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The Horizon Interactive Awards is a prestigious international competition recognizing outstanding achievement among interactive media producers. We received awards for The Trestle Inn website, Data Garden website, TURBOQUO video, Downtown NYC iPhone app and Build A Bird iPhone app.

The Downtown NYC iPhone App took the Gold award for mobile apps – utility. It’s an app we developed for the Alliance for Downtown New York. Version one featured event listings of everything happen in New York’s Lower Manhattan. Since submission to Horizon Interactive, I-SITE has launched version 2.0m staying true to our original goals of keeping the app easy-to-use with a clean interface, we made improvements to the Where To Go section, and added favoriting and search functionality. Now you’ll also receive In App Alerts that show you vital information about Lower Manhattan when pushed by the Downtown Alliance staff.

TURBOQUO took the Gold award in the promotional – video category. It’s a self promotion video released as I-SITE’s annual holiday season video spoofing corporate videos and infomercials. Our goal was to show I-SITE’s creative potential and lighter side while promoting our abilities to be innovative. Continuing with the I-SITE tradition, we also wanted to spread holiday joy.

In the website – consumer information category, The Trestle Inn received the Gold award. The website was built to promote The Trestle Inn, a new bar and entertainment venue in Philadelphia. It’s a one page website that uses parallax scrolling and contains a gallery, calendar, event promos and menus built on Ruby on Rails. And did you know that The Trestle Inn isn’t your ordinary bar? I-SITE’s CEO, Ian Cross, runs and owns the joint!

I-SITE not only took the Gold award in the website – consumer information category, but also took the silver with the Data Garden website, a site for electronic music label Data Garden featuring journal articles drawing primarily from the rich heritage of electronic music and arts, heavy in archival video and audio. The site is integrated with Soundcloud and Bandcamp. Data Garden is addressing the need for access to music and the natural human desire to own an awesome physical object by releasing digital album codes on artwork that can grow into living plants. The site was developed by I-SITE and designed by Data Garden co-founder Alex Tyson.

Build A Bird took the Bronze award in the mobile apps – education category. The Build A Bird  app is an educational app that teaches children and all bird lovers about different types of birds, their habitats and behaviors . The “Build” part of the app provides an opportunity for the user to test their learning by creating a bird that is adapted to a specific environment. Build a Bird Version 1.0.3 was created by using Adobe Flash Professional 5.5, Adobe Flash Builder 4.5, Adobe AIR 2.7, ActionScript 3 and made specifically for iOS 4x, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod Touch and Android 2.2+

I-SITE [www.i-site.com], an award-winning interactive design and marketing firm located in Old City, Philadelphia, is looking for highly-motivated interns who are passionate about interactive design and development. You will have the opportunity to gain experience working with our team of designers and developers on all facets of our Web, mobile and multimedia projects as well as gain experience in a collaborative studio environment.

Requirements for the internship:

-        Enrolled in a digital design, multimedia or equivalent program

-        Proficient with HTML, CSS

-        Familiar with Photoshop and Illustrator

-        JavaScript, PHP, Flash, SQL, XML knowledge (a plus)

-        Interest in mobile site / app development

-        Have a portfolio site that shows off your potential

-        Strong desire to be part of a team and learn new things

This is an ideal opportunity for a junior, senior student or recent graduate looking to up their game and push their boundaries. Our clients are in environment, tourism, entertainment, consumer products and arts and culture.

You will also have the opportunity to participate in the next phase of our HTML5 Beer and Build project [see below].

This is a paid internship. Interested candidates may contact Ian Cross at ian@i-site.com. No phone calls or recruiters or out-of-towners please.

Bartram's Garden located in West Philadelphia.

Earlier this month, I-SITE took a trip to Bartram’s Garden for an off-site brainstorming session and annual retreat. Sometimes you just need to take a break and get away to generate some fresh ideas!

The team left the office at noon and traveled westward on our bikes 5.2 miles from the I-SITE headquarters in Old City over to Bartram’s Garden. Once we arrived, we enjoyed lunch and a tour of the garden together. Bartram’s Garden offered a lot of interesting sights that we wouldn’t normally see in the city – like snakes, a coy pond and even a toothache tree. Taking in the sites and exploring nature together made for a very collaborative experience that got our creative juices flowing.

The great thing about meeting off-site was that we were in an environment that had minimal distractions. At the garden, we were less inclined to worry about our work obligations and focus on the task at hand. While in this quiet and serene atmosphere, there was no outside pressure, which allowed us to listen to one another and spend quality time together.

Taking in the sights and sounds of the garden together.

After our tour, we met in the barn and began our brainstorming session. After reflecting on our accomplishments throughout 2011, we focused on moving forward, building on our current skills, and generating new ambitions for the year ahead. The result? A lot of powerful and aspirational goals for 2012!

Technology, design and whiskey! I-SITE has found a way to combine three of our favorite things! This year we’ve teamed up with PhillyCHI to host a Tech & Design Themed Quizzo at Philadelphia’s unique Whiskey and Go Go spot, The Trestle Inn.

