go enter. Now! And then we'll see you at the Webbys. Here's my highlight from last year...
December 4, 2008
I, Robot
by Plank
We are going to do a full feature on this soon, but we are just so excited about this site launch we had to blog about it.
WowWee is a leading designer, developer, marketer and distributor of innovative hi-tech consumer robotic and entertainment products. And now they have an all new website, designed and built by Plank. We'll discuss everything that's cool about it soon, but for now, just check it out!
October 30, 2008
Last chance for cheap Webby entries!
by Plank
Tomorrow is the final day for special pricing on entries for the 13th Annual Webby Awards. In recognition of the Internet's growing ranks of talent, performers and personalites, this year's awards include new categories for Best Individual Performance and Best Host of a Reality/Variety Series. The full list of categories is here.
This is your last chance to enter your work at the significanlty reduced rate. Do it now!
October 16, 2008
Plank has some fun with U.S. Politics
by Plank
Defending the Bridge to Nowhere...
We like to have a little fun at Plank every now and then. In that spirit, Plank has developed Sarah Palin Spin Command. A fun online game built with Flash, the game plays like the vintage classic Missile Command. Have some fun defending Sarah from the invading media hordes who want her to answer questions. Why should a political figure have to answer silly questions?
The principal game designer, Plank's Interactive Director Geoffrey Weeks, will be along soon to give some insights into the game's development. In the meantime, have some fun with Sarah!
October 8, 2008
The Plank Way Back Machine
by Allen
So the other day in the office we were having some fun with Google's 2001 search engine. It's pretty cool - the index actually dates to January 2001. Try Googling "Sarah Palin". That gave us a good laugh.
ANYWAY, while we we were cruising through the past, we couldn't help ourselves and checked the Plank website from 2003 (WARNING: do not view in IE7. Yeesh). It's really not too bad! Sure, it's only one page. Sure, the background looks like a 1970's rec room wall. But I think it's pretty cool. And what I really like about it is how some things haven't changed - Michael Moore, Fantasia, and SXSW are all prominently featured, just as they are today.
This little trip through time also reminds me that this December, Plank will be celebrating 10 years in the business. Wow. That's an eternity in web years. We'll hit the Wayback Machine a few more times between now and then, so be sure to check back to see what we dig up.
September 24, 2008
It's Webby Award time
by Plank
Once agan, Plank is proud to serve as the Canadian Ambassador to the Webby Awards. Last year with your help, we set a record for Canadian entries. And we won a bunch too! So we are sure this year we can do even better.
If you enter before October 30, you'll even get substantial savings from the normal entry fee. Enter your work in any number of categories in websites, interactive advertsing, mobile, or online film & video. There is no doubt the best online work comes from Canada, so let's show them how we do things north of the 49th.
Enter now, enter often!
September 17, 2008
Plank welcomes a new family member - and he's 7 pounds!
by Plank
Plank is thrilled to announce the newest addition to the Plank family, the newborn son of Creative Director GW Brazier and his partner Sarah. Everyone is doing well, and rumour has it the baby was born asking for a copy of Adobe CS3.
Still no name yet, though the Plank gang is strongly suggesting "Laser."
A huge Mazel Tov to GW and Sarah. We can't wait to see what little Laser can design.
September 15, 2008
We need help! Again!
by Plank
Plank is actively looking to add to our Montreal-based team. Are you young and eager and looking for experience? We are looking for a junior production person with basic knowledge of internet / digital design, programming, and integration. We need someone who can complement our team and is interested in working on exciting projects, generally in the fields of entertainment, technology and social action.
Your tasks will include:
- Simple graphic production;
- Building website templates;
- Website maintenance.
Our Expectations
We’re looking for someone fun! But seriously, you should have the following:
- 0-2 years of related experience;
- Willingness to work locally in our Montreal office;
- Proficiency with Photoshop & Illustrator;
- Knowledge of HTML, CSS and PHP;
- Be passionate about all things digital.
We are a close knit team that continues to grow, and we’d love to meet you to see if we can squeeze you in. We want you to be part of our team for a long time to come. We offer a competitive salary, normal business hours, a comprehensive health and dental plan, and a great work environment. Act now! While there’s room.
If you think you would like to be part of the team, please email your CV, portfolio and cover letter to warren@plankdesign.com. If you would like to learn more about us, please surf around our site.
We hope you’ll join us!
September 11, 2008
Plank gets some new windows
by Steve
The building has replaced our old back windows (which had character but were a bit cold in the winter) with spiffy new double-thick glass hung in huge sheets. The effect is dramatic when you're looking out the office to the back.
September 2, 2008
Canada New Media Fund is toast
by Allen
The Globe and Mail is reporting that the Conservative government has eliminated the Canada New Media Fund, a $14.5 million annual program that was funded by the Department of National Heritage but administered by Telefilm Canada. There is still no official word from Telefilm, and in fact the CNMF website is still online with nary a mention of this.
While we at Plank have had questions about the way the Fund has been run over the years*, it was still a very important program that did a decent job supporting our industry. It is possible the Tories are going to replace it with some other program of their own invention, or perhaps it is just part of their overall cost-cutting, especially in fields of culture and the arts.
We'll wait to hear the official announcement, but for now, it doesn't look like we can count on the government supporting our industry for the near future.
*we had issues long before we were rejected for funding this year! ;)
August 11, 2008
A new Plank sign
by Steve
We finally got a sign for the company. We’ve always had some kind so small signage but nothing of substance.
With the help of my father, we ran some nice wood through a CNC machine to cut out our logo. We then carefully stained and mounted it up with plexiglass, hardware and chains. A great “down-home-hand-made” group effort. It came out better than any of us you have ever expected. Just in time for our 10th anniversary!
Matches the website fairly well. See more photos here in the Plank Flickr Pool.
July 30, 2008
Take the Web design survey
by Plank
Hey there! Are you a web professional checking out Plank? First off, welcome! Now, get to work.
A List Apart is the pre-eminent online magazine for web professionals. It explores the design, development, and meaning of web content, with a special focus on web standards and best practices. For the second year in a row, they are undertaking a survey of all web professionals - designers, developers, copywriters, marketers, managers, bascially everyone! You can check out the 2007 results, they are really interesting. But the web moves fast, the industry changes every day, so we need to do it again.
So please take the survey and help all of us get a better picture of what our industry looks like. Thanks.
July 4, 2008
The 2008 Fantasia Festival is rolling
by Plank
There are hardcore Festival-goers in theatres and clamoring for tickets as we write this. The Fantasia Festival has begun, and Plank has delivered a kick-ass website to support it. Again.
Wow. Back in 2003 we had no idea we'd still be at it, year after year, turning out some great work for the Fantasia website each and every summer. The Festival keeps getting bigger, the websites keep getting bigger, but Plank is always there to deliver the goods in a high pressure Festival time frame. And we've done it again!
