Nick Bushman

Another Post!

Business • Feb 01, 2012

I’ve been super busy, so I haven’t had much of a chance to add any new posts. On the top of my current list is our in-house project management system. The goal is for clients and our team at PixelNation to be able to review, comment and add to project reference files on the fly. I’ll be finishing this week and really excited to have it available for our clients to be able to use. Should make a HUGE difference in how projects are conducted and how best to create a completely collaboratively created project.

I’ve also been spending quite a bit of time lately on javascript and using the HTML5 canvas tag in 3 dimensional space. The technology is new and mostly limited by browser capabilities. I’ll have more on that experimentation later and it’ll be also available on the PixelNation website.

The importance of good SEO management.

Applications, Business, SEO • Nov 30, 2011

SEO is a big term nowadays. There are companies that sell it, consult it and add it to your bill. But what does it really mean and what does it do for you?

For one, good Search Engine Optimization (SEO) determines where you appear in search engines and for what search term. Basically, a certain word or combination of words that people would possibly use in order to find you. And do you want to know the good news? Google wants the EXACT same thing that you do! They want people looking for you to be able to find you. This means using words in your website that people would look at your website for, this could be your company name, it could be your specialty or maybe even an employee.

Essentially, collecting these ‘keywords’, using them frequently in the content (still paying attention to good copywriting) and combining them with other keywords are the basic ingredients for good SEO management. This is an EXTREMELY simplified explanation of course, there is really quite a bit that goes into the research and development and it’s a constantly evolving process. We’ve developed an application over at PixelNation that I use for testing keywords in a websites content, your can test your own site here.

Skyrim, best video game ever?

Games • Nov 26, 2011

I’ve been playing the The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim the last couple of weeks (yes, sadly WEEKS) and I have to say it’s the absolute best video game I’ve ever played. From fighting dragons to exploring the impressive scenery, I’ve never been more impressed by a game. I’m usually more of a fan of the old school; Mario Bros, Zelda, etc, but I’ve been completely addicted to this one. I’ve always been interested in creating the game experience, not so much the playing part, but more of putting something together from scratch that other people can enjoy. Bethesda has really raised the bar on what is considered an ‘experience’ in the gaming community and if you ever have the opportunity, I recommend you take a turn at playing it.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Personal • Nov 24, 2011

Just wanted to send a quick shout out to all those peeps out there celebrating Thanksgiving. There is so much to be thankful for, I thought I would make a short list from yours truly, so this year I’m thankful for:

Toast with jelly, Marvel Comics movies, magic tricks, rain, The National Anthem on electric guitar, collect calls, iPhones, hot coffee on a cold morning, the office, Pepsi, big speakers and 80′s music, getting magazine subscriptions in the mail, 1/2 price books, 120 box of Crayons, the texture of bricks, spending the Holidays with Amanda, cookies and milk, multi-colored paperclips, Pearl Jam, cough drops, skull caps, marker board, wacom tablets, Stephen King books, Play-Doh, putting up the Christmas tree, sleeping in, working hard, my family, clever writings on coffee cups, Munnys, Cheez-its, getting notes on Facebook from friends, speaking my mind, philosophical conversations after a movie, snow, the smell of grass in Spring. Whew, that’s just the tip of the iceberg, but I hope you have just as much (if not more) to be thankful for, Happy Holidays to everyone!

The PixelNation website is totally live!

Business, News • Nov 22, 2011

After about two years in the making, PixelNation is finally a reality. I’ve been independent now for awhile and the opportunity to grow is here. The official website is up and is housing my portfolio along with a lot of more recent work being done through the company. It’s a really exciting time for me and starting an agency has been a dream of mine since I first picked up a PRINT annual in college.

I couldn’t have done any of this without the support of great clients, excellent coworkers and knowledgable mentors/friends along the way. We’re all standing on the shoulders of giants and I’m more appreciative to people I’ve known than I could ever express in words. The new year offers many wonderful opportunities for our future, the work we produce and being able to work with both new clients and those that we’ve already had the privilege to know.