FLIPP - Who Wants to Know

New Rule!

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

At FLIPP, we communicate with each other using iChat quite a bit. Even though our office is small, we often have multiple online conversations going on with one another. Maybe about the song that's playing, what we did on the weekend, projects we're working on, or latest client feedback. Some of us literally sit a few feet away from one another, yet we default to using our iChat window instead of our voices. It could be argued as a useful/productive tool, or it could also be viewed as a distraction that results in less and less actual interaction.

Well, starting this Friday, we are beginning a social experiment and implementing 'NO iCHAT FRIDAY'S'. This means physically getting out of our chairs, using our voices and looking each other in the eye. For one day a week, we are opting for 'less technology and more humanity' (to quote the great Robin Sharma).

Do you think this will make us more productive or less productive? Stay tuned, we'll let you know how it goes.

Time to 'Check-in' Calgary! 2012

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

If you haven't heard of Calgary 2012, you will soon. Calgary 2012 is a non-profit organziation created to cultivate and promote culture in Calgary Alberta. FLIPP has been working with Calgary 2012 and collaborating with Evans Hunt to create a geo-location based app/game to celebrate Calgary being named our nations' "Cultural Capital of Canada".

We are creating the app leveraging the Foursquare platform. The mobile app game will allow players to compete for points, specials and earn rewards for checking in at various events and happenings throughout the city. In addition to the gaming aspec, the app will serve as a realtime dashboard for cultural activity in Calgary. Stay tuned for more details - the game is set to launch early April.

If you're not already on Foursquare and want to get prepared for the game, sign up for an account, connect with some friends, and practice your check-in skills.

If you're connected to the 'scene' in Calgary and know about the cool places to be before everyone else does now is a great time to apply to be a Calgary 2012 Cultural Ambassador. For more information what it means to be an Ambassador all the perks and how to apply - click here.

For more information on Calgary 2012 visit their website, and be sure to follow Calgary 2012 on twitter.

BIKE YYC Version 2.0

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Great news! Riding your bike around Calgary this spring/summer is going to be a blast. Version 2.0 of BIKE YYC has been submitted to the App Store for approval.

Version 2.0 of the BIKE YYC app is still a free download with thanks to some of the city's top community developers. Hopewell Communities, Genstar, East Village ( CMLC ) and Walton DM have all contributed to version 2.0.

Set to launch early March with plenty of new features. 2.0 features maps from OpenStreetMap.org and highlights local bike friendly paths and roadways, locates your current location and will plot best bike directions from point A to B using the new routing feature.

The bikeyyc.com website will be updated soon with a full listing of all new features and download information.

PAY ATTENTION, DON'T APP AND RIDE!

Contributing to TEDxYYC with a website

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

In the name of communty activism, the transmitting of transformative ideas and the desire to foster cooperation and collaboration in Calgary, FLIPP is proud to be a sponsor of TEDxYYC. FLIPP's 2012 contribution was a bright shiny new website for the organzation.

Take a look at the about section and you'll find a photo of James Bull staring at you. James and the rest of the TEDxYYC group deserve an internet high five for countless hours dedicated to the cause.

Other TEDxYYC sponsors include Albertaviews, Association, East Village, Enbridge, First Calgary Financial, Hotel Arts, Phil & Sabastian Coffee Roasters, Teus Spark Science Centre, Village Brewery and WAX.

Check it out at TEDxYYC.com

Recycling Plastics, Not Ideas

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Recycling Design = Frowned Upon | Recycling Paper & Plastics = Applauded.

At FLIPP's resolution meeting in January Jamie Bray brought to our attention that we could do more at FLIPP to pull up our socks when it came to our recycling. Jamie has since hooked FLIPP up with Foothills Disposal for weekely check-ins. Foothills picks up all regular blue bin items - paper, glass, plastic and metals.

Bottles of Inspiration

FLIPP's bottle recycling has always been donated and picked up by Mike Rioux on behalf of Canadian Diabetes Association. If you need a bin for your office or would like Mike to pick up directly from your residence, you can contact him at bottles4diabetes.ca or call 403.605.1793

Dot 360: Eyes In The Back Of My Camera

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Almost a year ago I discovered this device while hitting my stumble button, it is simply an extension for the iPhone that allows you to record video in all directions at once. When played back on the iPhone or browser you can pan around the video as it plays to view 360º of the room. The Dot 360 add-on utilizes the iPhone camera by shooting video into a bowl that reflects a warped circular video of the entire room. The app (called "Looker") then takes that warped video and de-warps it into a recognizable video.

The idea is simple and only requires the add-on that snaps smoothly to the back of the iPhone, and the free app available in the store.

I preordered my Dot around May for a November release and received it just before Christmas, though I'm only now finding the time to really check it out. It's really easy to use and the app has a bunch of nice optional features. My only concern is that the quality on the finished video is not that great, but I'm sure this is something that can be easily improved with app updates as it's still using the iPhone camera which is high quality.

Check it out!

Dot 360: Eyes In The Back Of My Camera

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The idea is simple and only requires the add-on that snaps smoothly to the back of the iPhone, and the free app available in the store.

Check it out!

iPlunge: Rice Rescue

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

A couple of weeks ago something tragic happened. I was getting ready for work and my mom called me. I had a brief conversation with her and as I was hanging up, my phone slipped out of my hands! I frantically tried to catch it before it landed on the tile floor, but instead I hit it right into the toilet bowl - from like 4 feet away... what are the chances?? I screamed at the top of my lungs and grabbed it out of there without hesitation almost as soon as it landed, but unfortunately it was fully submerged.

Once out of the toilet water, my phone flashed a couple of times and the screen went black. I couldn't turn it off and my alarm kept going off.... NOT a good sign.

My husband went to work researching ways to fix it. He came across a bunch of posts that said to turn the phone off, put it in a bag of rice and wait for at least 4 days. Two problems with this - 1. I couldn't turn it off, and 2. what was I going to do without my iPhone for 4 whole days?!

It seemed unlikely that a bag of rice would fix my phone, but I waited..... and I waited......

Finally day 4 arrived. I picked the grains of rice out of the crevices of the phone, charged it for a good hour and turned it on. IT WORKED! Or at least it appeared to be working. I thought that even if it seemed to be working, there HAD to be something wrong with it. There's no way that my precious phone could come out of a dip in the toilet completely unscathed. I put it through some tests. I sent a text, made a phone call, took a picture, listened to music, turned it off and on and talked to Siri. It was as good as new!

It's been a few weeks and my iPhone is still working great. I'm still shocked and thankful that the bag of rice actually worked!

A few things I've learned from this experience:

To give myself some space from my phone. Do I really need to have it in the bathroom while I'm doing my hair??
Take my own advice and always close the toilet lid.
Rice + a Ziploc + Patience can fix a waterlogged iPhone. Amazing!

iPlunge: Rice Rescue

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Once out of the toilet water, my phone flashed a couple of times and the screen went black. I couldn't turn it off and my alarm kept going off.... NOT a good sign.

It seemed unlikely that a bag of rice would fix my phone, but I waited..... and I waited......

It's been a few weeks and my iPhone is still working great. I'm still shocked and thankful that the bag of rice actually worked!

A few things I've learned from this experience:

To give myself some space from my phone. Do I really need to have it in the bathroom while I'm doing my hair??
Take my own advice and always close the toilet lid.
Rice + a Ziploc + Patience can fix a waterlogged iPhone. Amazing!

Music at Work #3

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

It's that time again for my monthly feature on the latest and greatest music that's keeping our feet tapping while we work here at Flipp World Headquarters. This time I've selected two highly anticipated albums that were both released this week: The Black Keys follow-up to their Grammy-winning album, Brothers, and the new concept album from the greatest band in late night, The Roots.

