Community
Nevada Volunteer Research Initiative: Website Launch
The Nevada Volunteer Research Initiative (NVRI) started in 2014 wanting to provide information about volunteerism in Nevada and how to improve it. In 2015 they conducted a survey revealing details on the people who are volunteering and what motivates them to offer volunteer. They took the collected data and combined them into a report to share with colleagues and partner organizations. UNLV Professors Dr Jennifer Keene and Dr Takashi Yamamashita, both key members of the NVRI team, approached our Las Vegas Web Design team at All in Web Pro to come up with the best way to share their findings in a visually engaging online website that everyone could easily access. To help the NVRI we came up with a branding solution for a digital and print campaign to promote themselves and the survey; by creating a website, brochure, and redesigning the reports presentation.
The first concern they had was while they themselves were credible professors they needed a way to visually communicate the value of the data and establish the report as a reliable and legitimate source of important information at a glance. Their branding which included the logo design needed a combination of professional appearance mixed with bringing a sense of warmth and caring to reflect the philanthropic tone of the subject of their research, community volunteerism. We used a combination of traditional type fonts with a simple yet effective illustrated icon. This clean and modern style of drawing were carried throughout the rest of their branding assets.
The NVRI website was built in WordPress with a custom theme featuring CSS3 animated bars to make report stats visually appealing. You can visit NevadaVRI.org to learn about them and their findings. You can even view a copy of their 2015 report which we designed.
Vegas Visionaries Website Launched
Vegas Visionaries is a community initiative, launched by All in Web Pro, that seeks to give local leaders and visionaries in Southern Nevada a platform to share their projects and visions for how to make Las Vegas and Southern Nevada a more a more thriving and sustainable place. This curated video series showcases a variety of community leaders, influencers, and community activists who are already working to make a difference and hope to inspire others to do the same. This entire project and website is created and run by the All in Web Pro team, and integrates a mix of local marketing outreach, video production, web, and graphic design skills to make the project a success.
Every 3-5 minute video is filmed by All in Web Pro at our Downtown Las Vegas satellite office located with in the Emergence Arts building on the historic Fremont Street, at 520 E Fremont St, Suite 219. The videos are then edited, custom graphics & video elements are created and add. Then the final assets are uploaded to both the Vegas Visionaries YouTube and Vimeo channels as well as the Vegas Visionaries website. The post created on VegasVisionaries.co features a bio of each speaker and tools to share the video across social media platforms.
The site is currently powered by SquareSpace and features a customized theme to best ensure overall design quality and mobile friendliness. Feel free to visit VegasVisionaries.co or visit their Youtube Channel Here to learn more about this exciting project.
If you know anyone in Southern Nevada who is making a difference in the community and has a vision that others can take part in, please go to VegasVisionaries.co and nominate them to become the next featured Vegas Visionary.
Las Vegas Tech Team Graduates at Iron Yard Ventures
First Hospitality Focus Tech Team Graduates at Iron Yard Ventures
Iron Yard Ventures was ranked as one of the top startup accelerator programs in the United States in both 2015 and 2016. Since 2012, IYV has invested in more than 62 early stage technology companies who have gone on to raise more than $100 million in follow-on funding. No small potatoes especially for the funded programs.
In Spring of this year, Iron Yards Ventures announced a hospitality-focused accelerator for downtown Las Vegas. During November, the team is celebrating the graduation of accelerator Batch 6 (the term for this year’s class), and credits the tech community in Las Vegas for their strong support of this program.
"So many people have been amazing in helping out our companies, but the best I think is yet to come," said Ryan Negri, Managing Director of the accelerator.
Negri points to accelerator mentor Robert Rippee, Director of the Hospitality Lab at the International Gaming Institute, as a valuable mentor to the teams in the program this fall. Rippee met with Nobal Tech, one of the batch startups. The startup creates innovative and intuitive digital interfaces to enhance customer experience and is changing the way people interact with their world.
"Robert Rippee is connecting them with the builder of the new Resorts World casino/hotel and also to the CEO at Wynn," noted Negri. "This could lead to the installation of their mirrors into over 30K rooms."
This year’s cohort has teams from all over the world. Four of the batch talented teams are local to Las Vegas, while others traveled from Atlanta, Calgary, and Johannesburg.
