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Apple is So, So, So, So, So Amazing!

admin — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 16:25:00 +0000

The insatiable consumers of Apple products got their first taste of the Tim Cook era. The hunger for new products extends to the very announcements of their arrival. In the past, we’ve followed live Tweets or blogs (since streaming video isn’t allowed) of each golden word from Steve Jobs about “one more thing”. Entire sites are dedicated to rumors about what may be coming next. I remember the anticipation for the iPad 2 like it was yesterday… or just a few months ago. This would mark the final time that Jobs would speak his passion about his company, the industry and how they’ve all been led by his products. Somehow the hype couldn’t match how amazing this new device was. Similarly, the previous launch of the new iPhone was met with inner cheers from millions of people waiting to get one of their own.

A new CEO, a new iPhone and the hope that “one more thing” was going to blow our minds helped crash some of the most widely watched blogs like CNet.com and Endgadget.com. If you missed it, it’s never too late to get the latest update on why Apple is so, so, so, so, so amazing:

The new iPhone 4S was announced. The best news about that is we only have 7 more letters until we hit the 4Z and can finally look forward to an iPhone 5.
Nobody was expecting this but there’s a totally new feature with the phone, Siri. This totally new concept allows you to talk to your phone.
For those who live life on the crazy side, there’s the “Find my friends” app. Rumored alternate names include:
- IsMyManCheating
- MyKidsBetterBeStudying
- NosyNeighbor
- TrackMyHo
- Voyeur’sDelight
- iPeep
- OhNoYouDidn’t
- WhereTFAreYouGoing
But wait, there’s more. An incredibly innovative new solution will allow you to mail someone a card. No kidding, it even comes with an envelope and postage. Amazing.
There’s also an upgrade to iTunes, with a brand new solution called iTunes match – which has the sole purpose of charging you $24.99 a year for music you already own.
Probably the most ground-breaking announcement, in my humble opinion, is the new Watch feature for your iPod Nano. This particular advancement allows you to tell time no matter where you are, just by looking at your iPod Nano.

So, so, so, so, so what. We may all be infatuated with Apple and all it’s new announcements but I did a little research and discovered some disturbing things about these “new” features:

The iPhone 4S looks identical to its predecessor. By plunking down a minimum of $200 you can have a phone that nobody will be able to see the difference.
The ability to talk to a phone is actually old technology. Alexander Graham Bell made the first phone call in 1876.
“Find My Friends” is not a new concept by any means. In fact, Mr. Bell’s first phone call was “Mr. Watson–come here–I want to see you.”
Mail was not invented by Apple. In fact, it’s widely believed to have been started around 550BC by the Persian King Cyrus the Great.
Paying for things you already own is also not a new concept. In fact, George Lucas was the first to do this. By the way, you can purchase the entire Star Wars series again on Blu-Ray RIGHT NOW.
Of course a watch is probably the oldest technology of the bunch. However, the wrist watch wasn’t popularized until the early 1900′s and was seen as mostly a woman’s accessory. So to be fair to Apple, they’ve piggy-backing on technology that really wasn’t mainstream until World War I. Similarly, these watches also had variations with Roman numerals.

We all wait with anticipation to see what Tim Cook will announce for the next iPad. I have an idea, if there’s time. What if you could use it to control your television without getting off the couch?You know, like change the channels and adjust the volume! Apple is so, so, so, so, so amazing!

iCloud is Raining Money

admin — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:43:48 +0000

iTunes users with iPods, iPads and Mac’s will LOVE iCloud but the true winners will be the music labels. It’s rumored that Apple will have to spend $150 million to the major record labels to allow their libraries to join the cumulus clutter. What did the label’s have to do to earn that money? Nothing, how American.

Our recent acquisition of an iPad 2 had me worried that we were going to pass the limit of authorized devices allowed to playing the music I bought. From what I’ve read there isn’t such a limit anymore. But it got me thinking… my ancient iPod, the one I got 4 years ago, isn’t used much anymore. In fact, the computer doesn’t particularly recognize the music on it and doesn’t “sync” anymore. RIP to my $200 music playing machine. But if I could duplicate devices in my own household, without connecting to my account I wonder if the teenage world is doing that exponentially.

iCloud adds another layer of protection against anonymous music sharing. It virtually guarantees that any song purchased can only be used by the account that bought it. Score for the music labels. I’ve heard so many sympathy stories about the music industry tanking and want to ram my car into a brick wall each time. Was it that long ago that I could record music directly from the radio onto my cassette tape? I actually had a TOTALLY sophisticated boombox that had 2 decks, allowing me to quickly copy anything my heart desired. Can you imagine purchasing a CD and not being able to share it with your friends?

