As the Interactive Developer at Grow Interactive, 2004 Full Sail graduate Jeff Penano is helping blend art and technology for the next generation of web design. A small company in Norfolk, Virginia, Grow Interactive has distinguished itself with a creative approach to corporate web solutions, which can be seen in their offbeat work for companies like NBC, Hewlett-Packard, JC Penney, Lollapalooza, CMT, and Svedka vodka.

“What keeps it exciting here is that every project we work is very different because we take a fresh approach,” Jeff shares. “Right now we’re pushing out the door a website for a health organization in Greenville, South Carolina, but with a very different feel. It’s hand-drawn and stylized with lots of hidden things – not your typical doctor website. But that’s really the point of what we do.”

This unique approach to design has Jeff working closely with the company’s artists to translate their innovative visual aesthetics to a functional and intuitive website – what he sees as the key to delivering a great online experience for users.

“I’m the guy behind the scenes who takes our designer’s pretty pictures and makes them work,” he jokes. “We have a team of designers here who are able to come up with great-looking images, and as an Interactive Developer, what I do is take the storyboards of those designs and create a technical plan of how to code them so we can get it done on time and have it be as impressive looking as possible.”

What’s obvious about Grow after looking at their work is the company’s forward-thinking approach to modern design, with a sense that they’re constantly trying to stay a step ahead of the latest industry trends. As an insider in the next phase of web development, Jeff spoke about what he hopes to see as his field continues to mature.

“What I’m really hoping for is a lot more interactive front-end applications for users that will exist on your desktop, and not just be confined within the web browser,” he offers. “So instead of opening up your browser to look at all your eBay listings, you could actually launch an eBay application and have much more control over how you interact with your bids. In essence you’ll have this cloud of applications that would be constantly up to date, so your Internet experience isn’t confined within that box.”

The Internet as most of us know it is only in its second decade, and companies like Grow Interactive are continuing to help to push the envelope of the medium’s form and function. Looking back on his four years since jumping into the industry, Jeff is already amazed at how far his own design skills have evolved since his days at Full Sail.

“Before I went to Full Sail, I didn’t know a lick of code at all, and now a massive amount of people see what I do, and that’s very exciting to me,” he shares. “This industry is growing very rapidly, and it’s going to be very exciting to see how it’s going to progress. I’ve felt really lucky to be a part of it.”

* For more information on Grow Interactive, visit their website at: www.thisisgrow.com