The Black Keys - El Camino

It's never easy for a band to follow up what's been a critical and popular breakthrough, but that's the case for the Black Keys as they wasted no time in releasing this new album. Upon the first few listens what strikes me here is a subtle sonic shift for the band, going from what's been a soul/blues rock sound to more of a 70's rock vibe here. With that shift comes all the good and bad that one would associate with that era of "classic rock".

The opening single "Lonely Boy" is catchy enough but I tire easily of the group female backing vocals featured all too much throughout the track and the album altogether (bad call Danger Mouse!). The best track, and perhaps the only one I really love on this album is "Little Black Submarines" a Zeppelin-like song that starts out slow and winding before erupting into the roaring guitar solos that are a trademark of the band's live show. All that goodwill is later lost with what's probably my least favourite Keys song ever, "Sister", with its 80's melody line that I'd describe as borderline cheesy. Overall you can't deny Dan Auerbach's vocals, which rise above the questionable production choices and some interesting writing on this album.

If you're a old Black Keys fan, you'll want to pick this one up to round out the collection, but if Brothers was your introduction to the band I'd recommend digging into the back-collection where you'll find a better (rawer) version of the band spanning the last decade. This is a Black Keys album my Dad might love, but it will likely take some time to grow on me.

The Roots - Undun

The tenth studio album from “The Greatest Band in Late Night” is billed as a concept album, the death to life story of a drug pusher, Redford Stephens. But truth be told I didn`t really follow the narrative much throughout this album. And is it really pushing any conceptual boundaries for a hip hop outfit to rhyme about the life and death of a dope dealer? Petty complaints aside, this album stands as a fairly good collection of songs from one of the best bands in the business.

The first stand out track is “Kool On” with an alternating vocal/guitar loop that set my head bobbing. “The Other Side” and “Stomp” follow this and form the core of the album. That strong core trio is unfortunately followed up with the weakest song on the album “Lighthouse”, which is hobbled by a cheesy light FM chorus.

Despite a few misteps the actual songs here are quite good, if not a bit sparse, as many of the album's 14 tracks are composed of cinematic intros and a four part outro padding out the concept. The remaining songs are definitely worth checking out if you're a hip hop fan. Though it falls somewhat short of the conceptual masterpiece it set out to be, it is another fine offering from one of the most important groups in the genre. I just wish there was a bit more here to chew on.

Your 2001 Favourites

We've now reached that time of year where the "Best of" lists inevitably start popping up. Since we always love discovering new tunes to add to our office Jukebox, be sure to let us know some of your favourite albums from the past year. I'm sure we missed a few hot records while we had our heads down cranking out the work this fall.

MOVEMBER

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The FLIPP Movember team was instigated by none other than @jimbones (James Bull). His November 1st call of "LETS PUT A FLIPP TEAM TOGETHER FOR MOVEMBER!'...was answered by only myself and @gbinflames (Greg Bruce). @jimmgee (Jim Gott) was suspiciously quiet, and you would think @camhoff would have joined in (all he would have to do is remove the beard and trim the Mo), but apparently @jillhoff laid down the law. Also out was @danribgy1 (Dan Rigby) who decided to rest on his 2008 Moustache championship trophy.

So the Gentlemen of FLIPP Advertising was a team of three, but we still managed to drum up $680.00 to change the face of men's health with supporting prostate cancer initiatives. Thanks to everyone for putting up with our Mo's (especially @mccannemily) and thanks to everyone who donated - from family and friends, to clients and even Kenny Powers.

Globally, Movember had an amazing 852,197 participants raising a total of $101,487,723.

For more on Movember

For more hidious pictures of our Mo's click around on our Movemeber page.

Where the hell have we been?

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

It's been a busy fall for the team at FLIPP (and we'll use that as an excuse for a pretty quiet blog lately). We've been tackling some exciting new projects as well as work for existing clients. Here's a look at what we've been up to.

Bondars Fine Furniture

FLIPP was asked to give the website for Calgary's top destination for high quality fine furnishings a make over. FLIPP's integrated content management system now allows Bondar's to add images to their furniture collection as well as adding new sales or promotional furniture. Visit the new site at Bondars.com and pick out your next leather ottoman.

Beakerhead

The robots are coming! If you've never heard of Beakerhead you will soon. Debuting at Stampede 2012, Beakerhead coordinates a city-wide collaboration that brings the arts, engineering, and community groups together to stage the most entertaining arts and engineering event on earth. FLIPP is proud to be a part of Beakerhead, supplying print creative and interactive services. Get to know Beakerhead and find out how you can be involved; visit their shiny new website. beakerhead.org

Harvest Mosaic by Brookfield Homes

From naming/branding and all POS including print advertising and website development FLIPP has been hard at work on Harvest Mosaic, the latest multi-family development in Cranston by Brookfield Homes. In preparation for the full launch of the project, FLIPP created a mini site using adaptive layout for optimal viewing on both desktop and mobile devices.

Check it out on your iPhone or iPad at harvestmosaic.com You can see more of the branding work here.

The Block

The Block is Avi Urban's most recent condo and town-home project just off 17th Ave. FLIPP was asked to deliver a website that reflected the unique architecture and the established campaign creative. The new site integrates all social media and blog posts into "The Hype" section giving the user one place to find out what's going on. Updated suite availability, mortgage calculator and more great information for potential buyers. Check out liveattheblock.com

We've got more coming soon so stay tuned. We promise to (try and) keep the blog fresh and updated too!

E-Reader vs. Book: A Blog Update

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

A while back I wrote a blog post highlighting my affinity for tangible books vs reading on an e-reader. I was quite surprised at the general reaction and the clear division between these two camps. I figured it was time I actually put it to the test and sample an e-reader instead of swearing them off without even trying. So the perfect opportunity presented itself when my book club choose Tina Fey's "Bossypants" which is currently only available in hardcover. At the same time, Craig and I were getting on a plane to fly to Phoenix and the thought of lugging a big hardcover book in my carry-on just wasn't appealing (it should be noted here that I'm not a light packer). We don't have an official 'e-reader' at home, but we do have an iPad so I decided to use the iBooks app and downloaded "Bossypants". The first (and as you'll learn, only) thing I liked about this purchase was that it was significantly cheaper than buying the real thing. $12.99 vs. over $25.00 new in stores. I could have purchased the real book online (most likely used) for the same price or cheaper, but i would have been waiting by the mailbox for it to show up. I guess there is something to be said about immediate gratification.

I started the book on the plane. That was fine, except the flight attendant made me put it away for takeoff and landing. They don't ask you to do that with paper. That night I tried to read my book in bed. It was awkward and I was uncomfortable. I read on my side and the size of the iPad was frustrating to work with. Holding it up felt heavy and tilting it to the side made my eyes cross.

The next day I wanted to sit by the pool and read. Well hello sunshine - I couldn't see a damn thing! The iPad turned into a mirror in the daylight and the glare was so bad I couldn't read at all. I know most of you e-reader supporters are going to say the first problem was using an iPad. I realize there are non-glare options out there, but after this experience, you'll have a hard time convincing me to bother trying.

At certain points throughout the book, I wanted to see how far I had to go (mostly because I wanted the misery to end). I could see the number of pages it said I had left, but it's just not the same as holding a book in your hand and feeling the physical number pages. To me, that's just part of the reading expeirence.

All in all, my opinion remains the same. I am PRO-BOOK and will remain that way. The one positive thing I can report is that this is probably the fastest I've ever read a book in my life. I took that iPad everywhere with me so I could get the experience overwith and move onto my next book.