During a time when copying and sharing music was the norm, the labels seemed to figure out how to make record profits. Now that we’re required to purchase more copies of the same song they seem to be having a hard time. Cry me a river, you are getting paid $150mm to do absolutely nothing.

There is something you can do, actually. Sign up for Amazon.com or Google’s music services. They are free and both companies refuse to pay the music industry so much money to do nothing. I love the concept of iCloud but get grey hairs from the gluttonous music industry.

You might be a codeneck if you…

admin — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:53:04 +0000

I certainly don’t consider myself an expert coder. However, you may be stuck in 1998 if you code your sites using:

Image Maps – Seriously? I’m trying to remember why I ever did that to begin with. Oh right, because I wanted to make my website ONE BIG IMAGE. Hello? Slice and optimize people.

– Dude, try one of these instead, it’s like magic (margin, padding). How many sites do I have to open up and have to filter through lines of !

Tables – I hate tables and try to avoid them at all costs. There are VERY FEW times when it’s alright to use a table. They were never meant for layout and with the flexibility that CSS offers they never should be. Remove the damn TR’s and TD’s guys.

Floating anything – Flash was sooooooo cool when people started getting on the internet. The problem was that nobody bothered to turn past “Flash 101: Chapter 1: Animation”. It’s those silly floating text graphics that give Flash a bad name. Now Apple’s giving Flash a bad name. Hey Jobs, I just called my Macbook pro, iPod and iPod touch a really bad name… what do you think of that?

Squished sites – Remember when everyone had 15″ monitors and thought that was darn cool? OK, at least remember when everyone had 15″ monitors? Yeah, just so you know the only 15″ monitors are used for TV remote controls now. I don’t even think you can buy a monitor that’s under 17″ so PLEASE stop making your website 3 inches wide and using 8 point text. I have glasses and STILL have to sit right up to the monitor. Yeah, yeah… your next argument is that people using iPhones won’t be able to see it. Well, if you can’t code your website to fit into a mobile device correctly I have a few choices words I’ll email you personally.

Home buttons – I have never understood the purpose of a “home” button. I have ranted and raved about this before but people are just being lazy now. A websites main page should be a place to START looking for the information you want. Guess what, you should STILL be able to find that information at every point through your browsing so there’s no need to START all over. OK, that’s not totally a coding related issue but I’ll take any opportunity to vent about it.

Empty Div’s – I have to yell at myself about this one. I’m so dumb that I can’t always avoid empty Div’s. How else do you get those pesky columns to go full height? My friend always yells at me about it and I can’t argue with him. Unfortunately, I haven’t figured out a way to get around that 100% of the time. Stupid I tell ya.

Clean up your act and stop coding the same way you did 12 years ago. Or at least be fair and NEVER charge anyone for that crap.

Brand Attention Span

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:40:54 +0000

I read an article recently about the evolution of our thinking, as it relates to the Internet. It’s theory was that people do less thinking for themselves because they can quickly get answers by searching online. While we would be losing a more patient, thorough way of figuring things out we also gain the ability to multi-task in a much quicker environment.

Assuming that it’s true, to some degree at least, I can’t help but wonder what that means for branding. Companies have traditionally spent gobs of money to plant a seed of branding in someone’s mind because it has likely meant loyal customers. However, a simple search for “computer” will turn up more options than any single person can handle. While branding helps delineate to a certain degree, does the name “Dell” carry the same weight it used to? You can sift through product descriptions, consumer reviews and competitor products in the same amount of time it takes just to drive to a Best Buy. Consumers can be more educated, make quicker decisions, and find the right product much easier than they used to.

Look at marketing in general. I remember when TV commercials dropped to 30 seconds from 60 and people thought it just wasn’t enough time to hook the consumer. With Internet surfing you probably have 3 seconds to grab attention and websites limit messaging to 15 seconds of play time. To make any money off online advertising there has to be an instant hook accompanied by a compelling reason to purchase. Even companies like Ford, which traditionally run TV ads proving that their trucks are “built Ford tough” now target online readers with “$1,500 cash back” incentives instead.

I’m not so convinced that Branding means as much any more, especially with the reduction of an already low attention span by consumers.

How much info do I give consumers?

admin — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 16:57:12 +0000

Unless you have the privilege of testing, testing and testing your website you probably don’t know how to present your product information in a way that maximizes efficiency, customer satisfaction and ultimately profit. As with so many things, it comes down to time and money. There are many other factors too but I’ll leave that for another day.

