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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 v88

    The Four Stages of Giving Up Photoshop

    Headshot of Sophie Shepherd

    8/2/12

    by Sophie Shepherd

    On one of my first projects at Happy Cog, my coworker, Kevin, suggested that we experiment with how we create responsive layouts of a site redesign. Seemed reasonable enough, until I heard him say, “and we’re going to use Keynote.” Say whaaat?!

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    So Why Should I Speak Publicly?

    Headshot of Jessica Ivins

    7/26/12

    by Jessica Ivins

    No matter who you are or how much time you’ve spent in the field, you have unique experiences that have shaped you and helped you to grow. And you may not realize it yet, but you can have a tremendous impact upon others just by sharing your expertise. Its time for you (yes, you) to enter the realm of public speaking. If you can find the right audience, they will eagerly listen and learn.

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    The Best Email in the World

    Headshot of Ryan Irelan

    7/19/12

    by Ryan Irelan

    The Best Email in the World is the one that needs your attention. On any given day, the rules or definition of what that email is will change. Today, it’s an email from my car salesman with all of the numbers related to the lease buyout I’m about to do. Tomorrow, it might be an email from my wife with some photos she took of our daughter playing in her sandbox while I am away visiting a Happy Cog client.

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    It's Tech

    Headshot of Mark Huot

    7/12/12

    by Mark Huot

    If you’ve worked in the theater, you’re probably familiar with the term “tech week.” It’s that magical time when an entire production comes together in a matter of days. It’s a whirlwind week that culminates in a big opening night performance.

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    Before You Hit Send: A Few Honest Tips for Job Seeking Designers

    Headshot of Chris Cashdollar

    6/28/12

    by Chris Cashdollar

    Hiring a new designer is exciting. The hiring process is not. As someone who has recently been on the receving end of hundreds of applications, I’m noticing a few alarming trends. New graduate or seasoned veteran, it doesn’t seem to matter.

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    Hi. We're Happy Cog Hosting. It's Nice to Meet You, Again!

    Headshot of Dave DeRuchie

    6/21/12

    by Dave DeRuchie

    In March of 2011, Happy Cog expanded its offerings by launching a high-end hosting service. With the help of many (see whose back we got), our introduction to hosting began. As with any new business, nothing is easy. When this service began we knew what we wanted to offer because we knew what we sought when evaluating a hosting provider.

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    A Mind Forever Designing

    Headshot of Greg Storey

    6/14/12

    by Greg Storey

    The conference room. It’s a silly name, really, because these rooms never host a conference. It is a room for meetings, a place to duck into for a private conversation or an ad hoc boxing bout between the CFO and the top sales guy.

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    Always

    Headshot of Greg Hoy

    6/7/12

    by Greg Hoy

    For this week’s installment of Cognition, I thought I’d share some random thoughts as the president of a small company. Some I heed, some I need to heed.

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    Vendor Selection Advice From The Front Lines...

    Headshot of Joe Rinaldi

    5/31/12

    by Joe Rinaldi

    Recently, I offered my suggestions regarding the RFP construction and management process, but I left my dear readers with a cliffhanger… Now that your RFP is complete and you’re evaluating responses and pitches, how do you select the right proposal?

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    Discontent

    Headshot of Jeffrey Zeldman

    5/24/12

    by Jeffrey Zeldman

    Have you ever had to fit three lead stories onto a web page that was designed for only one? Ever needed to hastily rework a design because nobody realized that a product description might run to more than 200 characters until after you delivered the templates? Ever found yourself slapping big yellow alert banners and screaming headlines onto an otherwise tastefully designed home page because the layout actually distracted your users from the site’s most important content? (And why did the layout distract them? Not because it was elegantly designed, but because it was designed before the client figured out the content strategy.)