As the Festival keeps growing, Plank has needed to adapt the site to the bigger program. The older layout has been simplified and cleaned up this year, and we have updated the technology to fully valid XHTML and CSS. The result is much faster load times. While the design itself may have been simplified, the home page has been expanded to have more information right up front, including a neat little news marquee.
Another new feature this year is a nice little Flash touch where multiple still photos for a film can rotate through with a cool transition effect. This gives the film pages a feeling that's more vibrant and alive. Here's a great example, with Yunjim Kim for you Lost fans!
Once again, praise should be heaped on Black Eye Design, creators of the Fantasia printed program and the visual identity of the Festival. While Plank's talented designers did a fantastic job adapting the look to the web, it was Black Eye who set the look in the first place.
So check out the Festival site, and check out the Festival. We'll see you in the theatres!
June 10, 2008
Checking in from the Webby Awards
by Allen
Greetings from New York City! Yours truly is currently sweating through a heat wave to bring you all the news about the Webby Awards. It's been a whirlwind so far, but your Canadian Webby Ambassador is doing Canada proud.
On Sunday evening, Planker Geoff and I enjoyed the opening cocktail party at a great terrasse at the Maritime Hotel. Really nice, and it was fun to meet some really cool web professionals from around the globe.
Last night was the Webby Film and Video Awards. Hosted by Judah Friedlander (who yours truly had a nice chat with at the after party), the best of web videos were honoured. The highlight of the night was the lifetime achievement given to SNL kingpin Lorne Michaels, which included a montage of all the best SNL digital shorts. My favourite five word speech of the night was "Together, we'll make reading obsolete" from the Onion News Network rep. Excellent.
The after party proved to be even more fun, a phenomenal location at the Angel Orensanz Foundation Center, an arts and party space that was once a synagogue. My evening's highlight was a nice chat I had with Tay Zonday, a.k.a. the Chocolate Rain guy. Very friendly, and he seems a little overwhelmed by it all. His voice really is deep and low.
Tonight is the big finale, the actual Web Awards. Really looking forward to seeing Stephen Colbert get the Person of the Year. If I survive another after party, I'll fill you in tomorrow. Now would someone please turn up the A/C?
June 6, 2008
Warren is attending the SEED3 conference in Chicago
by Plank
Our fearless leader is off today in Chicago attending the 3rd SEED CONFERENCE.
We're eager to hear what happens, and knowing Warren, he'll pull a year's worth of inspiration from this excellent event.
June 6, 2008
PHP/MySQL Developer needed - AGAIN!
by Plank
Want to work in our growing Web agency with great people, great clients, and a great working environment? Of course you do! Plank is actively looking to add to our Montreal-based team. Whether you're completely self-taught or have multiple degrees in Computer Science, we're only concerned that you have the skills needed to perform the job. We need someone who is interested in working on exciting Web projects, generally in the fields of entertainment, technology and social action.
Your tasks will include:
1. Development of website back-ends and interesting Web applications;
2. Building on and working with our existing code base.
Our Expectations
We’re looking for someone fun! But seriously, you should have the following:
1. 2+ years of related experience;
2. Strong background in PHP and MySQL;
3. Experience in AJAX, DHTML, XHTML, CSS, JavaScript, XML, will be an asset;
4. Knowledge of CMS’s such as Drupal, Expression Engine and WordPress will be an asset;
5. Knowledge of open-source PHP frameworks such as CodeIgniter will be an asset;
6. Willingness to work locally in our Montreal office.
We are a close-knit company that continues to grow, and we need your skills. We want you to be part of our team for a long time to come. We offer a competitive salary, normal business hours, a comprehensive health and dental plan, and a great work environment.
If you think you would like to be part of the Plank team, please email your CV and cover letter to warren@plankdesign.com. If you would like to learn more about us, please surf around our site.
We hope you’ll join us.
Please note only those candidates we have selected to interview will be contacted.
May 14, 2008
The Webby Winners Have been Named
by Plank
And the winner is...
Who hates sitting through four and half hour award shows to hear the winners? We do! That's why we love that the Webbys annunce the winners in advance. You should check out the interactive winners gallery.
Plank had another great year as Canadian Ambassador to the Webbys. We're so proud to represent the Webbys in Canada. We'll see you in New York City for the big event!
May 7, 2008
Plank wants you to be satisfied
by Plank
Plank has taken the next step in social media, joining Get Satisfaction.
So what is Get Satisfaction? From their site:
Get Satisfaction is a place where people can get the most from the products they use, and where companies are encouraged to get real with their customers. Customers, employees, and companies are all welcome. Nothing is hidden, and no one is censored. Join the conversation!
So check us out on GS and tell us what you really think of us. Don't be shy, we can take it.
April 30, 2008
One day left to vote for the Webby Awards
by Allen
As you probably know by now, Plank is proud to serve as the Canadian Ambassador to The Webby Awards. We are so proud that this year, we helped get a record number of Canadian companies to enter (up more than 40% from last year!) which turned into a record number of nominees as well.
And you can help them win! Voting is open for the People's Voice Webbys. All you have to do is head over to the People's Voice site and vote for your favourite websites, mobile sites, online advertising and online film and video.
But do it now, because you only have today and tomorrow to do it!
April 20, 2008
Lang's little gems
by Mitch
I was pretty new to javascript when I started using the YUI. For a long time, YAHOO was just that file I had to make sure to include. It was a few months after using the YUI (and was more comfortable with js in general) that I happened to peek at the YAHOO.lang API. It doesn’t get much attention, but it’s got a few useful functions you may not realize are along for the ride (since about version 2.3) - functionality you may be duplicating.
April 15, 2008
Plank joins the Twitter revolution
by Plank
Many of our employees were there already, and we've admittedly all become fans of Twitter.
Twitter is a micro-publishing platform (posts limited to 140 characters) which combines blogs, instant messaging and a social network. It's been kept purposefully simple, but has grown rapidly through offering a popular API allowing people to build upon the network and technology.
We're keeping it relaxed and friendly, sign up and follow along. You can find us @ http://twitter.com/plankdesign.
March 11, 2008
SXSW Day Something-or-other
by Allen
Panels, parties, panels, parties. It's sort of becoming a blur, and we're exhausted. But the Plank gang couldn't come home without checking in one last time.
Everything has been great. We are having an amazing time, learning so much, and meeting so many great people. It's just incredible how big SXSW has become, even since last year. The conference rooms are bigger, there is just more going on, and the beer lines are longer. Tells you something about our industry, that's for sure.
From a business perspective, I think the message has been "be honest." Transparency goes a long way. From a tech perspective, everyone hates Microsoft, and they hope Silverlight fails. But I guess that's not really news.
