Defining user experiences for web & mobile applications.

We create meaningful user experiences that balance beautiful and functional design with strategic, goal-oriented business objectives. We work for early stage start-ups to the Fortune 100, and everyone in between - and are passionate about defending simplicity and creating consistent, intuitive interfacess across computer, tablet, and mobile devices.

ACS Technologies: Reflecting 30 Years of Leadership through Modern Design

ACS Technologies, the world’s largest provider of church management software, was wanting to update its website to more accurately reflect its industry leadership and breathe new life into its maturing ACS brand. They also needed to give their marketing team the ability to perform complex site tasks without requiring IT involvement. To do this, we had to completely update the site’s technology backbone, create dynamic new visual experiences, revive the content, establish flexible patterns for displaying information, and build it responsively to factor in multiple viewing devices.

Today, the ACS Technologies site portrays their dominant market position and puts the control of every element of their site into the hands of the internal marketing team.

Bookboard: A New Direction for Children’s Books

As a new startup, Bookboard was looking for a design partner to create the user interface for their iOS application that delivers children’s books as a subscription service. Targeted towards young readers, the application interface needed to be simple and intuitive. And as a mobile application, it also needed to rely on a touch interface. Our result was an interface that relied on simple iconography and intuitive touch locations to move into and through books.

As Bookboard moves out of private beta, we have also helped design and develop their primary website as a custom WordPress theme.

True Learning: Early Education Goes Mobile

With its award-winning early education curriculum, True Learning was looking to increase the distribution of its curriculum, enable preschoolers to interact with the lessons in a repeatable way and bring more awareness to its brand.

We developed an online system to distribute over 3,000 printable pages [covering 6 core subjects] to True Learning’s customers.

We also partnered with True Learning to design and develop a series of iOS applications for preschoolers to interact with the curriculum’s characters and [learn something].

Challenge Dairy: Establishing an Online Presence for the Largest Dairy Cooperative in the West

We designed and developed a responsive website for Challenge Dairy, the largest dairy cooperative in the West. The design was created to reflect the tradition and quality of the Challenge Dairy brand, while providing a responsive solution for the growing “mobile in the kitchen” trend. The site was developed within a content management system to make updates easy and provide [a flexible solution for future growth].

In addition to managing Challenge Dairy’s primary website, we also provide content strategy, recipe photography, and ongoing email and web marketing.

Time2Track: Rethinking a Responsive Time Tracking Web Application

Time2Track’s existing web application, allowing post-graduate psychological students to track their clinical time, was in need of updating. We were hired to update the look and improve the user experience. As part of that process, we defined the new functional specification and completely rebuilt the web application using Ruby on Rails. We also successfully transitioned legacy users to the new system without any disruptions.

The results of the application update have been positive, with an increase in signups and a higher user retention rate since the new application was rolled out. With a new responsive architecture that allow users to track time from any device, Time2Track is now in a better position to respond faster to user feedback and make ongoing improvements.

SweetSpot: Better Communication Through Better Interfaces

As a new startup, Bookboard was looking for a design partner to create the user interface for their iOS application that delivers children’s books as a subscription service. Targeted towards young readers, the application interface needed to be simple and intuitive. And as a mobile application, it also needed to rely on a touch interface. Our result was an interface that relied on simple iconography and intuitive touch locations to move into and through books.

As Bookboard moves out of private beta, we have also helped design and develop their primary website as a custom WordPress theme.

We take pride in everything we do.

It’s our craft. It’s our passion. We invest our talents into the success of our clients and work with them to build measurable results.

We help our clients accomplish their best ideas.

We conceptualize, design and develop solutions that define user experience in this ever-changing digital world. Wether you have a new or existing application, we can deliver a better user experience with measurable results.

  • Strategy

    Each project begins with a thorough understanding of the business objectives, internal processes, the target audience, along with their perception and needs.

    • Business requirements strategy
    • User research
    • Personas and user stories
    • Functional specifications and architecture
    • Usability testing and analysis

  • Design

    With the objectives in mind, defining the user experience comes next. From rough diagrams to the final pixels, each step brings the interaction and interface into focus.

    • Schematics and wireframes
    • Interactive prototypes
    • User experience design
    • Interaction and interface design

  • Development

    Specializing in semantic, standards based front-end development, we can work with your existing development team to bring it all together.

    • HTML / CSS / Javascript
    • Front-end Architecture
    • Content Management Systems
    • Ruby on Rails

Small team. Big talent.

We're a close knit team of passionate, focused individuals. Our small size allows us to communicate effectively within our team, and work closely with our clients to achieve their goals.

  • Kris

    As founder and operational manager, Kris also leads our UI/UX design efforts. With over 15 years of experience designing user-centered interfaces, he endeavors to create applications that are beautiful, functional, and a pleasure to use.

  • Darin

    As a web developer with over 10 years of experience, Darin provides an optimum technical experience to all projects. He makes the technical easy to understand for our clients and is a tireless advocate for achieving the best results.

  • Tyler

    Responsible for defining the front-end architecture of our projects, Tyler is responsible for building modern systems that take advantage of standards-based HTML, CSS, custom JS, and technologies such as Backbone and SASS.

  • Gus

    With a background in product strategy, Gus provides clients a unique blend of marketing and promotional expertise. He covers product specifications, information architecture, and content strategy. All while ensuring projects stay on budget and on time.

  • Peter

    Stemming from a degree in CSC from Cal Poly SLO, Peter has worked in a wide variety of programming areas; from infographic scripting, to desktop Java applications and iOS development. He is currently focusing his efforts into PHP and RoR for CMS and backend developement.

We'd love to work with you

Refresh Media is located in San Luis Obispo, California and Portland, Oregon. However, we work with clients and partners around the world. If you’re interested in working with us, please tell us a little about you and your project.