… Great Magento sites, a DNN tool or two, some new hires, and looking to the future. Oh, and a sweet slideshow of all the silly things we did in 2011

As we kick off 2012 here at Human Element, we are feeling pretty enthusiastic about our new projects and the ongoing work we will be doing with our wonderful clients. But before we plunge into a sea of project plans and technical specs, we’d like to take a moment to reflect on all the good things that happened here in 2011.

We stretched our technical skills, and launched some exciting new websites on both the Magento eCommerce platform and on DotNetNuke. We discovered new DotNetNuke tools and tricks and even made up some of our own. We overcame obstacles, tested our geek mettle, added a couple new faces to the team, and engaged in some epic Nerf battles. (We’re currently locked in a heavy arms race, and although it’s too soon to tell, it appears that Ben Lorenz will win the Nerfiest of 2011 award for purchasing the world’s most dangerous Nerf gun modification. Yes. They make those). All in all, we’re really happy about all the great work we did with great people in 2011.

Check out just a few of the highlights from this year, including some of our favorite office moments. Here’s to more good things in 2012. And a new office on Main Street in Downtown Ann Arbor!

New Magento Sites

Arbor Scientific

We really got to know Magento this year in all its vibrant, flexible eCommerce glory. We put a lot of that knowledge to use when we built a new Magento Professional site for Arbor Scientific, a fun little Ann Arbor company that sells educational and science-based “CoolStuff.” Their new Magento site included some custom Magento functionality and a load of intertwining third-party extensions, including the WordPress FishPig extension which beautifully holds product-related related labs, science experiments, and newsletter content. Other great features? Combined product and content results for search, PDF print quote and quick order functions, and integration with their current customer service systems.

New DotNetNuke Sites

Rush Trucking

Rush Trucking came to us looking for a new DotNetNuke-based website that would allow them to receive both employment applications from new drivers as well as inquiries from potential new customers. Since the launch in early October, their site has received several hundred driver applications and many inquiries for new lanes. We’re especially proud of the site’s modern design and that we completed it from design to launch in less than 30 days.

Burroughs IT Asset Recovery

Burroughs Payment Systems, known for their cash and check automation services, also performs a little-known service with big growth potential: IT Asset Recovery, which basically means recycling eWaste for all sorts of organizations from small businesses to big corporations. Because they are under the umbrella of Burroughs, they wanted their own web presence to bring in more customers and help get the word out about their services. We released their new DotNetNuke-based website in October, also a quick turn-around project that went from design to completion in a single month.

SHU Athletics

Siena Heights University had a big year as well. Their new football program debuted in the fall, but this year they had a hip new athletics website where they could share stats, schedules, news and sell SHU gear. The site features both Men’s and Women’s sports at the college. Mr. Gregg Milligan, one of our more prolific nerds (and a Siena alum), also developed a new DotNetNuke module called Sport Events that allows users to manage any number of different sports, report on the results, and link box scores and articles from the games. Go Saints!

Redesigns

Downtown

Downtown is a boutique clothing store located in the heart of Downtown San Francisco. This store is always on the cutting edge of designer fashion, with looks from Japan, Italy, Paris, and New York. This funky little shop has a feel all its own, and Downtown wanted that reflected in their new Magento store. Human Element redesigned their site with specially requested home page features, integrated custom request email features on products, and other Magento extensions.

Evangelical Homes of Michigan

Human Element has worked with the great folks at EHM for a number of years. In 2011, we gave a facelift to the organization’s DotNetNuke website. EHM loved the new look and feel that allowed them to really feature their individual senior communities with maps, photos, video tours, and more. Their new website also features a blog, integration with EventBrite (an events calendar module), and Mailchimp email marketing.

Great Moments in HR 

As Magento developers and general technology nerds, we mean serious business. But when it comes to our day-to-day office habits, we’re a little more laid back. Here are some of the best moments from 2011. For more of our antics, like Human Element on Facebook and wait for the funny to come rolling through your news feed.