think in pencil - it’s easier to change your mind

Welcome to thinkinginpencil.com - my portfolio and blog site. I'm Jason Pamental, a web strategist, designer and technologist. I work mainly as a consultant for a variety of clients, both directly and in partnership with other firms. Having a career of 15 years that has bridged the gap between design and technology in a variety of roles has uniquely prepared me to tackle the intricate challenges presented to corporations and organizations today. My aim is to simplify those challenges, understand the needs of my clients, and present solutions that make sense for users and site owners alike.

I've had this idea of 'thinking in pencil' for a long time. The notion that one's thoughts, opinions and ideas can shift and grow based on the information at hand, on any given day, at any given moment. Every new experience, sight and sound informs you as a person, an artist and as a designer. That commitment to exploration and the ability to admit and even embrace being wrong is one of the aspects of my own personality that I strive to improve every day. It makes me a better designer, a better manager, a better partner to clients - and a better person.

recent thoughts

giving a lecture on web strategy to graphic design students

Submitted by jpamental on Mon, 03/01/2010 - 16:31
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My good friend Mitch Goldstein (or @mgoldst as you may know him) has asked if I'd give a talk to his graphic design students in a class he's teaching at Rhode Island College. I sat in those very halls a few too many years ago than I care to remember - but since that's where I got my start (designing and developing the College's first web site), it seemed like a great opportunity.

on web designers needing to know HTML/CSS

Submitted by jpamental on Thu, 02/18/2010 - 09:10

There have been some great posts on Twitter and around the web on whether or not web designers should know HTML/CSS and be able to produce their own designs. Elliot Jay Stocks and Mike Kus had some great tweets and blog posts about it and spoke very eloquently about it. I've always agreed with that perspective.

between pixels and plumbing: why paul boag is right to call it web strategy

Submitted by jpamental on Sun, 02/07/2010 - 11:21
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I know, I know. If you listen to the Boagworld podcast or follow his incessant tweeting and audioboo-ing you'll doubtless be saying something like 'good heavens, don't give him any more reasons to inflate his overblown sense of self-worth' - but I think that he's struck upon a really important topic, and one that has an enormous impact on the future of our industry.

who are your most frequent commenters?

Submitted by jpamental on Wed, 01/20/2010 - 08:08

I've never tried to focus on writing what will get comments - I really want to write about what moves me. Which is why there honestly aren't all that many visitors to my site. (although it is growing, slowly) What I do find amusing is that while I've finally started getting some pariticipation on the site, my most frequent commenters are my son Trevor's friends from school. I'm flattered that Nick and others are reading the posts, but I do hope I can convince others to weigh in on some of the topics I've written about as well!

Gott Advertising - saving the world one click at a time

Submitted by jpamental on Wed, 01/20/2010 - 07:58
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For three years, Gott Advertising (full disclosure: Kevin Gottesman is my cousin, and also happens to be one of the nicest people I know, and a constant inspiration to me) has been building, managing and optimizing online advertising campaigns for the world’s leading non-profits, charities, and progressive organizations.

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