http://www.blueatlas.com/blog/ en lbell@blueatlas.com Copyright 2011 2011-12-06T15:39:14+00:00 http://www.blueatlas.com/blog/article/the_user_experience_is_key/ http://www.blueatlas.com/blog/article/the_user_experience_is_key/#When:14:39:14Z You know what we are talking about......the sites that you keep going back to.  They obviously provide value to you, but likely are also simply good sites to us.  They don't make you think. As designers and developers, it is our job to take a client's requirements, exceed those requirements, and deliver a solution that THEIR clients love.  As an example, please take a look at a web application that we recently developed for the Federal Wildlife Service. This web application makes it easy for site visitors to learn about available public trails within the FWS National Wildlife Refuges.  We were charged with keep the application design within the framework of the existing Refuge web site.  Why does it work so well?  Right from the first page, site visitors can start drilling down to the data they are searching for. We use technologies, such as Google Maps, that are familiar to the users. We employ good use of white space so that the trail data is not lost in a busy page. The application provides prompts that are presented to users based upon the inputs they have given. The persistent navigation means the site visitor will never get lost in the application. All little things, but collectively, they provide a superior user experience. 2011-12-06T14:39:14+00:00 http://www.blueatlas.com/blog/article/we/ http://www.blueatlas.com/blog/article/we/#When:17:23:38Z Blue Atlas Interactive is looking for talented and motivated web and mobile developers.  As a web developer for Blue Atlas, you will have the opportunity to work with contemporary technologies/tools, and be involved in the full life-cycle of projects.   We are looking for developers with strong HTML/CSS/Javascript skills.  Experience with server-side technologies is ideal, but we are willing to train the right candidate.If any of the following sound like you, we would love to hear from you: You're curious - you want to know how it works Something just feels right about a new book from O'Reilly or Pragmatic Press You're a developer, but you understand the importance and value of asthetics You enjoy the process of talking through a solution You have interests outside of everything web Will consider permanent or contract.  Must be local to the DC metro area.  U.S. citizenship required.Interested?  Email resume, salary requirements and portfolio examples to hr@blueatlas.com. 2011-10-17T17:23:38+00:00 http://www.blueatlas.com/blog/article/get_started_on_your_mobile_strategy/ http://www.blueatlas.com/blog/article/get_started_on_your_mobile_strategy/#When:19:17:04Z You can find a good overview in this brief white paper:  Choosing a Mobile Strategy that Works for You 2011-08-30T19:17:04+00:00 http://www.blueatlas.com/blog/article/follow_us_on_twitter/ http://www.blueatlas.com/blog/article/follow_us_on_twitter/#When:13:06:51Z http://twitter.com/#!/12BlueAtlas 2011-07-11T13:06:51+00:00 http://www.blueatlas.com/blog/article/best_practices_for_seo/ http://www.blueatlas.com/blog/article/best_practices_for_seo/#When:11:08:05Z Blue Atlas client, iTrophyMall.com, a popular website for sports trophies and corporate awards, has achieved a first page ranking on Google for certain keyword searches.  This was accomplished by employing best practices for search engine optimization:  using contemporary coding principles using relevant page titles, keywords and page descriptions (site meta-data) working hard to have your site linked from other relevant sources Achieving successful search engine optimization is more a result of a well-built site and diligent attention to meta-data than to any 'magic bullet.'  Be careful of looking for the easy and fast answer to your SEO problems.  Using a content management system (such as WordPress, ExpressionEngine, Concrete5) can help you manage the site meta-data.  