It’s Valentine’s Day you love birds, so we figured it’s a perfect time to share the love and wax poetic on some of our favorite websites these days. So kick back and have a read as we spin a yarn that includes fire-breathing dragons, gustatory Instagram hamburgers and maybe your next Scrabble play.
Brace(let) Yourself—For a Cause
You might have seen this one on Instagram, tucked between a picture of your one-time acquaintance’s new puppy and your uncle’s most recent hamburger binge. Dorsal Bracelets is trying to sell you something, sure—hint, you wear it—but their website does a great job of visually presenting its signature product while also conveying the company’s mission—saving the ocean. Every purchase on Dorsal promises to remove one pound of trash from our beaches and oceans—18,411 pounds and counting as of this post. Visit for the lovely photography mix of ocean views and simple, hand-crafted bracelets. Stay—and maybe purchase—for the righteous cause.
There Be Dragons
The animation intro on Tilt’s website is top notch. Like really. Off-the-charts cooler-than-cool. Another Baton Rouge area marketing company, Tilt does a fantastic job of showing you—from the moment you load up the site—what its team is capable of doing for your brand. (We could watch Pac-Man eating the word “Interactive” all day.) Beyond the snazzy intro, the entire site really puts it together in the presentation department, showing off with humble brags throughout several case studies in its Work section, and also talking it up in Labs—that’s the place for company news and some self-deprecating humor, if you’re keeping score. But all of it moves and shakes and flows—we’re looking at you, fire-breathing “distinctive” dragon—and feels oh so artfully authentic.
Polygonal Pixel Origami
Like wildlife? Nerd out on CSS-based interactive experiences? Well, surf on over to the Species in Pieces project to see those things mashed up in a polygonal presentation that exists to bring awareness to 30 endangered species and the threats to their survival. Scrolling through this site is one of the most satisfying experiences. Each threatened animal is built out in what is essentially a pixel origami medium. While resting, you’ll see a unique animation, but scrolling to the next species sets off a transition that shuffles the pieces before assembling the next featured creature. Check it out… but don’t blame us when you realize an hour has gone by and you’re still surfing with the Vaquita. P.S. You can download desktop wallpaper of your favorite animal. You’re welcome.
Word Du Jour
Merriam-Webster Word of the Day
This one isn’t so much a site, but part of a site. Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day feature is just what all aspiring writers or already practicing world wranglers need in their life. One word each day, including definition, audible pronunciation, examples, a video clip that includes all these things, and a short two-minute podcast about said word. And if that’s not enough, there’s a little Did You Know section as well—if what you need in your life is more knowledge. Merriam-Webster is on target with this feature. Word.