avanderzwan http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog Smile... It'll make you feel better. Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:52:39 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 2006-2008 akv292@gmail.com (avanderzwan) akv292@gmail.com (avanderzwan) posts 1440 http://aaronvanderzwan.com/podcast_pic144.jpg avanderzwan http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog 144 144 Smile... It'll make you feel better. avanderzwan avanderzwan akv292@gmail.com no no aaronvanderzwanhttp://feedburner.google.com September 2010 8tracks mix http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aaronvanderzwan/~3/J_nfT62T5RM/ http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/09/september-2010-8tracks-mix/#comments Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:52:39 +0000 Aaron Vanderzwan http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/?p=273

If you can’t listen to any music here, go to the post page.

]]> http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/09/september-2010-8tracks-mix/feed/ 0 http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/09/september-2010-8tracks-mix/ Arcade Fire – Ingenious Web Experience http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aaronvanderzwan/~3/ybI0Qm9HvVs/ http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/08/arcade-fire-ingenious-web-experience/#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:32:48 +0000 Aaron Vanderzwan http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/?p=270 Arcade-Fire---Wilderness-Downtown
The Arcade Fire is at it again. Check out this interactive “music video” for their latest release, “We Used To Wait”. However, be warned. It is much more than just a “music video”. You need a rather speedy internet connection and Google Chrome or Safari. Write a postcard to yourself.

http://thewildernessdowntown.com/

]]> http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/08/arcade-fire-ingenious-web-experience/feed/ 0 http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/08/arcade-fire-ingenious-web-experience/ Frightened Rabbit… Entire Concert Online http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aaronvanderzwan/~3/CFAgrfMa668/ http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/08/frightened-rabbit-in-concert/#comments Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:12:24 +0000 Aaron Vanderzwan http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/?p=267

A full concert of one of my favorite artists, Frightened Rabbit, in San Francisco. See the original here.

]]> http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/08/frightened-rabbit-in-concert/feed/ 0 http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/08/frightened-rabbit-in-concert/ StoryCorps Theme Song: Fredrik http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aaronvanderzwan/~3/MgSVgUlcyMU/ http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/08/storycorp-theme-song-fredrik/#comments Wed, 18 Aug 2010 21:07:54 +0000 Aaron Vanderzwan http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/?p=265 I was looking everywhere and I couldn’t find where it said which song / artist was used in the StoryCorps (a podcast supported by NPR) stories; at the beginning of the podcast, or for the outro. After a lot of heavy internet looking, I finally stumbled across it.

It is a band called Fredrik from Malmö, Sweden. StoryCorps uses a song off of their 2008 album “Na Na Ni” called “Alina’s Place” as it’s theme, but also seems to sample other songs occasionally. I am really enjoying the rest of the Fredrik catalog as well as the songs that StoryCorps has sampled. Fredrik released a few other albums too, “Trilogi” and now “Post EP”. If you have a minute, check them out. It’s really stunning stuff.

LINKS:

]]> http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/08/storycorp-theme-song-fredrik/feed/ 0 http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/08/storycorp-theme-song-fredrik/ Home… http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aaronvanderzwan/~3/pTpjM7T1qd8/ http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/08/home/#comments Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:28:05 +0000 Aaron Vanderzwan http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/?p=261

Home is an interesting word that carries a lot of meaning for many different people. For me, home is a family house on the edge of a park in Rochester, NY. My home consists not only of this family house, but also of the comfort and security that resides there.

This past weekend I was able to manage the eight hour trip east from my Grand Rapids apartment and head back to the place where the story of Aaron, the Aaron I am today, begins. Eight hours, two borders, and 3 coffees later, I arrived at my home with a sigh of relief. Sometimes it feels like the stresses and anxiety of normal life circumstances are somehow disengaged the moment I see the Rochester skyline. And as soon as I go over the bumps and pull into my driveway, time stops.

Going home is an important part of the journey that is my life. It is my new beginning… my fresh start. A place where, no matter what, I am loved and accepted. My life is a timeline and my trips home are the small blips that allow me to re-evaluate how I have changed as a person since my last visit. I love going home and look forward to a time when I can experience that feeling on a more regular basis.

