SAVANNAH, GA. – The Georgia Historical Society, the oldest cultural organization and only statewide historical society in Georgia, has recently incorporated an advanced, custom web application developed by Smack Dab Studios, an award-winning leader in custom web development and graphic design, to enhance the tourism component of the vast Georgia Historical Marker Program – a collection of historical data including events, locations, people, battles, parks, counties and beyond.

“For nearly 175 years, the Georgia Historical Society has collected, preserved and shared Georgia and American history through a variety of educational outreach programs, publications and research services,” said Laura Garcia-Culler, executive vice president and chief operating officer. “With the help of Smack Dab Studios and their forward-thinking interpretations of what the future of historical education should be, GHS was able to surge beyond our initial hopes for an advance web application to enhance our Historical Marker Program.”

As the steward of this cutting-edge economic development program that incorporates historical markers and user-created driving routes, the Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is responsible for the management and accuracy of each historical marker detail. As part of their ongoing efforts to encourage local tourism and general state-wide interest, GHS believes they have taken the first crucial steps in connecting tech-savvy tourists and history buffs of all ages to unique historic locations.

“We wanted to provide our website users with an outstanding tool for learning about and preserving the history of the State of Georgia,” said Garcia-Culler. “These historical markers serve to educate citizens and visitors alike about the people and events that have shaped our past and present – making this an important project by which the Georgia Historical Society ensures a future for the past.”

This innovative custom web application, developed by Smack Dab Studios, allows visitors to search important historical events, locations, people, battles, parks, counties and beyond based on specific keyword, subject and regional searches. Other unique services include driving directions and specific GPS coordinates provided by the integrated Google Maps as well as information on historic sites, lodging, restaurants and other attractions in the counties along the mapped route.

“GHS envisioned a more advanced marker system that incorporated the latest database technology,” said Hannah Byrne, owner and chief creative officer of Smack Dab Studios. “This new program is one of our leading examples of the kind of custom applications we are becoming known for in the regional area.”

Smack Dab Studios volunteer efforts are leading the way in custom web applications that help provide Georgia historic sites and other more traditional organizations find the right tools to keep up with today’s tech-savvy tourist – setting them apart as an industry leader.

“Historic Savannah Foundation undertook a comprehensive strategic planning session last summer,” said Daniel Carey, president and CEO of Historic Savannah Foundation. “One of our priority goals included a total overhaul of the outdated and static website. We wanted a fresh, accessible and interactive site that represents the diversity of HSF and the preservation movement. We think the new site will appeal to all ages and interests.”

Historic Savannah Foundation enlisted the help of Smack Dab Studios, an award-winning leader in custom web development and graphic design, after a serious vetting process by the non-profit organization’s Community Relations Committee.

“We needed an attentive, full-service company with bright professionals and contemporary ideas to help HSF create a new brand, image, website, logo and collateral materials,” said Carey. “Smack Dab Studios was the perfect fit – especially considering their experience with other similar organizations in Savannah.”

In keeping with the mission of Historic Savannah Foundation, which includes preserving and protecting Savannah’s heritage through advocacy, education and community involvement, Smack Dab Studios and Historic Savannah Foundation launched the new website on May 20, 2010. With this new platform, HSF can now update the organization’s content through a Content Management System that provides full, user-friendly access over the entire site. Phase II of the HSF website is set to launch this fall and will include additional features such as online shopping and the ability to purchase tickets online to all HSF events.

“We couldn’t be more delighted with Historic Savannah Foundation’s clean re-branding and revitalized website,” said Hannah Byrne, owner and chief creative officer of Smack Dab Studios. “Our efforts will enhance this high-profile non-profit’s brand by providing clear and consistent messaging to its constituents and, even more-so, to the next generation of HSF supporters.”

ABOUT HISTORIC SAVANNAH FOUNDATION:

Historic Savannah Foundation is one of the nation’s leading local preservation organizations. Originally chartered in 1955 to preserve Savannah’s architectural heritage and Oglethorpe’s plan, the non-profit organization is administered by a full-time professional staff who operates under the direction of a Board of Trustees. Historic Savannah Foundation is credited with directly saving more than 350 buildings in Savannah’s historic neighborhoods in its first half-century. It also sponsors an annual awards program for noteworthy local preservation projects, an annual lecture series and other educational programs throughout the year. For more information about Historic Savannah Foundation, please call 912.233.7787 or visit www.myhsf.org online.

