Staff : Chris Brown

Contact
chrmbrow @ iupui.edu
317-274-5455

Office
Administration Building (AO)
355 N. Lansing Street, Suite 136
Indianapolis, IN 46202

Web Specialist

You might think by my name that I may be a hip hop singer, a former MLB player or a running back for the Tennessee Titans. But this Chris Brown is a Communications & Marketing Web Specialist.

This isn't my first time at IUPUI nor my second. I attended and graduated from IUPUI in 2001 with a Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration from the Kelley School of Business. Technology was going through rapid changes at that time and I had always aspired to work with the web. In learning about the newly established School of Informatics, I came to a conclusion that my business education and a graduate degree in new media could be of reciprocal benefit. I completed my Master's of Science in Media Arts and Sciences in 2004.

Before joining the team at IUPUI, I have had some amazing and diverse career experiences. I most recently worked in an advertising agency working with many clients on web and multimedia initiatives. Prior to that role, I spent nearly six years working as a Marketing Manager for the Western U.S. and Canada for an IBM distribution channel for enterprise systems, midrange servers, software, and services. My experiences in corporate marketing and creative services have greatly influenced my abilities to develop strong interpersonal relationships, savvy marketing, solid project management, and effective use of technologies.

Bits and pixels are my life. I consider myself a devigner, a hybrid of code developer and interface designer. A good devigner controls the delicate balance in interactive media to ensure a functional, usable and responsive application while packaging content in creative and aesthetic interfaces. My role is to connect people to information, and even more so to connect people to other people. I'm passionate about the social aspects of the web and engaging audiences through well-organized information, stimulating graphics and images, and communication via complementary multimedia like flash and video. I truly love the work that I perform and seeing the outcomes of those labors. My specialization allows me to build conduits to diverse audiences and access infinite amounts of information all in real-time.

Favorite Job Duties/Responsibilities

When it comes to web development, my favorite aspect has to be the initial conceptualization stages. Not just the creative areas, but the strategy itself for resolving the problem, achieving the objective, or promoting the subject. I love to find solutions to challenges.

My other favorite part of web development is invisible to most users. Any web developer can tell you that if you build it, your audience still may not necessarily come. The audience has to be able to find my pages through a variety of channels. It takes savvy and experience to incorporate the right content, structure and technologies to best optimize a site for search engine optimization, whether organic or paid. I've had some strong experience and success in both organic SEO and pay-per-click programs.

When I'm not at work I'm...

My participation with the web doesn't usually end with the workday. I freelance, blog, read blogs, evangelize and stay involved in social communities. Web 2.0 and the social movement are of particular interest to me. If there is a beta, I'm probably either already using it or on the invite list.

Of course, I do find a healthy life outside of the computer. I spend a lot of time working on my home, caring for my dog, kicking butt on PS2, and being an all-around social butterfly throughout Indy.

Favorite Movie(s)

Dead Poet's Society, American History X - Drama
Independence Day, The Dark Crystal - Sci-Fi
The Punisher, Casino Royale (or any other Bond film) - Action
Office Space, The Great Outdoors - Comedy
Band of Brothers - Made for TV

Favorite Television Shows

Rescue Me
Heroes
Prison Break
Kyle XY
Survivor
The Apprentice
Frasier

Favorite Website

I live, work and breathe the web because I'm a sponge for new information. RSS has made my life so much easier and educational. I heart news (world, politics, technology). For world news and political editorials, I turn to MSNBC. Digg is a great resource for user-submitted and -rated news content. For technology news, I usually turn to TechCrunch, Read/Write Web, or C|Net. For web development and design, SitePoint and Smashing Magazine, and Digital Web Magazine are my picks.

On a similar note, my favorite browser is Flock, the social web browser.

Favorite Drink

It can be painfully obvious at times from the plastic bottles that litter my car, work area and fridge that I'm a fanatical drinker of Propel ® (Black Cherry or Berry). So buy stock in Gatorade, I'll make it worth your investment.

Occasionally, I'll go out with friends and have a real drink. My preference is for, in the infamous words of Homer Simpson, "beer." Corona and Labatt's Blue are my favorites.

Favorite Color

People often tell me that I have a "colorful" personality and I think it's true. My line of work means understanding and appreciating all ranges of color. But I am particularly biased for vivid shades of green. Green represents life and nature...and well, money. Some of my favorites are #8DC428, #8DAC66, and #567500.