As for "Bossypants" - I give it 2 thumbs up. The honesty and practicality of Tina Fey's writing is something everyone (specifically women) should read.

I'm off to Barnes & Noble.

Tweets of the Week #13

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Tweet #1 - Steve Jobs

It was with great sadness that the FLIPP office learnt of Steve Jobs' passing. The devices here at FLIPP are Apple products and as Emily tweeted on Thursday it's because of people like Steve Jobs that our team are able to do the work we do and love every minute of it. His 2005 commencement address to Stanford University is extremely inspirational, and was viewed of 8 million times yesturday alone. Cheer's to you Steve.

Tweet #2 - Rdio Offers a FREE Account

Thursday was also a big day for the music industry, music streaming service Rdio announced the availability of a free plan. Previously they only offered a two-tier pricing system, but this new plan offers the ability to stream a limited number of songs at no cost. This opens the door for Rdio to gain wider adoption and play in the big leagues of other music streaming services, most notably European-born Spotify. Learn more about Rdio's platform and pricing system by visiting their website, Rdio.com.

Tweet #3 - Redsigning the Bicycle Light

SXSW alumni @slipaustin tweeted an intersting Kickstarter project this week. Revolights, a San-Francisco based startup, is rethinking the way we design bicycle lights and they need our help. By utilizing a pulsing array of LED lights, a complicated mathmatics algorithm, and a clever mounting system they've managed to create an eye-catching prototype they hope to polish into a finished product. Learn more about the project and help them fund it by visiting the Revolights Kickstarter page.

That's just a few of the great things I found on Twitter this week. We're always coming across great stuff so follow FLIPP on Twitter, or check out what the entire team is saying. What other great things did you come across this week? Let us know in the comments!

Tweets of the Week #12

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Tweet #1 - Digital Alberta Launch Event

As noted by FLIPP's main twitter account, the FLIPP crew decided to venture out and attend the Digital Alberta 2012 launch event. Most of the office was in attendance, and when the invite states free drinks and appys, things can get interesting. Digital Alberta did a great job of hosting the event and filling everybody in on the 2012 schedule of events and updates to their digital industry programs and workshops. They also launched a new website at the party and it looks pretty good, you can check it out here: http://www.digitalalberta.ca

Tweet #2 - Facebook Timeline

After announcing updates to the news feed and sidebar in early September, Facebook dropped a bomb and previewed a completely redesigned profile page dubbed Timeline. The new profile is unbelievably fantastic, and it breathes new life into the 7 year old social network. I immediately enabled the new profile on my own Facebook profile and tweeted some screenshots, the feedback I got was mostly positive, and I think people are going to really enjoy this update. To learn about the new profiles launching in October check out Facebook's new Timeline Preview.

Tweet #3 - Apple iPhone Event

We've been hearing rumours for over a month now and on Tuesday morning Apple made it official. An iPhone related event is officially planned for the morning of Tuesday, October 4th and chances are Apple is going to take the wraps of their long-awaited iPhone 5. Tons of rumours have been floating around regarding the new iPhone and you can get up-to-date on all the news by checking out this Slashgear iPhone 5 rumor roundup.

There's a few great things I found on Twitter recently! We're always coming across great stuff so follow FLIPP on Twitter, or check out what the entire team is saying. What other great things did you come across this week? Let us know in the comments!

VB custom Syntax mode for Coda

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Got a special little surprise for all you ASP .NET programmers out there (more specifically the VB.net programmers), our own Greg Bruce has created a custom Visual Basic syntax mode for Panic's incredible web development software, Coda.

We've recently transitioned to Coda in the office (bye-bye bloated Dreamweaver, you'll probably not be missed), and we were ecstatic with all the incredible features it has to offer, but it did have one small downfall. No syntax support for coding Visual Basic Classes and Namespaces. Well thanks to Coda's ability to create custom syntax modes we quickly fixed that!

Without further adieu, for your downloading pleasure I present:

ASP .NET VB Custom Syntax Mode V2 Download

NOTE: This post has been updated with V2 of the syntax mode. It was orignally published on July 12th, 2011

Tweets of the Week #11

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Tweet #1: Great Scott! It's the BTTF Nike Air Mags!

On September 8th, 2011 Nike made history and announced the auction of 1500 pairs of limited edition Air Mags. The Air Mags made waves back in 1989 in the classic 80's pop movie, Back to the Future Part 2. Since then every sneakerhead and Marty McFly fan has urned for these neon colour auto lacing beautys, and their dream finally came true. All proceeds from the auction of these shoes go to the The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. When the FLIPP office found out about these kicks via a tweet by Gizmodo, the comotion stopped productivity instantly. People were hovering around desks discussing the beauty/horror of the shoe's design and placing bets on how much each pair would fetch on Ebay. I, personally, would love a pair to match the one-of-a-kind Nike's I already have on my work desk. A guy can dream, can't he?

Tweet #2: Polaroid Is Back. And With Style Too.

I tweeted about the new Polaroid GL10 Instant Photo Printer last week. After reading the review I mentioned that I really wanted one, I'm in the market for a quick solution to print iPhoto/Instagram photos fairly easily. After a bit of research I found out that the GL10 is just one of three products Polaroid is releasing that are co-designed by their new Creative Director, Lady Gaga. The other two devices are a new digital camera and a pair of sunglasses with a camera built-in. Interesting...

Tweet #3: Umm... Why Is The Server Down?

Well let me tell you why. Actually, I'll let my friend Dave tell you. FLIPP recently launched a new iPhone app to help you figure out your computer troubles. Dave The IT Guy is an iPhone app that will generate random computer b/s, so you can tell your boss why you didn't email those files on time. This one is a lifesaver. Download it today on the iTunes App Store.

Music at Work #2

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

It's time again that I check in on what's new on the Jukebox here at Flipp. This time I've found a dirty 2-piece rock band and a new enigmatic hip hop outfit. But are they any good? Read on my friend.

Jeff The Brotherhood – We Are The Champions

As the follow-up to their first nationwide release "Heavy Days" (which I loved), I find this album as a bit of a step backward for this band of brothers (neither of which are named Jeff). While it isn't necessarily bad, it just seems to be lacking the catchy hooks of their previous release. Its straight forward garage punk psychadelia will definitely fill the musical void on your daily commute, but it won't stick in your head much beyond that. A staple of SXSW, Spin magazine has called them a "Must-hear" band and Paste has referred to them as "The Best of What's Next", but I'll keep listening to their older stuff in hopes that "What's Next" for them is a return to the catchier side. Maybe then they can catch fire like some of the other 2 piece garage influenced acts of recent years (Black Keys, White Stripes et al).

Shabazz Palaces – Black Up

in the mid-90's I listened to a lot of hip hop. I really wasn't into the 90's grunge scene, and to this day I think the Seattle hype far outweighs any of the actual music produced there at that time. So probably 90% of what i listened to back then was hip hop. One of the bands that really caught my ear then was The Digable Planets, who broke up after 2 albums due to creative differences and shady business practices. Fast forward to today, I'm probably listening to 50% hip hop overall after a lengthy hiatus from the genre and the frontman of Digable Planets, Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler is back with Shabazz Palaces (though he now goes by the name Palaceer Lazaro). It's the first ever hip hop acted signed to the seminal indie record label Sub Pop, and it's a good one.

Though it's not for everyone, this album has really taken the underground by storm with its experimental bass heavy beats coupled with Butler's ever-smooth flow. It's so bass heavy in fact, that I can't even listen to it on the crappy speakers in my car without massive distortion. It's a shame really because it's a pretty great record that I'd love to be listening to more. Definitely check it out if you like your hip hop on the trippy atmospheric side, this is one of the best of the year so far.