ABOUT SMACK DAB STUDIOS:

Headquartered in Savannah, Smack Dab Studios is an award-winning full-service Web development and graphic design firm. Under the leadership of chief creative officer Hannah L. M. Byrne and chief technical officer Blake Ellis, Smack Dab Studios develops logos, brochures, Web applications and other collateral materials to create cohesive, successful brands for a wide range of clients. The service-oriented firm also creates customized Web sites, providing a seamless array of design and marketing tools to help clients reach their target audience. For more information about Smack Dab Studios, please call 912.544.1770.

Working from The Mansion on Forsyth - Being "Virtual" has its benefits!

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Smack Dab Studios, an award-winning full-service Web development and graphic design firm, proudly celebrates its five-year anniversary, a landmark occasion marking the company’s significant success in Savannah.

Hannah Byrne, Partner and Chief Creative Officer at Smack Dab Studios, took a leap of faith when she relocated her business to Savannah from Atlanta nearly four years ago. Seeking a smaller urban city turned out to be the best career choice she could have ever made. Long-standing local businesses in Savannah have not only flocked to Smack Dab Studios for their expertise, they continually offer new referrals.

“Celebrating Smack Dab Studios anniversary in Savannah is truly an honor,” said Byrne. “I could not imagine my business, or my life for that matter, anywhere else.”

Soon after relocating to Savannah, Smack Dab Studios partnered with Color Maria, acquiring the technical expertise and business savvy of Blake Ellis, a longtime Savannah entrepreneur who now serves as the firm’s Chief Technical Officer and Partner. Ellis designs, develops and deploys a variety of web applications for Smack Dab clients.

The merger proved to be another notch of success in the firm’s impressive list of accomplishments. Today the company stands on the brink of their five-year anniversary with enhanced credibility that can only be earned through the testament of loyal customers behind their brand.

Smack Dab Studio’s portfolio includes print materials for Herty Advanced Materials Development Center, Web design for J.T. Turner Construction and interactive design work for Gulfstream Aerospace. The firm is also the agency of record for The Coastal Bank, HunterMaclean, the Georgia Historical Society, Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace and Cathead Landing.

“We work closely with our clients throughout the project, ensuring that they get exactly what they want,” said Byrne. “If the client wants something, we find the ways to make it happen. Because of the high standards that we set, at the end of a project, we not only have a satisfied customer, we have a friend as well.”

Earlier this year, Smack Dab Studios launched ResEngine, a new reservation management application designed to help small hospitality businesses manage reservations and track bookings. ResEngine offers an easy-to-understand, simple-to-navigate program for hospitality-related clients and small businesses that requires little training or maintenance.

The innovative application, located online at www.resengine.com, is ideal for small lodging operations such as campgrounds, youth hostels and bed and breakfasts. ResEngine can also be used to maintain multiple properties like rental houses, villas and condos. This application replaces traditional reservation books, Excel spreadsheets and other manual reservation management processes.

“The business community is far superior here than it was in Atlanta,” Byrne said. “Even our competitors here are friends. We feel comfortable referring work to each other based on each other’s strengths which makes our business community as a whole stronger. That’s so rare in a business community but it makes it nice to work here.”

ABOUT SMACK DAB STUDIOS:
Headquartered in Savannah, Smack Dab Studios is an award-winning full-service Web development and graphic design firm. Under the leadership of chief creative officer Hannah L. M. Byrne and chief technical officer Blake Ellis, Smack Dab Studios develops logos, brochures, Web applications and other collateral materials to create cohesive, successful brands for a wide range of clients. The service-oriented firm also creates customized Web sites, providing a seamless array of design and marketing tools to help clients reach their target audience. For more information about Smack Dab Studios, please call 912.544.1770 or visit www.smackdabstudios.com online.

Media Contact: Susan Hancock or Virginia Gribben
Abshire Public Relations
912.844.9549 / 912.695.7881
abshirepr@att.net

ResEngine offers an easy-to-understand, simple-to-navigate program for hospitality-related clients and small businesses that requires little training or maintenance. The innovative application, located online at www.resengine.com, is ideal for small lodging operations such as campgrounds, youth hostels and bed and breakfasts. ResEngine can also be used to maintain multiple properties like rental houses, villas and condos. This application replaces traditional reservation books, Excel spreadsheets and other manual reservation management processes.

