The Imagination Factory

News: Inspiration or Desperation?

October 15th, 2016 by Ted Bailey

time for changeChange happens for usually one of two reasons: inspiration or desperation.

Clients wanting to have us design that first website are generally inspired, sometimes desperate to finally get online. Re-designing an existing site is often an act of desperation over a failed site or sometimes is inspired by positive changes in the clients’ business.

BTW, we look at a bad website not necessarily as a failure, just an educational experience that might not have turned out so well.
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Site ReDesign: Kentwood Office Furniture

July 14th, 2016 by Ted Bailey

IFIblog_KWD3_smAlthough many of our website solutions are built to serve our clients well for many years, technology continues to march forward providing new options and marketing channels of which to take advantage. At a minimum, we suggest revisiting the site design every five years or less.

Kentwood Office Furniture is the Midwest’s specialist in high quality remanufactured, used, and new office furniture and is well aware of rapidly changing environments. As a result, Kentwood Office and the Imagination Factory takes a look every 2-3 years at the site and how best to leverage the new technology and aesthetics in their site.

For your own closer inspection, visit the NEW Kentwood Office site.


Site Launch: ITC-RV & ITC-Marine

May 1st, 2015 by Ted Bailey

IFIblog_ITCMAR_smITC Incorporated is a dynamic, evolving company that has grown its LED capabilities with collections of lighting products for several industries including Marine, Cruise, RV, Healthcare, Retail, and Commercial Interiors.

This manufacturer came to the Imagination Factory seeking a web solution for its multiple companies. We designed a cohesive design for each manufacturing division and a plan to develop the content and launch multiple sites over several months.

With sites for the parent company, elio® and cruise® having launched late 2014 and early 2015, the fourth and fifth to launch were for the recreational vehicle (RV) division and the marine division.

IFIblog_ITCRV_smThese sites provide more information on each brand’s product line, offer specs as well as access to various online etail channels from where they may be purchased. All five are now tied together in the back by a common administrative structure making it easier to manage multiple sites.

Come visit the NEW ITC-RV and the ITC-Marine sites.


Ecommerce: Batter’s Up

March 15th, 2015 by Ted Bailey

ballsuites_2015So spring has been a bit slow in arriving to the midwest AGAIN this year, but that hasn’t stopped the minor league baseball clubs from their need to prepare for a whole new season of fans.

And its time for the Imagination Factory to come to bat. We have developed a fairly simple online menu system that accommodates each clubs unique offerings, calculates prices real-time as the fans select items, accounts for their unique tax structures and collects / emails the pertinent order information to the club’s catering team.

We have a few new clubs this season and a few of the old ones are are sporting nifty new logos and/or even new major league affiliations.


Site Launch: Learn to Groom Dogs

January 21st, 2015 by Ted Bailey

IFIblog_L2GD_smMelissa Verplank, owner of numerous pet-related businesses including Paragon Pet Grooming, Whiskers Pet Spa & Resort and Whiskers University, had built a successful online video education program that was functional but had outstripped the underlying design and technology of their current partners.

The key people at Learn2groomdogs.com came to the Imagination Factory to see what was possible. We spent a lot of time investigating the old site, researching current technology, making educated guesses as to future tech, and especially discussing the shortfalls of the current site – for both the owners and the users.

The result is a subscription-based, members-only, ecommerce, mobile-responsive site with hundreds of streaming videos from multiple sources and by numerous training partners and grooming experts from around the world. The site allows members to search and view streaming categorized videos on their desktop, tablet or even smartphone. Members may subscribe monthly, quarterly or annually via several payment gateways to gain access to videos that are searchable by category, by training partner, by title, by technique, by tool, and by breed.

One of the more sophisticated orders by function and by security needs that we’ve been asked to design!

You may visit L2GD’s new site and see it in action.


Site Launch: Candida Support

September 26th, 2013 by Ted Bailey

IFIblog_candidaImagine what it would be like to wake up every morning bursting with energy, To have your mind crystal clear, your digestion vital and strong, Your whole being vibrant with health and excited to begin the new day!

The owners of this site were ready for a site facelift; to make the plunge into mobile responsiveness; to enhance the visitor’s experience at the site – so they asked the Imagination Factory to help re-imagine the site. The site is loaded w/ useful information, ecommerce and even a visitor survey.

Visit Candida Support


Site Launch: Kentwood Office Furniture

June 2nd, 2013 by Ted Bailey

Kentwood OfficeKentwood Office Furniture is the Midwest’s premier specialist in high quality remanufactured, used, and new office furniture. Since 1976, they have been passionate about providing the best selection of affordable, well designed, furniture solutions with an emphasis on outstanding customer service. No longer just in ‘Kentwood’ they have locations in Traverse City, Jackson, Lansing, Detroit, Indianapolis, and Chicago.

Their last site was built before the advent of mobile tablets and the proliferation of smartphones, so they asked the Imagination Factory to make it mobile ready, revamp the ecommerce section to make it easier for online customers to browse online, request quotes and convert those quotes to orders.

Visit Kentwood Office


Site Launch: West Michigan Glass Block

December 21st, 2012 by Ted Bailey

IFIblog_wmgb2West Michigan Glass Block (WMGB) is so much more than just a glass block supplier. Unfortunately, their old website didn’t really give that impresssion. In addition to glass blocks, by offering basement egress systems, replacement entry and storm doors and windows, blown-in insulation, repointing and foundation repair, siding and gutters and outdoor decks, WMGB is really your Home Improvement Station.

The Imagination Factory was selected to help WMGB re-focus their overall cyber story, enhance their ecommerce functions (while making it easier for them to manage), and provide them a vehicle to showcase their services and quality projects – all in a mobile compliant structure.

Visit WMGB



The Imagination Factory • 15 Ionia Ave. SW, Suite 220 • Grand Rapids, MI 49503 • phone: 616.356.CLIK (2545) • fax: 616.356.2546 • email: Contact Us Online

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