For only the second time in the 14-year history of the Horizon Interactive Awards competition, we have provided additional, non-entry recognitions through our Distinguished Agency awards. These awards are given based on the achievement of the sum of all work entered into the competition. The Top Agency award is considered our highest non-entry honor and we would like to congratulate DynamiX, from Atlanta, Georgia as the winner.
With us today is Jeff Jahn, Founder of DynamiX Web Design to discuss the outstanding new award distinction that they have earned.
HIA: So what does it mean to you, your company and team to receive this award distinction?
DynamiX: It’s awesome to be recognized for our teams’ hard work, and to be awarded the highest honor in the Horizon Interactive Awards is just incredible. We’re truly appreciative.
HIA: Tell us more about your company. Talk, if you would, about how it started, how it has grown, what changes you have seen in the company, etc.
DynamiX: DynamiX started in 2005 while I was a sophomore at college. Over the years, we’ve grown by identifying the clients who are striving to do something remarkable, and who will allow our team to be creative on their behalf. That focus has contributed hugely to our success, and allowed us to create work that we are proud of. Over the years we continually refined and improved our process, approach and the tools we’ve developed to provide a great experience for our customers.
HIA: How will you continue produce industry leading work?
DynamiX: It starts with the fundamental belief that it can always be better, smarter, faster, more extensible than it is today. We don’t seek to leverage code we created yesterday, rather we push to gain an edge over the approach we took the last time around. The same holds true from a design standpoint, where we seek to make something new and valuable each time rather than simply leveraging a stable of design ideas until those are too outdated to be useful.
HIA: What makes DynamiX special?
DynamiX: I think it’s a combination of factors, but it comes down to a philosophy that life is too short to do work that we’re not proud of. As an organization we really want to see our work resonate with our client’s customers, and that leads us to build sites that aren’t just pretty, but truly engaging, highly functional and measurable.
HIA: Talk a little about the types of projects that contributed to the massive recognition that you have received in this year’s competition.
DynamiX: I think we’ve had a good mix of B2C and B2B work that we are proud of in this year’s competition, with the unifying theme behind each project coming in organizations that trusted us to push boundaries on their behalf.
HIA: Speaking more generally, what trends are you seeing in the industry and how digital / interactive media is evolving.
DynamiX: I think we’re starting to see a backlash against the template-driven approach that has become pervasive over the last couple of years, with people realizing that if their site looks and acts like all of the others in their space, they can’t differentiate. As a result, we’re seeing more organizations come to us with sites that are a year or less old, who are already ready to move beyond what was just built for them.
HIA: We know you have entered and won awards in past Horizon Awards competitions, what do you feel is the biggest benefit from being a participant in the competition.
DynamiX: Obviously the ability to showcase the awards is helpful in generating new business, but personally I find a greater thrill in being able to know that our work resonates among our peers, and that our customers know we have done great things for them. In combination with stellar improvements across key measurables, the awards are icing on the cake.
Jeff, thank you for taking the time to talk with us. We are truly excited to share your story with our audience as well as promote the great work you do. Once again, congratulations on the Top Agency award. You should be very proud of this achievement. We wish you continued success this year and hope to have you back in future competitions.