Name:  Randi Williams

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Jawbone (Code 2040)

Location of the Organization (City, State): San Francisco, CA

Major(s)/Minor(s):  Computer Engineering

Expected Graduation Year: 2016

Briefly describe your internship, co-op, research, or service- learning opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.

During the working day I am at Jawbone, a San Francisco based start-up that makes incredible products and software to support it. My place at Jawbone is to support the web tools team in maintaining Jawbone's high quality website. Lately Jawbone has been undergoing a renovation of some of the older pages on the website and my assignments this summer include working with the design team to update these pages. My largest project involves completely redoing the Careers Page on the site.

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?

The San Francisco start-up scene is totally different from the way business is done on the East Coast. Besides the obvious cultural differences working in a start-up is just a totally different experience. The company is doing very well but it is still in the growth stage meaning that everyone who works here is a vital part of the mission. Everyone has a job title and maybe a specific set of assignments to complete but there is so much room for interdisciplinary work. All of the teams get to merge and work together and I've found that my skills in a lot more than computer science are being sharpened this summer.

What have you gained from your experience that you could not have gained from another opportunity?

Unique to the Silicon Valley is the spirit of creativity and self-confidence. Everyone here is a dreamer and that is encouraged and highly rewarded. There are a lot of daily problems that people have and that they want to solve. Everyone is working to get their ideas and solutions out there by taking the initiative to drop everything and build it. I will go home with a piece of that energy in me, the entrepreneurial spirit that I can build things to make the world better. 

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

Come to Silicon Valley! There is so much here for students in every discipline and there is a lot of fun to be had and a lot to learn. I feel pumped up and motivated now to go back to school and be really successful.

How do you see your experience as meaningful? This might involve skills you’ve gained, information you’ve learned, mentors you’ve connected with, or projects you’ve completed.

The most meaningful experience I am getting out of this summer is the amazing opportunity to be a CODE2040 Fellow. This program is all about getting more minorities, Latinos and Blacks in particular, involved in Silicon Valley. As a Fellow I have had the opportunity to talk to all kinds of leaders across the start-up world and ask them advice about how to get my career started when I am finished with school. These people are really busy running things like Facebook, Dropbox, Andreessen Horowitz, Twitter, and Square but they think that what CODE2040 is doing is important enough to have these deep, meaningful conversations about how even as a student I can think about things like how to build the next big app or website that is going to change the world.

Please provide a short quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / the internship placement process / the Shriver Center:

Having the opportunity to intern this summer has set me on a trajectory to the stars.

The University of Maryland - Baltimore County Career Center kindly requests your participation in The WetFeet Career Benchmark. As a key partner to industry, University of Maryland - Baltimore County is one of only a select few of all educational institutions nationwide that were asked to have our students complete the survey.

Your participation helps to increase the visibility and marketability of University of Maryland - Baltimore County students to employers who recruit on campuses and helps the employers to work on a targeted approach when they recruit on our campus. Moreover, our office will be provided with a report detailing your aggregate responses (individual responses remain anonymous). This can help our office better serve you and focus on attracting the companies that better serve your interests.

Finally, you will be compensated for your time with a career toolbox that features two free career guides and a career profile with feedback to measure your aspirations against others among other incentives.

You can access the questionnaire directly here:
http://unisurv.co/312usss14

Many thanks for your participation!

Do you have any questions, something to share, or just difficulties with the link? Please send an email to: careerbenchmark@wetfeet.com

Website sidebars are a common design in most layouts. This commonly holds page elements which are not detrimental to the content, but include other means of traversing the website. These elements may include category listings, recent user profiles, a search bar, even badges for social networking profiles.

But what exactly makes your sidebar unique in comparison to the rest of your webpage? I want to go over some possible ideas for designing creative yet intuitive sidebars. Each website has different needs from visitors, so the purpose of your sideline-content will not be the same on every project, but understanding how users interpret sidebars can help to gauge how you should structure your own designs.

