Varve Studios

Here's what some recent clients have to say about my services:

“The expertise we received from Varve Studios during the launch of our website was fantastic. We experienced hands-on support with development ideas, imagery and design. The on demand technical support was unexpected but very much appreciated. Thanks again for the quality product Mark! ”

- Chris Reynolds, Operations Manager, Air Bravo Corporation

“Varve Studios has been with ERG since the beginning. We looked to Varve to setup our initial Web presence several years ago including everything from web design with a custom integrated inventory database to e-mail and hosting solutions. ERG always received positive comments on our first website and its ease of use. Since then we have worked with Varve Studios to update to a new design and integrate social media into our online presence. We are very pleased with all aspects of the many services provided to us by Mark, always in a professional and timely manner. Again with our new updated site we continue to get very positive feedback from our loyal followers as to the simplicity to navigate it and the very clear information and pictures. Best of all it is a snap to update in-house - this is key to our business as our inventory changes daily and requires a great deal of information and many photos as heavy trucks are all unique in their own way. We continue to appreciate Varve Studios' design skills, Web strategies, and ongoing support.”

- Wayne Scott, Equipment Resource Group

“It has been our pleasure to work with Varve Studios on the redesign of our website. We have found them to be professional and concise. Our expectations were always met and often exceeded. Varve continues to support us promptly and courteously whenever their assistance is required.”

- Ron Vanos, Manager IT, Expressway Trucks

“Our experience with Varve Studios was fantastic! Being able to take photos in our own home really made us comfortable and made the photo session so much more relaxed, especially for our 2 year old son. Mark was able to capture so many great moments of our family and our son just playing and being himself, the results were amazing! The quality and variety of photos we received will be a lasting keepsake enjoyed by our family in the many years to come.”

- T. Bailey and Family

Web Design

I first became involved in online design over 18 years ago. This was an online world without the World Web Web and without Web browsers. BBS sites were the precursor of Web pages and e-mail was far from instantaneous. Dial-up connections resulted in download speeds approximately 4000x slower than a typical cable modem connection (0.0024 Mbps vs 10Mbps). As a result layouts were often designed using standard character sets. These primitive restrictions led to inventive ideas and careful consideration of layout and design.

This early interest in design allowed for continued growth in both the technical and artisitic aspects of online design. Each passing year my imagination feels more free as the Web and related design tools continue to grow. My current work takes advantage of these latest technologies while integrating classical and modern design elements.

Social Media

The online world, even before the Internet, has always been social in nature. Online chats, early e-mail, sharing of information - all of these activities had an essential human element. Local area enthusiasts would get together for meet-ups and dinners before the concept of podcamps even existed. I view today's social media world as the evolution of those early online social interactions.

Social media has scaled up immensely as the Internet and its related technologies have become everyday tools. Businesses and individuals, from non-profits to Presidents are now actively using these technologies in ways that humans always drift towards - to communicate and form relationships. I strive to integrate these venues into your Web presence via cross-branded design and active coaching and training. The tools will continue to grow and change and I'll help you to remain actively current and knowledgeable in this amazing, ever-changing environment.

Photography

My first serious interest in photography originally stemmed from a love of the night sky. I would spend countless hours capturing the stars, nebulae, planets, and comets while learning a bit more about the vast universe we inhabit. I started adding people in the images and things became even more interesting. This expanded into other areas and my professional photography services now focus primarily on portrait, event, product, and design elements. However, I am still known to escape into nature on occasion with my camera and tripod.

Coaching others in photography is one of my most rewarding activities - I truly enjoy seeing the excitement of others using their new knowledge and techniques to capture stunning images. Enthusiasm seems to be contagious, which is why I encourage others to focus on their interests and share what they are truly passionate about. This energy can have amazing results in photography and also in all areas of life.

Creating a unique business name can be challenging and I often get inquiries about the source of inspiration for naming Varve Studios. I have a formal education in geoscience which provided the technical background essential in web development, but is also a source of design inspiration from the beauty and patterns found in nature. Varves are one example of patterned beauty in the natural world and they also tell a story. A varve is a layer of sediment that forms annually, often creating alternating dark and light layers. Similar to tree rings, these can be used to tell us about past conditions in the environment and how much time has passed. The alternating patterns and stories they reveal are the inspiration for Varve Studios' logo.

As a lifelong learner, I have also more recently earned a degree in Classical Studies allowing the opportunity to focus on art and archaeology from past civilizations. This provides ongoing insight and appreciation into the styles and approaches of master artisans who have influenced so much of the design world today.

I am most appreciative of the past and although education is one aspect of the creative and technical process - experience is arguably the most important. Having worked in interface design, marketing, customized training programs, web design, scientific research (field, lab, and analytical modeling), computer programming, and illustration, I am fond of Varve Studios allowing me to harness these different skills. Creative digital design is the arena where my interests, education, and experience all fuse together enabling true creative freedom.

Contact Varve Studios to learn how this creative freedom can be tapped for you and your business.