By kberry
Thursday, April 26, 2012
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We like adding people so much to our team, we did it again! Well…Chris O. did.
Station Four wants to give a giant bear hug sized congratulations to Chris and Jessica Olberding on the birth of their sweet baby boy, Ashe Thomas, who arrived April 21 at a healthy 8.6 pounds, 21 inches.
Baby Ashe and parents are doing great. We can’t wait to get him working on some projects!
In the meantime, Chris O. will be available by email through the end of next week. The rest of us are still here holding down the fort—with finesse and pizzazz as always.
By kberry
Thursday, April 19, 2012
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Station Four is no stranger to outstanding achievement, but
whenever we are recognized for our work, it is always an honor.
The Mr. John website (www.mrjohn.com),
which Station Four developed for its parent company Russell Reid, has won the Best Associate Member Website FAME award. The Fabulous Achievements in Marketing Excellence (FAME) Awards are
presented by the Shore Builders Association of Central New Jersey. The project
entailed a complete site redesign, working to create an online environment that
resulted in more visitors, more customers, more business. The result was a
creative yet clean execution of content, providing multiple avenues for
customers to interact with the business online.
A big thank you is extended to Russell Reid for submitting
the project!
The Shore Builders Association of Central New Jersey is one
of the largest trade associations in the area. The FAME Awards, which are in
their ninth year, honor the best in sales and marketing for the homebuilding
industry of the Shore Area. This awards ceremony was the finale to a great year
of sales, marketing or public relations work done by individual or company
members.
Station Four welcomes Katharine Berry! She will be taking over the majority of the operational tasks and account management of the company.
Katharine is a University of North Florida graduate with her degree in Communications. In her previous life she gained extensive experience working in marketing for the arts and entertainment industry as well as spent several years in the web world to which she is excited to return. She brings an incredible amount to the table—she's an immersed industry professional, a skilled problem solver, an organizational whiz and a seasoned wordsmith with a creative eye for function and design. She is going to bring great new energy to the company.
In addition to her real job, Katharine is highly involved with the American Advertising Federation of Jacksonville, having sat on the board for nearly six years. She was a ballet dancer in a previous, previous life, but continues to be a great steward of arts and culture as well as a Downtown Jacksonville enthusiast. Oh, and you can call her Katie.
We are very excited to have her on the team!
By Chris Lahey
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
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2011 has come to an end but Station Four wishes to share with you some of our achievements of the past year as well as our vision for 2012.
Safariland, for example, is a division of BAE Systems that manufactures and distributes law enforcement and military supplies. Safariland contacted Station Four to create a tool that would ease the process for consumers looking to find a holster for their weapon. As a result we created the Holster Finder. A custom web based application that searches thousands of options to provide information and images matching the weapon entered. Safariland customers can now confidently locate and purchase the holster of their choice without having to call customer service. www.safariland.com
LPS Intranet
Last year we also created an employee intranet for Lender Processing Services. LPS is a Fortune 1000 financial reporting service for everyday consumers, government agencies, and serious investors. They asked Station Four to overhaul a much used database and incorporate their new design and growing document storage needs while accommodating the Microsoft SharePoint functionality already in place. Take a look at the screen shots below for examples of the design and a look at the expanded resource that LPS employees now utilize on a daily basis.
Employee Intranet Design
Zoom In View
Coastal Industries Website Re-design
Coastal Industries is a manufacturer and distributor of high-end bath and shower enclosures. They came to us looking for a re-design of the site as well as an online ordering portal. Station Four utilized Microsoft SQL Server 2008 for the database, an application layer to house the changing data, and a clean straightforward User Interface that fit well with the Coastal brand. By automating the custom enclosure process Coastal is now able to accept orders online and allocate resources in a more economical way. The screen shots below show the design and function that was developed by the Station Four team.
