Vance Bell - Web Design, Web Development and Online Marketing

Main Line Restaurant Week Pre-launch Site

Vance Bell — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 20:53:17 +0000

The all new Main Line Restaurant Week launches this fall—September 27th through October 3rd. Participating restaurants will offer special, prix-fixe menus showcasing their chefs’ greatest dishes. Menus will feature discounted, three-course dinners (e.g. appetizer, entrée and dessert) priced at $15, $20, $30 or $40 per person depending on venue. The week also includes a special calendar of food-themed events.

The teaser website will be in place through late July while we complete the “real mccoy,” so be sure to check back. And, if you live or work in the western suburbs, save those dates. You can follow Main Line Restaurant Week on Facebook or Twitter to get all the latest.

Services Provided:

Web design
Web development
Strategic consulting

Installing Epson Perfection 1200U Scanner XP Drivers under Vista and Windows 7

Vance Bell — Thu, 20 May 2010 21:50:17 +0000

Like myself, many folks still own the popular Epson 1200 Photo or 1200U scanner. Likewise, many of us have transitioned to Vista or Windows 7. Unfortunately, Epson, in their “wisdom” has failed to provide working Vista or Windows 7 drivers for these older scanners—preferring no doubt that we all go out and purchase a new scanner instead. It’s called “planned obsolescence,” no doubt the most annoying trend in the hardware and software industries.

Fortunately, there is a workaround that preformed well in my case. This involved using the most recently available Windows XP Twain drivers installed under Windows 7 using Windows XP compatibility mode. For Vista users the process should follow the same principles.

Step 1: Download the most recent version of the Epson Twain drivers from the Epson site. At the time of writing this was TWAIN Driver v5.53A (for Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows 98 – epson10245.exe – 4.6MB – posted on 02/25/02). The file bundle is a self-extracting Zip archive. Note the location of the download.

Step 2: Locate the file (epson10245.exe) that you have downloaded and extract it by double-clicking the file. By default the auto-extractor will attempt to install its files in C:\epson\epson10245. You may specify a different location if you wish. NOTE: When you progress to the screen below, UNCHECK the section “When Done Unzipping Run: Setup.exe.” We will want to handle that differently below.

Epson 1200U Twain Driver - WinZip Self-extractor - epson10245.exe

Step 3: Navigate to the directory C:\epson\epson1024, or your alternative location if you selected different directory for extraction.

Step 4: Locate the file Setup.exe. Right-click on it and select Properties.

Step 5: Switch from the General to the Compatibility tab.

Step 6: On the Compatibility tab, under “Compatibility mode” check the box for “Run this program in compatibility mode for:” and select Windows XP (Service Pack 2) from the dropdown menu. Select Apply on the bottom right, then OK.

Epson 1200U Twain Driver - Setup.exe Properties

Step 7: Double click on Setup.exe to launch the installer and proceed through the installation.

After the installation has completed you should be able to find the driver options available in Photoshop under File –> Import –> EPSON TWAIN 5 and/or WIA-Epson Perfection1200.

Hopefully, now you can get another lifetime out of that old hardware before consigning it to the landfill.

Best of luck,

Vance

Review: WriteMaps – Web-based Sitemap Creation Application

StyleMatters Website Launch

Vance Bell — Wed, 12 May 2010 18:23:55 +0000

StyleMatters is a Philadelphia-based entity delivering a full suite of professional writing, editing, marketing, website development, graphic design, video and strategic communications services. Lead by Suzanne and Robert Murray, StyleMatters has completed an impressive number of developmental editing projects for clients at home and abroad. Additionally, the organization provides a wide variety of writing and communications services both on- and offline for corporations, government agencies and individuals.

A pleasure to work with, I can recommended them wholeheartedly. So, if you are seeking to bring that book concept to fruition, need to revitalize your company’s online presence, or just having difficulty organizing that annual report—reach out to StyleMatters.

Services Provided:

Web design
Web development (CSS & XHTML)
Information architecture
Search engine optimization
WordPress installation and configuration
PHP development
Strategic consulting

Kate Samworth Website Launch

Vance Bell — Wed, 12 May 2010 18:22:43 +0000

Oddly enough, several years before Kate Samworth contacted me to develop her new portfolio site, I’d purchased a print of her’s entitled “Pride and Joy” at a gallery in the Old City area of Philadelphia.

Kate had been rather productive since then—having finished a large group of new paintings, and now busy preparing for two shows the following month. “Can you finish it up by then,” she asked. Simply, “Of course,” I replied.

I don’t mind short deadlines—fortunately, I do “methodical” and “organized” as well as anyone when the situation requires.

We’re all happy with the outcome.

Services Provided:

Web design
Web development (CSS & XHTML)

Ethreations eCommerce Store Launch

Vance Bell — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:56:04 +0000

Ethreations.com is a new online storefront dedicated to becoming your online resource for refined, artisanal paper media products. Their first product is a line of hand-made CD/DVD media holders—perfect for professional wedding and family photographers, or anyone wanting to simply jazz up a gift for a friend or loved one.

Personally, I am rather fond of the ‘rusty copper’ version with two sleeves over on the side, but there are enough variations for any taste.

