Let’s Get Small

The title of Steve Martin’s first album and our approach to software development… “Let’s get small.” This week we’ll be launching a new version of Nextpoint.com that embodies this philosophy. We took a minimalist approach to the design and implementation and are already reaping the rewards.

What we changed is simple. We cut 90% of the content, 90% of the pages, and 90% of the technology infrastructure. In fact our core site is basically one page with a couple mini-pages that house a brief portfolio and some background on our team. We also have links to our blogs and RSS feeds, simple contact information, and brochure downloads. It’s a great site. Everything you want to know in one simple (and quite attractive) page.

Unlike the previous version of Nextpoint.com we have no content management system or database. The site is composed entirely of html, css, and some nifty little javascript effects. Unless of course you count the wonderful hosted systems we use to manage our blogs and video. And that’s the key. We took advantage of the best resources available to us. We have more than enough expertise in-house to implement and host video streaming, blogs, and maps. But with Google Maps, Vimeo, and WordPress at our disposal it just wasn’t worth the effort. Keep an eye out for the newer and smaller Nextpoint.com!