Overview

Any candidate running for public office puts effective promotion at the top of their list of campaign needs. While solid website design, social media, printed materials, and events are all key elements to the goal of winning an election, a campaign message that is accessible, comprehensive, and easy to understand is critical. 

Business owner Nick Quinn lost his recent bid to become the new magistrate for Kanawha County, yet he praises the website design and other contributions by Jamie and the Bricks Without Straw team. Jamie’s design expertise exceeded Nick’s expectations with how effectively all the aspects of his core campaign message were communicated online and out in the community.

Some History & The Vision

Nick and Jamie had known each other for several years and were associated professionally even before Jamie designed Nick’s campaign website. The owner of a busy tattoo studio located in Charleston’s Downtown Historic District, Nick offers a bit of history that very simply, yet perfectly, explains what prompted him to approach Jamie to design his campaign website: “Jamie built the website for my tattoo studio.” That website was impressive, showcasing the scope of work performed by a variety of talented artists. Their artistry and passions were featured in a way that caught the eye and interest of any prospective customer who visited the website.

As a tattoo artist, Nick boasts, “I have some design skills myself, so there are some things that I can pretty easily do on my own.” But he’s also aware of his limitations. While he had a good idea of the specific content he wanted included on his website, it was Jamie’s eye for design that Nick recruited to create the vision, i.e., the overall look and feel of the website. 

Jamie brought that vision and he was largely responsible for the site’s branding as well, which included creating a campaign logo. “I made a couple minor adjustment to the logo,” says Nick, but because of Jamie’s expertise, he notes, “Overall it was a pretty quick and easy process.”

Jamie’s vision included bold fonts and inviting colors, along with Nick’s core message and an easy Q&A that dove into details without going “information overload.” Jamie embedded a minute-long video in which Nick engaged directly with the viewers as prospective Kanawha voters, and these website visitors could fill out a simple contact form, donate financially, and connect directly to Nick’s social media pages to follow his campaign.

An Effective Process

When asked what he felt was most effective about his website, Nick pointed to the feedback he received. “Based on the overall sentiment of what I heard from folks, the site was very straightforward, easy to use, links were provided and highlighted — I mean, it just wasn’t complicated at all for folks to grasp. It was aesthetically pleasing and readable.” In addition to the website, Jamie designed and printed select campaign materials, incorporating the logo he designed onto signs, a flag, and a large banner.

Nick gives major kudos to Jamie not just for his expertise, but for his professional work ethic. “He gave me exactly what I was looking for,” which included not only a finished campaign website and printed materials, but a level of responsiveness that made the process easy. Even though Jamie was traveling out of the country while designing Nick’s website, he always responded quickly. “Honestly, a lot of Jamie’s work was to wait on me to get back to him! And as soon as I sent over content or other information that he’d requested, Jamie got the work done. It really just blew me away how quick and effective and efficient everything was.”

Continued Confidence

Whether Nick decides to run for magistrate or other public office in the future, he’s so confident in Jamie’s skill and outcomes that Jamie will be his “go-to” whenever he needs a design professional.  “I’ll continue to use Jamie for pretty much any design work I need that falls outside of my own abilities.”

With its broad membership representing manufacturers across the Mountain State, the West Virginia Manufacturers Association (WVMA) has been providing policy, advocacy, and mobilization leadership for manufacturers at the state and federal levels for over 100 years. In addition to providing members with vital access to experts in areas such as environmental protection and workers compensation, the WVMA facilitates crucial relationships within the various manufacturing sectors.

At a meeting of the Southern Manufacturers Consortium in the spring of 2022, discussions arose regarding the WVMA developing a comprehensive online tool connecting manufacturers with a vast available network of providers. The outcome, newly completed and launched, is the impressive online platform, WVMA Connections.

A Model Provides Inspiration

The vision for this Connections platform was inspired by a resource developed by the Virginia Manufacturers Association. WVMA representatives at the Southern spring consortium saw this resource as a model and imagined the success that the WVMA might have with a similar tool: a single, central hub where member manufacturers could easily connect with a wide range of supply chain, service, and support providers.

Enhancing operations for manufacturers is one of the WVMA’s fundamental goals. WVMA Connections offers its members an expansive network of qualified service providers, enhancing operations by effectively streamlining the process manufacturers use to find the most suitable providers for their specific manufacturing needs.

Knowing who could bring this vision to life was key to a successful endeavor. “We brought in Jamie and his team at Bricks Without Straw at the very beginning of the development process,” says Rebecca McPhail, president of the WVMA. “I gave Jamie the basic concept and a template of the Virginia Manufacturers Association model and asked him to recreate it for the WVMA.”

A Smooth Process

Jamie’s long history of developing projects for the WVMA gave McPhail confidence in his ability to quickly design a robust tool for Association members. The process did not require meetings with Jamie to hash out specifics, which were easily conveyed through emails and phone calls. Development hiccups and glitches were few, as McPhail notes, “The tweaks were minimal, mostly stylistic, and they were all addressed before the launch through discussion with Jamie.

“We did experience a few beneficial surprises,” McPhail adds. “We found them while cleaning up the data on our end before sending information on to Jamie.”

A Much-Needed Platform Launches

WVMA Connections launched in October 2023.  She emphasizes that this new resource connecting West Virginia’s manufacturers with service providers is still growing. “The platform needs additional marketing to maximize its exposure,” McPhail adds candidly.

McPhail has high praise for Jamie and his work throughout the platform development process. “I enjoy working with Jamie and have for the last 10 years! He is responsive and takes his work very seriously.”

Overview

As a major promoter of integrated commercial and residential environments, SM Development Corporation (SMDC) is a real estate developer with properties in many countries, including the wealthy nations of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). SMDC specializes in planning and developing a myriad of facilities, including retail stores and malls, banks, hotels, leisure communities, and condominium residences. 

