Compelling Copy that Connects with Your Audience
I’ve been writing professionally for 14 years and can add copywriting services to design projects.
specialties include general web copy, content strategy, brand style guides, blogging, SEO, social media, and technical writing
Below are some recent writing samples. Be sure to check out my pricing page if you are curious about rates and packages.
There’s so much to think about while working on a new project -- from client requirements to code to incorporating the latest and greatest components -- that engineers sometimes neglect a critical part of electronics: their PCB layout. Poor PCB layouts, incorrect netlists, and unclear mechanical drawings can cause function and reliability problems in your finished piece, as well as production delays.
You can speed up your PCB project by checking for these common issue before submission. Doing so will not only prevent delays, but ensure your piece works correctly and reliably!
If you remember your science lessons, you might recall that Mendeleev was not the first chemist to propose a periodic table; even Plato -- who coined the term “elements” -- had vague notions about how they could be ordered. But Mendeleev’s proposed design, presented to the Russian Chemical Society in 1869, stood out from all the others in three important ways: first, he ordered the elements according to their atomic weight and found that elements with similar weights have similar chemical properties. Second, his table provided for variance from atomic weight order. Third, and most impressive: Mendeleev’s arrangement correctly predicted elements not yet discovered -- he even left spaces for them!
In honor of National Handwriting Day, we caught up with professional calligrapher, teacher, and portlander David Grimes to talk calligraphy and his hand-turned nib holders.
Your clients interact with your agency through a variety of channels, including phone calls, tweets, emails, and online forms. Your team likely strives to make sure each interaction is pleasant and provides the client with what they need at the time, but it’s hard to consider the bigger experience when you’re in the weeds. That’s why it’s up to program managers and those in leadership positions to take a step back from single interactions and consider the client’s entire journey throughout your organization.
A client’s journey may begin with an application and end with a finalized adoption, but between those points, they interact with nearly every department at your agency. It’s important to create a consistent experience for your client and staff.
Feeling overwhelmed by process analysis? Try sticky notes. This simple office staple can simplify analysis and lead to more flexible thinking. We’ll show you how.
Nobody likes forms, which is why - as an admin - you should strive to make your forms as user-friendly as possible. Forms should also serve as a reflection of your process and have a clear purpose and logical design.
With that in mind, let's talk about required fields.
Everything your organization puts out into the world - the way your receptionist answers calls, your business cards, and your website - is an expression of your values and culture.
The same goes for online forms: though they may seem to be just boring (though necessary) hoops to jump through, every form offers a chance to communicate to and build a relationship with your clients.
SAM offers 15 main field types to choose from, and each type can be further customized. Sometimes more than one field type might fit your purpose. Remember that this field should make things easier for your agency and clients - so be thoughtful when picking the field type and choose one that maximizes the accuracy of the data collected while minimizing the work required to fill it out.
For example, when collecting eye color data, it is better to give options (such as with a list or checkbox field) than leave it as a text field. This is because we already know the possible responses for eye color.
Everything your organization does and puts out into the world - from the application process to the way your team delivers services - is a reflection of your agency. Ideally, this reflection should be in line with your agency's values and mission statement.
Implementing any kind of new software or tool - SAM or otherwise - is only successful if your team can clearly communicate the process or program the tool is going to be used in. Consider trying to use a new baking gadget without knowing the recipe - doesn't make a whole lot of sense. You have to know what you're doing before you can improve the steps.
They may work for free, but volunteers deserve as much attention as paid staff when it comes to recruitment & retention.
Your organization probably has a great plan when it comes to maintaining and increasing your donor base, but how about your volunteers?
In honor of National Volunteer Week, we've compiled four solid ways to engage with volunteers and encourage them to become longtime advocates for your mission.
Have you ever clicked way from an online form that seemed too time consuming to fill out? Or perhaps you've wondered why a website was asking for your contact information. Prevent form-abandonment and speed up data entry on your website by sticking to a few guiding principles of form design.
Technical Documentation
Marketing & Ecommerce
Other Work & Publications:
Social media (written and visual content): Norman Maclean Festival, Missoula MT
Inc.com "5 Steps to Success for Returning to Professional Life"
Huffington Post "Five Easy Ways to Step Back Into the Workforce After Being a Stay at Home Parent"
For Fun:
A group of talented, young web developers invited me to stop by and check out their latest projects. I meandered around the room of coders hunched over computers, busily typing away and a peculiar image on a screen caught my attention.
“It's Megalodon,” the coder informed me. “He's a giant shark. I'm really into Megalodon right now, that's what my whole website is about. I mean, I really like Pokemon too, but... sorry, I just have to do this...”
She leans forward to continue writing script and a photo of “Megalodon” appears at the top corner of her website. I don't have the heart to tell her that the photo is actually a poorly Photoshoped image of a great white shark.
Why ruin her dream? After all, she's only nine years old.
A Vancouver-based 3D printing innovation company lead by Dustin Cram and Alex Dick is making waves with its revolutionary line of 3D printing filaments.
For many of us, LEGO brings back fond memories of spending hours hunched on the floor making vast brick worlds. Now you can proclaim your proud LEGO heritage to everyone you meet with unique fashion accessories created by local artist Chris "CDR" Larson, who pieces together neckties, bow-ties, and jewelry from the iconic blocks. The results are one-of-a-kind, handmade pieces of wearable LEGO art.
Shiro Cosmetics – known for their nerdy-themed makeup and hilarious product names (like the wildly popular eyeshadow “Nic Cage Raking Leaves on a Crisp Autumn Morning”) – turns four years old today. We met up with the company founder, Caitlin Johnstone, to hear how she turned $800, a broken arm, and a love for Pokemon into a successful line of indie cosmetics.
Explore the fascinating world of e-textile art with Cat Poole, creator of super cute, electronics-infused creatures.
I had no idea what Cat of Cacophonous Creations looked like, but I ventured to guess the woman with purple hair and a strange, half cat, half octopus creature next to her coffee cup, might just be the person I was looking for.
Brian Kidd was just your average college student taking free bagpipe lessons, until a fateful night when his eye was caught by the glimmer of an abandoned unicycle laying in a trashcan. As his hand gripped the cold metal of the wheel, the mystic power of the cycle shot up his arm and he was forever transformed.
Now, Brian rides through the city streets in a Darth Vader mask, his kilt and cape swaying behind him in a breeze, the bellowing of his bagpipes echoing through the town like a godly proclamation to keep Portland weird. He is a symbol. A myth. A legend. He is... The Unipiper!
Cloud Cap Games is a beautifully decorated and locally owned gaming store located off "antique row" in Sellwood. The store carries hundreds of new and used board, card, and dice games from around the world, from simple / classic games for kids to complex Euro table top titles. They also carry dice, puzzles, and trading cards.
James Brady is sitting on a low stool at a counter in Cloud Cap Games. He's surrounded by hundreds of intricate table top games, a bowl of multi-sided die, and packs of collectible trading cards, but he's not sure if he or his wife, Kirsten, will fit my target audience.
“I'm not sure how 'geeky' we are,” he says slowly. “I mean, on a scale of geekiness, we are probably at the low end of the spectrum.”
David Perry plays the violin. An electric violin. An electric violin he designed and created with a 3D printer. Then the White House found out about it.