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AOD:
How did Imulus
come together?
SCOTT
HOOTEN:
John Skufca,
George Morris,
and myself
worked for
a large interactive
agency called
Refinery.
In 2002, Refinery
closed the
Boulder, Colorado
office and
we formed
Imulus a few
weeks later.
Refinery was
later sold
to G2 Interactive.
Looking back
it was the
best thing
that could
have happened
because we
found out
quickly that
we worked
very well
together and
have grown
the business
at a steady
pace –
even in a
challenging
economy.
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Rocky
Mountain
Institute:
Built
Environment
Team
Interactive
design
and application
development
for the
RMI Built
Environment
Team's
consulting
and research.
www.bet.rmi.org |
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AOD:
How did you
come up with
the name and
branding for
your company?
SCOTT
HOOTEN:
We looked at
tons of names.
The most challenging
part was finding
a nice URL that
wasn't taken
already. In
brainstorming
and playing
with various
concepts and
words, I happened
upon the word
stimulus, meaning
to evoke a response.
Seeing how that
is the prime
objective of
a lot of design
and marketing,
I thought that
was a good fit
for what we
were about.
In playing around
with the word,
I removed the
'st' and liked
how the word
imulus sounded
and how the
letter forms
worked together.
And then it
passed the final
test, the URL
was available! |
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Colorado
Space
Coalition
Interactive
design
and CMS
for this
group
that supports
the development
of the
space
industry
in Colorado.
www.spacecolorado.com |
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AOD:
How many people
work at Imulus?
What do you
look for in
potential recruits?
SCOTT
HOOTEN:
There are nine
of us including
the owners.
We have a very
rigorous hiring
process because
we are very
careful about
making sure
that whoever
we hire is a
great fit for
our company
culture. Being
a small and
very collaborative
group it is
crucial that
everyone works
together well.
After an initial
screening of
resumes qualified
applicants are
called in for
initial interviews
with a couple
of the owners.
If that goes
well they are
called in for
a second interview
with the entire
company. Yep,
everybody. To
get an offer,
everyone must
agree. It's
kinda like Survivor,
you don't want
to get voted
off the island. |
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Arnicare
Design,
Flash
and application
development
for Boiron's
Arnicare
consumer
product
site.
www.arnicare.com |
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AOD:
What would you
say are some
of the design
influences for
the Imulus style?
Do you have
a certain work
method?
SCOTT
HOOTEN:
I would say
that we aim
for clean and
simple design
that achieves
the objectives
of the project.
We believe that
asking the right
questions up
front and gathering
as much information
as possible
will lead to
the best design
solution. By
approaching
projects in
a very strategic
way, the final
product will
be an asset
for the company
for a long time
to come –
adapting and
changing as
their business
grows. |
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Rocky
Mountain
Institute:
MOVE Team
Interactive
design
and application
development
for the
RMI MOVE
Team's
consulting
and research.
www.move.rmi.org |
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AOD:
Have you ever
found that
your agency's
"style"
limits the
type of clients
who want to
work with
you? Do clients
ask for you
to design
something
in a similar
vein or do
they give
you creative
freedom?
SCOTT HOOTEN:
I wish that
wasn't the
case, but
I'm sure it
is. We have
lost several
jobs because
we hadn't
done something
exactly like
what they
were looking
for. What
I try to impress
upon clients
is that we
don't have
a certain
style that
is used on
all our projects.
What we have
is a process
that seeks
to define
their objectives
for the project,
and design
a solution
that meets
those objectives.
For example,
www.oolongtees.com
and www.move.rmi.org
have very
different
styles because
they have
very different
audiences
and objectives. |
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Metro
Denver
EDC
The Metro
Denver
Economic
Development
Corporation
needed
a new
site with
a great
design
and a
flexible
CMS. With
a custom
Data Cart
for site
selectors
and tons
of great
data and
information
for the
media
the site
has been
a huge
success.
www.metrodenver.org |
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AOD:
Which do you
think has the
biggest impact
on the look
and feel of
a project: typography,
photography,
illustration,
interactivity,
animation, or
content.
SCOTT HOOTEN:
I think
any of those
can have a profound
impact on a
design. A design
could be very
clean and dependent
upon simple
typography to
set a certain
mood, while
a great photo
or illustration
can really make
a design. Interactive
and animation
can be very
engaging, as
well, when it
fits well with
the brand and
messaging that
you are trying
to convey. I
would love to
say content,
but beyond headlines,
we find that
users just don't
like to read
online. If I
had to just
pick one, I
would have to
go with photography.
There is just
a certain emotional
quality to a
great photo
that is really
unmatched. |
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Smiling
Moose
Deli
WIth tremendous
success
in the
Colorado
Mountains,
Smiling
Moose
is now
expanding
and franchising
their
terrific
deli concept
nationwide.
The new
site supports
both customers
and potential
franchisees.
www.smilingmoosedeli.com |
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AOD:
How do you think
the Web industry
in the Denver
area compares
to other areas
(SF, NYC. LA)
and what advantages
are there for
being located
there?
SCOTT HOOTEN:
While
those other
areas are much
larger and more
well known,
I think the
Denver area
has more of
a sense of community.
I also think
that the status
of Denver's
Web industry
is growing as
more and more
companies are
recognizing
the technology
talent pool
that exists
here. And lets
face it, eventually
both coasts
are going to
be under water,
and at a mile
high Denver
is going to
be sitting pretty. |
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Oscillo
Imulus
provided
design,
Flash
development,
application
development
and strategy
to Boiron
for their
new consumer
product
site for
Oscillo.
www.oscillo.com |
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AOD:
What's the
biggest challenge
facing your
company or
the industry
as a whole
in the months/years
ahead?
SCOTT
HOOTEN:
I think the
biggest challenge
is dealing with
constant change.
Technology is
constantly in
flux and new
trends such
as social networking
and cloud computing
are hot now,
but what's next
and what is
a fad and what
has staying
power? However,
while all this
change can be
challenging,
great design
and sound strategy
never go out
of style. |
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Unicircuit
Imulus
provided
a design
and and
site structure
befitting
an organization
of Unicircuit's
stature.
With printed
circuit
boards
that are
mission
critical
to aerospace
and military
applications,
Unicircuit
is an
industry
leader.
www.unicircuit.com |
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AOD:
What sorts of
trends do you
see in the overall
design industry
in the years
ahead? Will
new media still
be THE part
of the design
field to be
in?
SCOTT
HOOTEN:
I think new
advancements
in Flash, Silverlight,
and AJAX are
going to make
sites more interesting
and act more
like applications.
Companies are
going to continue
to move their
marketing and
advertising
efforts online
and away from
traditional
media. Because
of this, I think
that interactive
is definitely
still the place
to be. While
in the past
the Web has
been a component
of a brand and
marketing strategy,
as time goes
on the Web is
moving to the
center of the
strategy. All
other efforts
are complementary
and lead to
the web site
where a conversation
can be achieved.
Old media is
a one way communication
channel, while
the web can
create a conversation
and a brand
experience for
the user. |
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Countermind
The future
is in
mobile
technology,
and Imulus
helped
Countermind
tell their
story
through
a new
website
that helps
customers
understand
their
products
and their
vision.
www.countermind.com |
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AOD:
And, lastly.
What would you
be doing now
if you weren’t
in the Web industry?
SCOTT
HOOTEN:
If I hadn't
pursued my love
of design, I
think I would
have followed
my other love
which is running
and coaching.
So, I would
probably be
a track coach
somewhere. |
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