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Defining our industry's methodologies, standards, and culture have long been a part of Happy Cog's values.

We started Cognition as a product to offer advice, create a dialogue, and serve our industry and clients to help them with their goals and aspirations.

Learn more about Happy Cog at happycog.com.

  1. Overwriting less

    Overwriting Less

    Headshot of Aura Seltzer

    4/11/13

    by Aura Seltzer

    I am an overwriter.

    I could stop this post right here, but you wouldn’t believe me.

    There is relief and guilt to overwriting—like you’ve just finished off a large bag of potato chips by yourself. You find comfort in there being no more chips to eat but also discomfort, because, well, you just ate an entire bag of chips.

    Or, you’ve just written countless words to a client team explaining the intricacies of a deliverable. You exhale and cross the to-do off your list, but you secretly doubt whether the post overcomplicated the work or confused your client.

  2. Pencil 2

    Quick, grab a pencil and paper!

    Headshot of Kevin Sharon

    4/4/13

    by Kevin Sharon

    If I had a nickel for every time someone has asked me, “what is your favorite tool for responsive web design,” I would have enough nickels to buy a cup of coffee… in 1941. I’ve realized, collecting nickels is a terrible way to get rich, so I’ll give you the answer for free. My favorite tool for any design project is: pencil and paper.

  3. Hc blog Main Article Illustration v115 00 SS

    The Beauty of the Blank Slate

    Headshot of Allison Wagner

    3/28/13

    by Allison Wagner

    You dev? If so, ever popped open a fresh PSD and thought to yourself, “Oh man, I can’t WAIT to get this party started”? I have, and I do, with each new project. As a front-end developer, that specific, exciting moment is my fresh start.

  4. Go vertical ypc

    Go Vertical

    Headshot of Anthony Colangelo

    3/21/13

    by Anthony Colangelo

    Devices come in all shapes and sizes—from iPhones, to the massive Galaxy Note, to the tall-but-skinny Nexus 7, to 10-inch iPads, and massive, 30-inch displays.

  5. Walkie talkie

    Walkie Talkie

    Headshot of Greg Storey

    3/14/13

    by Greg Storey

    “Pick up the phone!” That is my phrase of choice when I hear about a co-workers’ failed attempts to communicate through every means except calling those they are trying to reach.

  6. Team sport

    Making Front-end Development a Team Sport

    Headshot of Jenn Lukas

    3/7/13

    by Jenn Lukas

    “All code in any code-base should look like a single person typed it, no matter how many people contributed,” is one of the many ideas behind documents such as Rick Waldon’s Idiomatic JS and Nicolas Gallagher’s Idiomatic CSS.

  7. Invention is slow

    Invention is slow.

    Headshot of Michael Johnson

    2/28/13

    by Michael Johnson

    By now you’ve probably seen Noah Stokes tweet assailing responsive web design’s command over aesthetic:

  8. Large

    One Size Fits None

    Headshot of Yesenia Perez-Cruz

    2/21/13

    by Yesenia Perez-Cruz

    Who doesn’t love to talk about process? Every week, it seems, someone has discovered “the new way to work that everyone should be doing.” While I love a healthy process debate, I find discussions that promote a one-size-fits-all design approach problematic.

  9. Large 2

    Win Some, Lose Some

    Headshot of Joe Rinaldi

    2/14/13

    by Joe Rinaldi

    We work in a wonderfully open community where ideas and best practices are shared and implemented liberally. Well, except when it comes to sales.

  10. Thumbnail 1

    Good work isn't enough.

    Headshot of Greg Hoy

    2/7/13

    by Greg Hoy

    When I was a young designer, I always asked other people how they got noticed for their work. The answer I most consistently received was “do good work.” Now, when people ask me the same question, I respond with the same answer. Good work always speaks for itself. It’s a self-promoting robot.

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