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CTRL+CLICK CAST inspects the web for you! We proudly feature diverse voices from the industry’s leaders and innovators, who tackle everything from design, code and content management systems, to culture and business challenges. Our focused, topical discussions teach, inspire and waste no time getting to the heart of the matter. Formerly the EE Podcast, CTRL+CLICK is produced by Bright Umbrella and hosted by industry veterans Lea Alcantara and Emily Lewis.
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The grand finale! Emily and Lea discuss the technical execution of ctrlclickcast.com’s mobile-friendly refresh. We chat about what it took to translate the design into a more modular, modern front-end as well as the challenges and process to upgrade the site to the latest version of ExpressionEngine. Tune in to find out more—plus a major announceme…
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Tanzen’s Carrie Hane aims to demystify content strategy! We dive into how fundamental content strategy is to the success of a digital project — and ultimately, its organization! Carrie explains what to expect with content strategy, where it fits in a project life cycle, plus the value this strategy brings to designers, developers, and clients. <…
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ExpressionEngine Community Association with TJ Draper
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30:28
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The ExpressionEngine Community Association helped organize the last couple of EE Conferences — what else is in its future? EECA president TJ Draper explains their dreams for the EE community, advocating for education, as well as its overarching goals. Tune in for details on how you can get involved, too! < Download MP3 > &nbs…
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Why did it take 3 years to relaunch a modern, mobile-friendly ctrlclickcast.com? Lea and Emily dive into the business and logistical challenges in launching an internal project alongside client work. We chat about the plan and strategy we had 3 years ago, plus the content, IA and design process along the way. Tune in to hear insights on shifts we h…
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Vector Media Group’s Acquisition of Happy Cog with Matt Weinberg & Stuart Henry
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47:04
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At the end of last year, well-renowned digital agency Vector Media Group acquired the equally-renowned Happy Cog. Why? And what does it mean for our industry? We get the details from Vector partners Matt Weinberg and Stuart Henry, who explain how the idea of an acquisition evolved over time and how quickly the deal came together once decided. They …
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We close 2018 with our annual Year in Review! What have we learned in tech, business and life this past year? We also share some fun faves to add to your watch, listen, read and play lists. Plus, special guest Erin Lewis is back to give a rundown on this year’s Rapidfire Questions. Spoiler: people have opinions about karaoke. < Download MP3 >…
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Ups and downs in business are a given, but we don’t often talk about the downs. Without talking about our failures, though, how can we learn and find success in difficult times? So we’re giving you a peek behind the curtains at Bright Umbrella, sharing some of the business challenges we faced this year — including losing our largest client — and th…
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Designing for People Struggling with Mental Health with Francis Rowland
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50:01
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Compassion and perspective. These are two elements that lead design toward a more accessible and inclusive future, says Senior UX Architect Francis Rowland. We discuss how inclusive design principles help audiences with mental health struggles while improving everyone’s user experience. < Download MP3 > <…
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Our jobs as designers and devs can sometimes lead to burnout, bad habits, stress and worse. Career counselor and author Gina DeLapa joins the show to share practical tips that can help us thrive at work! Gina details the importance of self care and shares examples of what it really looks like in practice. We also discuss the importance of boundarie…
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Is your agency ready to hire its first employee? Friendly Design’s Ross Nover explains how his agency grew to eight full-time staff and why. We discuss business opportunities and time-saving, hiring vs. contracting out, plus the financial considerations involved when hiring. To help you decide whether to expand your staff, we share resources and ad…
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Editorial Design in Craft CMS with Travis Gertz
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54:40
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Don’t let technology constrain your design flexibility! Travis Gertz joins the show to explain the importance of art direction and creativity when designing for digital experiences. He outlines some simple, practical ways to apply these nuances as well as larger-scale design flexibility. We discuss how to apply flexible design with Craft CMS, share…
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Offline Web Experiences with Jeremy Keith
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1:05:31
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From optimizing performance to enhancing the user experience, crafting a good offline web experience can be complicated! Front-end expert and author Jeremy Keith joins the show to make sense of service workers and progressive web apps. Jeremy details the technical aspects, as well as the more complicated UX considerations, and shares real-world exa…