SMDC has demonstrated excellence in its developments, many of which are award-winning. In addition to its success in Dubai and the UAE, SMDC is the largest and fastest-growing developer in the Philippines, where it specializes in residential accommodations.

Jamie’s global website design projects include an array of clients in Japan, Dubai, and the Philippines. He recently completed projects for two well-established realtors who are associated with SMDC and who represent numerous properties throughout the Philippines.

Meetings of the Minds

Dianne Mendoza, an international executive property officer, heard about Bricks Without Straw from Jamie himself during a personal encounter in Dubai.

Despite her widespread reach promoting property leases and sales, Dianne did not have a website. Meeting Jamie filled a very pressing need. “I handle a lot of residences all around the Philippines,” notes Dianne. “I looked at other websites and read reviews. I’d seen Jamie’s work and I also saw how he works.” 

Rachelle Aceldo, a colleague of Dianne’s, was recommended to Jamie by Dianne. “We met in Japan,” says Rachelle, who was immediately impressed. “He has a very friendly and accommodating character.”

Both Dianne and Rachelle were seeking clean, informative, and welcoming websites that would properly showcase the variety of properties they represented.

Making Connections

Of the two websites, Dianne’s was completed first. She knew the basics of what she needed and communicated those things to Jamie. “This was my first time having my own website,” Dianne comments. She and Jamie sometimes met in person in Dubai to hammer out details, as well as remotely for simple task communication.   

“I told Jamie my website is all about selling,” Dianne recalls. Jamie made sure to link Dianne’s website to her Facebook page so that clients could easily view one of her best promotion tools: her reviews and client comments. Dianne also posts new property listings to her Facebook page, so her two promotional pages work in tandem.

Dianne appreciates not only Jamie’s design skill, but his advice. “I really didn’t want to post my photo, but he advised that my picture would make me more credible to clients,” she notes. “He also offered advice on my website color schemes. Jamie actually made the process very easy for me, all I had to do was say, ‘Okay that’s good!’”

Rachelle was super pleased with the look and feel of Dianne’s website and asked Jamie to replicate those aspects for her. She was pleased with his professionalism, saying “Jamie’s very professional and works fast. He finished my website days before the due date!” 

Method: Producing Satisfaction

Both Dianne and Rachelle found Jamie’s method to be professional and one which produced very satisfying results. “He’s easy to reach, easy to talk with, and when he says he’s going to finish something by a certain time, he’s early,” says Dianne. Rachelle echoes Dianne, saying “Jamie worked fast and answered my questions fast, too. My new website greatly helps to promote my credibility as an international realtor.”

Dianne’s feedback includes the overall impression of her clients and of the global developer, SMDC, which oversees the work of Dianne and Rachelle: “My boss likes my website, he said it looks great, and my clients are impressed, they know that I’m legit.”

Overview

Bob Fehrenbacher was successful in his first campaign bid in November 2022 to represent Wood County in the WV House of Delegates, 11^th District. His career deep in the manufacturing industry, including years in manufacturing leadership, prompted Bob’s desire to improve people’s lives. He decided to run for public office with the intention to communicate his campaign platform in a straightforward manner through a well-designed website.

Exceptional simplicity might be one way to describe Bob’s campaign website and printed materials, designed by Jamie Summers-Brown. The finished website was a key element in Bob’s winning campaign; it covered all the basics and provided important information to prospective voters without overwhelming them with details or fluff.

Experience Calls Upon Experience

Though he has vast experience in leadership, Bob candidly admits his knowledge of developing compelling website content for a campaign was lacking. “As a first-time candidate, a lot of this was new to me. I knew that creating a website would require the skills, talents, and experience that Jamie had.” While he was board chairman of the West Virginia Manufacturers Association, Bob had seen Jamie’s web design expertise on display through the many projects he had done for the organization.

Bob had some general ideas and Jamie implemented them. “It was an organic process that started with themes, then Jamie had a key role in how it would appear and did all the necessary stuff behind the scenes,” he says. “Jamie played a profound role in giving suggestions based on his experience concerning what things would be most impactful.”

The Creative Process

Fundamental to the website design was the branding, which are evident in the consistent color choices, fonts, and logo design. “Jamie came up with the imagery and I used it throughout the campaign on my literature and social media posts, signage, and t-shirts,” says Bob with a tone of deep gratitude. 

Regarding the website content, Bob notes that “we looked at it from an aesthetic view, decided on the specific topics and what we thought would be useful.” The news feed and links to social media, as well as the ability for visitors to make campaign contributions through PayPal, were all key components that enabled visitors to remain engaged on the website and to share the latest posts with a click.

Another website feature was a short, embedded video that impressed Bob as being very effective in presenting a visual bio and overview of his platform while also directing viewers to more information. 

Offline, Jamie oversaw the printing of all Bob’s campaign materials, including business cards, and he took the initiative to tailor the design of printed materials to meet specific campaign needs. “He provided me with printed handouts that included bullet-point summaries of the website content, or sometimes the handouts were more succinct, depending on whether I was leaving information at someone’s door or out meeting folks face-to-face.”

What Wins 

Bob is certain that his campaign website was an important element in his winning campaign. “It had good content without being boring and provided an easy way to contribute. It was readily accessible if people didn’t want to talk to me on their doorstep.”

Bob also believes that asking Jamie to create his website and associated materials was a winning decision. He describes Jamie’s overall work style as “very talented, accessible, and he provided a near instant turnaround. He would build upon suggestions and pull things together and he never came across as an omnipotent know-it-all. Jamie really turned things around with a high-quality website that never crashed or had any problems or glitches.”

Are there things that Bob would do differently? “With respect to the service and materials that Jamie provided, I’m 100% satisfied.”