Well the panels are starting up again in about 20 minutes so I've got to run. Steve has all sorts of great coverage over at his blog, and be sure to check out Nancy's awesome photos. We'll have some real thoughts on this whole thing when we're back and have had a chance to let it all sink in. Later, y'all!
March 8, 2008
SXSW Day One
by Allen
Well Austin goes swimmingly! After having nightmares about the Core Conversation, it turned out fantastic. Over 100 people showed up when I expected 10. Steve has a report, with a nice photo.
We'll report more as the Conference goes on. Now, it's time to go out to party!
February 29, 2008
Plank: Behind the Scenes
by Nancy
Before joining the team at Plank, all I knew of this company was what you’re all exposed to: Incredible designs, fancy programming footwork, and a stunning portfolio that includes numerous nifty clients.
Now being a part of it, I get to witness first-hand the great talent these people possess individually, as well as the lighthearted & thoroughly enjoyable work environment they maintain as a group.
In fact, so much fun stuff happens here that I created the latest edition to Plank’s online presence: the Plank Flickr group. Now you can all see what really goes on behind the scenes including the elastic band fights, the Friday afternoon cocktail hour, desk ornaments, and (of course) the stunning sun-soaked office.
I can’t understand why this hasn’t been created before, because it sure isn’t for lack of photographic talent. We have Allen’s portfolio with his muddy cameraphone lens, Stevey’s macro desk shots & infinite uploads, and Geoffrey’s sparse yet masterful photos.
With all this talent, silliness, and all-round fun, it didn’t seem fair to keep it all to ourselves. Enjoy!
February 25, 2008
Getting psyched for SXSW
by Allen
Steve, Gary, Nancy and myself comprise the largest group Plank has ever sent to the SXSW Interactive Festival. Plank is always looking to keep on top of all the latest developments in web development and design, and the SXSW Festival is absolutely the best way to do that.
Taking place in Austin, Texas, this year from March 7th to the 11th, the Interactive Festival is an offshoot of the more famous SXSW Music Festival. Last year, over 6000 web professionals from around the world attended, and this year is expected to be even bigger.
As an added bonus, yours truly is hosting a Core Conversation this year. I'm really excited to share knowledge with all my fellow web professionals, and to learn from them as well. That's the real beauty of SXSW; it's not just a conference in the traditional sense, the information flows both ways.
Stay tuned to this blog for lots more from all four of us throughout the next three weeks. We'll bring you what we think about SXSW before, during and after the festival. Oh, what to pack...
January 24, 2008
Webby Awards entries - 2 days left!!!
by Plank
In one of our last acts as Webby Ambassadors for Canada, we've got to tell you that tomorrow is the deadline to enter your website, interactive ad, web video or mobile site into the 12th Webby Awards. GO DO IT NOW!!!!
The Webbys are the best, most important web awards on the planet. You want to get in on the action. Here's a recap of last years awards to get you psyched up:
We'll see you in New York City June 1-3! You haven't entered yet??? What's wrong with you? GO!!!
January 23, 2008
Our office is nice!
by Allen
We love our office at Plank. Apparently, others do too. Jose over at Office Snapshots has featured the Plank office as part of their look at the nicest and coolest web / tech offices. To be in the same discussion with big boys like Google and Flickr is alright by us.
Check out the feature, and see photos like this:
January 21, 2008
I get things done, digitally at least
by Warren
I was recently at a meeting where I was going over a project with a client / friend (that seems to happen to us, how about you?) and at one point she opened up her Outlook on the projector to try and find an email from someone. Sort, scan, scroll and a few minutes later, no trace of the email (which was sent only a few days ago). As I was waiting my eyes drifted down to the lower left corner of her screen and went bug eyed. The number of emails in her inbox? Over 10 000.
It wasn’t the number that was all that strange to me (since I usually send over 15 000 emails every year), it was that they were in her inbox. It was a prescient moment given that after a few months of discussing the idea with Steve, that week I had started reading Getting Things Done by David Allen.
Some people will joke with me about (depending if you want to be nice or not) my ability to multitask on many things at once, or my Attention Deficit Disorder. All kidding aside, while I may jump from thought to thought to thought, I have always prided myself on my ability to keep a lot of information well organized and easy to find. I rarely have an “uh-oh I completely forgot about that” moment.
In reading through the book and wrapping my head around the theories of GTD, it was clear that it wasn’t something that was foreign to me. I already had a series of systems in place that were pretty robust and that keep me on track.
- I have a 10 inbox / 10 drafts email rule (inbox = still to be done but not a high priority / drafts = get these done as quickly as possible). I make sure to file away all emails so that by the end of the day I am never over 10 emails in either box;
- I don’t move anything out of my inbox until I know that it has been dealt with, scheduled or has no action item;
- Any appointment, event, birthday or anniversary is in my calendar with reminders so that I am always pinged about the items at least one day in advance;
- I make sure to transcribe all notes from all meetings and either drop them in Basecamp or file them somewhere relevant if they are just for me;
- I take a few hours every Sunday night to think about and organize myself for the coming week;
- And in fact because of the GTD theory I have now gotten rid of my notebook full of lists, and moved to a fully digital task manager, OmniFocus.
But if you look at the list above, you’ll notice that everything I’m describing is digital organization. It’s all about email, calendar reminders and notes. So, you may ask, what about my non-digital efforts.
That’s where the problem is.
My desk at the office? Full of papers that I should have looked at or filed a few weeks ago. There are trinkets everywhere. There is a “junkyard” of broken equipment that needs to be either fixed, thrown out or recycled sitting behind my desk.
My home? I have a room full of boxes that need to be unpacked from my move 6 months ago. I have boxes full of documents that need to be organized. On my cell phone I have 5 messages that I haven’t listened to from over a week ago. There may also be a container with some unidentifiable foodstuff sitting in the back of my fridge.
While it’s working well and I would suggest exploring the GTD system for anyone, sounds like I have a 10 000 email problem outside of that MacBook Pro.
I guess it’s time to start to applying GTD to my real world.
January 17, 2008
Nancy rocks in photo contest
by Plank
We all know that Plank production specialist Nancy is a great photographer. Now we have proof!
In their "Montreal Matters" photo contest, the NFB asked Montrealers to show "the wastelands and hidden corners where industry, development or simple human neglect are taking their toll. Or, to show us where eco-initiatives and sound green principles reign."
So Nancy, always with a sunny disposition, chose the second part of the contest. And she was rewarded with a runner-up prize for the photo below. Congratulations Nancy!
January 9, 2008
Warren's Resolution
by Warren
Well, seems our Mr. Mendelsohn has outed me on one of my strange hang ups; hatred at having to say Happy New Year deep into the new year. For me, one week of good cheer is more than enough but I know some people who need to be jolly all the way into February. I’m not naming names.
At least Allen gave me a good opportunity to drop by and get in a post before all the cheer is drained out of me.
