I’ve helped them create two Web sites over the years, most recently the current version, which launched earlier this year. Annie, naturally, created the design concept, since she’s really the only person who possibly could have done it justice. Throughout the process I’ve come to understand and appreciate Annie’s attention to detail. She wanted to be very precise with fonts, layout and proportion. I also admire her patience: the annie|catherine site is one of the first in which we installed a new kind of e-commerce system, and while we’re pretty good at it now, there was a bit of a learning curve at the time. Annie handled the bumps and bruises with more grace than I would have if the shoe had been on the other foot. If she could bottle that stuff up and sell it, I’m sure she would make a mint.

I’m proud of the site we’ve built together, and I’ve learned a lot about the creative process and the fine art of working together (I still have a lot to learn). I’m sure it would still be a Very Good Site without the work of Annie Darling. But I’m not at all sure that it would be a Best of the Web award winner.

There are recipes from a dozen of Portland’s finest restaurants and we’ve built an interactive map to show you where to find each culinary creation. You might want to create a short list of your favorites and hit them up during November, which has been declared Salute to Sous Month.

While building this special feature, Jordan and I had to wear bibs during the late afternoon hours to avoid drooling all over our keyboards.

Do you have a favorite?

Salute to Sous Recipes

The year started off with, shall we say, a “subdued” business climate. Then in January two long-time collaborators decided to go their own way and haven’t looked back. No calls, no emails, no coffee, no beer, no lunch. (I blame myself). For someone who went into business in part to try to build a better kind of workplace, that one still hurts bad. Real bad.

In February, with the commercial real estate market being what it was (at a low ebb, that is), it was time to head downtown and see if I could score some office space. I got very lucky and hit the jackpot with a top floor space at 28 Maple Street, formerly occupied by Lapchick Creative. I couldn’t rent the entire floor space, but worked out a deal w/our landlord, Portland Pie (Best. Landlord. Ever.) to rent part of it and then see if I could bring in like-minded creatives to fill it out as a coworking space.

I had heard about the idea of coworking, through Twitter of all places, and in April it became a trending topic in Portland, thanks in part to a great article in The Switch by Avery Yale Kamila. Then Space Gallery held a Jelly – a coworking open house of sorts – and we followed suit (we hosted Jellies on a monthly basis throughout most of 2009 and we intend to continue this year). Our space now has four full-time members, two part-time members and a funky name – Wycwah (you’ll have to ask a member how we came up with that one). You can follow Wycwah on Twitter, naturally.

In February, I decided to try a NoonHat lunch, organized by the folks at Portland Greendrinks. There, purely by chance, I ran into Sheila Reiser, a gal who was in-between jobs and to some extent was trying to find herself. Needing a Creative Services Coordinator, after the departure of an aforementioned collaborator, I decided to take a chance, and hired her.

Here’s the thing you need to understand about Sheila: she didn’t have a computer, a Facebook page or a Twitter account. Her mobile phone was an ancient model, and I don’t think she sent very many text messages outside of those we exchanged. Quite an unusual hire for a company that does Web design and development.

What Sheila did have, however, was a keen interest in typography and a can-do, supportive attitude. She was not in this game of life for the money (she had turned her back on her career as an officer in the Coast Guard – she graduated from the Academy), she actually wanted to help Pemaquid make a difference, and see if it was in any way fulfilling for her. She had a courteous, military bearing, but was not “professional”. Refreshing, just right for Pemaquid (courteous but not “professional”), and a very good fit as it turned out.

In March, I caught another break, bumping into Jordan Warren, while giving a presentation on e-commerce to her class at the University of Southern Maine. Jordan quickly became Pemaquid’s first summer intern, and the experience went so well that she has continued on as a part-time employee, and she’s doing a bang up job as my Humble Apprentice. When Sheila left in mid-December, Jordan assumed her role as Pemaquid’s new Creative Services Coordinator. You will be hearing much more about her soon enough.

In June, Pemaquid was nominated for one of the first-ever entreverge awards by a Client, Curtis Picard of the Maine Merchants Association. We were nominated for advancing the idea of coworking in Portland, and we were lucky enough to be one of five companies (out of 50+ nominees) to win. Winners have access to an Advisory Committee that includes former governor Angus King, Idexx founder David Shaw and David Swardlick of Swardlick Marketing Group. Happily, one of our Clients, Gabrielle Melchionda of Mad Gab’s is also an advisor. Over the coming weeks, I will be writing about my experience with entreverge advisors.

My entreverge has been wonderful, and has quite possibly saved my business. It’s mission – to celebrate and promote good, creative business ideas and innovation here in Maine – is something that should be supported year after year. Kudos to Johann Sabbath and the folks at Propel for bringing it to life.

I’ve met many wonderful folks through coworking, and many through social media connections. Portland has many wonderfully talented “digital creatives” and I’m hoping there will be many opportunities to collaborate in the coming year.

Like a lot of folks, I’m looking forward to a better 2010, but there’s definitely going to be a lot of very hard work to be done to be successful. The business of Web design continues to evolve, forcing those of us in the market to adapt quickly. The economy still isn’t exactly rainbows and unicorns like it was a few years ago, and competition for the best gigs will be tough.

But bring it on. I’m convinced you learn much more about what your business is made of during the tough times, because you’re forced to be more introspective about what you need to do to be successful.

Pemaquid Zone (FB)
Pemaquid Fan Page (FB)
Twitter: http://twitter.com/pemaquid

You can also find me tweeting at:
http://twitter.com/portlandhead

I think we do a pretty spiffy job cranking out sites, but are there other people practicing great Web design in Maine? Ayuh!

Would like to see more!

Let’s get a conversation started about Web design, Web sites and technology in Portland, Maine.

Ah, yes! The moment you’ve all been waiting for – iPhone 3G is hitting the streets Friday. For me, it’s about time to get one. The other day it finally happened – a potential customer said to me: “My Web site doesn’t look quite right on my iPhone”.

Time to experience the ins and outs first hand.

Mobile and location-based computing is becoming ever more popular, and with Apple’s App Store throwing open its doors this morning I’m sure we’ll see an explosion of creativity as third-party developers rush to build cool applications for iPhone users.

On the other hand, those of us in Portland, Maine have to remember not to get too worked up about 3G – because we won’t have it. AT&T’s 3G network doesn’t extend into our neck of the woods (AT&T coverage map). The new iPhone also supposedly drinks battery juice more quickly.

Still, at half the price of the original iPhone ($199 vs. $399), and with all the possibilities for mobile application development, it’s time to dive into the pool.