“Most reservation software is geared toward larger companies,” said Blake Ellis, chief technical officer for Smack Dab Studios. “The software is unnecessarily complicated for smaller venues. We wanted to create something that was simple, affordable and Web-based.”

The ResEngine application has been custom-designed to accommodate a small staff that may change often and may not have much time for training. The Web site includes five short tutorials and a 30-day free trial so potential customers can test the site before committing to a low-cost monthly subscription as affordable as $19 per month.

“Our goal in developing ResEngine is to fulfill this specific, succinct need with an easy-to-use, easy-to-maintain product that can be used after a simple sign-up process and a short tutorial,” said Hannah Byrne, Chief Creative Officer for Smack Dab Studios. “ResEngine does what it says it is going to do and it does it well.”

Customer response to ResEngine has been very positive to date, Byrne reports. “The term user-friendly is a word that gets thrown around a lot, but categorically everyone has been able to go to the site, watch the demonstration videos and start setting up their own rooms,” she said. “The overwhelming response has been that it is very straightforward and easy to use.”

ResEngine has four main areas of the application — Reservations, Guests, Resources and Settings. Clients can view availability, arrivals, departures, occupancy, reservation details and room details from the Reservations page. They can search, update and view all previous guest information from the Guest page, or add and remove rooms, users and account details from the Resources page.

ResEngine’s application is currently set up for daily or nightly bookings, but the firm is developing additional features with larger and smaller increments to allow future use as a program for managing rental properties or setting appointments for doctors, dentists, hair dressers, restaurants and other businesses. The program is expected to appeal to companies nationwide.

“Smack Dab Studios brings an exciting new application to market that will appeal to a wide range of companies in the lodging industry,” said Joseph Marinelli, president of the Savannah Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Their reservation program is designed to make bookings easier than ever for smaller inns and bed and breakfasts in any city.”

ABOUT RESENGINE:
Headquartered in Savannah, ResEngine is a knowledge-based company specializing in a simple, user-friendly Web-based reservation and resource tracking applications. With low user fees, no maintenance contracts and little training needed to use the application, ResEngine is ideal for small hospitality operations and easily adaptable to organizations with numerous properties. For more information, please visit www.resengine.com online.

ABOUT SMACK DAB STUDIOS:
Headquartered in Savannah, Smack Dab Studios is an award-winning full-service Web development and graphic design firm. Under the leadership of Chief Creative Officer Hannah L. Byrne and Chief Technical Officer Blake Ellis, Smack Dab Studios develops logos, brochures, Web applications and other collateral materials to create cohesive, successful brands for a wide range of clients. The service-oriented firm also creates customized Web sites, providing a seamless array of design and marketing tools to help clients reach their target audience. For more information about Smack Dab Studios, please call 912.544.1770 or visit www.smackdabstudios.com online.

Media Contact: Susan Hancock or Virginia Gribben
Abshire Public Relations
912.844.9549 / 912.695.7881
abshirepr@att.net

SAVANNAH, Ga

The savannahnow.com Tick-it is available as a free download on savannahnow.com/tickit.

Balaya CEO Bob Nunnally is excited to partner with such a widely-used and highly respected entity to deliver this new Internet Technology. “Tick-it changes the online dynamic by allowing users to pull and aggregate the information and communications they care most about,” said Nunnally. “Being a Savannah-based company, we are thrilled to be working with Savannah Morning News to distribute the application in our own backyard.”

Brynn Grant, executive Director of the Creative Coast Alliance sees the partnership between Balaya and the Savannah Morning News as an indication of the possibilities that exist for established businesses and emerging companies to work together.  Said Grant, “We are thrilled that Balaya is launching their product in Savannah through a powerful partnership with the Savannah Morning News!  Balaya came to Savannah thanks to the help of [TCCa company] Smack Dab Studios, and now, Balaya has also help us attract two new business from Atlanta, not yet announced. It’s exciting to see what these smart businesses can do, how their energy contributes to the community and expands the local economy.”