These CMS solutions provide simple-to-use editing tools for adding/editing/deleting page titles, keywords and page descriptions. Content Management Solutions, Search Engine Optimization 2011-05-11T11:08:05+00:00 http://www.blueatlas.com/blog/article/why_great_baseball_and_great_web_sites_are_alike/ http://www.blueatlas.com/blog/article/why_great_baseball_and_great_web_sites_are_alike/#When:12:22:53Z Opening Day has come and gone. How about them O's? At the beginning of our favorite sports season we are somehow making the connection between great baseball and great web sites. Here are some similarities for your amusement.Less can be moreHitters who think too much about their swing and pitchers who think too much about their mechanics always underperform. Similarly, web sites that try to communicate too much too quickly are in danger of losing their audiences.Begin with strategyThe manager begins every game with a lineup and a plan. Great sites begin in much the same way. Results may not always be as desired but the chances of success increase with good strategy.The defense has the ballBaseball is the only sport in which the defense always holds the ball. Once a web site has been launched, we cede control entirely to customers, members, business partners and investors, and we can only do so much to manage their reactions. But a captivating web site with current, valuable content goes a long way towards drawing a crowd.The diamond is beautifulThe baseball diamond is an aesthetic masterpiece, and we go see baseball games partly to view the field. The best web sites operate the same way. We always return to familiar places that have been designed for a reason.Spring happens every yearTeams take the field every April with new faces, rested pitchers, and optimism for the season. Web sites that have been gathering dust from prior years can receive the same attention and hope for the same kind of results.Blue Atlas is shaping its team and its strategies for the 2011 season.....contact us at info@blueatlas.com. Design 2011-04-12T12:22:53+00:00 http://www.blueatlas.com/blog/article/expanding_biotechs_is_your_web_site_ready/ http://www.blueatlas.com/blog/article/expanding_biotechs_is_your_web_site_ready/#When:14:26:24Z For scientific firms, particularly those in research and development or early product commercialization phases, the state of the corporate web site is not always a top priority.  With other initiatives demanding staff time and resources, the web site may be pushed down the food chain.  Eventually, however, the lack of attention to a company's web presence may hinder the attraction of venture capital, public relations initiatives, or commercialization efforts.  In response to this dilemma, Blue Atlas offers a web site package for biotech and medical device companies who understand the necessity of improving their web site.  Learn more 2011-02-13T14:26:24+00:00 http://www.blueatlas.com/blog/article/marketing_during_fda_trials/ http://www.blueatlas.com/blog/article/marketing_during_fda_trials/#When:15:09:42Z Biotech companies are prohibited of course from actively marketing new drugs before they are approved by the FDA.  Despite the large consumer markets typically available to these products, advance marketing is not on the table.Or is it?  Some biotech companies are building audiences for their products by describing the conditions they are solving pre-launch.  Describing the conditions of early stage Lymphoma, for example, is not prohibited by regulation, although describing an unapproved product fortreating early stage Lymphoma is.By describing a health challenge rather than a biomedical solution for it, forward-looking companies are building audiences that may be pursued once FDA approval is granted for their products. Business Development 2011-01-17T15:09:42+00:00 http://www.blueatlas.com/blog/article/opening_for_web_developer/ http://www.blueatlas.com/blog/article/opening_for_web_developer/#When:14:10:35Z We are looking for a motivated and creative Web Developer to join our team. Characteristics of the ideal candidate include:  enjoys keeping abreast of new technologies, readily accepts the challenge of de-bugging code, and appreciates the opportunity to interface directly with clients.As a web developer for Blue Atlas, you will work with contemporary technologies/tools, and have the opportunity to be involved in the full life-cycle of projects.  Our ideal candidate will be a strong front-end developer, with experience, or a keen interest in advancing to back-end development.  