What summer tunes have you been rocking this year? Let us know in the comments below, so can keep the summer vibes going as we turn the page into September (already?!).

Tweets of the Week #10

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Tweet #1: The Emergency Cocktail Station

Cam Hoff has been on a roll lately. Last week he tweeted about this Emergency Cocktail Station he found on Uncrate.com and it really got the office buzzing. We're all wondering if this office addition would help us acheive our goals of becoming Mad Men-esque advertising executive alcoholics. It's probably a good start.

Taken from Uncrate.com:

You know those emergency first aid boxes you see in certain places? Well, the Emergency Cocktail Station ($850) is kinda like that, only for those times when you really need a drink.

Tweet #2: Eat St. iPhone App

When the City of Calgary changed their food cart bylaws, a bevy of new delicous vendors took to the streets. We now have food carts from the likes of Alley Burger (Charcut's delicious and legendary burger), Perogy Boyz, Fries N Dolls and much more. How are we to track these trucks around the city though? Well, there's an app for that. (Of course.) Recommended by @alfgoetz, the Eat St. iPhone app uses your iPhone's GPS and an up-to-date database of all food truck locations to help you track down those delicious eats. For a full list of all the food carts and their twitter accounts, check out this comprehensive list of Calgary food truck vendors courtesy of YYCFoodTrucks.com. Enjoy!

Taken from Apple's App Store:

The Eat St. App links you to the best street food in your city.

Tweet #3: Adobe's Failure To Understand

Adobe has recently released a new tool for print designers transitioning to the world of the web. It's called Muse, and it supposedly revolutionizes the way a print designer can design, and code a fully-functioning website. The problem is, it's a steaming pile of crap (just look at the source code for Muse's own website). Adobe's adapted the wrong philosophy and approach to educating print designers, and needs to rethink their strategy. FLIPP's own Dan Rigby tweeted about the app and expressed his scepticism. Web designer Elliot Jay Stocks also expressed his concern in an excellent blog post that explains why Adobe's Muse is a step in the wrong direction.

Taken from Muse's website:

Create websites as easily as you create layouts for print. You can design and publish original HTML pages to the latest web standards without writing code.

There's a few great things I found on Twitter this week! We're always coming across great stuff so follow FLIPP on Twitter, or check out what the entire team is saying. What other great things did you come across this week? Let us know in the comments!

Music at Work #1

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

While working in a creative environment music is always a constant. The ever-present drone of the jukebox speakers is as much a part of the office as the four walls around us. That said, us creatives are almost expected to have great taste in music, so let's put that to the test in the debut of a new regular feature on the blog, Music at Work (NOTE: I'm not a Tragically Hip fan, but the name fits). I'll be sharing some new albums we've recently added to the Flipp Jukebox, offering my brief opinion on the new additions.

Black Lips – Arabia Mountain

As a big fan of garage rock and the lo-fi sound in general, I was excited to hear the new album from Atlanta's Black Lips. They're not breaking any new ground here on their sixth release, sticking to their trademark retro garage style. But their formula still works for me on this collection of sixteen throwback tracks. Highlights include the opener Family Tree, Modern Art and the raucous Bicentennial Man. Recommended for fans of the 60's rock revival and Little Steven's Underground Garage. Try listening to it with your Dad, my father-in-law would probably like this band if he hadn't already declared there were no good albums produced after 1974.

Wugazi – 13 Chambers

The brainchild of producers Cecil Otter and Swiss Andy, Wugazi is the cooler younger brother of Danger Mouse's Grey Album. 13 Chambers mixes classic Wu Tang cuts with equally classic Fugazi riffs, yielding unexpectedly great results (Which may or may not be NSFW, depending on your office). I've found this in heavy rotation on my stereo ever since it was released a few weeks ago. Standout tracks include Sleep Rules Everthing Around Me, Another Chessboxin' Argument, and Ghetto Afterthought. Best of all, since it's an unlicensed mashup, it's avalable for FREE at wugazi.com. If you were ever a fan of Wu Tang Clan, Fugazi or both (like myself), you're going to want to download this album.

So those are a few of the latest albums we're listening to at Flipp. Give them a try at your office or on your headphones if you're not that kind of office. Do you like the retro garage rock? Do you think rap is crap? Let us know in the comments, and also what new music you're excited about so we can add it to the mix.

Tweets of the Week #9

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Tweet #1: How to Magically Grow Hair through Stop Motion

Flipp's own Cam Hoff retweeted this gem of a video. It's a little hard to explain, but basically its a stop-motion animation of a man growing his beard out. Read the comments on Vimeo to learn how the director, Peter Simon, filmed the short. If anyone can grow a beard like this, PLEASE leave a comment. We'd love to meet you.

Taken from Petapixel.com:

"When his friend Tom Offer-Westort decided to shave off his hair and massive beard, Peter Simon suggested that they take advantage of the opportunity and do it in style. This stop-motion video is what resulted."

Tweet #2: Calgary Cyclists Could Soon Navigate By Phone

CBC Calgary sent out a tweet last Thursday that made the entire FLIPP crew smile. They had written an article about our recently submitted iPhone app, BikeYYC! This was a great surprise and helped bring awareness of our app to the Calgary people. Which is exactly what we were strategizing about last week. Thanks CBC Calgary and visit BikeYYC.ca for more info.

Taken from CBC.ca:

"...the proposed iPhone app will offer a map of city pathways and shared roads, tell users where they are, and list some major bike stores."

Tweet #3: Brewski Me!

I discovered Brewksi Me this weekend after seeing a tweet from fellow YYC tweeter @alfgoetz. Brewski Me is a social app for beer drinkers. Users are able to add friends and "checkin" to locations and keep a running log of the beers they are drinking and where. FLIPP had brainstormed an idea similar to this for a client, unfortunately it never took off. Good to see someone is actually running with this idea.

Taken from Brewski.me:

"Brewski*Me is a beer drinker's best friend! Rate and review new beers. Discover new brews and breweries and find out what your friends are drinking!"

There's a few great things I found on Twitter this week! I'm always coming across great stuff so follow me on Twitter, my username is Jimbones. What other great things did you come across this week? Let us know in the comments!

We're hiring - Web Developers Needed!

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

That's right! FLIPP is growing and we're looking to add a Junior and Senior Web Developer to our team in Calgary Alberta. Do you have a passion for databases, server side scripting, web standards, and web application development? This is the job for you. Designers who dable in programming need not apply. Descriptions for each are listed below. If you're not the 'resume type' feel free to send work samples that speak to the skill sets listed below.

We do have an X-Box and well stocked beer fridge to help sweeten the deal. For full details, check out the full job postings.

What Happened to the Tweets?

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Well after a short hiatus, Tweets of the Week is back. And it's spontaneous return brings some changes.

To keep these posts fresh and interesting (and actually worth reading), I've decided to switch up the style a little bit. In the last two weeks, I realized the formatting of the posts wasn't providing enough info mainly due to the nature of Twitter itself. Without any real context, the 140-character messages, seemed to be difficult to really appreciate.

With that being said, the first major change you'll notice is the addition of some detail to each choosen tweet giving a little background as to why a certain link/post is worthwhile. I'll also try to include more images, and other media to make things a little more interesting. From now on Tweets of the Week will only feature 3 - 5 tweets, and I'll be selecting them based on popularity around the office or just because I think they're really awesome.

Use the comments below to express your love/hate for these updates. Feel free to let us know if you come across anything interesting or worthwhile through Twitter. Maybe we'll include it in a post!

