Tinynow's mission is to provide small businesses & individuals an affordable, future-proof, accessible means to communicate, market, & share products, services, art & ideas.
Tinynow is, me, Matt Kreiling (plus occasional sub-contractors). I am a writer and teacher who fell in love with the web.
To find out more about me, the philosophy of the name Tinynow, our services, 99 reasons to hire Tinynow, just click the links on the right or scroll down.
Why Tinynow?
Missions, Manifestos, Mantras, & Meaning
The Fly
by William Blake
Little fly,
Thy summer’s play
My thoughtless hand
Has brushed away.
Am not I
A fly like thee?
Or art not thou
A man like me?
For I dance
And drink and sing,
Till some blind hand
Shall brush my wing.
If thought is life
And strength and breath,
And the want
Of thought is death,
Then am I
A happy fly,
If I live,
Or if I die.
An illustration of Aesop's fable - The bald man and the fly.
In this poem, and in the fable by Aesop, a little fly creates big change. A fly buzzing is the classic distraction. A fly in the ointment ruins the whole batch. A fly is disruptive.
Tinynow is a reminder to "be present" - to maintain an awareness that the future doesn't exist yet and the past cannot be changed. Only RIGHT NOW does anything happen. So, if you are dwelling in the past, dreading the future, you are only robbing the present of its beauty.
In a more pragmatic way - Tinynow Design is about our tiny attention-spans. Rightly, we filter out noise as quickly as we can, clicking away from a site if it isn't compelling within the first second. You might say, we swat away annoying websites like flies.
Third, Tinynow refers to the philosophy of content-focused design. The images, navigation, site structure, logo design, user interface...everything about the design of the website is meant to fit your content and not get in the way. In other words, to have a tiny, undistracting footprint.
Finally, Tinynow is about smallness in code, design, and ability to be viewed on small screens.
The tiny fly buzzes about.
It may just get swatted down, or it may be disruptive in the right kind of way.
It may trigger an epiphany, attract an admirer or spur someone to act.
About me
I'm tiny, now. But soon!
My second office Also pictured - consultants Harry and Mr. Luna.
A little bit about me:
I value time more than anything else, so I won't waste yours. If I can't do it, I'll refer you elsewhere.
My first computer was a Commodore 64.
My first web design class was in 1996.
My first website featured translations of poetry.
I am also a freelance writer and writing coach.
I love you very much.
You can find more about me at my other sites, blogs and through Twitter, Facebook, or Linked-In.
To get a sense of my relevant abilities and passions I made this very scientific graph.
I do these things, this well.
Below, the science shows that I am well-rounded in everything that is important (unless JavaScript is important).
I have a personal mission statement as well, although I'm continually revising it. Here it is, in the form of an affirmation:
First, am kind. I fulfill my obligations - this includes returning the blessings I have received. I act when action is needed and do nothing when to act would cause harm. I am honest. I maintain my wonder, awe, and respect. I make the world a less violent, more nurturing place.
To the best of my ability, I do these things in the most intentional, potent, healthy, and sustainable way.
99 Reasons to Hire Me
You have a business, but not a website.
You have a business, and a website that you think might suck.
You have never thought about whether your website sucks.
I'll mind-map your whole shebang, thusly:
You want everyone to be able to access your website whether they are on an Apple IIe, an X-box, or a cell phone.
You want your web designed by a guy who listens to loud music, not because he is “hard-core” but because he read a scientific study concluding that bass notes promote happiness.
Free consultation (1/2 hour! Give me a call 360-359-6473. Better yet, email me with some times that are good for you and I'll call you!).
Request a quote
You want CSS solutions with little or no JavaScript.
I will become more expensive if you do not act now. Please see graph below (also based on Science).
Get things done mentality. David Allen and the rest of his cult has changed my life.
Hip.
I'll tell you if I'm not the best person for the job.
I'll do my best to discover if I am the best person for your job.
Copywriting.
Which means writing persuasively.
Very persuasively.
You need to build a website that doesn't waste time.
Utilitarian aesthetic. This means I won't put a flashing .gif image on your site unless your mission statement is "To distract and annoy." (This is just an example!)
Your existing website needs help.
Your cousin/son/roommate built you a website for free.
You paid too much.
You want a $670 custom Wordpress site*.
You are an artist who wants a beautiful (cyber)space to show your work.
When a stranger goes to your site, they don't know where to click.
You have a ton of great content and want to make it work for you.
Weird indents...
You want a website that makes people happy.
You want to hire an actual human being problem-solver, rather than buy a one-size-fits-all solution off the shelf.
You need a home for the ideas that you love.
You convinced me to build your website for $1. (See Contest)
Artist discount.
Non-profit discount.
Local discount.
