Doing | An Upstate New York Business Doing Community Project

Sending out my first batch of Peace Pinnies making more tomorrow...sold over 100 from the 2 presales I had this summer! Donating portions to the Remember Alex Brown Foundation 'Dnt txt n drv' http://www.rememberalexbrownfoundation.org #PEACEPINNIES4RAB

Posted on: August 16, 9:26 pm Comment

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=230805220290702&set=pu.128903300480895&type=1&theater

Released first generation map of NYS angels, incubators, and VCs

Posted on: August 7, 9:18 pm Comment

http://unystartups.com/2011/08/06/a-collaborative-map-of-new-york-state-based-angels-incubators-and-vc-firms-feedback-welcome/

Site remix!

Posted on: August 1, 7:06 am Comment

uploads/19/feedback.png

Playing around with a new deal layout... Still needs some of the other details and waht not, but what do you think?

Posted on: July 14, 5:00 pm 5 Comments |

2 Likes

http://cl.ly/3I3B1e0b0i3N3A1n2b0j

looks awesome! i really like the SIMPLICITY, color scheme, and deal tipping points bar.

its nice to see the original price slashed out and see what were getting it for. if you could make it just a little more obvious what the new price is, i think that would be beneficial.

with this layout, you now need awesome graphics for the deal. the "plants versus zombies" is a really nice picture.. but if the image is crappy, it could really detract from the site.

just my two cents!
Posted on: July 14, 5:41 pm

Yea, I had the same concern about coming up with a sweet graphic for each deal too. We may use it for a few select deals to really set them apart and to lessen the requirement to constantly be coming up with new graphics if they aren't provided.
Posted on: July 15, 7:56 am

Looks really solid. Its no bullshit, all about the product being sold which is great. Even though it will be more design work to get good pics I would suggest if the product your selling can't get itself together enough to provide a good image, then maybe find a different product to sell lol.
Posted on: July 15, 2:13 pm

It looks fun and very clean. Ever think of a pulsating meter for the tipping point?
Posted on: July 16, 12:17 pm

Personally, I can't condone a pulsating meter. :)

-Andrew
Posted on: July 16, 4:48 pm

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My tweet of a picture of me in my Peace-n-Glow tee was retweeted by the Black Eyed Peas on twitter. Requests to mail shirts to Chile...http://www.twitter.com/bep

Posted on: June 30, 8:01 am 3 Comments |

1 Likes

uploads/53/BEP.png

PortfolioPortal.com has gone HTML! No more Flash for us. Check it out--it's a page to give the company a web presence. It will have purposes once CollegeArts is fully launched.

Posted on: June 29, 9:29 am 2 Comments

http://www.portfolioportal.com

We have hired a front-end developer, Kate Holloway, to make CollegeArts.com look awesome! Her work will be visible in upcoming weeks.

Posted on: June 29, 9:27 am 2 Comments |

2 Likes

Month 3 progress report: 2900+ absolute uniques

Posted on: June 19, 1:41 pm 2 Comments |

1 Likes

http://unystartups.com/2011/06/18/unystartups-month-3-progress-report-2900-absolute-uniques/

Got my splash page posted! Let me know what you think, and don't forget to subscribe.

Posted on: June 17, 11:08 am 3 Comments |

2 Likes

http://www.huntbloodhound.com

I think the description of the site is very good. It's concise and gives a good idea of what to expect. The problem though is that it takes a while to get to what it really is. The idea seems very understated considering that you have to read past the first sentence in the fine print to know what bloodhound even is.

I would try putting a very short description about what bloodhound is either in place of "the search ends, the hunt begins" (that doesn't really say anything that would make me want to sign up, or understand what I was signing up for), or below it to give that line some context.

Also, you have the chance to say something more specific about what makes bloodhound cool in the line about entering your email and getting notified.

How about saying something more exciting and specific like: Enter you email to get updates on when bloodhound will be ready to help you sniff out the most important information about your favorite authors.

It's kind of long and I'm sure you can think of something better but I think it should lead you in the right direction.

Hope this was helpful!

-Eric
Posted on: June 17, 11:37 am

I would echo what Eric said, and encourage you to use LaunchRock for the user-signup process. It facilitates incentive based sharing and referrals. Plus, there is one less step for users to "confirm" their email address.
Posted on: June 17, 12:19 pm

thanks for you input - this is the first website I've ever made, so I have a lot to learn.
ashley
Posted on: June 17, 12:41 pm

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Totally random, but we just created a Turntable.fm room for the Sandbox. Come hangout and DJ with us

Posted on: June 16, 10:38 am 1 Comments |

1 Likes

http://turntable.fm/syracuse_sandbox

brainstorming some catch phrases... "Ain't nothin to it but to do it"... "Surf the social scene with friends"... "Don't be left behind, come ride the swell"... thoughts?

