- Chicago web site design
- strategy
- creative
- Mighty-Site®
- ecommerce
- web content
- web usability
- web features
- web site design process
- video + motion
- DVD/CD-ROM
- video + the web
- tradeshow + kiosks

OMS Timeline:

1988. Andy and Barrett meet at Deerfield High School.

1990. Barrett and Andy somehow graduate from Deerfield and move on to the University of Iowa, where they room together.

1996. When he’s not busy with his full-time gig as a web designer with IRI, Barrett creates interactive comics with Andy using fun tools like Javascript/HTML and Flash.

1997. Orbit Media Studios is established to market these multimedia comics. The Tales of Captain Claybeard becomes the first (and last) such product.

Meanwhile, Frank receives his BFA in visual communications from Northern Illinois University and begins working for a small design firm in downtown Chicago.

1998. Barrett and an associate form the Betta Group Multimedia partnership, offering multimedia and web services through advertising agencies.

1999. Andy joins Betta Group and becomes involved in sales, analysis, and design. Barrett begins building database-driven multimedia.

2000. Betta Group is dissolved. The partners go separate ways. (Long story.)

2001. Orbit Media Studios is incorporated as a client-service company, offering custom web design directly to small businesses—and to larger companies through agency partnerships.

2002. After 5 years with the same design firm, Frank breaks away and goes into business for himself, growing his freelance identity as Spin Interactive.

2003. Frank connects with Barrett and Andy to discuss a project collaboration. A mutual appreciation begins forming instantly, and Frank suggests a partnership before leaving the office. Within months, Andy and Barrett contact Frank regarding his offer.

2004. Barrett and Andy join forces with Frank. Along with increasingly complex interactive projects and 24 successful launches, Orbit adds new offerings to the client-services menu, including video and print-design services.

2005. Orbit upgrades its content-management tool, and Mighty-Site is born. 38 new sites are launched, and very few require help from Orbit for ongoing updates. The firm continues to grow its print, video, and multimedia offerings, which now include complete tradeshow packages.

2006. Building on a growth rate that has hovered above 75% for the past 3 years, Orbit launches 50+ web sites and expands further into video and print design. Mighty-Cart—Orbit’s own ecommerce platform—is upgraded.

With 9 full-time Orbiteers, the team moves into a larger, more comfortable space. The print-design department begins work on major identity and branding projects.

2007: Responding to client demands for sites with embedded video and more intelligent features, Orbit posts $1.2 million in sales and launches a record 75 web sites. Various web, print, and video projects garner 9 awards and honors for the firm.

Orbit grows its menu of offerings to include more in-depth, user-focused strategy and content development. 5 new Orbiteers join the team.

Next: In the Web 2.0 world, new features and services seem to sprout up as readily as web sites did in the late nineties. As the list of what can be done continues to swell, Orbit will keep an eye on what should be done by focusing on analysis, usability, and continuing education for the Orbit team.