The Savannah Morning News is the leading source — both in print and online — of news, information and advertising for the metropolitan Savannah area, reaching three out of four adults in the total print and online audience each week. More than 400,000 unique visitors access the newspaper’s digital network, which includes savannahnow.com, coastalmommies.com, businessinsavannah.com and other niche websites. The Savannah Morning News publishes weekly newspapers in Effingham and Bryan counties, and other monthly and periodic publications.  The Savannah Morning News is owned by Morris Publishing Group, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morris Communications Company, LLC.

Based in Savannah, Ga., Balaya LLC delivers the power of Social Media to business. Balaya has changed the way people and businesses use and collect information by creating a personalized communications hub that organizes web content and group conversations into separate, secure channels. For more information, call Michelle McWhinney at 202 361-2891 or visit Balaya online at www.balaya.com.

Founder
Hannah Byrne

What we do
Full-service graphic design and Web application development.

Address
“We’re completely virtual now, ” Byrne said. The Savannah-based company has no corporate office. The staff uses laptops, cell phones and iPhones to work from home, in parks, in restaurants and abroad. They go online to share documents and to video conference.

About our Name
Our philosophy was that we would be smack dab in the middle of (a client’s) business, but they wouldn’t have to house us physically.

Moving a successful business to a new town takes a leap of faith and a lot of guts. But for Hannah Byrne, owner and chief creative officer at Smack Dab Studios, a full-service graphic design and Web development firm, relocating to Savannah nearly three years ago turned out to be the best professional decision she ever made.

Byrne founded her company in Atlanta in 2004. Before starting Smack Dab Studios, she worked in a series of technology roles with Ben Carter Companies, Emory University Healthcare System and Blooming Cookies. She decided to go back to school to earn a degree in graphic design and became vice president of creative services at What’s Up Interactive, where she worked with high profile clients such as UPS, Coca-Cola, Rock-Tenn, FOX Television and Tropicana.

Working in a Web-oriented firm made it difficult for Byrne to pursue her passion for graphic design, brand development and print work, which prompted her to start her own company. However, after two years working in the Atlanta business community, Byrne decided to move her firm somewhere smaller.

To her surprise, she found that although Savannahians revere their place in history as Georgia’s oldest city, they do not object to newcomers. On the contrary, Byrne said she was instantly welcomed into the community. “I thought that they would be closed off and wouldn’t like outsiders,” she said. “But they couldn’t have been more welcoming.”

Byrne also found that Savannah was not a “good old boys” town, as she feared. She credits some of the city’s prominent businesswomen like Cora Bett Thomas for paving the way for the next generation of women business owners.

“This community has not only embraced us,” she enthused. “They have kept us working at full capacity for the last two years. It’s really been amazing, quite frankly. Every time I think we’ve reached a plateau, someone recommends us to someone else and it keeps going.”

The way the community has embraced her is reflected in the long list of the city’s oldest and most prominent companies and organizations who commissioned the studio’s work. Smack Dab recently signed contracts to do print work for Herty’s Advanced Materials Development Center; print and Web design for J.T. Turner and Carson Construction companies; design work for MyGulfstream.com; branding and advertising for Leopold’s Ice Cream and The Coastal Bank; and Web design and development for the Georgia Historical Society, Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace and Savannah Economic Development Association.

Byrne and her six employees offer a full line of services from business cards to logos, brochures and other collateral materials and are available for high-quality print work. She said the company tends to choose clients who have at least three needs and work to establish a cohesive brand and presence.

However, it’s not just the amount of work in Savannah that has made the move so worthwhile for the Smack Dab team. Savannahians welcomed the type of business structure that Byrne envisioned.

“Moving to Savannah changed everything,” she said. “Now I have the kind of business that I always imagined I would. I wanted to be ‘smack dab’ in the middle of their business working closely with clients on a regular basis so that we could understand their needs and develop a cohesive brand that would work for them.”

Smack Dab Studios has continued to evolve during its short tenure in Savannah. A little over a year ago, the company merged with Color Maria, along with the technical expertise and business savvy of longtime Savannah entrepreneur and now Chief Technical Officer and Partner Blake Ellis. “As a business partner, Blake has been a valuable voice in the business,” Byrne said. “We make a good team because we really complement each other’s strengths.”