Tweets of the Week - Week of July 11th, 2011

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Stampede week. Woowee, it sure has been an interesting week here at the FLIPP offices. Google launched their new Google+ social network, FLIPP also launched some new sites, we had some iOS development hurdles to tackle, and we even went to a NKOTBSB concert (I'm a little embarrassed to admit that last one). Keeping that in mind, here are the Tweets of the Week:

Emily McCann tweeted: On the fence about Google+. Not sure I totally get it yet.

Jim Gott tweeted: New bestselling book: "How To Piss-Off All Your Customers at Once" by Netflix

Craig Lepan tweeted: Just got set up on Google+ Who's on it? Looks great. And by that I mean it doesn't look like Google at all. Web app is also well done.

James Bull tweeted: Transfering the last of my hosting off of Godaddy. #stoked Now I just gotta wait for domains to expire before transferring.

Cam Hoff tweeted: Keep fit and have fun.

Bryan Jones tweeted: Is cloud music legal? http://t.co/UV9p523

Kate Anfinson tweeted: Skinny Girl Margarita now in Canada! I love me some @Bethenny Frankel!

Dan Rigby tweeted: Liking the new UI designs for Google & Google+. Some problems with @helvetireader tho. Trying goo.gl/HYm00 instead #UI #RSS

Greg Bruce did not tweet this week.

Use the comments below to let us know what you think, and if you found some awesome things on Twitter this week!

Tweets of the Week - Week of July 4th, 2011

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Alright, I feel a little bad for not having a "Tweets of the Week" post last week, but in my defence, last Friday was a holiday. To make up for it, I scoured Twitter even harder and pulled out some gems for this week's post. Enjoy them!

Emily McCann tweeted: I've been told I make the best indoor forts ever. And ya, I'm gonna brag about it. #proudmama

Jim Gott tweeted: Client: We want a website that looks minimalist and fresh, like [a local department store]’s. Me: That’s a... tumblr.com/xep3c7pnh2

Craig Lepan tweeted: I've ignored twitter for a week or so and my klout dropped to 33. Feel like I haven't been to the gym and gained 10 pounds.

James Bull tweeted: The majestic beard-cage. Hands down the best beard EVER. devour.com/video/beard-cage/

Cam Hoff tweeted: Desktop Wallpaper: Something people take a lot of pride in, yet it's rarely seen. Kind of like fancy underwear.

Bryan Jones tweeted: Re-watching buffy the vamp slayer - direct willow quote "i like my new 9 gig hard drive"

Kate Anfinson tweeted: Interactive tattoo: youtu.be/f3qv2dSXQXk

Dan Rigby tweeted: Goodbye dreamweaver . Hello Coda. Finally making the commitment. Thanks @panic for making better, simpler software. #webdev

Greg Bruce did not tweet this week.

Use the comments below to let us know what you think, and if you found some awesome things on Twitter this week!

Travel and discover with social media

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Travel is about discovery. New places, new people, new cultures, new food and new experiences. Aside from guide books, a recommendation is often the best way to find good restaurant/bar, unique sites or good accommodation in a foreign city. In my last post I talked about how we used mobile technology on our trip to Europe. Social media and sharing was part of that as well. It allowed us to extend our "recommendation" network. Cities like Rome are filled with tacky tourist traps. (Not to mention all the street peddlers.) So it really helped us to find out what to avoid as well.

Where to stay

Finding affordable and reliable accommodation while traveling can be difficult. Hostels are great but they can be extremely varied in quality. A quick check to see how many people have liked or commented on a hostels Facebook page was a good indication of what we could expect. It can also told us what else was in the area. The site we booked through, hostelworld.com, provided it's own way for travelers to rate and comment. We found this great B&B through their tips and comments.

Where to eat

Italy is known for it's food but if you're in their major cities, you might not find what you'd expect. Trucked in frozen food or processed frozen meals from a grocery store warmed up and served for 15+ euro is not uncommon. Actually a lot of places had a disclaimer saying "not frozen food" on their menu. So a quick search on social media gave us some good recommendations and confirmed what our hostel people told us. If you're going to Rome, the Trastevere neighborhood was the best place to find authentic Roman/Italian food and atmosphere. As Cam mentioned in his comment to my last post, Yelp and Urban Spoon provided him a great way to find local spots while traveling in Florida.

Sharing only works if it's easy

With all of these ways to share, businesses have to make it easy for travelers to use their social avenues to broadcast their recommendations. QR codes in businesses windows allowed you to scan them to 'like' on Facebook, 'check in', or to see other content were very popular. One hotel we passed had the QR code at about 1 foot X 1 foot on their window (see below). Quick, simple and easy. After each hostel, hostelworld.com send a quick survey via email to make rating, sharing and commenting on our stay very easy.

James and Foursquare at SXSW

So there were basically two scenarios Foursquare really came to the rescue while attending SXSW in Austin. The first was deciding where to eat. It was incredibly easy to tell which restaurants were busy and which were not in order to save time. However, there were two sides to this coin. How many people were checking into a location was also a direct indication of how good the restaurant actually is. Being able to check the Foursquare map and instantly recognize the quality food-joints was a god-send.

Second was figuring out which sessions to attend. Just like restaurants, the number of foursquare checkins were a direct indication of the quality of session. We knew what was stellar and what to avoid with a quick check of our iPhones!

Those little places you find off the beaten path are the ones you remember most. Social media is just another avenue to help make those discoveries or at least provide a starting point. Do others opinions influence where you go on your travels? What about in your own city? Do you use social media to discover your own city?

Read my previous post for more info on travel and mobile technology

Mobile Technology - The new way to travel

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

On my recent vacation to Italy and Poland in May, I noticed something different from the last time I was in Europe 3 years ago. Smart phones and iPad's are everywhere! No longer did I have to carry my Lonely Planet book, music, maps, train tickets, accommodation info and have to look for a computer to check my email. I didn't have an iPhone with me but my iPod Touch was invaluable for so many little things and Wifi access is everywhere (paid or free). Beyond the typical uses, here's a few ways I was able to take advantage of mobile technology.

Planning our day

It's definitely important to leave your map at home and get lost to discover some unique sites in the old cities of Europe. Although, there were days when we were tight on time and needed to make sure we didn't get lost on our way to our tours or miss any of the sites. Over breakfast at the hostel restaurant next door, we'd quickly check our route for the day, see when transit might be available and then be on our way. We were even able to purchase our tour or train tickets. If we weren't sure of what was going or what place we should check out, reviews and a quick social media search helped to find out what was happening that day. It definitely gives you some peace of mind until you get your bearings in a city.

Who needs a ticket?

Trains and public transit are the best ways to travel in Europe, hands down. Comfortable, on time, cheap and now with WIFI. Nothing beats the high speed trains from city to city at 200+kph. Instead of waiting in line to buy a paper ticket, we'd purchase our tickets online. Not only did we get the best price but we were guaranteed to get the seats we wanted. Once we'd made our purchase, an email with a ticket number and QR type code would appear in our inbox. This new e-ticket can be printed off or kept on our phone/iPod/iPad. The ticket inspector would just put the number into his own phone or scan a QR code with his phone's camera. That's it. The train company has realized that instead of buying expense scanning hardware, they can just use a phone with a camera and internet access. Of course the best advantage of internet access on the train was being able to stroll down to the restaurant car and surf the web while i drank my morning espresso and ate my chocolate brioche.

What else?