Representative Advertising

I couldn’t possibly ignore the idea of running advertising in the sidebar area. It’s perfect because the ads do not interfere directly with the site, yet they can still be above-the-fold and organized nicely. With that said it is important to remember Internet users are getting smarter. They know what to expect and outdated ads are losing their appeal quickly.

That certainly doesn’t mean online advertising is a dead market. You need to find products & services which appeal towards your audience. And possibly even more important, you need to ensure the advertisement itself looks good. Why should people click to find out about this awesome thing? This is often out of your hands but whenever possible try to use the highest quality of advertisements.

The site Web Design Ledger follows a great example of sticking to relatable advertisements. Many of these services would help freelancers, studios, and other creative professionals. But notice the ad images are also colorful and not too bad on the eyes. Nothing feels out of place and that’s an important feeling to strive towards. After a while you might begin earning enough to cover web hosting and other similar costs.

Online Social Elements

Social media is also crucial to brand identity. This has changed in recent years as most online companies feel the need to have their own Twitter and Facebook pages. Visitors like to follow updates and it’s a good way to get out news in a public manner.

To spice up your sidebar design you may think about including some badges or social widgets. The Facebook like box is rather easy to install and it showcases a network for your brand. If you can increase the number of likes to your page it might impress new visitors who have never heard about your site before.

You’ll notice the same example found on Hongkiat which includes a list of FB profiles and a list of recent activity. Twitter does have similar widgets that you can build from your own profile settings panel. And remember that these are only two social networks out of dozens you may be interested in using.

The best part about any of these networks is having access to their developer API. Websites like Pinterest, Tumblr, Github, and even Reddit allow developers to pull out specific information to display in a sidebar widget. Visitors who are familiar with these networks might dig a bit deeper and find a greater online presence for your brand.

Short Bits of Content

If there’s anything I’ve observed about Internet users it’s that we like things fast. Sidebar content should not be as detailed as the main page content. But it also doesn’t usually represent the core navigation, either. Sidebar content is based on split-decisions made by the user at-a-glance.

Use this to your advantage by including lists of articles, categories, archives, even specialty landing pages. You never know what a reader might be interested to browse through. It’s even better if you can design a widget to dynamically switch or collapse between lists. Then you pack more content into a single area without taking up much room.

The design on 10Words has a fantastic yet simple interface. You can access longer archives and a list of categories with the full post number. The custom typography blends nicely, and it makes the sidebar appear more prominent to the layout itself.

Don’t think that you are limited solely to article headlines. WordPress also offers post thumbnails which you can display to catch the reader’s eyes. Linking to a small image gives immediate context to the article link, which provides greater incentive for the visitor to click.

Unique Landing Pages

Don’t feel like you are stuck using the same type of content given in a default WordPress installation. If your website has a product or service to offer, you might try designing a sidebar banner and link to that page. The sidebar design from Joystiq links to their podcast along with a quotable section from a recent article.

The purpose is to get visitors browsing deeper into your website learning more about you and what you can offer. Not every blog is just a blog. Sometimes you can offer more than just written articles. YouTube channels, e-commerce shops, and definitely podcasts are just a few great examples.

Another one of my favorite sidebars can be found on WPBeginner. Using small icons along with descriptive labels they link to various inner pages explaining details about the site, such as the blueprint page which details all their backend services and plugins. Be creative with your content and don’t be afraid to try something new.

Gathering User Feedback

Not every website is geared towards user feedback. But feedback can add a sense of community into a website, and it lets visitors feel that their voice can be heard. Example feedback may come in the form of a survey, contact form, even polls to vote for new features or asking for opinions.

The blog design on Nova Crystallis has a community poll based on generic gaming questions. These may sometimes focus on website improvements or feedback. But just having some type of interactive element on the page can bring together a small yet adamant community of passionate readers. Never underestimate the amount of useful data you could obtain by linking to a web survey in your sidebar.