Ethreations will be launching new products throughout the year, so be sure to check back or find them at their blog, on Facebook, or Twitter.

Services Provided:

Web design
Web development (CSS & XHTML)
Shopify theme development

Bridget Foy’s Restaurant Website Relaunch

Vance Bell — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 17:58:44 +0000

The Bridget Foy’s restaurant has been a staple of South St. since well before I arrived in Philadelphia in the early 90s. I’ve always appreciated their tasty menu—from the calimari appetizers and burgers to the mahi mahi, grilled tuna and eggplant napoleon.

Recently, Bridget Foy’s completely remodelled their two upper floors to create a new private party area for up to 100 people. Flat panel TVs, music equipment and a private bar are just some of the new features of this great space.

Be sure to drop by for Restaurant Week, January 17-30, 2010. Get a 4-course dinner ($35), lunch ($20) or something from special weekend brunch menu.

Services Provided:

Mag+ Beautifully Envisions the Future of the Portable, Digital Magazine

Vance Bell — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 19:19:09 +0000

Mag+ from Bonnier on Vimeo.

Mag+ is a conceptual presentation by Bonnier R&D created to explore the translation of print magazines to handheld digital devices. While it illustrates only one possible vision, it is a compelling one that highlights many of the opportunities available to future reading technologies.

By making intelligent interface design decisions, they show how the engaging user-experience of the traditional magazine can be successfully maintained with digital material.

To say the least their ideas are sexy. I look forward to the day when the Kindle goes the way of the dinosaur and richly-designed multimedia content is available for a sophisticated device such as this.

Follow the discussion at the Bonnier R&D Beta Lab or on Vimeo.

Philly Dog Training Website Launch

Vance Bell — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:42:03 +0000

Training animals takes a special combination of kindness and patience—Marisa Scully of Philly Dog Training is endowed with generous amounts of both. Scully is a certified dog trainer and behavior specialist providing puppy training, basic obedience training, behavior modification, as well as solutions for aggression, anxiety and more.

Marisa works with all breeds and ages of dogs. Whether you have just brought home a new puppy or young dog or are looking for guidance on selecting a new family member, Marisa can help make the transition successful. Even if you have tried training your dog unsuccessfully in the past, often it just takes someone with her understanding and expertise to learn what makes your dog tick.

Philly Dog Training serves dogs and their owners in the greater Philadelphia area.

Services Provided:

Gillian Grassie Website Relaunch

Vance Bell — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 03:10:05 +0000

Gillian Grassie is a harpist/ singer-songwriter with a unique talent for jazz-inflected, indie pop. Classically trained in both harp and voice, Grassie is no Irish ballad singer. As Grammy-winner Marc Cohn once wrote: “It’s rare to hear a young singer with such control and understated soulfulness, and even more rare to hear a harp provide such a deep percussive groove.” Much like a fine wine might be said to have a hint of oak and currant, her music recalls greats like Ani DiFranco and Tori Amos, while foregrounding Grassie’s own innovative style and melodic capabilities. On her two independently released albums, the 2005 EP To an Unwitting Muse and 2007’s Serpentine, Grassie proves herself both an intelligent lyricist and talented harpist—turning the often understated instrument into a beautiful lead, which admirably takes the place so commonly occupied by guitar or piano.

This coming year Gillian will be traveling around the globe meeting musicians, learning how new media is affecting their creative process and distribution, and even playing a few gigs (we can hope). But before crossing the “big pond” for her first stop in France, she needed a new website that would help her communicate with fans, friends and family back home, and document the upcoming journey with all its discoveries, big or small. We call it Lifestreaming these days. It’s a way to weave together the threads of one’s social media life—uniting Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, Flickr, MP3s, blogging, email and more in a single place your audience can find it. Elegantly simple, extremely effective.

So, when you can, take a look, not so much at my work even, but how it allows Gillian’s musical life and talent to come through online.

Services Provided:

Strategic consulting
Project management
Web design
Web development (CSS, XHTML & PHP)
Information architecture
WordPress installation and customization
WordPress theme customization
Training

Ron Plocek Website Launch

Vance Bell — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 03:01:32 +0000

The American outdoor writer and memoirist, Patrick McManus, once wrote there are two best times to fish: when it’s raining and when it ain’t. From my experience as a child growing up on the lakes and streams of the Pacific Northwest, I would have to agree fully. Anytime is a good time to grab the tackle and leave for the quiet, peaceful company of a winding brook.

Well, almost.

While the trout might like a black gnat hand-tied fly presented promptly at 7:05AM during a slight downpour as I hang over the water, one hand white-knuckling a small Aspen tree—that was never my preference. Red & White spoons cast into a shady pocket of fast water in the hot Noon sun, or Mr. Worm and his Bobber at dusk on a clear mountain lake, did the trick just fine as I recall.

Ron Plocek, a former SoftOrigins colleague of mine, and extremely competent bass fisherman, probably has a completely different idea regarding acceptable technique, and that’s just fine, since he sure lands the lunkers.

Services Provided:

Project Management
Web Design
Web Development (CSS, XHTML)
Logo Design