Even if you don't have an iPod Touch or iPad, many of the hostels will rent one too you for a small fee.
No more carrying lonely planet guides for every country/city. They even have an app that allows you to purchase only the city guides you need.
eBooks, especially reference books, are great for traveling lightly. Easily search for what you need in seconds.
Hostelworld.com has a great site with excellent reviews to help travelers find some great and unique places to stay. Their app was very easy to use too.
Use google translate to find out what's happening in local news.
Phrase apps or ebooks - it always helps to know some of the key phrases in the local language. "Mi scusi, dov'è il bagno?"
Pick pockets are everywhere in the major cities so try not to advertise you've got a new iPhone.

There's nothing more important with travel than discovery. Technology is just another tool to find out all a city or country has to offer. It gives you a good starting point but you don't want to spend your whole vacation looking at a small screen. Look up and take a turn down some random street to discover your own favorite spots. Is anyone planning a trip soon? Seen any other cool ways mobile tech is being used? Any favorite travel apps?

See my next post on Social Media and Travel

Tweets of the Week - Week of June 23rd, 2011

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

We finally got some sun this weekend, and to celebrate Calgary's decided to throw a gigantic city-wide music festival called Sled Island. So once you've read these amazing Tweets of the Week, get off your butt and see some shows. Jimbones is out!

Emily McCann tweeted: Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. June 22 - Seize the Day

Jim Gott tweeted: Check out Sean Connery's keyboard! twitpic.com/5en8w4

Craig Lepan tweeted: Mosquitos just landed on my desk. Where are these things from? Winnipeg? Shown at actual size. ow.ly/i/dqPO

James Bull tweeted: Brad Cloepfil On Calgary's National Music Center, A Bid For Big-Time Culture j.mp/jxiA0t #yyc on Co Design today? AWESOME!

Cam Hoff tweeted: I find myself longing for the smell of deet. #summer

Bryan Jones tweeted: New Hitachi network hub using the 3G network called G-Connect. should be called the G-Spot gigaom.com/apple/personal… #missedmarketingopportunity

Kate Anfinson tweeted: aaannd I'm drinking. #TimeStamp

Greg Bruce tweeted: @TweetDeck blows...

Dan Rigby did not tweet this week.

Use the comments below to let us know what you think, and if you found some awesome things on Twitter this week!

Concept is Everything.

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Like the book (pictured above) says, "No amount of glossy presentation will improve a bad idea." I know very little about this book. I don't own a copy. But it appears to be one of the few good books available on the topic of concept development for advertising - a very important and often overlooked aspect of the creative process. (Because it's an intangible asset, many people see very little value in the concept development process when developing ad campaigns - or logos.)

A concept is essentially the idea behind the message. Think of it as the hook that will grab attention and convince someone to read on. It's the foundation on which every ad campaign is built. A weak concept obviously means a weak foundation and how do you build anything on a weak foundation? Having said that, concept development is the most challenging and stressful aspect of the creative process. This book should help with your own concept development, it's essentially a complete course in advertising and offers an insight into how good concepts are developed.

What I like most about this book is that all illustrations are in pencil. There seems to be this misconception that everything these days is created using only a computer. However, if you think about it, the guy who who designed the computer didn't sit in front of a computer to develop the idea. He probably used a pencil and paper - the two most important tools for effective concept development.

This book contains 50 years of award winning campaigns in the form of pencil sketches, reinforcing the belief that a good idea will last forever. So, if you're struggling to develop your own ad campaign or marketing message, sit down with a pencil and paper and start writing and sketching. Unfortunately there's no secret formula or revolutionary piece of software to develop your idea, however, there's plenty of software to make a good idea look even better.

What techniques do you use to help develop your ideas or concepts? Do you carry around a sketchbook or notebook to help keep track of any sudden moments of overwhelmingly brilliant inspiration?

Tweets of the Week - Week of June 13th, 2011

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

It's official, Calgary has now become the new Vancouver. The rain is getting a little ridiculous, I can barely remember the last time I sat on a patio and enjoyed a tasty wobbly-pop in the sunshine. Hopefully this will change soon, and in the meantime we can enjoy these delightful tweets of the week. Enjoy!

Emily McCann tweeted: 'The Guess Who suck, the Jets were lousy anyways'. It's a #Weakerthans kind of morning. #lyrics

Jim Gott tweeted: Is Apple planning to kill the iPod? bit.ly/jnhKiw

Craig Lepan tweeted: If you're a golf fan. Watch this and laugh your ass off. Golf Boys - Oh Oh Oh (Official Video) ow.ly/5iwVt

James Bull tweeted: Canada's Bold, Leafy Rebranding Of Its Olympic Team www.fastcodesign.com/1664066/canadas-bold-leafy-rebranding-of-its-olympic-team

Cam Hoff tweeted: Far cry from my college typography class. RT @VeerUpdate: An iPad app that teaches beginners the subtleties of fonts. ow.ly/5gLou

Bryan Jones tweeted: so brilliant in it's obviousness!! “@jimbones: The Stats That Matter: Your Site’s Stats j.mp/mhQN21”

Dan Rigby tweeted: For all the photo nerds. camerabag.tv Interesting to see how others work. #photographers #process

Kate Anfinson and Greg Bruce did not tweet this week.

Use the comments below to let us know what you think, and if you found some awesome things on Twitter this week!

Tweets of the Week - Week of June 6th, 2011

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

It's the end of the 2nd week of June and there is still hockey on TV. The office is currently split regarding which team to cheer for, so it makes things a little tense at times. Enough blabber, without further adieu, here are the tweets of the week:

Emily McCann tweeted: Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose. June 6 - Seize the Day

Jim Gott tweeted: Nintendo Wii U. Sony PSVista. Apple iPad. Fantastic technology. Terrible names.

Craig Lepan tweeted: The greatest mistake you can ever make is to be afraid of making one. #keepcalm Have a good week.

Kate Anfinson tweeted: Some days I like to pretend I can speak Spanish. Today is one of those days.

James Bull tweeted: Walked into the Apple Store with a small light leak in my iPad 2. 20min later walked out with a *BRAND NEW* iPad. Thanks Apple. #bestservice

Cam Hoff tweeted: Ketchup all over my crotch. #itwasagoodlunch

Bryan Jones tweeted: Crazy vancouver canucks girl realizes she has arms but unsure what to do with her mouth youtube.com/watch?v=CFG4bF…

Dan Rigby and Greg Bruce did not tweet this week.

Use the comments below to let us know what you think, and if you found some awesome things on Twitter this week!

Tweets of the Week - Week of May 30th, 2011

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Well June is upon us now. Hopefully that means some sunshine and patio weather. While we wait for the sun to come out, I thought I'd share my favourite tweets from the FLIPP staff. Here we go:

Emily McCann tweeted: I'm about to go Office Space on our printer....

Jim Gott tweeted: All I can think of is Air Canada with this new logo. bit.ly/jzxuHw

Craig Lepan tweeted: A month of blogging comes to an end. | Who Wants To Know? | ow.ly/57z6b

Kate Anfinson tweeted: It's a drinking day @flippdotca. #BottomsUp

James Bull tweeted: @luckylou Chrome has a major type bug. If you have the fonts installed on your system, disable them. Clear cache, restart chrome.

Cam Hoff tweeted: Not a hockey guy, but you gotta go with the #original6 team over a bunch of dirty euros that happen to play in Vancouver. #gobruins

Dan Rigby tweeted: Nice work @craiglepan on posting everyday in May.

Bryan Jones and Greg Bruce had no tweets this week.

Use the comments below to let us know what you think, and if you found some awesome things on Twitter this week!

Gonna Make a record in the month of may

Tue, 31 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Finally, May is over. I came through on my promise for a post every day. Every work day that is. Some days the content more engaging than others, but I managed to say something every day and that was the deal. Here's a Coles Notes version of the month in review, some updates and notes.