Posted on: June 15, 2:16 pm 1 Comments

re-re-designed the website with our new web dev Adam Lafave. Check it out and sign-up for our alpha test

Posted on: June 15, 2:10 pm Comment

http://www.growndswell.com

The link below is a new "How It Works" infographic that we put together to help better describe the concept of the site. The most important thing we are interested in knowing is if the infographic does what its supposed to. Thoughts? The second goal of this graphic, is to get your opinions on which

Posted on: June 15, 12:14 pm 4 Comments |

2 Likes

http://imgur.com/a/amRub

looks like we got cut off. ...which color orange is preferred. Thanks for all the help
Posted on: June 15, 12:15 pm

The shade of orange looks best in the second one, in my opinion. I think the gray text blocks under the boxes is very hard to read. Black would probably be better. More importantly, great job. This is a very clear way to describe the site to a new visitor.
Posted on: June 15, 1:26 pm

Thanks! You are now the 3rd person that mentioned the light grey text, so we will definitely darken it.
Posted on: June 15, 1:31 pm

I agree with John that the second orange looks best and that the grey type needs to be darker. Also, I think the black color in the images is really overpowering/distracting. I think you should lighten it up, it will be easier to look at.

Also I love the design of the "Tipping Point" bar in the third picture. I think the colors, gradients, and emphasis are all done beautifully. If you are looking for how to improve any of the design I would base the look/design decisions off of that bar. Seriously the fonts, sizes, gradients and subtle shadows give it just enough depth to really look professional.

Last, the font that you have for your logo and the "How It Works" headline throw me off. I think the angular boxy slants of the letters reminds me of a kids construction toy or do it yourself home improvement kind of site. I think something softer and more round might look really nice. I would try the fonts Arial Rounded or Lucida Grande (some version of those fonts). They may or may not look good, but they were the first two that came to mind.

I hope this is helpful and I explained what I was thinking well enough to understand. If not I'd be happy to talk about it more.

-Eric
Posted on: June 17, 11:15 am

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An awesome flash splash page is up for the parent company website, PortfolioPortal.com! Use a flash-enabled device to view, or you'll get the mobile version. Go see it and dig it!

Posted on: June 15, 9:48 am 6 Comments

http://www.portfolioportal.com

Are you working on a replacement site that's not in Flash? I took a very long time to load, and you're blocking out many people. Not just iPad users, but also those who block Flash.
Posted on: June 15, 12:29 pm

Why not start out with the content instead of requiring people to click "Enter" to enter the page? It took a long time to find out where I had to click. Also, I do not understand the HTML version of the site (i.e. http://www.portfolioportal.com/html/gallery-1-title-g1.html)
Posted on: June 15, 12:34 pm

Also on the design end, have you checked out any other design communities? Lots of times design community site go for a minimalist but polished look instead of a bold and in your face one, because then the work on the site competes with the site itself. Dribbble is one of my favorite designed sites, its invite only and really inspired the look and feel of "doing" too. http://dribbble.com/
Posted on: June 15, 12:51 pm

Definitely, graFighters. The CONTENT of the site should be what's in your face... not the site itself.
Posted on: June 15, 1:06 pm

Couple things:

• It's much easier to add things than remove them.
• Simple designs are more forgiving (fewer headaches to modify)
• Flash is true to its name. Flashy things tend to distract.

ps. I think the link is broken?
Posted on: June 22, 7:52 am

i definitely agree with all of that. I just put that up because it was easy and template-based. It was to show that the site exists while we develop CollegeArts, but that flash site doesn't even stay up. I'll be taking your guys' advice to simplify.
Posted on: June 22, 8:23 am

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We've brought on a new team member named Mike Kruk, who will help me with any coding projects we have from here on out. We're starting with a NYS-wide map of all incubators, angels, and VCs.

Posted on: June 14, 4:45 pm 1 Comments |

2 Likes

http://unystartups.com/about/

First Sandbox Sunday complete. 9 more to come. Please join us in the future!

Posted on: June 14, 4:39 pm 1 Comments |

1 Likes

http://unystartups.com/2011/06/13/the-first-sandbox-sunday-meetup-blaine-killen-of-meetingsprout-pitch-video/

We are fully incorporated! CollegeArts.com is under the parent company: PortfolioPortal, LLC!

Posted on: June 14, 1:15 pm 2 Comments |

2 Likes

Bringing on our first Web Dev intern today

Posted on: June 13, 7:32 am 2 Comments |

3 Likes

Finished a redesign of the site along with the new UI

Posted on: June 13, 7:31 am 1 Comments

http://www.growndswell.com

Also, we are working on our slogan to help new users identify with us and understand the value we bring to the table. So far, we are honing in on: "Trample the deal, lower the price" What does that mean to you the first time you read it?

