What’s a college town to do when the well of independent media sources runs dry? According to the founders of Champaign-Urbana’s Smile Politely, the answer was simple: Start a new magazine. Drawing on hometown talent and a surplus of energy, Smile Politely took the age-old format of the independent print weekly to the web. Read More...

In 2007, Poccuo saddled up with SP’s editors to create a logo, identity system, and Moveable Type-based website that combined the streaming benefits of the blogosphere with the crisp, professional, and organized presentation that’s expected of a traditional publication. At the beginning of 2009, we unveiled a revamped Smile Politely. This new version features an ExpressionEngine CMS, more robust user accounts to add to the community feel, and a refreshed and user-friendly design. The site also includes “The SPlog,” a custom microblogging tool that allows writers and readers to contribute brief and timely information to the site.

Keywords: Branding, CMS, Copywriting, ExpressionEngine, HTML/CSS, Identity Design, jQuery, Movable Type, Print Collateral, SEO, Strategy, Web Design