4 Questions for Web Designer Alison Reder

Editor’s Note: You may have noticed a new look for Boulder Jewish News! We will tell more of the story in this week’s Week in Review, but for now we’d like to feature Alison Reder, the designer who helped us implement the switch. 

1. Alison, what’s the most important thing to consider in building a website these days? 

Technology is constantly changing so there is always something really important happening when it comes to website design. Right now, I would say the most important thing that all website owners should be doing is updating their websites to a mobile-responsive design as we’ve just done with the Boulder Jewish News site.

Mobile-responsive means that your website will show up correctly on all devices (desktop and laptop computers, tablets and smart phones) and provide optimal viewing and usability for the visitor such as easy reading and navigation with minimal panning, scrolling, or resizing. This is a time sensitive and critical update because Google is changing its search algorithms and non-responsive websites will be penalized in search results starting as early as next week. You can check to see if your website is ready with this link.

2. What are your favorite kinds of projects?

Well, I do love my food clients like Outrageous Baking Gluten Free and Shamane’s Bake Shoppe because there are the obvious perks but really any project where the client is passionate about their product or service and excited about creating and investing in their online presence – those are the most fun for me because it feels like a true collaboration with the client.

3. You are a big dog lover with two dogs of your own and you recently started fostering puppies. Is “foster failing” a risk?

A few months ago, I started fostering for an incredible rescue out of Fort Collins called ColoRADogs. I had my first foster, Rosie, for only two weeks before a wonderful forever family showed up. It was definitely hard to let Rosie go but she could not have gone to a better family so I feel really happy that I could provide a safe and loving stop along the way to finding that permanent home.

My second foster puppy, Piper, has been with me for just over two months and she is available for adoption, BJN readers. It will be incredibly difficult to let Piper go as her presence has had a profoundly positive impact on my eight-year old rescue lab, Simon.  We’ve definitely bonded.  I also have a 12-year old lab named Zora so foster failing (keeping the foster dog) isn’t really an option.  You can keep up with their stories on my dog blog, Sarcastic Dog to find out if I foster fail with Piper.

4. For Passover, red or white horseradish? 

Both! Definitely both. Red for my hard boiled egg, white for the bitter herbs portion of the Seder and a little bit of both for my Hillel sandwich.

If you’re in the market for a new or updated website or need some help establishing or improving your online presence, please visit Alison’s website at www.modnewmedia.com  Mention Boulder Jewish News and receive 10% off any project completed before July 31, 2015.