We know that presenting is not always at the top of everyone’s “favorite things to-do” list but when the opportunity to present at a great conference or event falls into your lap, it’s hard to say no. As lovers of learning, we’ve attended as many conferences as we can to keep the wheels in our brains turning. As we’ve watched a variety of presentations (and even given some ourselves,) we’ve picked up a few tips on giving a great presentation. Check out episode 9 of Brain Lava for four quick presentation tips! READ MORE >>
WordPress is currently powering 30% of all websites. Yeah, we’re picking our jaws up off the floor too! This 30% is a melting pot made up of small business websites, personal blogs and larger business websites like Sony and Vogue. At ODEA, WordPress is our go-to choice for content management system (CMS) when developing a website for a client. So, what makes WordPress one of the coolest kids on the block? Versatility. In this week’s episode of Brain Lava, Stephanie Cosgrove, graphic designer at ODEA, discusses stats and the future of WordPress with our resident CMS guru, Emil Wisch. Check READ MORE >>
Personal opinions: we all have them but they’re not always helpful when it comes to giving creative feedback. When reviewing an ad layout, web mock-up or logo design, it’s easy to throw out comments based on personal preference such as “I don’t like that font” or “yellow is my least favorite color”. To be honest (and we mean this in the nicest way possible), it doesn’t matter if you like it or not. Before you draft a colorful email telling us to take a hike, let us explain. We love, appreciate and need client input and feedback. But as your READ MORE >>
As a team of marketing strategists, creatives and technologists, some days we must let our creative flag fly and give attention to our own marketing. Our goal: add something new to our website homepage every six months. So, maybe we’ve been slacking on that just a bit…BUT for good reason (hello, awesome client projects!). We’re excited to finally introduce our brand-new homepage video! Check it out below – and make sure your speakers are turned on for the full experience! Stay tuned to see the next “something new” we add to our website in the not-so-distant future… READ MORE >>
Another year of HubSpot’s Inbound conference has come and gone. Didn’t get to attend? Trying to decide if you should go next year? We’ve got our very first guest on Brain Lava filling us in on all things Inbound! We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Kerra from the Chicago Family Business Council to share her thoughts on her first Inbound experience. From the keynote speakers to the breakout sessions to the programs…Patty and Kerra discuss it all! Check out episode 7 of Brain Lava: Prefer to read instead of listen? We’ve got you covered. Find a transcript of this READ MORE >>
Warning: Explicit Content! That’s right, we’ve got our first explicit rating — and honestly, we’re kind of pumped about it. But not only because of the expletives. We’re pumped because we get to discuss a few of our favorite companies that turned their “why nots” into “we just did”. We’re talking BOLD branding and what it means to ODEA! Check out our podcast, Brain Lava, to hear about how Big Ass Fans (hello, explicit rating!) and Big River Steel have given their brand a point of view with BOLD branding. READ MORE >>
Today’s technology has made it easier than ever to shoot professional video on your smartphone. Nearly all smartphones film in HD and most are able to capture video in 4K. When it comes to capturing spontaneous moments, don’t run to the car to grab your video camera bag, just reach in your back pocket! Our friends at Motionpost, a Chicago-based video production company, created a guide to shooting professional video on your smartphone. We’re sharing their tips with you below! 1. Always shoot in landscape mode by turning your phone sideways. This is the most basic tip, since portrait mode READ MORE >>
What’s the first thought that crosses your mind when you see that post-mortem meeting invitation appear in your inbox after a project is completed? Anxiety? Dread? Understandable. The word “post-mortem” itself even sounds scary, but it doesn’t have to be! Two ODEA team members spent two days getting smarter at the Digital PM Summit hosted by the Bureau of Digital in Memphis, Tennessee. Their favorite presentation was “Finessing your Retrospective” by the brilliant Patrice Embry because post-mortems are something we’re trying to be better about implementing at ODEA. Patrice gave some amazingly easy and simple ways to make a post-mortem READ MORE >>
You’re on the treadmill. Your blood is pumping, sweat is running down your face and your brain is flooded with endorphins. In that moment, the answer to a week-long problem suddenly comes to you. Here at ODEA, we call those “treadmill thoughts”. Many of us experience “AH-HA” moments when doing something monotonous like taking a shower, running (or walking!) on a treadmill, or even going for a long drive. Why is that?? Because we are so curious as to why this happens to us, we did a little research. It turns out there is an actual science behind this phenomenon. Professor READ MORE >>