There are many examples online of pure CSS3 accordions. Many of these accordions use a combination of anchor elements with the :target pseudo-class while others use a combination of labels and checkboxes with the :checked pseudo-class. Either approach is certainly functional, but which is the right way? Perhaps the better question would be is there a right way? I believe the answer can be found in the underlying semantics and UX.

If you have a Ruby on Rails app sending email through Mandrill, you may be feeling a bit squeezed right now. Mandrill’s recent announcement, to combine the service with paid monthly MailChimp plans, caused us some problems with our low volume services.

As a result, we’ve moved several of our applications over to SparkPost.

I belong to a mastermind group of fellow consultants. We get together quarterly to share our successes, failures and learn from each other. There’s one bemoaning complaint which is consistently brought up… what do we do about RFP’s?

Software projects are notorious for taking longer than expected to deliver. As a result, those projects cost more than expected. Usually the fingers point at project managers in those situations, but that's not always just. In my experience, those original expectations are to blame.

These expectations are unreliable, and often untrue. Hanging your project plan from a scaffolding of unrealistic expectations is dangerous. There is a better way.

We're proud to announce that The Refinery, in conjunction with our fantastic partners at flourish agency, brought home two Addy Awards from the AAF Cleveland Chapter.

Both awards, a Judges Choice and a Gold Addy, were for our work with GoodGreens, a local wellness bar company.

Cost is a fundamental constraint of all software projects. Engineering software is a complex practice, full of rabbit trails and unexpected twists and turns. Agile methodologies guide us through these precarious situations by embracing the reality that they will happen — keeping us on our toes. This keeps timing and costs visible at all times, so that we make smart decisions in the face of uncertainty.

After 10 years in business as Designing Interactive, we are excited to announce our new company brand, The Refinery.

All successful people are big dreamers - creative in every aspect of managing their career. However, when in a position of power or management do they use that creativity in changing the trajectory of the company they are employed by? 

There is an old adage, “Design is thinking made visible.” This is an absolute truth in the digital age. As a CEO it is mission critical that you understand the design process and how it affects your business.