An active community volunteer, Byrne is the vice president of programs for the Downtown Business Association and recently joined the advisory board of the Creative Coast Alliance, the knowledge-based-business promoting non-profit organization that originally coaxed her to the city. Byrne has enjoyed the close camaraderie in Savannah’s business community.

“The business community is far superior here than it was in Atlanta,” she said. “Even our competitors here are friends. We feel comfortable referring work to each other based on each other’s strengths which makes our business community as a whole stronger. That’s so rare in a business community but it makes it so nice to work here.”

Byrne said she used to wonder where she should move her business to because she was never totally comfortable in Atlanta. But now when she asks herself the same question, she gets a completely different answer. “I wouldn’t leave here,” she said. “There is no other place I would move my business to.”

Savannah, GA – January 9, 2008.

Headquartered in Savannah, the Georgia Historical Society is the oldest cultural institution in the state and one of the oldest historical organizations in the nation.  “For nearly 170 years the mission of the Georgia Historical Society has been to collect, preserve, and share Georgia history,” said Todd Groce, GHS’s President and CEO.  “By offering online access to GHS’s unique library and archives collection and wide-ranging educational resources, this Web site truly makes us a global resource by allowing us to share the state’s rich history with people all over the world.”

Designed and developed by Smack Dab Studios, the new GHS site is powered by a robust content management system, enabling staff to manage large amounts of data for use by web visitors.  Backed by a powerful, SQL-based database, the new site empowers visitors to browse or search events, exhibitions, and a variety of other types of content to find what they are looking for. Both staff and visitors can take advantage of the latest browser-based technologies (AJAX, Ruby on Rails, etc.) to make data entry and searching more efficient and relevant.  The site features a database-driven calendar that provides quick access to all Society events as well hundreds of historical facts, arranged by day and with full library reference information. The calendar uses the latest technologies to make a tremendous amount of data available in a very simple interface.  The historical marker index of the site gives visitors full access to statewide marker data, including full-text searching, marker photographs, and dynamic mapping of single markers as well as groups of markers.  Markers can also be displayed based on a variety of advanced filtering techniques, including by geographic area, time period, dedication date, and subject matter.

One of the most critical features of the new site is that it allows for real time editing by GHS staff using an innovative WYSWYG back end editing tool.  This new system is highly intuitive and requires very little user-training thereby enabling users without HTML or other web editing software experience to update and add content to the site as often as required.  “We are really excited to be able to add, edit, and remove content to the site without staff having to become proficient in HTML.  This new site allows us to do more than we have ever done before-and there is still much more to come,” said GHS Executive Vice President and COO, Laura García-Culler.  “This is truly a multi-phase venture; soon all of GHS’s merchandise, services, multimedia, and publications will be available directly through the Web site.  We will also add a component that provides our nearly 200 statewide Affiliate Chapter members to add content to a page of their own.”

“This will be a very comprehensive project requiring our full suite of services,” said Smack Dab Studios owner and chief creative officer Hannah L. Meurer. “We’re proud that such an exciting new company placed its trust in our firm.”

As part of its agreement with Balaya, Smack Dab Studios will create an innovative new communication system that will provide faster, more private exchange of text, video, and audio among groups.

“Our focus is on providing families, friends and organizations with the ability to develop closer and more productive bonds by improving their capability to create and share information and experiences,” said Bob Nunnally, co-founder and COO of Balaya. “We will deliver elegant, reliable and relevant tools—through the internet and mobile devices—groups can use to better communicate, create, organize and share.”

Meurer and her business partner Blake Ellis first learned of the groundbreaking project from Chris Miller, executive director of The Creative Coast. Miller put Nunnally in touch with Smack Dab who’s team has created custom Web applications for clients such as the Georgia Historical Society, HunterMaclean and Rodale Press.

We were looking for an innovative and receptive software developer, and Smack Dab Studios really got our concept,” said Nunnally. “After speaking with Chris a few times and meeting the Smack Dab team, we decided to set up our business here in Savannah.”

The Beta release for phase one of Balaya’s software development project, which already has three patents pending, is currently planned for early 2008.

Headquartered at 216 W. Broughton Street in downtown Savannah, Smack Dab Studios is one of the region’s largest full-service Web development and graphic design studios. The trend-setting, service-oriented design firm creates logos, brochures and Web applications for a wide range of clients including HunterMaclean, the Georgia Historical Society and Herty Advanced Development Materials. The company has won a prestigious Webby Award, the leading international honor for Web site design, and creates a team-oriented work environment that focuses on delivering the ultimate results to clients.