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What is philanthropy tech? Technology Affinity Group Executive Director Chantal Forster gives real-world examples of technology affecting change in our communities. She shares the staggering $60B figure that goes into philanthropic efforts and how technology may be the way to put that to better use. < Download MP3 > &nb…
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Standard Agreements for Digital Services with Gabe Levine & Josh Barrett
56:40
56:40
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The service agreements you sign with your clients are more than just legal contracts. They are core to your business operations and client relationships. So you need to get them right! Lawyers Gabe Levine and Josh Barrett join the show to discuss what client services agreements like MSAs and SOWs need to include — specifically for creatives and dig…
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Designing a Modular System with Sarah Federman
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1:04:15
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Design systems can be confusing, especially when people are still trying to define what it means! Adobe Design Engineer Sarah Federman stops by the show to explain what design systems are, why they’re important and the details in their actual creation. We explain how modularity is built in to design systems and how it’s evolved through the years. W…
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If you want to solve a problem, you need to first understand the problem. That’s why data is core to Black Tech Mecca’s City Assessment Framework, which is helping increase Black participation in Chicago’s tech industry. CEO Fabian Elliott joins the show to explain BTM’s mission and how they use data as the foundation for change. He details their h…
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No matter how many upgrades and CMS migrations you go through, there are always issues. In Part 2 of this series, we tackle the technical planning, gotchas and QA of CMS upgrades and migrations. We stress the importance of setting the right expectations with clients, not taking one-click upgrades for granted, and share our tips on how to tackle the…
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The State of Web Images with Kitt Hodsden
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53:51
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From formats and techniques to performance and automation, images on the web can be complicated! Front-end developer and performance expert Kitt Hodsden joins the show to make sense of today’s options — and help you choose the options that are best for your projects. Kitt explains the historical background of web images, along with future-forward o…
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Biz Dev Strategies 101 with Alex Mejias
1:00:29
1:00:29
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Business development is the key to business success, but where to begin? Alex Mejias, Foster Made’s Director of Strategy and Business Development, joins to the show to explain the fundamentals of business development. We discuss the mindset required for business growth, the basic sales process plus how to qualify leads. We share both the small and …
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Fostering Diversity in Design Leadership with Timothy Bardlavens
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1:01:14
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How can we improve diversity in design leadership? Access. Access to resources, education, other designers … access to the knowledge that design is even a career to pursue in the first place. We chat with Microsoft’s Product Design & Culture Lead Timothy Bardlavens about the lack diversity in the design industry and in leadership, in particular…
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How do you decide whether to upgrade your CMS or if it’s time to consider new software? Do you understand the benefits of one or the other? In Part 1 of this series, Emily and Lea discuss the benefits of upgrading or migrating sites from a client’s perspective. We break down how the decision goes beyond tech, share processes with real-world scenari…
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Web Design Fundamentals for Developers with Tracy Osborn
57:18
57:18
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Should developers understand design? Yes, says developer, designer and entreprenerd Tracy Osborn. She joins the show to discuss her “Hello Web Design” book, which gives developers and programmers a friendly intro to web design principles. We discuss why developers should understand design fundamentals and dive into some of the similarities with lea…
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Localization Best Practices with Ira Frimere and Michael Harris
56:59
56:59
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Go beyond Google Translate! Acclaro’s Ira Frimere and Michael Harris join the show to discuss the business, development and process that go into localization for the web. We dive into client workflows, the business benefits of localization, balancing machine and expert human translation, as well as the UX, front-end and CMS considerations for multi…
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Project Management for the Web with Rachel Gertz
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Project management isn’t just about tasks, time and budget. Good PM is about better communication, better outcomes and better profits! Digital PM Trainer Rachel Gertz returns to the show to dispel myths about project management and explain how essential it is to the success of a project and, more importantly, a client relationship. She defines PM f…
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With new federal laws in place, accessibility is a huge priority for government agencies and organizations that receive federal funding. But accessibility is more than just technical specifications. Information Architect and Usability Engineer Jason Nakai joins the show to discuss the practical aspects of accessibility projects — for websites and s…
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