Web Design: Do-It-Yourself or Hire a Web Designer/Developer?

In a recent interview with Clutch, HMG’s very own James Trumbly gave his professional insight on the importance of hiring an expert when creating a web design and how to choose the best one. Here is his advice on developing the perfect website for your company.

Today, websites are “must haves” for businesses of any size. Large organizations, of course, generally have the resources to invest in developing robust websites. But, on the other hand, smaller organizations and entrepreneurs are often extremely budget-conscious. With tools like WordPress, Wix and other do-it-yourself options so readily available these days, it’s not uncommon for many of these smaller, cash-strapped businesses to attempt to create a website themselves. You should choose one of the UK servers to help you with your website and design.

Continue…

SXSW Wrap-Up: The Best of the Best

Just like that, that’s a wrap of SXSW 2015. We had a great time checking out Interactive panels and keynotes, some films, and great bands in the sun (and a lot of rain). To wrap it up, we will be running two blogs: this one on awards and then an upcoming one on top speakers. Two of the most important awards for Interactive honor incredibly innovative companies, products, and startups. The SXSW Accelerator Startup Competition has 48 technology companies go head-to-head in a two-day competition with six winners, while the SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards focuses on evolving and broadening trends of the digital industry, giving out fourteen awards and four special honors.

Continue…

SXSW Wrap-Up: Top Speakers

SXSW 2015 came and went with a bang, per usual. We had a great time checking out Interactive panels and keynotes, some films, and great bands in the sun (and a lot of rain). To wrap it up, we are running two blogs: a previous one on awards and then this one on top speakers. There were over 600 sessions at SXSW Interactive – the majority of the sessions were picked via users on the SXSW PanelPicker, with more than 3,000 ideas entered. Needless to say, it was very hard to choose the top speakers. Before SXSW, we ran our top 5 speakers to see – now we have our top 5 speakers that we saw.

Continue…

My Semester at HMG Creative, Saying Goodbye

After four months of being a spring intern for HMG, I am wrapping up my internship as I finish my last month of classes at The University of Texas at Austin before graduation. As the spring Social Media and Marketing Intern, I have been able to get my hands on a ton of projects throughout my time here. It has been an incredibly valuable experience for me – both personally and professionally.

Continue…

Helping Career Point College With A Website Redesign

We were very excited to get an opportunity to collaborate alongside Cox Media to tackle a website redesign for Career Point College. At first glance, we knew this website needed a makeover, and we were full of ideas on how to revamp their site and promote further success for Career Point College. To begin with, they were managing multiple websites that essentially had the same information on them. So right off the bat, we knew we needed to not only develop an updated website, but also to create a way for students and prospectives to access information in a single location.

Continue…

Redesigning Texas A&M’s Student Activities Website

We can’t say enough how thrilled we were to take on this website redesign project for Texas A&M University. For the TAMU Student Activities website, we got our hands dirty right away by putting ourselves in the shoes of the site’s primary audience: the students, particularly – TAMU undergrads. These students needed an intuitive one-stop-shop to quickly gather information, sign-up, and manage the sections they were involved in. Apart from utility, a goal of ours was to update the overall aesthetic appeal of the site showcasing vibrant student life and activities in a way that would make students want to get involved and stay involved.

Continue…

Bye HMG!

Having just graduated from the University of Texas (hook ‘em!) and with the final days of classes already under my belt, the past few weeks have been full of reflecting and looking back over the past semester. I can hardly believe that just a few months ago I was starting here at HMG, taking the reigns from their previous rockstar intern, Emily.  I feel like I’ve accomplished a TON and learned so much here, and I’m very grateful to have been part of the team this semester.
To wrap-up my time here, I wanted to share a few highlights from my experience as an intern and some of the projects that I’m most proud of.
Continue…

The Best 7 Minutes You’ll Spend Today

With the year coming to a close, 2014 “round-up” posts are taking over our social media feeds. We’ve seen a few good ones here and there, but we’ve got to say this one shared by Mashable takes the cake. We got an adrenaline rush from the first minute alone! Also go check the best shaver for men .

If you have a couple (seven-ish) minutes, watch this compilation of 223 viral videos that took over the internet this past year. Well done, YouTube.

Meet Ryan: Our Newest Social Media Marketing Intern

Hello! I’m Ryan Gardner – the new Social Media and Marketing Intern at HMG Creative. I’m currently a senior Advertising & Business Foundations student at The University of Texas at Austin, graduating this May.

I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and then moved outside of Dallas about ten years ago. Living in the suburbs made me very interested in living in a city, so I packed up for school in fall 2012 and headed to Austin, gravitating toward the music scene here. I can’t imagine a better city to go to college in. In my spare time, I’m frequently at concerts, still exploring the city with friends, or relaxing indoors at BookPeople or Whole Foods.

In December I wrapped up a Graphic Design Internship at It’s Time Texas, an Austin non-profit focusing on promoting health and fitness. Previously, I’ve held internships in PR, marketing, social media, and graphic design. Once the holidays ended, I wanted to switch over to the marketing agency environment, making the position at HMG a perfect fit for me.

This semester, I’m looking forward to running the social media accounts, connecting with clients and publications, and writing. It’s only day one, but I’m excited for all the upcoming opportunities here! To learn more about me, feel free to connect with me on Twitter at @RyanGardnerC or by email at ryan@hmgcreative.com.

[UT image via consultyourcommunity.org]