The beginning of the year is always an interesting time of reflection, refreshment and resolution. After some time off work, spent with family and friends making a pig of yourself, you can’t help but look at your gut, smile, frown and then realize you have to do something about it. And I, for the first time in years, have one very important resolution. Unfortunately for now, it has nothing to do with my gut.
While I’m really proud of what all of us at Plank have accomplished over the past 9 years, I worry that we seriously suffer from one big bad fault: modesty. So, you must be asking yourself how can someone so proud be so modest? It may be the bass player in me but I’ve always felt like if we just plod along and try to do the best work possible everyone will just figure it out. They’ll get it and need to work with us.
Obviously we have had some attention over the years thanks to some high-profile clients but I / we have never actively sought attention or a public profile. Over all these years I think we offhandedly sent out two press releases and emailed a few design portals as an experiment. It worked but we all quickly burrowed back into our work. We got back into the habit of letting people discover us when they manage to.
I guess I’ve had a change of heart.
2008 is the year we will come out of our cocoon and be the butterfly we know we are. This comes back to my personal resolution, which is, you will hear a lot more from me Dear Internets. I have made a personal commitment to blog regularly here and at my personal website. I will also be participating more in the Internet world at large and will actively tell you a lot more about Plank and myself.
Sit back, enjoy, and may 2008 be as exciting for you as I see it for Plank. Of course, in December if I have completely defaulted on my intentions, please come to our 10th anniversary party and give my nose a wee tweak.
January 7, 2008
Happy New Year!
by Allen
Warren has a thing about New Year's. He doesn't like anyone wishing anyone else "Happy New Year" after a week has expired in the New Year. Today's the 7th, so we're just under the wire!
There is so much excitement around Plank for 2008. We have all sorts of great new sites in development that we look forward to introducing you to very soon. Plank continues to grow, and we need more developers! Stand by for details on that. We've got a big gang headed to SXSW this year, and yours truly will be speaking at the conference about... how big Plank has gotten!
On the design and technology front, Plank will be keeping up with all the latest trends and hopefully ahead of them. We see a focus in 2008 on mobile and Twitter, scalable designs and fluid layouts, and the continuation of all sorts of interactivity. Of course there is always a place for the best usability, some cool AJAX, and an easy to use CMS.
Stick around with Plank in 2008. The best is yet to come.
December 20, 2007
Happy Holidays from Plank!
by Plank
Wow. What a year. We've seen the arrival of some great new staff. We've launched a bunch of great sites large and small. We've made our mark at SXSW and The Webby Awards. Thanks to all our clients, old and new, we've kept tremendously busy!
With all that work, now we need a nap. We're closing up shop for the holidays to recharge our batteries. We look forward to making 2008 even better than 2007.
So Happy Holidays everyone! And don't forget to check out our holiday card. See you in 2008!
December 13, 2007
Time is really running out for your Webby Awards entry
by Plank
The Webby Awards are the leading international awards honouring excellence on the Internet. Canada has some amazing web talent and we need to show it off.
And Plank is here to remind you you HAVE ONE DAY LEFT TO DO IT. Yes, the deadline is tomorrow!!! Enter in numerous categories in four types - Websites, Interactive Advertising, Online Film & Video, and Mobile.
Stop reading this! Go do it! NOW!!!!!
December 5, 2007
Congrats Stephane!
by Allen
So do you use WordPress but don't always have access to your computer? Would you like to blog through your mobile phone or any other handheld device? Thanks to Stephane Daury, Plank's Technology Director, and the WPhone plug-in, you can do it easily.
In a contest sponsored by Matthew Mullenweg, grandaddy of WordPress, Stephane and his team of ZaMoose and Viper007Bond took first prize. The prize? An iPhone / iPod Touch for each of the developers, and fame throughout the world. WPhone is now available in the official WordPress Plugin Directory.
The contest was originally for an iPhone plug-in only, but Steph and his team took it to the next level by making it usable with all mobile devices. The iPhone / iTouch version takes advantage of the CSS and AJAX capabilities of that platform, while a lite version will work on just about any old phone, Windows Mobile, Palm, or other portable device. Damn, if I was a WordPress blogger, I'd want this. How about a Blogger version?
So congratulationss Steph. We knew we hired the right guy!
December 3, 2007
1-800-GOT-JUNK? gets animated
by Plank
At Plank we like to have a little fun every now and then. So we love our clients who like to have a little fun themselves. 1-800-GOT-JUNK? fits the bill to a T. Irreverent and fun, they have built the world's largest junk removal service with that attitude.
So when they came to us asking for a fun way to demonstrate what they do, Plank was quick to jump at the chance to make a web-ready Flash animation that would really show off the fun side of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, while clearly and simply showing what they do. We commissioned illustrations from the ultra-talented Luke Magee, a member of the extended Plank family, and his gang at UOVO. Luke's unique and fun style fit right in with what 1-800-GOT-JUNK? was trying to do. Our talented Flash animators then took over, delivering a fun little vignette with a soundtrack to match.
Fun, but effective. Just like Plank.
November 29, 2007
We'll take the praise, thank you!
by Allen
The Sun has a fanatical following. Their readers are diverse and loyal. When one of them found the new website, they were impressed. Really impressed:
"So maybe two weeks ago I was surfing online and found the magazine's recently updated website. As an IT professional, I am in awe of the design work on the site. It really is perfect and flawless."
Thanks, we knew it was a good one!
November 20, 2007
Welcome Sarah!
by Plank
Plank is excited to welcome Sarah Bagnall as Plank’s first-ever full-time Account Executive. As Plank has grown, we have recognized the need for a full-time contact for our clients. Sarah has extensive client relationship experience, having cut her teeth at Optimum Public Relations, a division of Cossette. We are confident that she will become a valuable and integral member of the Plank team, and will respond to all our client needs quickly and efficiently. Already she has taken the lead on certain projects and she has tackled the challenges with amazing skill.
Sarah also has extensive experience in Communications and PR, having come to us from PUMA Canada where she excelled in that role. Allen is excited to have someone else here who speaks that language!
So welcome Sarah. We already know you belong.
Sarah can be reached at sarah@plankdesign.com or 514-875-0003.
November 14, 2007
Plank rocks out for a good cause
by Allen
On Monday, Warren and I were thrilled to lend our support to the David Suzuki Foundation, as we attended "Up Close and Personal with The Police." An event co-chaired by Garner Bornstein, Stephen Bronfman, and Andy Nulman, the evening was a whirlwind of music, fun, and most importantly, environmental awareness and fundraising for a great cause.