"Curating a diverse cohort comes natural to me, as I’ve grown up in diverse cities and have traveled the country," said Negri. "I don’t see color when I’m being pitched. I don’t hear accents when I evaluate a startup. I look at the team, and how they work together, how they treat each other, and their staff. The person is so much more important than the product. That was my hunch before the program, but the program confirmed that for me. I look at a team and ask, ‘Can this team pivot and still be successful?’"
For other investors and startup accelerators looking to increase their portfolio diversity, Negri suggests searching for underserved companies by targeting underserved cities, programs, and universities.
Tech Experts Receive Awards at 2016 Top Tech Exec Awards
VEGAS INC and Cox Business highlighted Southern Nevada’s greatest technical achievements at its sixth annual Top Tech Exec Awards at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, November 15, 2016.
While guests enjoyed complimentary drinks and desserts from the Four Seasons’ catering department, the evening’s emcee and Greenspun Media Group’s publisher, Gordon Prouty announced the winners. Honorees were also featured in the November 20, 2016 issue of The Sunday and November 21, 2016 issue of Vegas INC.
An independent panel of judges, many of whom received a Top Tech Exec award in 2015 determined the winners. Selections were based on factors such as recent achievements, impact on his or her company, major projects, and more.
The 2016 Top Tech Exec honorees are:
- Clifton Cole, Virtual Design and Construction Manager at The PENTA Building Group (private business)
- Daniel Chapnick, Regional Manager at iD Tech Camps (education)
- Jason Frame, Information Technology Manager at Southern Nevada Health District (government)
- Zubin Damania, Founder and CEO of Turntable Health and ZDoggMD.com (health care)
- Mary Lynn Palenik, Vice President, Office of Strategy and Planning for Caesars Entertainment Corporation (hotel/gaming)
- Randy Dearborn, Vice President at MGM Resorts International (public business)
- Armena Mnatsakanyan, Executive Director of Lutheran Social Services of Nevada (nonprofit)
Shavonnah Tiera Collins, Managing Director of RedFlint Experience Center was awarded the Community Exemplary Award. The brand new RedFlint Experience Center opened in October 2016, and seeks to provide startups, established companies, and entrepreneurs with access to new concepts, programs, and technology, as well as provide training to professionals who have fallen behind with rapidly advancing technology.
Congratulations to the award winners this year and all the nominees!
Web Design Tips: 5 Ways to Beat Writer’s Block
Here are 5 Techniques for Overcoming Writer’s Block:
Creativity is necessary for some much of what we do every day. When we’re “in the zone” our newest web design, web development concept or client presentation seems to flow out of us and all the dots connect seamlessly. But we’ve also experienced the other extreme. The clock ticks incessantly on an impending deadline, the more you try and force your focus the more distracted you become, until you feel incapable of stepping up to the task at hand. You’ve smashed into that impassible wall known as writer’s block. The good news is you’re not alone. Every one of us has encountered this obstacle, threatening to obstruct our path to productivity and success. And the better news is, there are ways you can climb right over the wall and continue on your way to completing your project.
1. Get the blood pumping and oxygen circulating.
Take a walk. It sounds too easy to be true, but it is an exceptional way to clear your head. It is even more effective if you make an effort to be “in the moment” by paying attention to your surroundings on your walk instead of visualizing your deadline as an anvil about to drop on your head and bust it wide open like a watermelon at the hands of Gallagher (http://gallaghersmash.com/). A walk also packs the added punch of getting your blood pumping, which increases blood circulation and oxygen, and this is vital to achieving peak brain function. Sedentary lifestyle habits, like sitting at your desk all day, inhibits effective blood circulation and can have the same stifling effect on your creativity. Many times a momentary change of scenery, coupled with some physical activity and movement, is all you need to reinvigorate your creative mojo.
2. Take a mental break to switch gears and recalibrate your focus.
Occasionally, you hit a wall and all you need to get over it is to step back from the project for 10 minutes and let your focus recalibrate. The key to not getting mindlessly sidetracked is to limit your breaks to a specific amount of time, not exceeding 10 or 15 minutes. It is best if your break involves reading or writing. Perhaps you indulge your guilty pleasures, that celebrity gossip website or check the scores on ESPN.com or go on your social networks and check out what your friends and family are up to. But again, be disciplined or this won’t work and could become just another way to procrastinate.
3. De-clutter your environment to reduce distractions.
Whether you believe that your surroundings can physically block energy, as in Feng Shui, or you just subscribe to the general principle that a messy work space is a needless distraction, it seems to improve clarity of focus when there is not “stuff” scattered haphazardly where you are working. Keep disorder to a minimum and it will enhance the process of organizing of your thoughts. A scattered work area can easily lead to scattered thoughts.
