Oh man… every once in a while you get a client who finds you from a google search and you think “oh my goodness this is unbeleivable.” This is exactly how I felt after Jay called me up one afternoon looking for a graphic designer in Portland. He said something like “we are lookin for some really good graphic design and new website - can you help with that?”

The rest is history.

For those of you who don’t know, Li Ning made worlwide headlines when the company founder, former Olympic Champion, Mr. Li Ning lit the Olympic Torch in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games held in Beijing, China. They continue making headlines as they emerge in the US market place with their retail store opening in Portland Oregon. - read more at the OregonLive Article.

photo by: Thomas Boyd, The Oregonian

Over 2 years Jay Li and the Li Ning team grew from a small office in the Perl district to a US Head quarters with over 20 staffers and numerous top talent contractors such as myself. It is rare in a world of competive Sporting Goods industry that one person could have so much creative freedom (in some ways there is probably good reason for that - but who am I to argue). I had a blast doing comps using images of NBA All Star Baron Davis (flames never looked so good), montaging Kung Fu sacred symbols like dragons and pagodas, oh man… good times.

Li Ning is not just another sporting goods company. They make concious efforts to retain their cultural roots. They focus on sports like Badminton, Tai Chi, Table Tennis and Kung Fu as well as embrace traditional North American sports like Basketball.

There is so much more I can go on for 3-4 posts, but I will spare you, but not without highlighting some of the cool backend mojo. We did some major EDI/ERP integration with the ecommerce - trying to automate as much of the site as possible. Although many images were supplied, so much of this website and online branding was done with this same computer I am writing this post with. So much fun - great web team - and I wish Li Ning major success in the US.

Thanks again Google for sending Jay Li my way - and on the reverse of that - thank you Jay for believing in us.

Visit the new website: http://www.li-ningusa.com

If you are a fan of Baron Davis -  you should pick up our new Baron Davis vinyl toy

Mark called me up one afternoon inquiring about e-commerce. He later mentions to me that my buddy Tate recommended our services - I thought “niiice…” That was pretty much how it went. Marka nd his partners were putting together a website for a clothing line they started called Niiice Gear which targets youth audiences. They have a positive message and sweet designs. One of the coolest things I liked about their mission was putting the “fun” back in fundraising. They donate a percentage of all proceeds to a charity of your choice among the charities they represent.

I found this site really exciting because Mark and his partners were really willing to push the boundaries of design and javascript for ecommerce based websites. I remeber them asking for certain aspects of the site, I would simple tell them “yeah… I think we could do something like that” We used jqury to add horizontal sliding product navigation. When you lcik on a product for more information a modal box floats over the page and you are able to view more detailed images and add the product to your shoppping cart. Cool stuff.

Great cause and niiice gear - check out. http://www.niiicegear.com

It was real pleasure working with the local  franchise office of SERVPRO. For those of you who don’t know SERVPRO is a company that specializes in cleaning and restoration service espcially for victims of fire and water damage accidents. It will always bring a smile to my face know our local website is more effective and better looking than the official Corporate website (although I must admit I am bias). We wanted to deliver a strong call to action with LARGE phone numbers and “request a quote” web forms.

We also spent a good deal of time and consideration putting together the information architecture that would serve as the basis for their SEO efforts in the months to come. We added an easy to use CMS with upload tools and calendars. There are some other hidden gems in there as well - click on the link and maybe you will discover something.

The folks at Sirlin Enterprises are at it again! Teaming up with Spike TV’s Ultimate Fighter Demico Rogers to establish his new branding. We rolled out this website with Blog/News, Photo Gallery, Sponsorship Links, and Vital Stats.

I am really excited to have been a part of the Frank151.com project. For those of you who don’t know - Frank151 is a lifestyle and subculture magazine dedicated to music, fashion, art, and board sports. You can find their quartly magazine in core industry and music shops. pairodime was hired on as e-commerce consultants bridging not only Drupal CMS and e-commerce but realtime QB POS intregration as well. This was quite a challenge, but wow - it came out amazing! Thanks to everyone who worked on this project especially Adam from Ciphent, Josh and Peter from D.T.S., Anton, Paluska and Sandra from Frank151 and Michael from Tarra - great job folks - lets do it again sometime!

Seriously - if you like hiphop and subcluture lifestyle - you should go check these guys out. Signup for the FDL and you can participate in community events in your neighborhood.