While the whole night was amazing, the first part was the highlight for me as you'll see in a second. After getting to the Bell Centre, the 100 or so attendees were ushered through the backstage area to sit in the front rows to watch the sound check. That was exciting enough, but things were about to get better. Sting says he's got a bit of a cold, so he asks for volunteers to go up on stage and sing! That led to yours truly running like a madman, and here's the evidence:
I know it's pretty small, but that's me third from left clapping. What a thrill! It got even better, as I went back up again for the last song, my personal Police favourite So Lonely. This time, I hogged the mic and belted out lead vocals as best I could. The highlight for me was when Sting gave me a disappointed look when I missed a line! He seemed to be expecting better from me as I had done well up to that point. So cool.
UPDATE - there is now video! You can't see me, but you can hear me...
Before I got off the stage after the song was over, I made a point to shake the hands of Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland. As a (bad) guitarist, I was thrilled to meet Andy. And I was quick enough to ask him for a guitar pick, and he handed me the one he had just been playing with! Here it is:
The next part of the evening was a cocktail at Queue de Cheval. This was also a highlight, as Warren and I had the chance to chat with Mr. Suzuki, who was so intelligent and friendly. When he spoke to the whole room during the evening, his passion and eloquence were literally mesmerizing. Both Warren and I were so impressed with him and his message. It's a message everyone needs to take to heart. Please go to his foundation's website and find out what you can do. The cocktail also included an auction, where several bass guitars signed by the band and other Police memorabilia helped raise tens of thousands more dollars for the foundation.
Finally, the concert. It was almost a letdown after the evening so far! But really, we had a great time, rocking to an amazing greatest hits-laden set. Thirty years after they started, all The Police sounded fantastic. Warren and I were both blown away at the musicianship, and Sting's voice, even hindered by his cold, didn't disappoint.
All in all, an evening we will remember for the rest of our lives.
Montreal Gazette story about the event
Just the shots of me on stage!
November 2, 2007
Last chance for early Webbys entry
by Allen
Today is the early entry deadline for The Webby Awards. If you enter your website today you will save considerably on the normal entry fee. Act now! The Webbys are the most prestigious award in our industry. Plank has already entered 2 sites; think you can beat us?
November 1, 2007
Bar Camp Montreal 3 is this weekend!
by Plank
This Saturday, November 3rd, the best and the brightest of Montreal's tech community will gather for BarCampMontreal3. It should be amazing.
Why should you go? A couple of reasons. One, everyone in the Montreal tech community will be there, Two, you can learn more in a day about technology, enttrepreneurship, start-ups, and the Web than you might all year, Finally, it's FREE! What are you waiting for? Sign up!!!
Plank will be represented by our new Technology Director, Stephane. We'll ask him to give a report next week. Hopefully he'll come back with some amazing ideas and knowledge.
October 30, 2007
Welcome Stephane!
by Plank
Plank is thrilled to announce that Stephane Daury has joined us as Director of Technology. We will have an in-depth post about him soon, but we just wanted to say a quick word of welcome to the newest Plankster. He comes to us from McGill University, where he served 5 years as Web System Architect.
At Plank we always pride ourselves on our perfect balance of awesome design and the most modern technology. Stephane is going to put the tech side ahead. Better catch up designers! ;)
Find out all about Stephane by reading his amazing blog. Technophobes beware - it's loaded with great geek humour!
So welcome Stephane; Allen is ready to pour you a welcome cocktail or two.
October 1, 2007
The 2008 Webby Awards are around the corner!
by Allen
Last year, Plank was proud to serve as Webby Ambassador to Canada. In that role, we were assigned the task of raising the profile of the Webbys in Canada, as part of the overall effort of the Webbys to increase their profile worldwide and to make it a truly global event. It was easy, thanks to the support of Webbys staff (shout out to Emily) and the already high profile of the Webbys.
Plank could not have been more thrilled when the Webbys asked us to once again serve as Canadian Ambassador for the 12th Annual Webby Awards. We hope to do even better this year, getting more Canadian companies, agencies and individuals to submit their work. Canada is doing some of the best web work in the world - let's prove it.
To get you warmed up for the 2008 Webbys, take a look at the awesome highlight reel from the 2007 Awards. I was lucky enough to be there in person, and the highlights really capture the excitement!
Once you've watched that, why don't you submit your work? The call for entries is already open. And by submitting before November 2nd, you'll get a substantial discount form the normal entry fee. Don't delay! Do it! NOW!!!
Plenty of Canadians were honoured at the Webbys last year, including Montreal-based Wikitravel which was named best travel site. Does your site measure up? Submit and find out.
September 24, 2007
Chat with the Governor-General!
by Plank
This Thursday, September 27th, Her Excellency Michaëlle Jean will be chatting with the Canadian public via her Plank-built website, Citizen Voices. Plank is proud of our relationship with Her Excellency over the last year and the site and tools we've built. A head of state uses a Plank system! We still can't believe it.
On Thursday, Her Excellency will be chatting on the subject of "What Drives You to Act?"; it should be a stimulating discussion about change and working for change in Canadian Society. Be sure to particpate on Citizen Voices!
August 23, 2007
Plank's plans for SXSW Interactive 2008
by Plank
Plank has a long history at the SXSW Interactive Festival. Our fearless leader was a speaker there in 2003, talking about our experience building film websites (we had done Bowling for Columbine for Michael Moore amongst our numerous projects for him).
For as long as we can remember, Plank has gone to SXSW. It is a great source of inspiration for us, to be able to learn so much and interact with everyone in person instead of via our computer screens.
This year, Plank is once again going (of course) and we are hoping to speak at a panel again. And you can help! We have submitted two great ideas for panels, which you can vote on. All the votes will help determine which panels are picked by SXSW, and every vote counts. This is truly democratic. So here's what you do.
Go here: http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/, where you will need to sign up for an account (just your email address) to be able to vote. Sorry it’s a pain, but they need to watch voter irregularities. No Florida 2000 here!
Once you have an account, you can search for “Plank” to see our two panels, or you can just go straight to these two URL's:
http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/191
http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/471
Thanks for all your 5-star votes, and we look forward to seeing you March 7, 2008 in Austin!
August 6, 2007
Intermediate PHP/MySQL Developer needed
by Plank
Plank is actively looking to add to our Montreal-based team. Whether you're completely self-taught or have multiple degrees in Computer Science, we're only concerned that you have the skills needed to perform the job. We need someone who can complement our programming team and is interested in working on exciting Web projects, generally in the fields of entertainment, technology and social action.
Your tasks will include:
1. Development of website back-ends and interesting Web applications;
2. Building on and managing our existing code base.
Our Expectations
We’re looking for someone fun! But seriously, you should have the following:
1. 3+ years of related experience;
2. Strong background in PHP 4/5;
3. Strong background in MySQL;
4. Experience in AJAX, DHTML, XHTML, CSS, JavaScript, XML, Rails will be an asset;
5. Knowledge of other development environments an asset;
6. Willingness to work locally in our Montreal office.
We are a close-knit company that continues to grow, and we need your skills. We want you to be part of our team for a long time to come. We offer a competitive salary, comprehensive health benefits, normal business hours and a great work environment.