You've made this simple calculation:
You want a web designer who knows how to write code, not just play with templates and expensive programs.
Custom vector logo and graphic design – scalable and reusable on all branded materials – web, print or otherwise.
You need to convert any existing logos to scalable vector graphics - leverage early design work for cheap and get your brand on all sorts of media, in high resolution.
You want a website that you can maintain by yourself, for free, forever**.
You want a website that will not look outdated by the end of next year.
Look deep into my eyes. You will hire me.
You want iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, users to be able to use your site.
You want your site to be accessible to the seeing-impaired.
You want to your site to be accessible to the technologically impaired.
You want your site to be accessible to your grandma.
Buzzword compliant.
Progressive enhancement.
Graceful degradation.
You want to hire someone who loves what they do.
I am a people pleaser.
You like the same kind of music as I do. For some reason – this is the best reason. If you know what I mean, then you know what I mean. You just trust someone who is also obsessed with Pavement or some obscure B-side, eddy of popular culture. That's the person you want for your website.
You have a collaborative and scientific spirit.
You dig my manifesto.
I am obsessed with staying current with the newest standards.
I study behavioral economics, neuroscience, game mechanics, and rhetoric – all of which are at the bleeding edge of user interface design.
I will make your website asteroid proof.
Your website will make your friends jealous.
Your kids will look up to you.
Your street cred will improve.
I will stand by my work.
You know where I live.
You want to support my dream of retirement on a few acres to farm and a small sailboat nearby.
You want to support my dream of basic healthcare and paying all my bills on time.
You want to support my dream of working fifteen feet from my garden.
To catch a rising star.
You want to hire someone who has turned a hobby into a career.
You, rightly, fear that your business is losing customers because of your website.
Or lack thereof.
To stimulate the economy.
Most professional designers start at over $1500 per site. In 2006. I don't.
You admire a "literary" sensibility.
You are tired of out of the box Wordpress themes.
Or feel that your .blogspot site is not very professional - or unique for that matter.
You've invented something that is going viral.
You are test-driving me before hiring me on to your amazing startup company - Blignip.
You don't really need web design, but you are willing to pay $45/hr for gardening help.
Or to teach you how to sail (boat not included).
Or to help you improve your writing.
Or to help you discover your dream job.
Tinynow.com just looks sooooo cool.
You are a much better web designer who wants to mentor me.
After calling me - 360.359.6473 - I've convinced you.
You really just want some consulting and know I give the first 1/2 hour for free.
You were referred by Jusby the Clown.
You don't want to part of the past, dude! Get with the future! Get on the webs!
If they can't Google you, who isn't finding you?
You like something you read at dreamingright.com
Or a newsletter from Enterprise for Equity
You support entrepreneurs.
We are Borg.
You just can't think of any good reasons not to hire me!
You dig charts.
You need a live personal trainer to teach you how to set up your own Wordpress site.
You need to work closely to create a multi-channel social media approach to marketing.
You want to hire me to create content - blog posts, business specific articles, or email newsletters.
What you really want is a partner - someone to bring a little technology, copywriting, and marketing skills into the mix.
You are impressed the information you received in your Personal Site Review.
I have very low-overhead - so I pass my savings directly to YOU!
You are as excited as I am about the web's amazing potential to connect and enrich us.
You need an empathetic, yet no-nonsense designer who will get your website up and rolling, lickety-split.
I came up with 100 reasons. You admire my gumption.
*A semi-custom Wordpress installation is what you want!
**Least expensive service - setting you up with a free platform, like Wordpress.com, and giving you the training you need to keep it alive and flourishing.
Services
What is web design? It's a thousand things, from color theory to CSS from copywriting to coding. But for me it's really only one thing - problem solving.
Ask me what you need, I'll determine if I can solve it and solve it elegantly or I'll send you elsewhere. The quote is free.
After fully assessing your needs, we'll map out your site structure, create a mock-up of the design for approval, and build your site, using either Wordpress or hand-coded HTML and CSS as a platform.
A free consultation will determine if we are a good fit. Or you can just answer a number of questions by filling out this online form:
If you have no existing website and too little time, inclination or know-how to build your own, a Custom Wordpress Site gives you an easy, yet powerful and future-proof way to get on the web. Comes with Guaranteed Training!
Complete control over your content
Robust and open-source platform
Yearly hosting less than $100 (Choose your own host or we can set it up for you.)
*Wordpress provides a scalable open-source platform to build powerful websites for cheap. Check it out here.. Or check out this example of a Tinynow custom wordpress site.
If you hire me, I can go there.
Request a quote
An illustration of Aesop's fable - The bald man and the fly.
My second office Also pictured - consultants Harry and Mr. Luna.
I do these things, this well.
More science about me.
is just an example!)