1. Social Media Sharing Of Tomorrow | The jury is still out on Path. I have convinced a total of 4 friends with iphones to check it out. One of them I'm pretty sure only downloaded it to shut me up. Not mentioning any names. The user interface for Path is great and it does create a cool visual path of your month if you're able to make frequent posts. There are great instagram type filters for your shots and others for purchase. Em, thanks for sharing moments on Path, even if we are sitting next to each other at the time. ha. I haven't linked it to a facebook account. Maybe this would allow for easier sharing. 3 out of 5 stars. Thanks to @djwald at Legendary Branding for his idea to post about ideas of tomorrow.

2. One Great City | Winnipeg's airport is still crap. At least they got their hockey team back. I hope the new terminal is operational before they arrive in the city or they may have trouble signing any of the players.

3. Did You Give Me A Task For That? | We have made the transition from Project Bubble to Harvest. The shortcoming of Harvest is that it does not associate tasks to projects. It does an amazing job of allowing the team to track time, however your team has no idea what they should be working on. Small problem. We really like the estimate and invoicing interface on Harvest so we may be combining another program with Harvest for a full solution. The journey continues.

4. Keep it Real. Really Real. | Chores at FLIPP continue. When Emily has floors she still puts too much Mr. Clean in her mix and makes peoples eyes water. The Big Rock only slightly takes the sting away. Greg is still rigging the chore lottery so Bryan gets dusting and he gets a pass.

5. Team Building at 120KM/Hour | The team at FLIPP is still booked to head to the track next month for some high speed karting at ABRS. Also in the works is a client appreciation day at the track. If you're not a client you have one more month to become one and get in on this offer.

6. Tell The World And Just Do It. | I managed to complete this blog marathon, so that is proof that telling the world will force you to follow through. We're doing great on our resolutions. Em has registered for a 10K race in July, Bryan is eating less garbage, Cam is drinking more water, Greg got his license, Kate completed her photography course and I will complete motorbike school in the next couple weeks. Jim > you need to ride your bike to work. Dan > Have you been going to the gym more? James, are you reading a book a month?

7. How to not be a D-bag when you buy new Sunglasses | I think I was able to help many people with this post. It was highlighted with the most comments. Notable comments from @pancakeso and @LTDesroches as well as a great site referred from @terrancecoonan > www.iwantproof.com

8. Can You Send The Working Files? | Great comments on this post. Painfully, this question still comes up. I'm considering resorting to titling all estimates with "no,you don't get the working files for this price", but I'm not sure this would even solve it.

9. We Have A Twitter Account. Now What? #fail | @camhoff had a great comment on this post relating social media to pounding the pavement 2.0. Where most think it's a free pass, it's not. Leveraging social media successfully takes a lot of thinking, a solid strategy and a lot of work. Pass it on.

10. Never Forget Your Headphones At The Gym | This is sound advice.

11. Personal Directory of the Future Or Gone In 60 Seconds? | This post was touching on a first look at about.me. The jury has come to a conclusion on this one and it's gone in 60 seconds. We'll see if we're right. Although @aaroncrunch and @jimbones did get a nice set of cards out of the deal.

12. Tackling Your Big Idea | Big update on this one. The client accepted the direction after the pitch and days later flip flopped and went back to the safe direction. This means we have a killer idea on the shelf. Act now. Call us, become a client, get this idea for yourself and cash in on the ABRS client appreciation day.

13. Followers: West Jet 68,836 Air Canada 15,530 #Justsayin | Update West Jet is now at 71,493 and AC is at 16,250.

14. Am I Really Cheering for the Sharks? | Yes I was. Now I'm cheering for Boston. Don't take my passport away just yet, I'm still Canadian - I'm just a Flames Fan. If you don't understand this then you're not a hard core Flames Fan. I'll cheer for Luongo when he's in a Team Canada Jersey. Until then, go Boston. Yes I lost a burger and beer to @bickle66 and it was worth it. We'll be at Craft Beer Market for that one.

15. Yammer And The Quest For One Login | Yammer might fizzle out at FLIPP, but it's still sputtering.

16. Do You Have A Card? No, Google Me. | Cards need to be rethought. Anyone have any great ideas?

17. No One Likes RFPS | I didn't do a very good job of this post. It should have been focused on how much more valuable it is to grow your business through referrals and solid contacts vs. the RFP process.

18. Brainwashed by Starbucks | Some great feedback on this post and lots of new coffee shops to check out. Look through the comments for a new hangout. Thanks @famanji for your comments on this post and many others.

19. One More To Go | Thanks again Em for putting up with all of these posts and bringing my basic grammar skills up a grade level. Not sure what I'd do without you. I know I'd have commas in the wrong spots and my life would be empty. You're the best.

Thanks again to everyone for commenting and providing some great insights. I'm temped to ease myself out of this blogging addiction and might commit to 2 posts a week for June. Stay tuned.

One more to go

Mon, 30 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

It's the second last post of the 'Blog a day for the month of May' challenge. A few weeks ago when I started I had no idea what would fill all of the posts. Just like I have no idea where this one is going, but I did have one hypothesis that was proved correct; The more you write and the more you post, the easier it gets.

If you have a company blog or you're slowing down on contributing to your own. Set out a lofty goal and just get the content out there. Don't worry about the details just start the conversation.

Our team at FLIPP seemed to hit the wall with providing a steady stream of new blog content and my guess was that it was the pressure that came along with stepping up and posting a blog entry. With only one entry to your name the stakes are high. You better have something important to say. All I have managed to do with posting every day is take the pressure off myself.

I was surprised to have sparked some conversation and received some great ideas and feedback. Thanks to everyone for contributing. Most of all, I thank Em for putting up with me leaving the blog entry to the end of the day most days and for being a solid editor and sounding board. You're the best.

Thanks again everyone. One more to go.

Tweets of the Week - Week of May 23rd, 2011

Fri, 27 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Can't believe its already the end of May. We're now on week 5 of Flipp.ca's Tweets of the Week and there are some good ones. Who knew that Geoff McFetridge was an ACAD alumni?

James Bull tweeted: Writing the Perfect Web Design Contract j.mp/lkqNZD *Should have been the first tutorial I ever read!

Emily McCann tweeted: I've officially removed #twitter from my iPHone. #DisconnectToReconnect

Jim Gott tweeted: RT @heywhipple: Fun little app from VW allows you to "test" innovations on road pictured in a print ad. http:/… (cont) deck.ly/~iscqA

Craig Lepan tweeted: If ninja cats give you nightmares like they do me, don't watch this. Who thinks this stuff sells cars? ow.ly/52SXS

Kate Anfinson tweeted: My coworkers @flippdotca don't know who T.I. is. I'm about to school them in some important music history. #WSU #GoCougs #WhateverYouLike

Cam Hoff tweeted: Hutterites eat lunch at Brewsters! instagr.am/p/EyqJu

Greg Bruce tweeted: @jaydorn no no, @flippdotca knows all about Rebecca Black, @camhoff even has a Friday song dance...

Dan Rigby tweeted: Back from italy. Damn I need a good espresso.

Bryan Jones had no tweets this week.

Use the comments below to let us know what you think, and if you found some awesome things on Twitter this week!

Brainwashed by Starbucks

Fri, 27 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I've been an acting member of the Starbucks club for a long time. So long - that I was at Deville Cafe in Calgary the other day and when I got up to the counter I wasn't even sure how to order a coffee. I've been saying 'Grande Dark in a Venti Cup' for so long the fundamentals of ordering a normal cup of coffee escaped me. I eventually blurted out. 'Coffee' and she helped me through the rest and pointed to the cream and sugar station like I was on a day pass.