Website Design Compositions
Application Design Compositions
Mobile Application
Mobile applications are becoming more and more popular as the smartphones take over portable communication. At the end of 2011 MTech sought out Station Four to create their own mobile app. MTech Systems is a developer of poultry and swine data management solutions. They came to us looking for a mobile application for use by growers in the field. They wanted their customers to be able to remotely access reports and data in real time whenever necessary. By utilizing jQuery Mobile framework for the front end we were able to style the application according to the MTech design already in place. MTech plans to take this app to a trade show in January for its unveiling.
... And Beyond
For the coming year Station Four has plans to push the envelope and see how much we can grow. While continuing to provide our renowned core services, resources will be allocated to develop some internal projects.
The team members have been brainstorming for years on various solutions and tools to assist a variety of businesses. 2012 feels like the appropriate time to focus on these ideas and we are in good position to effectively manage our client work while developing new projects.
In 2012 you should expect to see more cross platform applications, new software, fresh mobile apps, and an increase in Station Four presence within the design community. By staying on top of new technology and having a hand in creating it we hope to become the leading digital agency for all clients.
By Chris Lahey
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
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Who is She?
Station Four is excited to announce the addition of a new team member, Meggan Sullivan 8lbs 9 ounces. Don’t let her leprechaun looks fool you, she is a skilled problem solver and her organizational, multi-tasking, and quick learning skills are a welcomed enhancement to our team.
What’ll She Do
As we grow, she will help us keep the team together to ensure that we don’t suffer any growing pains. Her official job title is Traffic Manager which means that she’ll be handling all of the comings and goings of the company. In addition, she’ll be taking over a majority of the administrative duties of Station Four.
Where’s She From
Meggan graduated from Elon University with a degree in Broadcast Communications. Her diverse work experience and principled work ethic will be essential as she takes over the majority of the operational duties of our company and if you are an existing client of ours, you should look forward to meeting her soon!
By Chris Lahey
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
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We’re looking for…
A full time, back end, application developer who knows how to work smart.
A LITTLE ABOUT US:
Station Four is a digital agency based in Jacksonville, FL. We provide strategic direction, design, and software development for large organizations such as the US Department of Defense, LPS, BAE Systems, Baptist Health as well as small local businesses. Founded in 2007 by a designer and a developer, the quality of our work comes before the size of our margins. Please contact Chris Lahey at development@stationfour.com for more details on this position.
WE’D LIKE TO TALK TO YOU IF...
- You are well versed in ASP.NET web forms
- You know what ASP.NET MVC is and think it’s the bomb.
- You have experience with Javascript based client/server interactivity (Ajax) using jQuery libraries
- You have experience working with SQL Server databases
- Have experience in a variety of content management systems and consider yourself an expert in at least one of them. At any given time we are working on projects in an always changing number of platforms including Expression Engine, DotNetNuke, Umbraco, WordPress, and Magento.
- Are confident that if you come across something you don’t know how to do, you can figure it out.
- Have experience working in a team environment and with source control.
- You are passionate about the web, read industry blogs and magazines, take ownership of what you’re working on, keep up with emerging trends and technologies, and have an eye for detail.
- You are great at communicating – no development holes here, everyone is expected to communicate with clients.
- Are pretty good at Mario Kart.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO TALK WITH US IF...
- You’re looking to work hard and develop skills in a fun and casual team environment.
- Enjoy learning and working on a variety of projects and tasks.
- Prefer working at small agency but also like things like insurance (medical, dental, vision), vacations, and thinking about the future (retirement benefits).
IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE (BUT NOT NECESSARY) IF YOU HAD:
- Some experience with MS Azure or SQL Azure.
- Working understanding of information architecture and user experience associated tools and documents.
AND IT WOULD BE PRETTY COOL IF YOU HAD A BACKGROUND IN SOME OF THE FOLLOWING:
- Working in a Windows environment
- Experience with setting up application and development environments (Visual Studio/TFS, IIS, SQL Server)
- Experience with WCF and/or Silverlight
- Working in a team and/or agency environment.