If you think you would like to be part of the Plank team, please email your CV and cover letter to warren@plankdesign.com. If you would like to learn more about us, please surf around our site.
We hope you’ll join us.
UPDATE - thanks to all those who have applied, but this position has been filled.
July 16, 2007
Michael Moore knows what he's doing
by Allen
We don't normally trumpet our clients around here, we let their work speak for itself. But when a venerable, respected magazine like Variety claims that one of our clients is the best at something, and that something is internet marketing, we figured we should at least point it out.
From Variety:
"No one has mastered the art of Internet marketing more than Michael Moore, who has ceaselessly alerted those on his lists to every media appearance for his healthcare call to action, "Sicko." (He claims his emails reach some 5 million people.) The week before the movie opened, in a video posted on his YouTube page, Moore asked visitors to post their own health horror stories; he plans to send a DVD compilation to Congress. One man, Clayton Redfield from Flint, Michigan, Moore's home town, responded with a report about Cigna not paying $66,000 in medical costs. Suddenly, the insurer told him that he owed only a $500 co-pay. "Michael Moore, you saved my home," he told a local TV interviewer.
If you missed Moore on Larry King Live, the Huffington Post or blasting Wolf Blitzer live on CNN's "The Situation Room," you'll find clips of Moore's myriad TV appearances on YouTube posted by his own team under the member name "mmflint." When Moore disparaged CNN's coverage of "Sicko," he told Blitzer: "I'm going to put the real facts up on my website. People can go to my website and find out the facts about (CNN medical correspondent) Sanjya Gupta."
Crazy like a Fox. The day after the Blitz, Moore's web stats for July 10th, 2007 alone posted more than 800,000 page views, better than 320,000 visits and almost 300,000 absolute unique visitors. In the month from June 10 to July 10, when Moore was in the mainstream media in some form or another almost every day, MichaelMoore.com registered almost 5 million page views, more than 1.5 million visits and better than 1 million absolute unique visitors."
We don't take credit for his marketing skills. We'll just take a bit of the credit for giving him some of the tools that help him.
June 26, 2007
Fantasia Festival 2007 site is now live!
by Plank
The Fantasia Festival continues to grow year after year. It is now the best-attended film festival in Montreal. From the little Festival that could, it has gone big time. And Plank has been right there with them.
Plank has developed every Fantasia site since 2003. Working from the common program and poster artwork, Plank develops designs that share the look and feel of the other Festival materials, to ensure consistent branding.
There are very few festival sites on the Web that are used as much as the Festival site. Festival-goers use it to plan their trips before the Festival starts, and as a place for film info and showtimes once the Festival is up and running. But no matter how much traffic it gets, a Plank-built site can handle it!
So check it out. We'll see you again in 2008.
June 19, 2007
Welcome Nancy!
by Plank
We'll give Nancy Beaton the full Plank welcome blog post sooner or later (it only took me about 9 months to give Mitch his welcome ;)), but for now I just wanted to give her the semi-official, it's-published-on-the-internet-so-it's-real welcome.
Nancy has taken the office by storm with her good-natured spirit and willingness to do the production tasks that are part of any web company. She is undoubtedly the best junior production person we've ever had.
We know Nancy is a great photographer and as soon as we learn more about her, we'll give you the full bio she deserves. In the meantime, enjoy one of her many awesome photos, and welcome Nancy.
June 18, 2007
Plank needs a project manager
by Plank
Our company is growing so fast that our old workflow process no longer works and we need your help! Traditionally our executives have acted as project managers. But as our client list gets bigger and bigger, that is no longer possible. So we need you!
And thanks to our good friends at Standout Jobs, we even made our own little recruiting video. Check it out:
But we are not just looking for any old project manager. We need one to be the face of Plank. A friendly face. You are going to be our main client contact for several important clients. And at Plank we pride ourselves on our client service. You have to be able to be friendly, helpful, and supportive; and to be able to get things done. To us these are just as important, if not more so, as any technical knowledge or project management expertise.
We will list some qualifications for you, but in reality we are flexible. If you have an interesting background and that friendly face we are looking for, we will certainly consider an “alternative” C.V.
Qualifications
- 2+ years of project management experience, preferably in high-tech or design fields;
- University degree;
- Bilingual;
- Proficient in standard MS Office software;
- General knowledge of the state of the Web and Web browsers;
- Knowledge of the web and / or multimedia technologies we use - HTML, PHP, CSS, AJAX, Flash, and MySQL (you don’t have to be able to code, you just need to know what they do);
- Basic understanding of Web practices and principles and such as RSS, Accessibility, and SEO;
- Work well with others!
Responsibilities
- Meeting with clients;
- All other client communications on a day-today basis;
- Planning of projects, including all necessary documentation;
- Coordinating production with the production manager;
- General team support throughout the production process;
- Possibly other general administrative tasks.
This is a full-time position, in Montreal, with a competitive salary. If you think you’d like to join an amazing team, please send your C.V. to our President, Warren Wilansky, at warren@plankdesign.com
June 8, 2007
SiCKO site launches into U.S. Health Care System
by Plank
Long-time Plank client Michael Moore is doing what he does best – shaking things up. With his new movie SiCKO set to premiere June 29th, Michael looked to Plank to develop a site that would support the movie, but do much more. Michael doesn’t just want to shake things up; he wants the people to shake things up too.
So Plank has designed and developed a site that will include a series of tools and how-to guides for people to get involved and get things to change. Already there is a What Can I Do? section, and every day between now and the premiere we will be adding new features to enable everyone to get involved in some way.
So check out the site, and see what you can do.
June 5, 2007
Greeting from the Webby Awards in NYC
by Allen
I'll post more about it when we're back, but I just wanted to say hi from the Webby Awards. We are having an amazing time and meeting so many great people. Last night I had a great chat with Craig Newmark, the man behind Craigslist. And LonelyGirl15 and I spoke for a while too. Oh those Web celebrities!
The big event is tonight, and I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.
May 8, 2007
Plank featured in Tachen's new book
by Allen
So last week a big box arrived in the office. I opened it up, and lo and behold, I was looking at several copies of Web Design: Studios 2, by German-based publisher Taschen. I tore through the book 'til I found this:
Admittedly it really wasn't a surprise because I knew it was coming. But it's still pretty cool!
Taschen is an amazing publisher that focuses on the creative arts including architecture, style, design, and photography. They have a range of books highlighting the best websites and we have all of them in the office. They are a great source of inspiration.
What makes this special is that this is not one of those "pay and you're in" books. They select you, they think your work is good, your work is featured. While we don't do what we do for the recognition, every now and then it's nice to know an independent observer thinks we do good work.
I'm looking through the book now and I see the other studios that are in there and I almost can't believe we're part of that group. I know we do good work, but to see our esteemed company sort of freaks me out a little bit!