4. Limit outside interruptions.
This goes beyond your physical setting to include outside distractions such as phone calls, emails, social media and messaging notifications, television, interruptions from family, friends and co-workers, to the alluring temptations of the world wide web. Whether it’s eBay, Facebook, Zappos or cat videos on YouTube that entice you to drift, you have to empower yourself to just say no when you need to buckle down and produce a finished, quality project. Turn the phone on silent, adjust your settings to off, let those around you know you’re “off limits” for the next hour, or three, and close your internet browser. The world will not cease to turn if you go “underground” for a few hours.
5. Two minds can be better than one.
Get a second opinion. Collaboration can be a rewarding way to push through your writer's block. If you are writing an article, you can call an expert on the subject for a short interview. You reap the benefit of a relevant quote that improves your work, while expanding your perspective and, hopefully, making a new valuable connection. If the project is a presentation, try asking a colleague, friend or spouse to listen to your pitch and offer feedback. It will be helpful to have someone to bounce ideas off as well as give an insight or perspective that takes your concept to another level or in a different direction that you would not have thought of on your own.
The important elements of web development, web design, SEO, graphic design, or any creative development work, all require a high level of creativity and focus. It’s vital to have strategies to deal effectively with blocks when they occur. We would enjoy hearing what strategies get you past writer’s block and back on the path to productivity. What practices help you get into your creative flow?
Web Design Tips: 5 Ways to Make Your Social Media Matter
To harness the full power of social networks and leverage the exponential reach available through social networking, here are 5 best practices.
Social media is a powerful tool for generating brand awareness and building trust. An effective social media strategy integrates seamlessly with your web design so that your online presence represents your company with professionalism and your SEO is boosted. If you do social media the right way you can build relationships with fans and followers that will build long-term relationships by creating content that engages and brings value your audience. Your web development strategy should always include a social element so your social networks are easily visible and your content is easily shared by those interested in your brand and content.
1. Use your social networks to listen, not just talk.
The social interaction between people is what brings the “social” element to social media. People interested in your brand will fan you on Facebook, follow you on twitter and subscribe to you on YouTube to interact with the person behind the company. They aren't always finding you on social channels to hear a one-way message that talks at them. Rather, thanks to social media, marketing and advertising is now a conversation and consumers will demand that you talk with them in a conversation. This is an exciting evolution that allows you to develop genuine connections with your audience that were not available before.
2. Your content should create value for your audience.
Only if you entertain, inform, or in some way provide value, with your social posts and updates will your fans and followers like your posts, share your blog content and videos and retweet your tweets. How can those interested in your brand join the conversation if you are not initiating one? No one wants to be sold to all the time, not in person and not on the net. If you consistently provide content that is of educational, social, or useful value you will build a following that is loyal, engaged and enthusiastic about your brand.
3. Social is not about selling, it’s about building relationships.
You get out of social what you put in. If you use it as a platform to always be selling, making it all about you, visitors will be less motivated to come back to your sites. But the good news is that building relationships is actually more powerful than sales! If you’re a dentist you’re not trying to use your blog to sell one pair of braces. If you blog on interesting subjects related to your business, such as how to ask for a second opinion or, for those that are terrified of the dentist, a 5 minute mediation to put you at ease before you enter the dentist chair, you will begin to build trust with your audience. This trust is the first step to building a lasting relationship. You will become a trusted resource that can develop into a client bond that will outlast a one-time procedure and continue for 5, 10, or 20 years or longer.
4. Use social networks to build relationships with industry leaders, colleagues and mentors.
Social is not only about reaching out to potential consumers, it's also about participating in the conversation among your peers and industry thought leaders. Follow those agencies and individuals that are driving innovation in your field or who have influence with many people. These people have much to teach and they give away valuable information and insights through social media. Are you listening or are you missing out? LinkedIn is optimal for engaging with industry giants and experts. You can join LinkedIn groups representing your field to keep up on the latest news, updates and industry trends. Be a part of the conversation so you too can establish yourself as a leading voice in your market.
5. Track your metrics to develop and fine tune your strategy.
In order to know what you are doing right, and which strategies are not benefiting you, you need to track your performance. There are many tools, both paid and free, that will generate reports which let you know when your content resonates with your audience and when it falls flat and fails to generate interest and engagement. By playing to your strengths and understanding your weaknesses, you can develop a winning social media plan that will increase your presence, raise your SEO ranking and establish your business as a leader in your market.