- Mobile development experience.
FOR THE MOST PART YOU WILL BE:
- Collaborating with a team of strategists, developers, and designers to code applications based upon preset requirements and timelines.
- Assisting in the development of internal tools and apps.
- Communicating with clients and assist in formulating strategy and translating those strategies into reality.
- Helping us get better though awesome work, introducing new ideas and techniques, recommending improvements to our development process, and generally just being great.
COMPANY BENEFITS:
- Casual atmosphere with mandatory video game breaks in an environment open to new ideas.
- Health, dental, vision insurance.
- Retirement benefits planned for Q3 of 2011.
- 3 weeks paid vacation.
- Year-end bonus based upon performance.
Please contact Chris Lahey at development@stationfour.com for more details.
By Chris Lahey
Friday, May 20, 2011
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Well, at least I am.
The wedding is in the Virgin Islands, and Chris O is coming along to join in the celebration. While our dates of travel differ, we will be out of the game for a bit and we wanted to let our clients, and anyone else interested, know what our availability would be.
Chris O's Availability
Chris will be leaving on Tuesday the 24th and returning to work on Tuesday the 31st of May.
Chris L's Availability
I will be leaving on Wednesday the 25th and returning to the States on Saturday, June 4th. However, I will then be spending the next two weeks in Atlanta with my newly married, and infinitely interesting Dr. Sarah McCann Lahey. ;-)
What To Expect In Our Absence
Mac and Sean will still be here holding down the fort, however they will most likely be focusing on current projects and will not have the full capacity to work on any maintenance work or short turn-around jobs. We do apologize for this however, you only get married once... RIGHT!!?
For sales, please be patient with us. We will have an appointment scheduled to speak with you as soon as we return.
By Chris Olberding
Monday, February 14, 2011
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We’re looking for...
An ambitious and motivated front-end developer who knows how to get things done.
A little about us:
Station Four is a digital agency based in Jacksonville, FL. We provide strategic direction, design, and software development for large organizations such as the US Department of Defense, LPS, BAE Systems, Baptist Health as well as small local business like European Street, Underwood Jewelers, and Brandon Pest Control. Founded in 2007 by a designer and a developer, the quality of our work comes before the size of our margins. Please contact Chris Olberding at olberding@stationfour.com for more details.
We’d like to talk to you if...
- You have a strong knowledge of HTML/CSS, Javascript/jQuery, cross-browser compliance.
- Have experience in a variety of content management systems and consider yourself an expert in at least one of them. At any given time we are working on projects in an always changing number of platforms including Expression Engine, DotNetNuke, WordPress, and Magento.
- Are confident that if you come across something you don’t know how to do, you can figure it out.
- Have experience working in a team environment and with source control.
- You are passionate about the web, read industry blogs and magazines, take ownership of what you’re working on, keep up with emerging trends and technologies, and have an eye for detail.
- You are great at communicating – no development holes here, everyone is expected to communicate with clients.
- Are pretty good at Mario Kart.
You might want to talk with us if...
- You’re looking to work hard and develop skills in a fun and casual team environment.
- Enjoy learning and working on a variety of projects and tasks.
- Prefer working at small agency but also like things like insurance (medical, dental, vision), vacations, and thinking about the future (retirement benefits).
It would be really nice (but not necessary) if you had:
- Some design skills.
- Working understanding of information architecture and user experience associated tools and documents.
- Background with a development framework (PHP/Ruby on Rails). Experience with ASP.NET would be awesome.
And it would be pretty cool if you had a background in some of the following:
- Working in a Windows environment
- Experience with setting up application and development environments (Visual Studio/TFS and IIS would be great but LAMP experience is nice too)
- Grasp of online marketing, search engine optimization, analytics.
- Experience with animation, video, Flash, Silverlight, and/or motion graphics.
- Working in a team and/or agency environment.
- Mobile dev experience.