Join us at 11th and Callowhill next Thursday, April 26th 6PM-9PM, to celebrate Philly Tech Week – the week-long celebration of technology and innovation in Philadelphia. The annual week of events is intended to grow the impact of this innovative region through programming focused on technology, collaboration and improving Philadelphia.

Last year’s week of events included 65 events across a broad range of technology industries. More than 4,000 people attended events throughout the region and Philly Tech Week was mentioned in more than 50 stories in newspapers, radio, television and blogs.

So celebrate with I-SITE this year! Enjoy happy hour specials and snacks at The Trestle Inn while trying your hand at our trivia questions. Categories include technology, design, architecture, art history, and other related topics. Oh yeah, there are prizes, too!

Message in a Bottle is a water installation created for the 2012 National Service Learning Conference by MYX: Multicultural Youth eXchange and students from New Foundations Charter School in Philadelphia, PA.

Executive Director, Josette Bonafino traveled to the conference where students are invited to fish a factoid-filled plastic bottle out of a pool, retrieve an educational “message” about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and tweet a potential solution to the problem. Each tweeted response automatically removes a piece of marine trash from this I-SITE powered web site, allowing students to symbolically reduce the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Message in a Bottle aims to teach students about the largest problem facing the ocean today and encourage them to act in ways that will reduce marine pollution. We encourage you to do the same!

By simply tweeting @messagebottles your potential solutions to this growing problem, we can help build awareness and you will help to remove the harmful materials from our illustrated Great Garbage Patch.

Message in a Bottle water installation at 2012 National Service Learning Conference

Join I-SITE in supporting Switched-On Garden 002, Philadelphia’s free interactive exhibition exploring the relationship between plants, music and technology. In 2011, over 700 attendees young and old connected with their natural environment through live music, performance and sculpture. This year’s event will be held again at Bartram’s Garden, North America’s oldest surviving botanic garden. Donate today and receive special edition posters, t-shirts, Plantable Music and more.

Skills:
Communicating, teamwork, managing time, keeping calm and naming that tune.

Tools of the Trade:
As simple as it is, Evernote is my favorite app. Since I’m a list-lover, I really appreciate how Evernote syncs with all my devices and doesn’t let me forget anything. Cupcakes, Diet Coke and Current 93 also assist in my competence.

What is your project management style:
Adaptable. I think to be a successful project manager you need to not only be adaptable to situations, but also to people. All projects have different specifications. And all clients and colleagues have different personalities and workstyles.

Project most proud of:
I’m most proud of the Downtown NYC version 2 iPhone app. It’s the first app we launched since I started at I-SITE. Although it’s version 2, there are so many new features and functionality that really improve the app. It was great to have such a hands-on position in the process and seeing the app launch in the store.

What makes the perfect client:
Charisma. A client that offers opinions and ideas, thinks about the audience, but also trusts you and your team’s judgment. An understanding of web design and development is not a necessity. And, being punctual with deliverables and reviews never hurt anyone.

Dream Project:
I’d love to work with the I-SITE team to develop an interactive app that combines datasets and music, resulting in an interpretation of the two.

How does fashion relate to websites and apps:
Applying fashion to the web is simple. Both pieces require the creation of elements that work powerfully, look aesthetically pleasing, and communicate effortlessly. Notable fashion and web design are influential, engaging and graceful.

Future technology prediction:
In the near future, I predict the desktop computer will further evolve to become more like the iPhone or iPad, in terms of the way we interact with applications. Eventually, I expect the tablet and laptop to merge, becoming one tool again.

Josette Bonafino, executive director of MYX: Multicultural Youth eXchange, a Philadelphia-based 501(c)3 organization, wanted to shed some light on this devastating issue by teaming up with I-SITE to create the Armenian Housing Crisis app, to raise awareness of the chronic poverty housing in Armenia and to offer support to some of the country’s most vulnerable families.

In 1988, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck northern Armenia, destroying much of Vanadzor, the third-largest city. To help deal with the earthquake induced housing crisis, the Soviet government set up temporary villages of “domiks” – small houses made from metal shipping containers – on the outskirts of Vanadzor and other quake affected cities. More than two decades later, over 7,000 Armenian families still live in these deplorable conditions.

The Armenian Housing Crisis app explores the country’s current state with video interviews from domik residents, interactive infographics, a responsive map and an opportunity to help provide dignity, health and comfort to some of Vanadazor’s most vulnerable families.

This year’s Philly Tech Week is April 23 to 28. I-SITE is teaming up with PhillyCHI to celebrate technology and innovation in Philadelphia. You can join us for Tech- and Design- Themed Quizzo at The Trestle Inn on Thursday, April 26 from 6 to 9 pm.

Enjoy happy hour specials and snacks while trying your hand at our trivia questions. Categories include technology, design, architecture, art history, and other related topics. Oh yeah, there are prizes, too!

Look out for more details from us in the coming weeks.