Erik and Mary's Blog
Thoughts on the Design Process, Travel, and Target
The Typography of Film
Posted by Mary Holste on February 2, 2010
I have a love of both typography and films (especially old ones) so I was very excited to see these loves combined in the form of “The Movie Title Stills Collection” on this site. And I must give credit to Roger Ebert for retweeting it. His tweets rarely disappoint.
Visit the site in a new browser widow
New website is live for First Lutheran Church
Posted by Erik Hanberg on December 15, 2009
Last December, Mary and I got married in the beautiful First Lutheran sanctuary. And this December we launched a website for the church!
It’s a clean, simple design with a focus on big pictures to show off the church and their ministry. We’re very happy with how it turned out.
Visit the site in a new browser widow
Happy Thanksgiving!
Posted by Erik Hanberg on November 26, 2009
Thank you to all the clients, advisers, friends, and family that helped make MHD what is is! We hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving and a great start to the holiday season. And my personal thanks to Mary for designing such an awesome card (above).
Is ExpressionEngine a “web standard?“
Posted by Erik Hanberg on November 10, 2009
A client recently asked me whether ExpressionEngine, the content management system Mary Holste Design uses, is a “web standard.”
That’s a hard question to answer. Dreamweaver, for example, is used all over the web, but as a content management system (CMS), I wouldn’t call it a “web standard” — maybe 10 years ago it was, but certainly not today.
To credibly be a “web standard” I think a CMS has to be:
- Used by other developers.
- Capable of doing what you need it to do, plus be easy to add new features.
- Used by multiple websites, preferably recognizable ones.
ExpressionEngine fits all three marks.
On point #1, here is a list of :ExpressionEngine developers all over the US
On point #2, here’s a review from a CMS blog: “ExpressionEngine is best for those that want a feature-rich (blog, dynamic content, static pages, etc.), but have a little programming knowledge. (Hence why designers often gravitate towards this system). While EE does not have a huge development community for modules, they do provide fantastic support through their forums.”
The keys to pull out are “feature-rich,” “fantastic support,” and good for designers, all of which I’ve found to be very true. Here’s that link.
And finally, on point #3, here’s an informal list of the top 15 websites built with ExpressionEngine. Ones to call out include Change.gov (the transition site for Obama’s administration), BMI Music, the environmental news site Grist.org, and the State of California.
Not a bad list!
I’ve built websites in Wordpress, Drupal, Dreamweaver, and I’ve used Blogger and Posterous to host my personal blog. But I find ExpressionEngine to be the easiest for creating great websites that can scale really well.
South Sound Technology Conference coming up!
Posted by Erik Hanberg on October 20, 2009
I’ve been on the Steering Committee for the upcoming South Sound Technology Conference and am very excited about the day-long program we’ve arranged. The event is free (always good) and is a good primer for understanding what’s new in technology and the role it plays in Tacoma. I’m very proud to be a part of the group putting it on.
We have some local entrepreneurs, a keynote speaker on privacy, and some other good panels and break-out sessions.
So save the date for Friday November 20, 2009, at UWT!
I love a good blog
Posted by Erik Hanberg on October 9, 2009
I’ve been a regular blogger for almost five years now — that’s about about half the time that blogging’s actually been around.
Mary and I will post here every so often about interesting projects or trips to visit clients. And, since it’s her favorite place in the world, it seems likely that Mary will post a lot about Target.
For now, I’m including an image of one of my most fun projects: giving a new author their book. Giving a client a beautiful book with their name on the cover has got to be one of the great joys in design.
About Mary Holste
Mary graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design. She has since returned twice to teach the craft to students. Mary has worked as a designer in the arts and higher education before forming Mary Holste Design in 2007. Since then, Mary has been a designer for individuals and companies across the country — from Pasadena to New Jersey, from Kentucky to her hometown of Tacoma, Washington.
About Erik Hanberg
Erik has worked in marketing and non-profit administration before joining his wife’s company as a web designer, writer, and project manager. He is also an entrepreneur with a background in social media. In addition to his work with Mary Holste Design, he is the Executive Director of City Club of Tacoma and the author of The Little Book of Gold, a fundraising guide for small (and very small) non-profits.