For the most part you will be:
- Collaborating with a team of strategists, developers, and designers to code pixel-perfect sites and applications from design compositions and implement front-end functionality in collaboration with back-end developers.
- Assisting in an internal rebranding of Station Four already in progress.
- Communicating with clients and assist in formulating strategy and translating those strategies into reality.
- Helping us get better though awesome work, introducing new ideas and techniques, recommending improvements to our development process, and generally just being great.
Company benefits:
- Casual atmosphere with mandatory video game breaks in an environment open to new ideas.
- Health, dental, vision insurance.
- Retirement benefits planned for Q2 of 2011.
- 3 weeks paid vacation.
- Year-end bonus based upon performance.
Please contact Chris Olberding at olberding@stationfour.com for more details.
By Chris Olberding
Monday, February 14, 2011
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We’re looking for...
A kickass designer. Web experience would be nice but there’s no substitute for talent.
A little about us:
Station Four is a digital agency based in Jacksonville, FL. We provide strategic direction, design, and software development for large organizations such as the US Department of Defense, LPS, BAE Systems, Baptist Health as well as small local business like European Street, Underwood Jewelers, and Brandon Pest Control. Founded in 2007 by a designer and a developer, the quality of our work comes before the size of our margins. Please contact Chris Olberding at olberding@stationfour.com for more details.
We’d like to talk to you if...
- You have 2+ years designing for web and are a pretty awesome designer.
- You are passionate about design, read design blogs and magazines, take ownership of what you’re working on, and have an eye for detail.
- Understand and intelligently apply the principles of visual design in a strategic and goal-oriented manner.
- You are great at communicating and talking design – with other designers and with clients.
- You understand the value of constructive feedback.
- Are pretty good at Mario Kart.
You might want to talk with us if...
- You’re looking to work hard and develop skills in a fun and casual team environment.
- Enjoy learning and working on a variety of projects and tasks.
- Prefer working at small agency but also like things like insurance (medical, dental, vision), vacations, and thinking about the future (retirement benefits).
It would be really nice (but not necessary) if you had...
- Experience working with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
- A background in print design.
And it would be pretty cool if you had a background in some of the following:
- Working in a Windows environment.
- Grasp of online marketing, search engine optimization, analytics.
- Been involved in a local design community.
- Illustration skills.
- Working understanding of information architecture and user experience associated tools and documents.
- Experience with animation, video, Flash, and motion graphics.
- Strong written communication skills.
- Working in a team and/or agency environment.
For the most part you will be...
- Collaborating with a team of strategists, developers, and other designers to develop design compositions for websites, applications, landing pages, mobile sites, videos, print collateral, and so on and so forth.
- Assisting in an internal rebranding of Station Four already in progress.
- Communicating your design with clients and assist in formulating strategy and translating those strategies into design.
- Helping us get better though awesome work, introducing new ideas and techniques, recommending improvements to our design process, and generally just being great.
Company benefits:
- Casual atmosphere with mandatory video game breaks in an environment open to new ideas.
- Health, dental, vision insurance.
- Retirement benefits planned for Q2 of 2011.
- 3 weeks paid vacation.
- Year-end bonus based upon performance.
Please contact Chris Olberding at olberding@stationfour.com for more details.
By Chris Lahey
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
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Recently, a vulnerablity in the .NET framework was exposed. The attack exploits the security measures behind encrypted "cookies" in an attempt to gain knowledge that will allow the attacker to better decrypt the cookies. If enough information is gained, the attackers can potentially gain access to protected files and information stored within your site.
The details of it all are a bit technical, and we strongly urge you to stay up to date on Microsoft's advisory site. While there is no patch to the .NET framework released by Microsoft yet, there is a work around that will inhibit the attackers and prevent them from learning more about how your web server encrypts files and cookies.
At Station Four, we understand that many of you who are our clients are unaware of the technology that your web sites and applications are using. For our clients who's websites we host, we have completed an internal audit and will be notifying you individually to inform you of the vulnerability and our plans to ensure your safety.