Fixed Scrolling Elements

I don’t think this technique can work on every website but it is worth mentioning. Sometimes you will have pages with a lot more content than your sidebar has. In this case the sidebar area will appear empty once the visitor scrolls down far enough. Consider keeping an item fixed after the sidebar ends, utilizing that otherwise empty space.

The sidebar on The Crazy Egg has everything seated properly until you scroll beyond the very last advertisement. It will stay fixed right at the top of the screen and move down with you along the page. Once you get up to the original position again it will drop back into place so you can view the other sidebar elements without obstruction.

Instead of running a fixed advertisement you might also consider a fixed newsletter subscription form. Or maybe a fixed social box with links out to your online profiles. There are plenty of ideas to run through A/B testing but the idea is to never leave your sidebar empty. It keeps the layout full and might hook visitors once they are finished reading lower in the page.

Closing

The purpose of a sidebar will vary between each website, but objectively a sidebar is created for secondary content which may be appealing to visitors. This shouldn’t be a distraction from the main content, but it should have something that gets people’s attention and curiosity. Noticeable sidebars are about unique and beneficial content. With this in mind it becomes much easier to design an interface around this content and test your results.

The post Tips for Designing More Noticeable Website Sidebars appeared first on Treehouse Blog.

Name:  Randi Williams

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Jawbone (Code 2040)

Location of the Organization (City, State): San Francisco, CA

Major(s)/Minor(s):  Computer Engineering

Expected Graduation Year: 2016

Briefly describe your internship, co-op, research, or service- learning opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.

During the working day I am at Jawbone, a San Francisco based start-up that makes incredible products and software to support it. My place at Jawbone is to support the web tools team in maintaining Jawbone's high quality website. Lately Jawbone has been undergoing a renovation of some of the older pages on the website and my assignments this summer include working with the design team to update these pages. My largest project involves completely redoing the Careers Page on the site.

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?

The San Francisco start-up scene is totally different from the way business is done on the East Coast. Besides the obvious cultural differences working in a start-up is just a totally different experience. The company is doing very well but it is still in the growth stage meaning that everyone who works here is a vital part of the mission. Everyone has a job title and maybe a specific set of assignments to complete but there is so much room for interdisciplinary work. All of the teams get to merge and work together and I've found that my skills in a lot more than computer science are being sharpened this summer.

What have you gained from your experience that you could not have gained from another opportunity?

Unique to the Silicon Valley is the spirit of creativity and self-confidence. Everyone here is a dreamer and that is encouraged and highly rewarded. There are a lot of daily problems that people have and that they want to solve. Everyone is working to get their ideas and solutions out there by taking the initiative to drop everything and build it. I will go home with a piece of that energy in me, the entrepreneurial spirit that I can build things to make the world better. 

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

Come to Silicon Valley! There is so much here for students in every discipline and there is a lot of fun to be had and a lot to learn. I feel pumped up and motivated now to go back to school and be really successful.

How do you see your experience as meaningful? This might involve skills you’ve gained, information you’ve learned, mentors you’ve connected with, or projects you’ve completed.

The most meaningful experience I am getting out of this summer is the amazing opportunity to be a CODE2040 Fellow. This program is all about getting more minorities, Latinos and Blacks in particular, involved in Silicon Valley. As a Fellow I have had the opportunity to talk to all kinds of leaders across the start-up world and ask them advice about how to get my career started when I am finished with school. These people are really busy running things like Facebook, Dropbox, Andreessen Horowitz, Twitter, and Square but they think that what CODE2040 is doing is important enough to have these deep, meaningful conversations about how even as a student I can think about things like how to build the next big app or website that is going to change the world.

Please provide a short quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / the internship placement process / the Shriver Center:

Having the opportunity to intern this summer has set me on a trajectory to the stars.

