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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. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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:

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. Hc blog Main Article Illustration v108 00 AH

    Invisible or Inspired?

    Headshot of Katie High

    1/31/13

    by Katie High

    While the rest of our coworkers are creating design and code, we PMs focus on the intangibles. Deadlines, documentation, resourcing—it’s not exactly sexy. When a website launches, the first reactions you hear aren’t “Amazing site—must have had a great PM.” PMs are often the last to get the glory and the first ones to get knocked down when something goes wrong. It can be easy to feel like Mr. Cellophane if you don’t have the right perspective.

  10. Hc blog Main Article Illustration v107 00 PM

    Defeating Busy

    Headshot of Brett Harned

    1/24/13

    by Brett Harned

    We’re all busy at work. It’s a “good thing,” right? Well, it is, unless your to-do list is a mile long, you’re always stressed out, and you don’t know where to start. You see, there is an art to being busy, and it’s not easy to master. You have to stick to your obligations, do a good job, and enjoy yourself while working. Oh, and you totally need to protect your time off.