Your product’s cost is directly related to the amount of information you need to provide. For example, buying a book from Amazon.com, doesn’t need an overload of info. Do you care how much the book weighs, the kind of paper used to make it, or a the amount of warranty it has? Less expensive, impulse buys, should focus on making the transaction as easy as possible. Consider a headline and three bullets the most you would include for your product.

Let’s say you want to buy a backup hard drive for your computer, more information is almost a necessity. It’s helpful to know the reputation of the maker of the parts, the company selling it, the warranty, etc. Reading consumer reviews is almost a must and don’t forget to do a thorough research between the different options and price-points needed to make the purchase. Overall, many paragraphs of information will be needed to make the sale. That doesn’t mean you dump it on to one page and call it a day. Nope hire a designer to provide clarity and organization to the content.

I’ve eluded to price being a strong indicator of the amount of information needed without actually putting a number on the value. That’s because discretionary spending for you is totally different for me. That’s where “time” comes in. How long it takes someone to earn the money required for the purchase can be a notable factor for how to categorize the amount of information. Here’s a breakdown of price/time/content:

Time Required to Save – Amount of Content

One paycheck or less – Headline & 3 bullets tops
One month – Headline/3 bullets & one page of additional information minimum
3 months – Headline/3 bullets/one page of additional info & provide additional information (like testimonials or reviews)
6 months or more – Headline with multiple paragraphs/pages with subheads, provide additional resources for info gathering

There’s lots more to talk about, like including contact information, embracing new web technologies, visual display of information, etc. However, if you’re looking to hire someone to put together a website for your business do a little math. Take the amount of products you carry, determine the Time Required To Save for your demographic and multiply it by the Amount of Content to give you a general idea how your site should end up.

Design Process

admin — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:10:17 +0000

The ease in which websites are created has led to a number of misconceptions about the design process. With so many nephews or cousins that “do web design” I get a look when telling people what I do that’s similar to “I scoop chicken poop all day.” It’s a short attention span gaze like “I know that needs to be done but it sure doesn’t take much skill to do it.” Like most careers, there are plenty of people doing it but few that do it well. The shear quantity has devalued my ability to make a living, unless I move to India or the Philippines. We have some friends from India that are just AWESOME so I’ve been giving it some thought lately.

In the meantime, I’d like to give my take on something that is totally over looked from non-designers. And yes, Mr. IT dude, that means you too. Being a designer is not a 9-5 kind of job. It takes 24/7 observation and thinking because I never know when I’ll find inspiration for a project. I suppose there are a few times when I’m not finding inspiration for a website, like when I’m changing a diaper at 3am or cleaning chicken poop. Most of the time I am though, like noticing cool fonts (almost any font aside from papyrus or comic sans) and the treatment. Anyone else get excited when they recognize an obscure font being used? I’m even able to tell you where a lot of photos being used are purchased from. Geek alert!

Good, efficient design process

How in the world do you apply that knowledge to your project? Everyone has their own way of doing it but I generally attack a challenge with three solutions. I tend to start with a conservative approach, trying to provide exactly what the client has asked for. Most of the time that’s not good enough though so I go crazy, providing a solution that’s almost wacky and on the border of not showing. Last, I meet somewhere in the middle. Taking the ideas from the client and integrating a touch of flare. Having three versions also allows me great flexibility to meet the client needs, with different fonts, colors, layouts, etc. My assumption is that the client will love one and hate the other two.

Bad, uncertain design process with potentially disasterous results

In contrast, if I had submitted one design it’s a huge gamble on hitting what the clients wants. What if they don’t like it? What direction do you head? Who the hell knows! Would one more design do it? By the third, what state would the trust between you and the client be in? That’s a bad design process and ultimately why I do more work up front.

Back to the front. Depending on the project requirements and timeline I get most of the information from my clients. One of the things I’m still learning is how to ask questions to get what I need. You can’t ask with a straight face what Pantone colors they prefer, or even mention hexidecimal codes. Obviously, that’s ridiculous but my point is that I assume clients don’t know anything about making a website so I need to approach them with a casual discussion, like I would if we met in a grocery store. Questions like “what other websites do you like” and “what do you want to do with your website” are simple but could provide lots of information.

Molding all this information into a direction is the most difficult part of the process for me. I have to surf the web a little, think a little and throw down lots of bad ideas in Photoshop. But it is very much like digital sculpting with the final product being the only one I’m proud of. I was recently asked to provide a draft before a proposal was accepted. That’s actually a great idea for certain things, like finding the architect to redo the twin towers. It’s also a bad idea in some cases, like trying to take a bite out of pie before it’s been cooked. Maybe some designers know exactly where they want to go from the first click of the mouse but for me it’s a journey and obtaining a gig based off of a turn I took a while ago would be a mistake.

