News & Updates

Amy had the daunting task of coming on as the first-ever Westwerk project manager; it’s not easy getting a bunch of creatives and coders organized. Additionally, as somewhat of a wine aficionado (she’s on the Minnesota Farm Winery board) she had the (possibly equally) daunting task of coming into a workplace full of staunch beer-drinkers. Amazingly, she has seamlessly adapted to both challenges like it’s nothing. She keeps everyone in check, beer in hand. Resident wine snob no more.

Amy Abt

What do you want to be remembered for?
Always having my shit together.

If you were a food, you’d be:
A watermelon.

Why?
Because watermelon is hydrating and great for your skin, and I found a diamond ring in one last October.

Choice drink:
Gruet Brut from New Mexico (it’s a great value for sparkling wine!)

Reading anything interesting?
Knowing Your Value: Women, Money and Getting What You’re Worth, by Mika Brzezinski

Morning or night person?
Definitely night.

Where do you find inspiration?
Trashy reality TV. Seriously.

You’re addicted to:
Checking my email. I check it at all hours of the day/night; bad habit.

Secretly you can:
Moonwalk

Most inspirational movie of your life:
Insert judgment here.

If you weren’t a project manager, you’d be:
A small-business owner

Favorite Musician:
Van Morrison and Paul Simon. Does that make me a 60-year-old man? If so, then I’ll say Nicki Minaj and Fergie.

Eric, our lead developer, grew up in the charming suburb of White Bear Lake. From a tender age, he was computer obsessed- particularly with Macs. In high school, he sang and played guitar in a ska-punk band called ‘Fresh Skaweezed’, because it’s not punk without a pun, right? He studied political science and history at St. Thomas, scoring an internship in D.C. with a U.S. Senator, which quickly turned him off to the idea of a life in politics. Or maybe his first love (computers) was his true love; he moved back to Minneapolis and accepted a position doing web development. Which led him to us, here at Westwerk, where he gets to build fun stuff on the internet every day (all while massively increasing his foosball skills).

Eric Jorgensen

The first website I check everyday is
Twitter or Reddit

I collect
Vinyl records

Choice Drink?
Brandy Manhattan, on the rocks.

Morning or night person?
Night, definitely. Waking up is often a struggle for me.

What do you want to be remembered for?
I’d like to be remembered as someone who brought integrity, effort and passion to everything I did.

Where do you find inspiration?
Interesting projects I find through Twitter or just through random web browsing.

I’m addicted to
Diet Coke and hockey.

Song of the moment
“Thrift Shop” (ed. note: sensing a trend?

Secretly I can:
Sing a mean karaoke tune. Secret’s out.

Favorite movie:
Woody Allen’s “Match Point”.

If I weren’t a developer, I’d be:
In a rock band.

We’re on the lookout for a talented, experienced designer with a keen understanding of user experience, attention to detail and who isn’t afraid to talk to clients. Ideal candidates should be well-versed in Adobe’s suite of design products, and ability to code HTML/CSS is a big plus, but not a requirement. We’re not too concerned if you don’t have a fancy degree, we’re just looking for someone who can produce amazing cross-platform design with at least three years of experience.

Responsibilities:

• Develop high level and/or detailed storyboards, mockups, user flows and prototypes to effectively communicate interaction and design ideas
• Concept interactions across four platforms: web, phone, tablet and email
• Work collaboratively with other designers, project managers and clients to deliver strategy driven designs
• Participate in regular design reviews and other team-wide design efforts

Requirements:

• Take a user-centered approach to design with a deep understanding of information architecture, interaction and usability best practices
• Possess excellent communication skills with ability to collaborate with other designers, team members and clients
• Impeccable attention to detail
• Knowledge of and can empathize with a variety of users
• Self-motivated; ability to prioritize and manage workload and meet critical project milestones and deadlines
• In-depth knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite
• This is not your first designer position

Bonus Skills:

• Experience with user testing
• Experience working in an agile environment
• Knowledge of HTML/CSS
• Experience with foosball, pool, darts, bubble hockey or shuffle board

Westwerk is a fun place to work and provides competitive salary and benefits including medical, dental and retirement plans, a personal growth program, and more.

What you should send us:

• Work samples & resume
• How we can contact you

Read more…

The spotlight is on Lindsey this week, our interactive project manager and newest edition to the team. A Minnesota native, Lindsey moved to Fargo/Moorhead to attend Concordia College on a music scholarship, even though she wasn’t quite into the idea of becoming a professional musician. So after trying everything from the marching band flag line to playing oboe in the pit orchestra, she decided to transfer to nearby MSU, where she met her eventual husband, Pablo. Serendipity. After graduation, Lindsey spent the next 7 years working with the interactive team at Forum Communications in Fargo.

Now residing in Minneapolis, Lindsey, Pablo and their fat (her words) cat Shinobi spend their free time counting down the days till spring, when they can get outside and explore their new city. Lindsey’s interests include puzzles, piano rock, knitting and…weight lifting to thrash metal. There you go, we like ‘em well-rounded.

Lindsey Guajardo

Song of the moment
I wish I could say something cooler but “Thrift Shop” is awesome. And frequently applicable to me. I love thrifting.

Choice Drink?
I never turn down a coffee.

If I were a food, I’d be:
I’d be that one dish that turns out differently every time you make it because you never bothered to write down the recipe. I feel like I change and evolve with every new experience.

What do you want to be remembered for?
Being kind, honest, fair. And a good listener.

What is your dream project?
Any project where everyone can be enthusiastic about what they’re creating and enjoy trying new ideas.

If I wasn’t a project manager, I would like to be
Self-sufficient. Off-the-grid. Build a cabin, grow a garden. I think I would enjoy the challenge of a “career” where the job description was simply “survive.” I’d miss coffee, though.

Favorite quote?
“Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.” -Dr. Seuss

This week, we’re starting a new feature sharing a bit about our employees. We’re kicking things off with Ashby, a man of few words and many talents; in addition to being a gifted coder, he’s also the nicest guy in the office (we voted) AND makes the best margaritas.

Born in Stockton, Calif. and raised in nearby Lodi, Ashby was your typical nerdy-art kid; playing Magic: The Gathering, D&D, directing/acting in school plays, dabbling in the local goth culture. Next up, some bopping around occurred: college in San Francisco, then an attempt at being “an artist”, then a tattoo artist, then a muralist, then a move to Minneapolis with his ladylove, CarrieAnn, then almost Barcelona, then more college (Minneapolis College of Art & Design for Comic Art), and now we have him. The bopping has finally stopped.

Now he spends his time developing websites, drawing and hanging with CarrieAnn and their two incredibly adorable sons. Sometimes he goes to the gym.

Ashby Utting

Song of the moment:
“The Hero” by Nostalgia

I collect:
Graphic novels and obscure mini comics by alternative cartoonists.

Reading anything interesting?
“Hellboy in Hell” by Mike Mignola. And the deep dark ocean that is code.

Choice drink?
El Tesoro Paradiso Muy Anejo

If I were a food, I’d be:
Cake. Everyone loves cake!

Where do you find inspiration?
My kids and CarrieAnn. Code. Cartoons. Springtime. The future. Pretty much everything.

What do you want to be remembered for?
My work ethic and dedication to my family.

What is your dream project?
Writing, designing and developing an epic 16-bit style RPG.

Most influential movie of my life:
The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys

Secretly I can
Do a flying sidekick.

If I wasn’t a developer I wanted to:
Be a windmill mechanic near Palm Springs.