Smack Dab Studios relocated to Savannah from Atlanta three years ago and acquired Color Maria, an established Web application firm, earlier this year. The firm currently employs 10 Web developers, designers, project managers and support staff.

“We’re excited to develop this custom application,” said Meurer. “It’s totally unlike anything else that’s on the market. We’re incredibly proud to be a part of Balaya’s future success.”

ABOUT SMACK DAB STUDIOS:
Headquartered in Savannah, Smack Dab Studios is an award-winning full-service Web development and graphic design firm. Under the leadership of chief creative officer Hannah L. Meurer and chief technical officer Blake Ellis, Smack Dab Studios develops logos, brochures, Web applications and other collateral materials to create cohesive, successful brands for a wide range of clients. The service-oriented firm also creates customized Web sites, providing a seamless array of design and marketing tools to help clients reach their target audience. For more information about Smack Dab Studios, please call 912.544.1770 or visit www.smackdabstudios.com online.

Media Contact: Susan Hancock or Virginia Gribben
Abshire Public Relations
912.844.9549 / 912.695.7881
abshirepr@att.net

SAVANNAH, Ga. – May 15, 2007 – Smack Dab Studios, an award-winning full-service Web development and graphic design firm headquartered in Savannah, recently acquired Color Maria, a successful local custom Web application company.

“We have partnered with Color Maria on application developments in the past, so this move really made sense,” said Smack Dab Studios owner and chief creative officer Hannah L. Meurer. “Our teams really work well together. After much consideration, we decided to bring everything together under one roof.”

Although Smack Dab Studios relocated to Savannah from Atlanta less than two years ago, its acquisition of the 10-year-old Web application firm demonstrates the firm’s strong commitment to growth in the regional market.

Color Maria’s former president Blake Ellis will serve as a partner at Smack Dab Studios. Over the past decade, Ellis has created custom Web applications for clients including Savannah Candy Kitchen, Byrd Cookie Company and Scuba Diving magazine. He has also launched several other successful companies in the region like www.Commercev3.com.

“We know that we need great people to grow Smack Dab Studios in the future,” said Meurer. “I can’t think of anyone better to partner with than Blake Ellis. We now have the best Web application team in town and can offer even more Web site content management services to our clients.”

Ellis explains that the two companies have complementary strengths that will enable Smack Dab Studios to reach an even higher level of excellence.

“Smack Dab Studios brings the branding expertise,” he said. “Their ability to create stellar marketing materials and to design innovative Web sites, combined with our custom Web application experience, will make the company even stronger. By any measure, the benefit for clients will be tremendous.”

Headquartered at 216 W. Broughton Street in downtown Savannah, Smack Dab Studios is one of the region’s largest full-service Web development and graphic design studios. The trend-setting, service-oriented design firm creates logos, brochures and Web applications for a wide range of clients including Savannah Quarters, Hunter Maclean, the Georgia Historical Society and S.L. Watson Construction. The company has won a prestigious Webby Award, the leading international honor for Web site design, and creates a team-oriented work environment that focuses on creating the ultimate designs for clients.

With the acquisition of Color Maria, Smack Dab Studios now employs 10 Web developers, designers, project managers and support staff.

“This strategic acquisition will enable Smack Dab Studios to grow and to deliver even better service, design and products for our clients,” said Meurer. “We’re incredibly excited about the future.”

ABOUT SMACK DAB STUDIOS:
Headquartered in Savannah, Smack Dab Studios is an award-winning full-service Web development and graphic design firm. Under the leadership of chief creative officer Hannah L. Meurer and chief technical officer Blake Ellis, Smack Dab Studios develops logos, brochures, Web applications and other collateral materials to create cohesive, successful brands for a wide range of clients. The service-oriented firm also creates customized Web sites, providing a seamless array of design and marketing tools to help clients reach their target audience. For more information about Smack Dab Studios, please call 912.544.1770 or visit www.smackdabstudios.com online. ]]> http://smackdabstudios.com/2007/05/15/leading-full-service-web-development-and-graphic-design-firm-acquires-color-maria/feed/ 0