articles
thoughts from big max
The launch of Amalia’s Bakery & Catering’s website
New owners of the neighborhood bakery Formerly known as the 45th Street Bakery, Angel and Amalia became the new owners in November and changed the name to Amalia's Bakery & Catering. Seeing an opportunity to get to know the neighborhood better, Angel approached...
An award-winning dream comes true
Way back in the dark ages when we did everything by hand in art school, one of my favorite classes was package design. For our final, we were to take a current product and redesign it. Since, I’m Irish, half from the orange side and half from the green side, I decided...
The age-old question; should you put your company name in the footer of a website you’ve designed?
This has been a conundrum for me since I started designing websites twenty years ago. On one hand, I liken it to how I feel about car dealerships who paste their logo on the back of your beautiful new car. Who gave them the right to do that? Didn’t you pay them for...
In a blink of an eye I was on the ground
Like many on New Year’s morning, I decided it was time to get back to my regular walking workouts after a holiday full of way too much food and cheer. In Fort Lauderdale, it was one of the beautiful clear winter day mornings that so many come here for. Walking at my...
The good the bad and the ugly on the WooCommerce Builder for Divi
A mix of the good and the bad As with many, I was excited when the email finally came out stating that we were going to be to modify WooCommerce pages in Divi without the need of a third-party plugin. For the last couple of years, I’ve been using the plugin Woo Layout...
You don’t know me, yet you feel free to besmirch me on Facebook
Yesterday morning as I sat down with my cup of coffee, I ran my morning schedule through my head, things were going to be tight but doable. First up, my morning walk with Hank, my black Labrador Retriever, then maybe I can squeeze in my Friday cardio...
A profession that needs some kind of certification program
We don’t build or change buildings, we don’t cut people open, we don’t drill or remove anyone’s teeth so why on earth would we need a certification program?Because we are in a profession that allows anyone to start a website design business claiming they...
Why you don’t rent your website
What do you mean “Don’t rent your website?” Are you on Squarespace, Weebly, Wix or using a website builder provided by your hosting company? Then you are renting your website. Here are four examples why you should not rent your website Sorry, your access is denied! If...
Be careful about what you wish for
A client decided to run Google Ads on two products that they are trying to get some traction on. One of the ads stated: Hair Loss Treatment | Hair Loss Shampoo Free Samples. Reactivates hair follicle stem cells, causing a new cycle of hair growth! Both started with...
The death of the sidebar
My website designs are known for being well thought out and easy to navigate. One of the first steps I took in achieving this was to get rid of the sidebar. At first, not everyone understood my logic, that was until smartphones and tablets became the main devices for...
Silencing the voices in my head
We all have them, the voices that wake you up in the middle of the night, or are sitting on your shoulder during the day asking, “What are you thinking? Who told you could do that? Why would anyone listen to you?” They go on and on, and you continue to listen to them....
Rejection – how it’s delivered matters
Rejection is something no one likes. Sometimes it’s stings and other times the comments are good for reflection. Could your work or performance have been better? With one group of people you get awards, with another they leave you feeling that perhaps you should...