One of the most interesting panels from Day Two of SXSW came courtesy of a very unique and oddly compelling web site.

So rather than detail the web site, we thought it would be funnier to play a little guess game. So let’s see if you can guess the web site based on these points.

This site has *9 full time and part-time employees*.
*1.5 Million unique visitors* a day
*2 Terra Bites* of Traffic
*4 Full Time Developers*
Hosted and powered by *WordPress*

Can you guess the web site?

Oddly enough the web site is “Icanhascheezburger.com”:http://icanhascheezburger.com/.

icanhasacheezburger specializes in ridiculous and humorous photos of cats. Oddly enough it has created such a strong following that it has one of the vocal and loyal fan bases on the internet. Based solely on one ridiculous photo, the web site is now a full-fledged business.

The lesson to learn from these young entrepreneur is that any idea, no matter who ridiculous can be profitable. If it fills a much needed niche it can be a profitable entity.

The first day of panels is over and it was a very informative day.

Some of the highlights of the day include:

– A beautiful presentation by “Naz Hamid”:http://www.nzrn.com/ on *design and details*. His portfolio is amazing and just a quick look at his work provides hours of inspiration.

– A showing of the *latest version of the Content Management System* – “Expression Engine 2.0”:http://expressionengine.com/. In an effort to provide our clients with the simplest and most comfortable tools, we are continuously looking for an easy to use content management system at a lower cost.

Expression Engine 2.0 looks to utilize one of the simplest user interfaces that we have come across. It also appears to be one of the most powerful CMS’ we’ve encountered. After watching the demo, we will be examining EE 2.0 and seeing if it is the right fit for our service.

As web designers we are always looking to balance great design and usability with low costs. So EE 2.0 could be a new feature for our company.

– Last, but not least it was the guru of “37signals”:http://www.37signals.com/svn, Jason Fried’s discussion on “collaboration and business decisions”:http://2008.sxsw.com/interactive/programming/panels_schedule/?action=show&id=IAP060547. As always Fried had brilliant insight. One of the key points from his session was the idea of *Being a Chef*.

The point being; the most famous chef’s in the world _are the ones that reveal their secrets_. Whether it’s through cookbooks, online recipes or cooking shows. These chefs reveal their expertise, to market themselves as the best in the world.

As a web design studios we greatly encourage our clients to use their web sites as a tool to share their expertise; thereby marketing themselves to potential customers as experts in the field. Whether it’s through “monthly cooking tips”:http://www.cookingwithfire.com, “oil and gas industry specific articles”:http://www.enermatix.ca or showcasing your “ice boating expertise”:http://www.speedspecialists.com, your web site can be a valuable tool to showcase your expertise to potential customers.

Day Two begins tomorrow and we promise more pictures, more insight and more interesting web sites for your enjoyment.

Web Designer Wall recently posted a great little article illustrating the beauty of “Vector Graphics in Web Site Designs.”:http://www.webdesignerwall.com/trends/vector-illustration-trend/ In the post you’ll find 30 fantastic examples of Vector Illustrations enhancing the look and feel of numerous corporate web sites.

Vector Graphics (images created through Adobe Illustrator or other vector based programs) are a fresh new alternative to Stock Photography in web site design. One of the most fantastic examples from the _webdesignerwall_ article is “Joyent.com”:http://joyent.com/, a hosting and application developer based in California.

As you can see the vector image brings a fresh and unique vibrancy to the overall feel of the site. It instantly draws the views attention and invokes a warm and pleasant feeling for the site despite the fact it’s designed to promote a complex product such as web site hosting and application development.

One of the major benefits of vector images is that they leave a more substantial impression in comparison to your typical Stock Photography. Imagine if you will, the Joyent site cluttered with “stock photos of servers or the overused proto-consultant.”:http://www.acriley.com/web-content/pivot/entry.php?id=173 It is safe to say the current vector illustrations gives the Joyent site a more memorable impression.

We here at Armadillo Studios are big fans of vector illustrations and encourage our clients to utilized this emerging trend. It may cost a little more than the average stock photo, but we believe they leave a longer initial impression with potential clients.