]]> http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/08/home/feed/ 0 http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/08/home/ August 2010 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aaronvanderzwan/~3/Aeewa93uXv4/ http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/07/august-2010/#comments Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:04:32 +0000 Aaron Vanderzwan http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/?p=257

]]> http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/07/august-2010/feed/ 0 http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/07/august-2010/ My Newest Website: StylexSeating.com http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aaronvanderzwan/~3/1Xu2YiZRNac/ http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/06/my-newest-website-stylexseating/#comments Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:40:58 +0000 Aaron Vanderzwan http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/?p=252 Stylex Product Page
Stylex Grid Page
Stylex Seating is a versatile office furniture company based out of New Jersey. This project was built on a custom CMS that dynamically writes content to static html files to speed up load speeds and lower database and server load. Released for NeoCon World’s Trade Fair 2010, it is a perfect representation of Stylex’s beautiful products and also a display of the quality of work that Conduit Studios produces. Take a look.

I have also added it to my portfolio.

]]> http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/06/my-newest-website-stylexseating/feed/ 1 http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/06/my-newest-website-stylexseating/ World Cup 2010 Promos http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aaronvanderzwan/~3/mv4uD__d_EQ/ http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/06/world-cup-2010-promos/#comments Thu, 17 Jun 2010 19:34:15 +0000 Aaron Vanderzwan http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/?p=250 I know there are a lot of these going around right now, but honestly… don’t you want to go find a field somewhere and kick a ball around?
Let’s also not forget, this tournament is more than just about soccer. The US is missing out on not being one of the nations overtly in love with their team. This is a beautiful sport. And I love it. I’m going to Brazil World Cup 2014… who’s with me?

]]> http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/06/world-cup-2010-promos/feed/ 0 http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/06/world-cup-2010-promos/ New office space at Conduit Studios http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aaronvanderzwan/~3/p4vTPSvuroI/ http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/03/new-office-space-at-conduit-studios/#comments Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:25:36 +0000 Aaron Vanderzwan http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/?p=243 new conduit studios office
Conduit Studios is finally in the new office space. Huge arching windows, lots of sun light, perfect brick, smooth wood floors and 4 bose speakers… this place is going to knock your socks off.

There are still a few finishing touches, but we are in and getting snug. It feels like home already.

]]> http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/03/new-office-space-at-conduit-studios/feed/ 0 http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/03/new-office-space-at-conduit-studios/ My newest project goes live: Steelcase.com http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aaronvanderzwan/~3/RQE-0lAGYhE/ http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/03/my-newest-project-goes-live-steelcase-com/#comments Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:48:48 +0000 Aaron Vanderzwan http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/?p=240 steelcase.com
The Basics
Steelcase.com is the largest website that I have built yet. It is built on Sharepoint which means that a lot of work went in to making it look the way it does. Any of you who don’t know what Sharepoint is, know that it is relatively frustrating to style. I used jQuery 1.4.2 and ended up writing a slider plugin to do the slide effect that you see on the homepage and on the product pages. I used a modified simple accordion plugin and a modified lightbox plugin. All in all, it was a challenge.

The History / Process
Steelcase tasked Conduit Studios with designing their new look and feel. Conduit hired me as a freelance developer, last summer, to help build the site and through the process decided I was good enough for their team. I now work full-time with Tim Carpenter and John O’Niell at Conduit Studios in Grand Rapids, MI. These guys are genius’ and it is a pleasure to work with them. We currently do work for a large array of clients including Hush Puppies and other Wolverine World Wide companies, a number of Steelcase brands including Coalesse and Nurture, apparel retail company A.K.Rikk’s, and many more.

Check it out
So check out Steelcase.com to see some of the work I have done recently. That slider thing on the home page, I built that!

]]> http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/03/my-newest-project-goes-live-steelcase-com/feed/ 2 http://www.aaronvanderzwan.com/blog/2010/03/my-newest-project-goes-live-steelcase-com/