So pop on by the Plank office and take a look, or pick one up yourself.
April 27, 2007
One Last Webby Awards Post
by Allen
In Plank's role as Webby Ambassador for Canada, we have been thrilled to be involved in the promotion of the most important awards for web and interactive in the world. As our last official act, we would like to remind you that today is the final day to vote for your favourites for the Webbys People's Voice awards - where you get to choose which sites are the best.
So head on over to the Webby Awards site and vote today. It's your last chance!
Now let the "unofficial" part of our role begin - partying it up in NYC at the Webby Awards! See you there, on June 4th and 5th.
April 23, 2007
An official welcome to Mitchell Amihod
by Allen
At Plank, whenever we get a new employee we like to introduce everyone to him or her with a special news item. Usually this is done within a month or two of the person coming on. We seem to be a little late on this one...
Part of the problem was me. I admit it. When Mitch was hired (like, last October or something), I was waiting for the re-design of the Plank site to write his news item, which would now be a blog entry. Of course, as you already know the site took a little while to go live, so Mitch's introduction was a while in coming. Sorry about that Mitch! But I like to look at it this way - we all knew you would be here for a while, so there was no rush.
Enough excuses, let's get down to it. We are all really happy to have Mitch here. He has fit in amazingly. He is officially a "senior developer," but he really is much more. Sure, he's especially skilled at traditional programming, but ask him to do some integretion or build a template, and he won't bat an eyelash. You can even ask him to design something and while he'll complain he's not a designer, he can do that too.
His multiple talents are reflected by his diverse background. Schooled at Concordia in their exclusive Communications Program (just like Warren), he then went on to program, integrate, design, develop, project manage, and more at companies as varied as Spafax Canada, Chambers & Partners in London, Autodesk, the Montreal Mirror, and Blue Dot Communications, working with our own GW Brazier. They all end up at Plank eventually!
Mitch and I were lucky enough to be at SXSW together. While there with him, I learned a couple of things. First off, he is a semi-celebrity in the online virtual world of Second Life. It was amazing - everywhere we went there were SL'ers, and they all knew who Mitch/Max was. It was quite impressive, and I now know why he spends so much time in there. I also found out he snores (albeit in a pleasing, musical manner), is messy, and likes gin and tonics. Too much information for you?
Anyway, an official welcome to Mitch, sorry it took so long. We are thriled you're here, and I know all our clients are happy to know that if they need something done, you can do it. Whatever it is!
April 13, 2007
"Ow, my head!"
by Allen
So it's been a month since Mitch, Jennifer and I got back from SXSWi. I have finally caught up with the work I missed, recovered from the hangovers, and have had a chance to sit back and reflect on our experiences. But I don't even know where to start. So like all lazy writers, I turn to the most trite of literary devices - the Top 10 list.
I will do my own Top 10 list and then Jennifer and Mitch can add their thoughts later. While the three of us hung out at night together, generally we went to different panels during the day. I went to marketing and business ones, Mitch went to technical ones, and Jennifer went to design ones, so we could cover as much as possible as a team. So while I am sure they will agree with some of what I write here, some of my business stuff they may have no clue about. Also, I can't speak for them! So without further ado...
THE TOP 10 THINGS I LEARNED AT SXSWi
10. Web people are cool. Despite the (perhaps misguided) notion that we are all geeks, I met some of the coolest, creative, hip people I have ever met. Sure, there were the traditional geeks who were always buried in their laptops, but generally I was really impressed.
9. Web people are non-hierarchical, reflecting the Web itself. Coming from a traditional business background, I was used to an "I'm the boss and you're not" philosophy. That may be true at Microsoft, but it's not with most of the people that I met. This is reflected by the fact that the panelists at one panel are in the audience at the next; there is just no "us and them." It's all us.
8. I am part of something bigger. Sitting behind a computer you really don't appreciate the people behind the Web. Putting 5000 of them in the same place so they can talk in person, you really do.
7. I know nothing. I thought I knew stuff, but there is just SO much still to learn. Must. Read. More.
6. You can make money and do what you love. Panel after panel included people who loved what they do and were making money. What a concept!
5. The Planksters can party. Every night until 2 AM. Just check out this photo, and that was only Day 1.
4. Mobile, mobile, mobile. It's not going away, and your sites better be optimized for it. Not to mention Twitter.
3. Social networking. Social networking + _____ = VC$. We've been saying that around Plank for a while, but it's true. Everyone has a social networking idea. Even The Planksters.
2. Austin is now #2 on my list of coolest cities in the world. After Montreal of course. But between 6th Street, the random weirdness, and tons of awesome bars, lots with amazing cool music coming out of them, we really never wanted to leave.
1. I want to go back next year. Please, Warren?
April 10, 2007
A Webby Awards Update
by Allen
As you may know, Plank has been working hard as the Webby Ambassador for Canada, with a mission was to increase the profile of the Webbys in Canada. There have been all sorts of things going on I've been meaning to tell you about, so here you go!
First off, in part thanks to Plank, but as much (if not more) thanks to the tireless efforts of Emily Warren at the Webby Awards and the whole Webbys team, the number of Canadian entries increased 15% over last year. This was part of an overall dramatic increase of international entries, so the new Ambassador program worked!
Today, the nominees for the Webby Awards have been announced. With over 8000 entries, it was tough to narrow it down I'm sure, but they have found some amazing sites out there. Choosing the winners will be tough! You can have your say in the process by voting for the Webby People's Voice Awards, maybe the most important awards as they recognize what you and I think are the best.
Plank was so proud of our work on Citizen Voices, we entered that site for Best Government website. While we didn't make the five finalists, we are proud the site was recognized as an Official Honoree, a title reserved for those entries that demonstrated only the highest standard of excellence. Well done everyone!
Finally, a quick note about the Webby's own site. You may have noticed if you clicked the above links that the Webby Awards have redesigned their own website. Kudos to the gang at the Webbys and their design partners The Barbarian Group - looks you guys all did a really nice job. Nice and clean and easy to find stuff. The way a site should be.
See you at the Webby Awards June 4th and 5th in NYC!
April 2, 2007
Warren says hello
by Warren
4 posts later, I thought it would be a good idea to rear my head out of an abyss of emails and formally introduce the new Plank website for 2007. It took a bit longer to get together than expected and we still have a ways to go filling out a lot information for those of you that are interested, but I’m proud of where it stands and the framework we have in place to grow this puppy.
In contrast to our previous site, this site, while being visually reflective of where we stand now design-wise also has a series of other hidden gems under the hood. Built on top of our soon to be Open-sourced Seed Framework, we’ve got all the technical bells and whistles up to date (Search Engine friendly URLs, XHTML compliance, and RSS feeds to boot) and we can now truthfully claim that all the tools that we offer to our clients we now live with on our own site.
Congrats to my whole team.