We have been in the Las Vegas web design and web development industry for years and we have experienced the power of social media to make connections and create partnerships and clients in our community. It’s not rocket science, all it takes is knowledge, a passion for engaging with your audience, and a consistent dedication to the effort and consistency required to create value and build genuine long-term connections.
New Website Launch: Song of the Day
Song of the Day has been redesigned with new features and tools to allow users to generate greater exposure for their favorite bands. The site has been built so that anyone can submit a artist and a link to a video, along with a review to be shared with the world. Then Song of the Day takes this submitted song and review and puts in an even playing field for it to compete with out concern of needing a large marketing budget. Everyday a new song is selected by editors using a rigid set of rules and guidelines as the Song of Day and it is then featured on the home page.
The original Song of the Day site was conceived and launched by our founder Owen Carver over 2 years ago. This current version of the site is just the next step in Song of the Day's evolution. We hope that with the social media tools, submissions, and review system we will be able to give the world a new platform to share and discover music on.
Please click here to see the current live site.
Las Vegas Give Camp 2013
The 1st Annual Las Vegas Give Camp is over and we here at All in Web Pro could not be happier, prouder, sleepier, or more amazed. Last weekend (June 26-June 28) over 50 local and non-local volunteers came to together to help out 17 Las Vegas local non-profit organizations. This phenomenal effort for everyone single person involved was able to give out over $100,000 in free services to the Las Vegas community.
Here at All in Web Pro we would like to send out a great big thanks to everyone that took part in Vegas Give Camp !!
We would also like to thank all of the sponsors of Vegas Give Camp for making the event run super smooth.
Here is a video from NBC3 News about the event.
Some photos of our AiWP team in ACTION!
New Website Design: Prakti - Changing the World with Cookstoves
Changing the World
PraktiDesign.com is the website home of Prakti, an exciting new social venture startup that's working hard to develop innovative technology that will significantly improve the health of women and children in developing countries. Their innovation is clean cookstove technology! They've created an advanced cookstove system specifically designed to be affordable for mass distribution in the developing world, and they've already begun operations in India, Haiti, and Nepal. Most people wouldn't think smoke from a cookstove could be such an important issue, but it's one of the top 5 killers in developing countries today, causing over 1.9 million premature deaths every year mostly among women and children who cook food in covered indoor stoves which release harmful particulates into their homes.
Owen Carver had the opportunity to meet the founder of Prakti, Mouhsine Serrar, last year at the UnReasonable Institute in Boulder Colorado during the 2 days leading up to the UnReasonable Climax event. The Climax is a startup stage where 25 entrepreneur graduates from the UnReasonable Institute's 6 week program present their for-profit social ventures to a packed audience of academics, investors, and like-minded individuals passionate about changing the world.
Prakti was one of two startups presented that received awards from Siegel & Gale, a global strategic branding firm based in New York, which entitled them to receive free banding services from the firm along with a blue-print for a new website. After some time Prakti reached out to All in Web Pro for help with the execution of these brand strategies through the redesign of their website.
While working closely with Prakti and the Siegel & Gale team, we generated an modern interpretation of this new user-friendly and easy to navigate website aimed at providing key information to investors and partners through a story-based content system designed for easy ongoing maintenance and expansion.
We're proud to be able to support Prakti in their mission to change the world through innovative cookstove solutions and are honored that they look to us for their web design needs.
Channel 13 News Interviews Owen Carver for Las Vegas GiveCamp
Recently Beth Fisher of Channel 13 News did a spotlight on Las Vegas GiveCamp for her Good Morning Las Vegas show "Making Las Vegas a Better Place to Live" to help raise awareness among area non-profits and volunteers. Las Vegas GiveCamp is a local hack-a-thon for charity co-founded and co-organized by All in Web Pro's founder Owen Carver. The interview took place at the Work In Progress building in downtown Las Vegas, a co-working space where the event will be held at the end of June 2013.
Vegas GiveCamp is part of a national movement that has already raised millions of dollars in free technology services for non-profits in different cities across the country. The event has already received applications from over 50 non-profits and more than 40 Las Vegas web developers who've offered to volunteer their time and talent over a 3 day weekend to give local non-profits a technology upgrade in the form of a website, an app, or database management system. But the event isn't just for web designers and web developers, it's also open to graphic designers, online marketing consultants, content writers, app developers, and anyone else who can help area non-profits leverage technology.