History
The Details Behind Our Dohdoh Design and Development
About Us
Dohdoh Design and Development is a full service Web and IT Services firm located in Olympia, Washington. Our location does not stop us from serving clients across the United States, from local businesses in Olympia, Tumwater, Lacey and Tacoma to Trade Associations and Medical Service Providers across the country.
The goal of Dohdoh Design and Development is always to build a relationship with our clients, allowing us to better serve them through understanding their business specific needs.
It All Started With Waffles...
Or, more accurately, the attempt to make waffles. Several years ago, Bernie decided to make the delicious breakfast treat for a family friend, who happened to be a very polite and patient 6-year-old. Unwittingly, Bernie had not grabbed his own waffle maker but his mother-in-law’s very old waffle maker from her early married life. Surprisingly, this appliance did not work as well as one might hope. After repeatedly burning the waffles, Bethany asked, “Mr. Benson, is breakfast almost ready? I’m getting very hungry.” Bernie replied, “Bethany, you shouldn’t call me Mr. Benson, you should call me Mr. Dohdohhead!” The name stuck and was soon being used by the youth class he taught at church. When it came time to name his business, Dohdoh was an obvious choice. And, if you’re wondering, he finally toasted some Eggo waffles for Bethany and the rest of the family.
The History of Dohdoh
In 1990, Bernie Benson and James This started a company called MicroSkills, specializing in training services for various institutions. In 1995, they changed the name to The Paragon Group, and the company began to grow, adding partners and employees. In 2007, TwinStar Credit Union purchased The Paragon Group as a Credit Union Service Organization (CUSO), and they began to focus more and more on Credit Union training services.
During these years, Bernie’s main focus had been the technical side of the company, creating and designing web applications and databases. As The Paragon Group understandably increased their focus on Credit Unions and their needs, Bernie’s work with various clients, such as trade associations and medical treatment providers, seemed more and more divergent from the company’s main goals. In early 2013, he decided to spin off from The Paragon Group with his existing clients to serve them better.
After an amicable parting, Bernie started Dohdoh Design & Development on April 1st, 2013. Moving into a downtown office in the Washington State Grange building and hiring an office manager, web designer, and software engineer, Dohdoh Design & Development became what it is today.