Jacob Wayne Smith

The bulk of my job is listening, talking and writing. A portfolio full of strategy documents with no context, doesn't make a lot of sense. Instead I thought I would answer a few questions.

What's working with Jake like?

I'd say the I try to keep things in perspective. Websites are important but they aren't the most important thing in the world. It may take a while to get there but if we both listen to each other, and have a bit of fun, I'm confident the end product will move you closer to your goals.

In the words of Levar Burton, "But you don't have to take my word for it."

Jacob is knowledgeable, insightful, and capable. He's a joy to worth with because he inspires confidence. Both witty and profound Jake's a rare combination of talents giving human dimension to an increasingly technological world. Dan Roloff, Publishing Manager, H. E. Butt Foundation

Jacob never failed to impress me with his ability to gather objectives, research solutions and execute well on his ideas. In a planet filled with opinions, I put alot of value in a person that cannot just come up with the strategy but knows how to deliver—whether that is directing a team or slapping on his dungarees and herding code to webland. Jacob was instrumental in developing thoughtful user-centric web solutions for our clients and his humor makes the process enjoyable.Michael Schafer, Principal and Creative Director, openbox9

Thank you for your patience, you are quite knowledgeable about all things web, but never come across as a know-it-all or make me feel stupid for asking what may be easy questions.Jeffrey Veregge, Art Manager, Masterworks

Are you doing any freelance work?

Right now I'm not taking on any freelance work, but I'm happy to talk to you about what Masterworks can do for you, just email me at work.

If working with Masterworks doesn't make sense for you, feel free to email me and I'm sure I can connect you with some friends who can help you out.

What kinds of stuff can you do?

While my ability to annoy my wife without really trying is a valuable skill, I'm not so sure that's what you're looking for. Here's a more helpful list:

• Together we can create a simple information architecture that makes it obvious for your users to do what they want.
• When you are navigating tough technology choices, I can compare your options and help you decide which one will work best for your team.
• If you use Convio, Kintera, MonkCMS, Wordpress or Textpattern I've built sites on all of them and can guide you through that process. For example, I've been using Convio since 2004. I've not found many folks outside of Convio who have worked with it for that long.
• Getting into social media requires big changes in an organization. We can work together to change the culture, practices and technology that will let your nonprofit get the most out of social media.