For the past 2.5  months I have been the studio intern working with AWP. Over this time I have learned many new things, one of which I would like to talk about briefly: The Importance of Workplace Environment.

I have been working at various jobs since I was about 15 and have done it all starting from baby-sitting and working my way through retail and other image/design related fields. It is from these past experiences that I can honestly say that working at AWP has been one of the most awesome and rewarding jobs! You hear people complaining about their job all the time and how much they hate going to work. In previous jobs I have dreaded Monday, worshiped Friday, and anxiously watched the clock so I could leave at the end of the day. I would feel spent, unchallenged, and exhausted. Not the case here! AWP has an AWESOME working environment which actually makes me WANT to come to work and continue to learn.

From the moment you begin your day you are exposed to the aroma of coffee and a constant stream of music. The people are friendly, down-to-earth, and extremely talented. In the beginning I was nervous about starting an internship with a company that had such a good reputation but I soon came to realize that they are a group of relaxed professionals who simply produce great work.

Imagine getting up and not dreading work, of looking forward to getting to the office, and actually liking your co-workers … Unfortunately, I think this is something that few people have. Working at AWP this summer has helped confirm that work doesn’t have to painful or tedious. I am leaving to finish up my senior year at college feeling refreshed, energized, and excited. When’s the last time your job made you feel that good?

Excerpts from our educational section called AWP 101

Good design is only slightly superficial

Last year we were bombarded with links from friends and/or heard stories (rumors!) about how lo-fi design is the new hi-fi. The driving force behind this idea was mostly based on the perspective of an imaginary character: that of the hypothetical visitor. The argument assumes that visitors don’t want to feel cheated, manipulated or over-sold on a site that is too polished or classy. They just want the goods. People were citing Craigslist and Google (and, dare I say it, MySpace – ouch, that really does hurt) as the ultimate success stories. Bare-bones design, super-accessible content.

Seems straight-forward enough. And logical in theory. Obviously if John Doe has a computer, knows a bit of code and wants to sell the lovable lawn ornaments he makes in his garage, he doesn’t need a site that looks like Apple. That being said, I don’t go to the doctor and expect to see paint-chipped walls and broken equipment. So what is the compromise? Read the rest of this entry »

MailDart(tm) is our easy-to-use newsletter system that lets you create effective and efficient e-mail campaigns. It’s our latest thing, and we think you’ll love it!

Today, we sent out a message to everyone on our email list (yes, we use MailDart ourselves) introducing the new service. A copy of that message is available right here. Here are the highlights:

Top 5 Reasons MailDart Rocks:

1. It gets results! (We know because we use it!)
2. It’s a pay-as-you-go system. There are no monthly fees.
3. No stock templates necessary. We create an email template that looks like YOU.
4. MailDart is fantastically easy to use.
5. Advanced reporting features give you the information you need to fine-tune your campaigns based on viewer feedback.

“MailDart is a great product. The reports allow me to make smart decisions about what I send my customers and the interface is easy to learn and use.” – Derek Cabrera, ThinkWorks

So head on over here for more information, or over here to contact us!

You probably didn’t know this, but this week is Ithaca’s Downtown Office Worker Appreciation Week. One of the many perks of working downtown! I just finished some tasty free pizza!

When I saw the list of activities planned for this week, I admit I got pretty excited when I found out one of them was a Hot Dog Eating Competition!! Now, anyone who plays Ithaca Ultimate Frisbee and Soccer with me, knows I am pretty competitive. Perhaps another lesser known fact is that I like to eat, and I always eat quickly. A perfect opportunity to combine both skills? Let’s put it this way, having never done this before, I couldn’t resist! (Insert a plethora of ‘gross’ & ‘yucks’ from friends who I told this to).

Knowing this competition was only going to be 2 minutes, I wasn’t going to go all out. Training for something like the famous Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Competition takes months of stomach stretching and technique-building. Think about it, 59 hot dogs in 10 minutes! Yea…

But if you are competitive, you want to win, so I trained (for 2 days). My diet for these 2 days existed solely of the cheapest hot dogs you can find, with a complement of water-soaked hot dog buns, and my friend (thanks Jesse!) worked with me on my technique. It certainly paid off….

Yesterday it was time for the competition! Dowtown office workers gathered around to see this spectacle. 18 competitors. I was happy that I was able to tie my training record at 4 hot dogs! I was beat only by a guy from Collegetown Bagels, who got 5 down and my friend who managed to get down 6 1/2 hot dogs in that time. He was a good trainer!

I felt I had pretty good showing at 3rd place. Plus it was free publicity (not to mention a free lunch!) I am getting quite a few strange looks walking around the Commons and “aren’t you the girl that ate 4 hot dogs in 2 minutes?” Why yes, that is me. Could I be the top female competitive eater in Ithaca? Maybe!

If you want to see more, The Ithaca Journal did a front-page article about the heated competition and if you watch the video (credit News 10 Now) you will see AWP and me represented in a, err, less than flattering way. But, it sure was fun! Go AWP!

I’m one of the minority of meat-eaters here at AWP, and even then, I don’t eat a lot of meat (thanks a lot, Omnivore’s Dilemma), and we’re always on the lookout for places that serve up a good dose of ethically treated, naturally grazed animal slices. It’s kind of a treat when Mel and I do get some.

For the past few weeks at the Ithaca Farmer’s Market, we’ve noticed a new stand with a delicious-sounding name: The Piggery.  I like Pig (meat) and I like locally-raised food, so I knew we had to check it out.

Anyway, we made our first purchase there on Sunday: two pounds of tenderloin and a couple of bratwurst.  Last night, we rubbed the tenderloin in salt and fresh cracked pepper and tossed it on the grill.  Man, was it amazing.  The Piggery raises some good pig.  I’m sure it helps that they treat them well, and that they eat pumpkins. The meat was tender and naturally juicy, without any hit of that spongy texture that most store-bought tenderloin has.  The flavor was stronger and fuller than store-bought stuff as well.

So if you dig on pig and live near Ithaca, you should check it out.  I’m hooked.