One of the main new features that we’ve launched with this site is the Plank Blog. Much debate ensured in the office about if / which / should we have a Blog. While we clearly understand the digital relevance of the blog movement and have worked with some of our clients to launch some very high profile blogs, we very simply wondered, did it really matter for us? Would anyone care what we all as a company or individuals have to say? Didn’t we already have a News section of our site? What was wrong with that?
We decided to go with the blog for a series of what we think are really good reasons for us and maybe for you to consider if you are in the same boat:
- There is nothing worse than an infrequently updated blog. We have committed to posting regularly
- Allowing everyone in the company to post will give a much more realistic view of what the Plank team is about as a whole
- Give Plank less of a marketing focused spin
- Give you a more complete insight into what makes us tick.
BTW, I’ll be honest and say that I was the one the most resistant to this major shift on our site. Maybe it’s my initial humbleness or just skepticisms but I wondered if people really cared what we had to say. I’ve always felt it was all about “just look at our work and you’ll get it.”
So the experiment begins, and I’m looking forward to being wrong.
Next up: What the hell am I going to blog about?!
March 28, 2007
Plank has an all new site!
by Allen on behalf of all of us
Well I really don't even know where to start. Plank's old site had been around for a while, and we had all grown pretty fond of it. It's been cited by a number of people as a good, clean site that was great-looking and easy to navigate (like all Plank sites!). But boy, after almost 3 years, it was time for a refresh. Here you go.
So, welcome! This redesign has been in the works for ages, to be honest. I've been here for two years and we've been talking about it since I got here. But we've just been too busy to get anything done. Our clients always come first, so our own projects get pushed to the back burner. But enough was enough. We put in some nights and just said, let's get it done. We gave ourselves a deadline, too. We said we will have a new site by the time we go to SXSW. A deadline is always a good idea - just take a look at what we managed to accomplish. Of course a deadline is a bad idea, too - just take a look at what we haven't finished! (Sorry about that, btw). But the new site will be 100% done, and soon, we promise.
The whole team at Plank made an effort to get this done. Highest praise goes to GW, who designed just about everything. GW has really made his mark in his short time here, and we think this design really shows off his skills. Our back-end is of course powered by a Mateo-built CMS, and Mitch and Jennifer have put the whole thing together and fixed those nasty IE7 issues (grr…). Geoff is planning some kick-ass Flash effects for the site you'll see soon, and Steve has guided the whole process with his usual problem-solving awesomeness.
I could go on about the new design, the architecture, the neat little features but I think it's better you discover it for yourself. So take a poke around, don't be shy, and use the comments to tell us what you think (be honest! we like criticism!). And welcome, or welcome back.
March 18, 2007
We're off to SXSW
by Plank
There was a time not so long ago when there were barely even 3 people working at Plank. Now 3 people from Plank are off to SXSW! Allen, Mitch and Jennifer are really psyched to check out the South by Southwest Interactive Festival in Austin and all the amazing interactive people from around the world who will be there. We're looking for inspiration, knowledge, and OK, a little fun while we're at it.
We'll be posting updates from Austin (assuming we're coherent) so be sure to check back to see how we're doing.
January 15, 2007
Plank's designs are about to get even better
by Plank
We’ve always been proud of our designs at Plank. Combining great technology, superior design, and getting results is our goal for every site we build. And one of those elements has just taken a major leap forward with the hiring of GW Brazier as our new Creative Director.
GW’s design experience is frankly too extensive to fully list here. He came to us from Airborne Entertainment where he was Senior Designer and helped that company get propelled to new heights. Some highlights prior to that include a stint as Art Director of The Montreal Mirror and Ici Magazine, and Co-Founder and Creative Director of Blue Dot Communications, an award-winning web and print agency with clients as diverse as Air Canada, Intrawest, and the National Film Board of Canada.
When asked about his design philosophy, GW was quick to rattle off his three-step approach – capture their attention, make a connection, and motivate a reaction. Sounds simple enough in theory, but very difficult to put into practice. But from what we have seen of GW’s skills and creativity in the short time since he joined us, there is no doubt he is succeeding brilliantly.
We also asked GW about designing for the Web specifically and the challenges it entailed. He quoted Cary Grant – “it takes 500 small details to make one favourable impression.” First off we were blown away that he quoted Cary Grant. But then we realized how great it was that we hired someone who understands the importance of the little things.
Not only is GW a brilliant and effective designer, he just may be a Web visionary as well. Way back in 1999, he dreamt of a website where the users would be the ones creating content. It was Web 2.0 when there was barely a Web 1.0. The result was Not Proud, an online confessional for people to post their sins anonymously. The site was so successful it spawned a book of the same name.
Plank’s creative vision has been placed in GW’s immensely capable hands. He says he wants our sites to have an organic quality, to have them go deeper than just the face. Not overly slick, but laden with real craftsmanship. Sites that stand out and are unique – sites that have a voice.
We can’t wait.
To reach GW, send him an email at gary@plankdesign.com or give us a call at (514) 845-0003
October 15, 2006
Plank is now Webby Ambassador for Canada
by Plank
The Webby Awards, the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, recently selected Plank as its official Webby Ambassador in Canada for the 11th Annual Webby Awards. The Webby Call for Entries began on September 19, 2006.
As an Ambassador, Plank will oversee outreach to Canada's most outstanding interactive and creative professionals, encouraging potential entrants to submit their work for consideration for The 11th Annual Webby Awards.
Hailed as "one of the most prestigious awards in the world" by the BBC, The Webby Awards is presented and judged by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences, a global organization with a membership that includes musician David Bowie, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, The Body Shop president Anita Roddick, "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening, Real Networks CEO Rob Glaser, and fashion designer Max Azria.
"The Webbys has always received outstanding entries from around the world, but with so much of today's very best interactive work being created outside the US, it is more important than ever for us to work with local industry leaders such as Plank to help us find the very best work in Canada," said David-Michel Davies, Executive Director of The Webby Awards and The Academy.
Noting that The 10th Annual Webby Awards received a record number of entries from over 40 countries, Davies said Plank would play a critical role in building on that momentum and increasing entries from Canada this year.
Plank would like to thank Bruce Livingstone, CEO of iStockphoto, an official event sponsor of the Webbys, who recommended Plank to the Webbys.
About The Webby Awards:
Called the "Oscars of the Internet" by the New York Times, the Webby is the leading international award honoring excellence in Web design, creativity, usability and functionality. Established in 1996, the 10th Annual Webby Awards received over 5,500 entries from all 50 states and over 40 countries worldwide. The Webby Awards are presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include AOL, Verizon, Fortune, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
For more information about the Webby Awards please visit the official Webbys site.
To see Plank’s profile as Canada’s Ambassadors to the Webbys on the Webby Awards site, please click here.
For more information about the Webbys in Canada, please contact us.