Every day I’m humbled by the quality of designs being created in so many places, there are quite a few very talented people creating commissioned art. I work very hard to try and be one of them so that I don’t have to compete with the poor quality, skill and accountability of “nephews” and “cousins” that do web design. So you could pay me to do the work right, from the outset OR pay your low-cost, low-skill alternative to create a bit of chaos for you and THEN pay me to do it right.

“No” Report

admin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:39:23 +0000

It occurred to me that we often need some survey or study proving our theory to give it validity. How often have you tried to make a point and not had the ability to cite research of your suggestion? Often I even have different points of view with my wife and not been able to back it up. Today’s the day that all changes. That’s right, it’s time to put the power back in your side with your very own “No” Report.

Download your copy now and keep it on hand. You’ll never know when you need it. Complete with findings, charts, demographic breakdowns and recommendations you’ll impress your counterpart with mind-numbing details of how right you are. Today’s the day your confidence rises to unlimited heights. Without further delay, click this link to start your download!

NoReport

If you feel the need to thank me please email me with a request to deposit money into my paypal account.

How to Receive Critique

admin — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 19:16:35 +0000

The opposite of my previous post is how to receive criticism on the work you’ve put your blood, sweat and digital tears into. This can be equally as hard because communication often gets in the way. For example, when someone reviews what you’ve done and they say “Keep going”. What exactly does that mean? No doubt, there’s a skill to getting feedback and turning it into something fruitful.

Admittedly, as a new designer I thought my stuff was fantastic. I put time and energy into every piece I did and believed it to be a work of art. Years later I can laugh at that but it’s important to note my mindset at the time. Receiving input can be directly related to maturity in the profession. Don’t get me wrong, personality has a lot to do with it but I am much better at hearing harsh critique now than when I first started. Here’s kind of how I see it maturing:

Preemie Primadonna: Someone is new in the profession and believes everything they do is amazing. They can’t understand why people aren’t as good as them and often find it very difficult to digest criticism. They may nod their head but the entire time they’re thinking “what a loser”.

Design Dude: Someone who has had enough experience to understand business goals a little and may have even tasted an appetizer full of humility. They are probably a little more comfortable giving their opinion when receiving input and may actually put up a challenge. However, once you get them on the same page it’s usually going to turn out a much better product.

Excellent Extraordinaire: Ironically, this person probably needs the critique the least. They understand goals and have excelled at how to get there. Often, they critique their own work and have enjoyed a full meal of humbleness. These people are the ones you want to work with and all of us should strive to be. In my experience, not many actually make it to this level. In fact, it’s still the kind of person that I want to be.

Yes, you actually need to work on receiving critique. And no, you may not have the greatest giving it. However, ask yourself where you fit in the continuum of open ears and realize that almost all feedback can help you grow.

How to Critique, or Not to

admin — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 20:12:17 +0000

Tell it like it is, without being a jerk.

Heck, that’s kind of my motto with everything. I’ve found that when you try to give criticism that dances around the issue it often adds more time and energy, without getting better quality. It’s hard though, to be honest with someone who has put their life energy into something that isn’t quite right yet. I know the feeling. Every time I work on a new design or idea I hate getting feedback other than “that’s absolutely the most brilliant thing ever”. Come to think of it, I can’t recall ever hearing that.

Whenever you create and leave yourself open for critique someone will make an ugly face because they wouldn’t do it that way. Opinions are like ugly toes, we all have them. No doubt, if you’re in the marketing world you have to have thick skin. What if you didn’t get the up front truth though? In the long run it’s better for you to do great work than to be treated like a cuddly teddy bear.

Giving criticism is an art. I tend to want to blurt out exactly what I see, along with a few four letter words but typically take a second to think about HOW I’m going to say it. There’s no point in demolishing someone’s feelings just to get a point across. Everyone in our business is putting their energy into it and should be respected for it.

I typically start with visual suggestions, showing them a website that makes my point or getting out my red pen. Then I deliver the hammer as plainly as I can state it without being offensive. Lastly, and here’s the key, find something nice to say. Typically the entire work isn’t trash so remember to point out what works well also. Not only is this nice for the one receiving your input but it’s also good for you to keep balance on what’s important.

If you can drop a bomb without destroying anybody then you’re ready to critique!