Anne Arundel County’s cwist, Inc., and four other companies based in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard County to receive loans totaling $1.05 million

Annapolis, Maryland – (October 22, 2013) – Today, the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation announced that it has approved more than a million dollars in loans to five early stage technology companies in central Maryland.  The VOLT Fund, AAEDC’s loan program administered in conjunction with bwtech@UMBC and the Chesapeake Innovation Center,  aims to distribute a total of $3.36 million in loans to assist small, minority, veteran, and woman-owned businesses around the state.  Particular to the VOLT Fund is a set aside of loans for distribution to entrepreneurs of innovative technology.

“The VOLT Fund’s focus on assisting emerging technology start-ups is truly unique and will help put Anne Arundel County and the State of Maryland in a stronger position to cultivate young technology companies,” said county executive Laura Neuman. “These loans are key to helping these companies reach that next stage of product development and leveraging additional investment.”

“Supporting our entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses is a top priority for Maryland as we grow our Innovation Economy,” said Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development Secretary Dominick Murray. “The high-tech companies we invest in today will help to create the jobs of tomorrow. We are pleased to work with our partners in Anne Arundel County to fund the most promising companies and give them the support they need to grow.”

The goal of the VOLT Fund technology loans is to help promising early stage companies attract follow-on funding from venture capital firms, angel investors and other sources.  Loan recipients include the following:

•             cwist, Inc., of Annapolis: cwist is a free digital library of learning activities for kids K-5th crowd-sourced from parents and educators, designed to help kids make a healthy connection between the things they want and the effort it takes to get them

AWARD: $100,000

•             Light Point Security, LLC, a member of the bwtech@UMBC Cyber Incubator: Light Point Security protects businesses from malicious software spread through web browsers by moving the employee's web browser into the cloud so none of the websites they visit ever touch their computers.

AWARD: $250,000

•             Milestone US, Inc., a company based in Clarksville, Maryland: Milestone combines low cost sensors and big data tools to offer retailers a new method for targeted advertising.

AWARD: $200,000

•             SameGrain, Inc., a member of the Emerging Technology Center (ETC) in Baltimore City: SameGrain is a privacy-first social discovery platform that helps people locate, connect with and grow new friendships with others that share similar backgrounds, interests, beliefs, concerns, habits and more.

AWARD: $250,000

•             Biomedica Management Corporation, a member of the bwtech@UMBC Life Sciences Incubator: This research and development company is currently developing novel treatments in coagulopathy-related conditions with civilian and military applications.

AWARD: $250,000

Several factors were taken into consideration in the VOLT Fund technology loan application process.  Applicants must be high potential early stage technology companies with a clear path to follow-on funding.  Also, teams must be led by an experienced entrepreneur or demonstrate a willingness to acquire needed management talent.  Companies must also be at a stage in product development where the cash flow break-even point is expected within 24 months.

The announcement of these technology loan awards is just the latest by the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation after its designation in May as a loan fund manager by the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development.  AAEDC serves as one of three managers of the state’s $7.8 million small, minority and woman-owned business loan fund.  The state fund receives 1.5 percent of video lottery terminal revenue from Maryland casinos.

As mandated by the state, half of the fund’s investment is targeted to small businesses located within a ten mile radius of the three Maryland casinos open at the time fund managers were designated, Maryland Live in Anne Arundel County, Hollywood Park in Cecil County and Ocean Downs in Worcester County.  The other half is available to businesses located across the state.

To date, AAEDC has approved more than $2.5 million in loans to 18 conventional small businesses and technology companies in six counties around Maryland.  More information on the VOLT Fund is available on AAEDC’s website www.aaedc.org.

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The mission of the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation is to support business and serve as a catalyst for business growth in Anne Arundel County thereby increasing job opportunities, expanding the tax base and improving quality of life.

MEDIA CONTACT

Rosa Cruz

Director of Communications and Marketing

Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation/

Chesapeake Innovation Center

2660 Riva Road, Suite 200

Annapolis, MD  21401

(p) 410-222-7410  (f) 410-222-7415  (c) 410-212-4150