Mindfly Website Design Studio

There are many articles out there outlining the benefits of using a CMS and this one will probably be quite similar, but since we here at Mindfly have recently launched our own CMS called Boogaloo, I thought I'd tell you why you should think they're as fabulous as we do.

1. The obvious benefit of a content management system such as Boogaloo is that you can add, edit, update your content as much as you want. No need to bring in any outside help, no need to know HTML or other languages. No need wait on someone else's timing. It's got a graphical interface that allows you to add text, links, lists, images - pretty much anything you want. You'll also end up saving yourself some money in the long run by updating the site yourself instead of paying someone else to do it (though we'd be more than happy to do them for you in a snappy manner anyway!).
2. Another great aspect of Boogaloo is the flexibility. Sites can broken down into three parts: design, structure, and content. Each section can be tweaked or adjusted independently of each other. A new design can be implemented without having to adjust the structure or content. Or the structure could be adjusted to add new features or improve the usability and functionality without any changes to the design or content. As websites typically have a shelf-life of two to three years before they start looking dated and neglected, being able to reskin it (or make a new template) versus throwing the whole thing out and starting over can significantly help to reduce costs as you are allowing your site to evolve over time.
3. Content management systems also typically allow you to configure access restrictions by creating different roles for the people you may have editing your site. Typically admin roles have access to everything, whereas an editor role might have more limited access and lack the ability to delete. Boogaloo does not come with this feature out of the box, but we could do it upon request.
4. The menu structures are dynamic. Whenever a new page is added it magically appears in your menu. The reverse applies as well: if you delete a page, it is removed from the menu. No need to add a link to the menu of every single page as was done in the old days (and actually probably still being done on some sites today!). Dynamic menus save time and reduce coding errors (I am notorious for messing up at least one internal menu link per site if I have to add them manually).
5. Updating the site is so easy it encourages faster, more frequent updates (which search engines love!).
6. Boogaloo sites are set up in such a way that makes it hard for you to "break." Since we designers put all the code where you can't see it, all you have to worry about is your own content making both our lives easier and less stressful!

The creation of Boogaloo was two-fold. We needed an ASP.NET CMS that was quick and easy for designers to learn and implement the design of their choosing with absolute control of the underlying HTML and it needed to be easy and intuitive for our clients to navigate and use. It's still a work in progress, as all things of this nature are, but it's still pretty super swank, if I do say so myself. So ask yourself this when you're considering a new site: is Boogaloo the way to go for me? In most cases, I would probably tell you yes!

We’ve been watching the Bay and Holly Street construction from the Mindfly studio for the past few months. We’ve altered our walking route to The Black Drop; we’ve tried to drown out the sound of jackhammers with our earbuds. But we’ve definitely seen progress and are looking forward to seeing the end result. Yesterday we watched and speculated about the latest feature of the project as a 20-foot pillar took its place in front of Bayou on Bay.

Mindflyer Josh Eberline and I decided to check things out. While Josh snapped photos, I spoke with Seattle artist, T. Ellen Sollod, about the piece. Ellen has been working on the Master Plan for the Bellingham Arts District for several years. She was asked to create a landmark piece that would serve as an identifier to people that they are entering the Arts District, a section north of downtown’s commercial center that is known for its museums, theatres, and cafés.

Ellen drew her inspiration for the sculpture, The Sentinel, from the atmosphere of this part of downtown that she describes as “urban funk.” There’s an industrial quality to the metallic structure, but with a bit of sophistication to reflect the artistic flavor of the area. “It walks that fine line between funky and chic,” Ellen said.

The sculpture, which inclines at a slight angle, incorporates dichroic glass in the design, which both mirrors and reflects the buildings and lights around it. A diffuser panel and ground lights will also keep The Sentinel illuminated at night.

The installation will include three more Archimedean solids (highly symmetric, semi-regular convex polyhedrons composed of two or more types of regular polygons meeting in identical vertices) to provide seating for pedestrians and shoppers in the new public plaza. The same vocabulary of elegant cut-out designs in the primary sculpture’s polyhedron will also be featured in these sculptures.

The ground lights and the other sculptures will be added in the coming weeks, and Ellen anticipates that the “Gateway to the Arts District” construction project will hopefully finish up by the end of the year, which will give all the members of this studio office something to be thankful for during the holiday season.