Posted on: June 7, 8:53 am 3 Comments |

1 Likes

I like the slogan because it's short and fits with the brand, but also conveys the idea of your tipping points price model. That might just be because I know about the tipping points, though.
Posted on: June 7, 1:25 pm

Yeah I actually really like the slogan. It pretty much sums everything up in a nice catchy way. Makes me want to trample stuff. - Dave
Posted on: June 7, 5:36 pm

Run with the herd, trample the price!
It's perfectly descriptive, and it sounds cool!
Posted on: June 14, 1:34 pm

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Mock-up of possible new logo. Thoughts?

Posted on: June 7, 8:52 am 3 Comments |

1 Likes

uploads/52/rhino_orange.png

Looking fresh. I like it a lot!
Posted on: June 7, 11:08 am

I like the color differences. When I think of a stampede I think more of buffalo but that may be because I'm a Bills fan. The angle of the rhino is a little awkward. Also the diamond dots seems extraneous. But your on the right path and it's a great improvement from the last design. Good job!
Posted on: June 7, 2:29 pm

Looking good. I think it couldlook better if (like rounded said) the rhino was at a different angle and was the same white as the words. That way it would look like the rhino and stamped it were carved out of the piece of orange. - Dave
Posted on: June 7, 5:35 pm

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New branding! Let us know which one you like best!

Posted on: June 1, 11:24 am 5 Comments

uploads/58/Screen shot 2011-06-01 at 1.20.10 PM.png

I know this isn't helpful but 2, 3, and 4 all work for me.
Posted on: June 3, 3:20 pm

I like the 3rd one but maybe try making the droplet a solid purple instead of a gradient. Looks good!
Posted on: June 3, 10:10 pm

#1
Posted on: June 4, 8:44 pm

#2
Posted on: June 5, 10:00 pm

I think you should stick with just the word HELIOS and get rid of the image all together. The typography looks really nice and clean and the color is perfect for your product. The image looks really heavy and distracting. The leaf makes it looks like you are growing plants with UV light and the sun seems more of a direct correlation with product but I definitely think the branding looks best with just the words, much more professional.

-Eric
Posted on: June 6, 10:44 am

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oh yeah...we're incorporated too!

Posted on: June 1, 11:23 am Comment |

2 Likes

uploads/58/Screen shot 2011-06-01 at 1.22.27 PM.png

First mockup is up, tell me what you guys think.

Posted on: May 30, 8:41 pm 3 Comments

uploads/35/Web Layout.pptx

I'm a big fan of the overlayed schedules. One theoretical question. Do your friends have to be using MeetingSprout in order to share their calender with you? This could work to both your advantage and disadvantage, depending.
Posted on: May 30, 9:05 pm

yes, because they wont be able to access friends calendars unless they go through our database.
Posted on: May 31, 9:26 am

Also you already may have heard of them, but tungle.me was really big on the overlayed schedule feature. They recently were acquired by RIM
Posted on: June 3, 3:29 pm

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We made it on Mashable!

Posted on: May 26, 11:31 am Comment

http://mashable.com/2011/05/26/stampede-it/

Our MVP site is up and running! Check it out and let us know what you think. The first deal is from past Sandbox company SkillAddiction. Making a purchase wouldn't be the worst thing in the world either.

Posted on: May 25, 4:18 pm 3 Comments |

1 Likes

http://stampede.it/beta

sweet! Whats the plan for getting both buyers and sellers? Chicken and egg scenario?
Posted on: May 25, 4:40 pm

Yea, definitely chicken and egg... we actually should be seeing a mashable post up later tonight and will try as many guerilla tactics as possible to spread the word to consumers. Signing up companies is a lot of cold calling/emailing right now
Posted on: May 25, 4:42 pm

awesome. will do our best to help
Posted on: May 25, 5:18 pm

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Hired a new Intern!

Posted on: May 25, 11:20 am 2 Comments |

1 Likes

http://www.soactiv.com/?p=404

JBCO Summer Collection Sneak Peek >> Pinnies

Posted on: May 20, 10:29 am 2 Comments |

1 Likes

http://twitpic.com/504q3o

New Digs in the Sandbox!

Posted on: May 19, 2:22 pm Comment

http://instagr.am/p/EccR4/

The layout for our site is all coded up, now time for the back-end. Hopefully launching later this week. What does everyone think?

Posted on: May 16, 11:50 am 3 Comments |

2 Likes

http://imgur.com/h0HlR

I like the design a lot. Nice job! Let us know when you're launching.
Posted on: May 16, 12:08 pm

looks really solid. Who designed it?
Posted on: May 16, 12:20 pm

a friend of ours that does work for DailyBooth. We thought it was a great starting point. Still need to work in our overall branding and logo into it.
Posted on: May 16, 12:35 pm

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1st iteration of our new internship board, feel free to be critical. Also, feel free to add more internships! We are presenting in NYC on May 21st and want to promote all of these positions.

Posted on: May 13, 1:37 am 2 Comments |

1 Likes

http://internship.unystartups.com/