Our work is as varied and diverse as the technologies we implement. Below are three areas in which we provide expertise for our clients.

Simplifying the Solution

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" - Leonardo da Vinci

Software can do amazing and often complex things. As developers, it is paramount that our applications remain usable even when performing such complicated tasks.

In one particular instance, we had a client who had built a dynamic interactive timeline in Adobe Flash. In a nutshell, the timeline allowed website visitors to interact with data points in the graphic design, which would trigger popups for additional information.

Our client had setup their application to read from an XML file that contained relevant data for the timeline. What they needed from us, was an easy way to manipulate (add/edit/delete) the XML file to control this data for display.

We built a mini CMS (Content Management System) in Flash that used standard HTML form controls (text boxes, checkboxes, and drop-downs) to dynamically rewrite the XML file that was used by their pre-existing front end Flash application.

Bridge Building

There are two unfortunate side effects that come with the continued "evolution" of technology: a) Legacy systems which are not able to upgrade; b) Disparate systems which mix and match various technologies. We are often called in to offer advice to our clients as how best to connect such systems or applications.

One client had created a micro-site that resided with a third party web host. It needed to communicate and connect with an existing corporate intranet that was hosted in-house. Their in-house intranet utilized the SAML 2.0 protocol (a web standard to manage authentication and authorization between 2 domains).

Using the PHP programming language, we created a SAML 2.0 solution to allow corporate users to login to their intranet, and then connect to the third party microsite seamlessly. We wrapped authentication around the microsite to only allow "corporate intranet" authenticated users to view content.

Beyond the Box

"Thinking outside the box" is a cliché. However, while the overuse of the phrase has lessened the impact of the words, the idea behind them remains important. We strive to exceed our client's expectations during every phase of a project's life cycle. This means being creative and proactive.

Our client has an existing financial software product that needed improvement with regard to usability and design. We didn't have the option to strip out buttons and data screens to make the overall design cleaner and more simple. We had to improve the usability by implementing changes to an intricate piece of software with many layers of functionality.

In addition to helping refresh their look, the client wanted to build a theming engine for their application so that users could customize the software. The engineers implemented the code to make this work, but the initial version of the process for saving customization was complicated.

We identified patterns in the customizable elements within the software and wrote a simple tool for generating harmonious color themes based on the definition of 2/3 selected colors. This widget was an Flash GUI (Graphical User Interface) built on top of a proprietary algorithm which cut theme customization time down from 15-30 minutes to 15-30 seconds.