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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
Big River Steel is unlike any other steel company in the world. To help them prove that, they needed a website that BOLDLY captured their brand and dared to challenge the future of steel. Through stunning photography, video, and bold phrases, their website showcases Big River’s integration of steel and technology with a rebellious edge. Launched January of 2018, we are proud to have created a website that shows the world just how badass Big River Steel is: To see more of our work with Big River, click here. READ MORE >>
What comes to mind when you hear the word “designer”? Most people tend to think of a graphic designer. But designers take on many more forms than that – web developers, architects, plant managers, teachers, chemists, journalists, composers, and CEOs are all designers in their own way. Italian artist Bruno Munari said that “A designer is a planner with an aesthetic sense”. The core of design comes from being a planner and being able to organize information in a way that is usable for its intended audience. That’s user experience in a nutshell! User Experience (UX) is all about the READ MORE >>
We’re jazzed to announce the launch of “Brain Lava”, our new marketing and tech podcast for curious minds – like yours! Each episode of Brain Lava will focus on whatever is flowing from our brains that week, be it marketing or tech or who knows what! We’ll share our thoughts as creatives, technologists and marketers, and ask for yours in return. Don’t be surprised when we email you an interview request! Join us and let’s discuss whatever is on our collective curious minds to keep our brain lava flowing! You can listen to our latest episode below: Please subscribe on READ MORE >>
Did you know the internet was launched publicly on August 6th, 1991? We just celebrated the internet’s 27th birthday! All things considered, the internet is still very young. But even though it’s young, it has lived a full life and grown at incredible speeds. With all of the different organizations, ideas and people out in the world, it was inevitable that the pool of URLs to choose from would shrink. Has your company ever looked to create a new website for a particular product or service offering only to find that it was already taken? Sometimes you can purchase the READ MORE >>