What we are looking for:•    Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or Web Design/Development and at least 1-2 years experience developing web sites and web applications •    Demonstrable mastery of CSS, Javascript, HTML, and xHTML•    Experience with at least one CMS application•    Awareness of front-end performance optimizations and best practices•    Adept at using Firebug (or other debugger) to diagnose browser rendering issues and other client-side anomalies •    Ability to analyze customer requirements, and explain your solution in lay terms •    Strong verbal and written communication skillsNice to have’s:•    Experience with at least one of the following: PHP, ASP/ASP.NET (C#), ColdFusion, JSP/Java, Python•    Some knowledge of relational databases: MS SQL Server, MySQL, Postgres •    Understanding of web site web standards, accessibility, and usability•    Ability to investigate new project requirements, prototype a solution and progress through building out that solution•    Interested in conquering the challenges presented by browser differences•    Understanding of the impact of technical decisions and solutions•    Developing code with an understanding that you, or someone else, will need to maintain or enhance that code - code readability is paramount to development efficiency and qualityWe boast a high customer retention rate due to our delivery of rock solid web solutions to a wide array of clients, including the National Institutes of Standards & Technology; Drexel University; Becton, Dickinson & Co.; and NJVC.  Our developers work as part of project teams comprised of internal staff, contractors and partners.  The ideal candidate will be able to effectively work as part of a development team, but also have the skills required to work independently on smaller projects.If this opportunity sounds of interest, we would love to hear from you.  Please forward your resume to 'hr at blueatlas.com'. 2010-12-01T14:10:35+00:00 http://www.blueatlas.com/blog/article/e-verify_web_services_soap_and_soapui/ http://www.blueatlas.com/blog/article/e-verify_web_services_soap_and_soapui/#When:19:25:34Z E-Verify provides a comprehensive set of services for verifying the identity of an employee.  soapUI makes communicating with these SOAP services really simple.  This article should provide enough information to quickly get you communicating with E-Verify.   What you'll Need E-Verify Web Service Credentials This article assumes you have a username and password to access one or more versions of E-Verify web services. SoapUI for Web Services Testing I'll be using the open source version of soapUI.  The link below provides binaries/installers for Windows/Mac/Linux.  Pick whatever works best for you. http://www.soapui.org/ http://sourceforge.net/projects/soapui/files/soapui/3.6.1/ http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/ http://sourceforge.net/projects/soapui/files/soapui-eclipse-plugin/ soapUI Initial Setup Download and install soapUI.  FYI, the Linux installation instructions below aren't very good.  If you're familiar with Eclipse plugins it might be easier to just install soapUI as a plugin. http://www.soapui.org/Getting-Started/installing-on-windows.html http://www.soapui.org/Getting-Started/installing-on-mac.html http://www.soapui.org/Getting-Started/installing-on-linuxunix.html Once installed, open soapUI (this may mean opening the soapUI perspective if you're in Eclipse). In the soapUI Navigator, right click on the "Projects" header and select "New soapUI Project" Enter the name of your project.  For example, "E-Verify V22". Enter the E-Verify V22 WSDL file and save. At this time, you can actually start exploring the Web Service methods.  For example, if you expand the EmployerWebServiceV22Soap >> EmpInitBPVerif method, you'll see that a stub request has been created.  At this time if you enter some dummy data and attempt to submit that data you will not be successful.   soapUI E-Verify WS-Security In short, WS-Security provides strong security mechanisms to ensure message integrity and confidentiality.  In order to communicate with E-Verify, we need to set up an outgoing WS-Security policy in soapUI. Right click on your project header and select "Show Project View". Select the "Security Configurations" tab and click on the plus sign to "Add a New Outgoing WSS Configuration". When prompted, give this configuration a name.  For example, V22. Next, click on the plus sign to "Add a New WSS Entry". When prompted, select the Username entry and click ok. Enter your E-Verify Web Services username and password, and select "Password Text" from the password type dropdown.  Make sure that "Adds a Nonce" and "Adds a created" are both checked. At this time, right click on your project name and select "Save Project". Right click on the service name EmployerWebServiceV22Soap and select "Show Interface Viewer". With the "Service Endpoints" tab selected, find the section labeled "Outgoing WSS".  From the dropdown, select the WSS service configuration you created earlier (V22).  Save your project. E-Verify Web Services Communication ... Success You should now be able to make SOAP requests to E-Verify.  Here are some screenshots which you may or may not find useful. Web Services, SOAP 2010-11-30T19:25:34+00:00