After fumbling through ordering a coffee, I did notice that I was much more aware of my surroundings. I actually found I was looking around. Imagine that.

As much as I love the consistency and predicability of Starbucks, (no matter where you are or what Country you're in) I think we shut down and go on auto pilot as soon as we walk in the door. Surprising to think that Starbucks everywhere are filled with creative types, yet I would think this predictability must be limiting creativity in some way.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not turning my back on Starbucks. This only opened my eyes as to how a slight shift in your routine can be a really good thing. I'll be looking to add some more independent corner shop cafes to the rotation.

Anyone else out there a Starbucks zombie?

Any recommendations for weekend coffee shops to try? Please leave a few ideas here. Have a great weekend. CRAIG OUT>

Do you have a card? No, Google me.

Wed, 25 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Do you think we're almost finished with business cards? Not that many years ago I spent countless hours looking for just the right stock like American Psycho (if you don't remember that scene click here). I lost sleep over getting the type face right and then starred at the screen until I thought the type was properly balanced. Getting your new company cards from the printer was second only to Christmas morning. In those days I wouldn't dream of going into a meeting without a card, now it's a rare occasion that I actually have one with me.

It was only 2003 that my business cards were still neatly organized alphabetically in binders, safe inside plastic sheets. The ones with the best designs were dust protected like they were Gretzky rookie cards.

That system became too cumbersome and was replaced by the desktop rolodex. Now both are in the back of a basement closet somewhere. When I first got rid of them I remember painstakingly entering each contact into my computer. Hours of my life I'll never get back.

Now Linkedin has replaced my binders and rolodex and keeps every contact's information up to date. Although exchanging business cards is still a common tradition, sadly it's just as common to toss the card in the garbage when you get back to the office after entering it into your computer or sending a connection request.

All of this aside, we've designed and produced some pretty cool business cards at FLIPP. Keeping in mind that people throw them out we designed one out of steel in the shape of a bottle opener. No one threw that one out and it was featured on a ton of business card review sites.

I do miss business cards. I miss the cache of having a really cool card, a great spot varnish and a unique die cut, but the whole idea needs to be rethought. In fact just writing this post gave me an idea for the next generation of FLIPP cards.

Do you take cards to meetings? Do you throw them out when get back?

Yammer & the Quest for One Login

Tue, 24 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

So I just set up Yammer* for the group at FLIPP. Why? Just to see how it works and what it offers. I already know I'll have trouble talking some of the crew at the office into signing up for yet another sharing tool that requires a password and support app. Some have to be pushed just to check email. I won't name names, you know who you are.

They are not alone in their reluctance to sign up for another sharing tool. We're inundated with all of the newest apps** and tools and everyone wants you to sign up and invite your friends. I think part of this hesitation is that many of the newest ideas have at least some percentage of overlap with Facebook, and everyone already has a facebook account.*** When it comes down to it, what these sites are competing for is your time and you've only got so much of it.

It's time consuming to constantly be updating profiles, changing your status, uploading your photos, connections, your bio. Now multiply that by 5 or 6 sites and you're not leaving the house.

Ultimately the driving force behind Facebook's opportunity to take over the world is our complacency and desire to never have another login. As first to market, Facebook has hooked the vast majority and even if there is a more superior product out there, it could die on the doorstep simply because we refuse to sign up for anything else.

In order for any new idea to wake up the majority of us it will have to be profoundly different than what is offered through facebook, or it would seem we're deemed to be passengers on the B&L Axiom and Mark Zuckerberg is at the helm.

What do you think will be the next big thing? Will there be a next big thing?

I'll let you know if Yammer makes it past day 2. CRAIG OUT>

* @mingooo thanks for the previous blog comment and suggestion to check out Yammer.

**Color is another app that comes to mind that is interesting but 100% dependent upon complete buy-in. Check it out.

***Not everyone has a Facebook account, I'm still holding out.

Tweets of the Week - Week of May 16th, 2011

Fri, 20 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Well its already week number 4, and we have another handful of the greatest tweets to come out of FLIPP's incredible employees. And here they are:

Bryan Jones tweeted: The #rapture is today and nobody was saved. I guess were all assholes

James Bull tweeted: Incredible article explaining why Google and Amazon helped Apple win the cloud-music service battle. Good read. j.mp/mPYpq1

Emily McCann tweeted: Highlight of my day so far: drooling on myself. #FrozenFromTheDentist

Jim Gott tweeted: The Best Ad Copy...Is No Ad Copy. | Who Wants tTo Know? bit.ly/k4HH8j

Craig Lepan tweeted: “Confidence is going after Moby Dick in a rowboat and taking the tartar sauce with you.” - Zig Ziglar

Kate Anfinson tweeted: Wow, I've been slacking on Twitter. It's crazy, I log in and see how much stuff I've missed. And by stuff I mean "lots of meaningless crap".

Cam Hoff tweeted: Last night on earth, and my wife leaves me home alone. #rapturebachelor

Greg Bruce tweeted: #GreenDay #Dookie Best Album Ever? I'm just throwing it out there, What does the internet think?

Dan Rigby is still on vacation. (Anyone know if he's coming back?)

Use the comments below to let us know what you think, and if you found some awesome things on Twitter this week!

Am I really cheering for the Sharks?

Fri, 20 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

In this years NHL playoffs I'm cheering for the San Jose Sharks. Before that I was cheering for Nashville and before that I was forced (but hated every minute of it) to cheer for Chicago.

Anyone else following this trend?

Any other Flames fans (or even Oilers fans) out there tired of hearing someone say they don't like the Canucks but that they are cheering for them because they want 'Canada' to win the cup? News flash, the cup is not shared by the country and it definitely would not be shared by Vancouver with Calgary or Edmonton.

Here's a thought I'll leave you with for the weekend. I would suggest that if you consider yourself a Flames fan and you find yourself cheering for the Canucks; You have to ask yourself if you're really a Flames fan or if you just dress up like one.

Discuss.

Blog Disclaimer: I have nothing against Vancouver, or Edmonton for that matter. I have friends and family from both. I would just never cheer for either of their hockey teams. It's this loyalty to our teams that all of us share. Of course we can all sit around over a few pints and enjoy the game, we just cheer for different teams and that's how it should be. As Cherry would say "It's the Code."

The best ad copy is...no ad copy.

Thu, 19 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Ads without body copy are considered to be some of the most effective. Ads with a very compelling image need very little copy because your image is doing all the work. Adapt the philosophy of, 'Say one thing, and say it well' and you can create ads of this type. (Advertising Award annuals are full of them). Once again, trying to say too much with your ad clutters the message and the ad becomes ineffective.

If you respect the intelligence of your audience and believe that they will make the connection between the image and the payoff, then the effort it takes to develop these ads are worth it. Take a look at the following examples. There's no copy, but you know exactly what they're saying.

Followers: West Jet 68,836 Air Canada 15,530 #justsayin

Thu, 19 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

You probably won't be surprised to hear that West Jet has almost 5 times the followers on Twitter than Canada's largest airline, Air Canada. If anything, you'd be surprised that AC was able to find 15,000 followers at all. With less followers than employees, it shows how interested Air Canada is in entering a conversation with their customers.

Look south of the border and you will see the same imbalance. Southwest Airlines (West Jet's Role Model) sits at over 1.2 million followers. More than United, Delta, American Airlines and US Airways combined.

What are Southwest and West Jet doing that the others are not? They're listening to their customers. But this isn't something that they are only doing on social media, it's something they are injecting into their business and taking action on consistently. Their brands have soul, where the others are cold, heartless running machines. These brands are having fun while the others are being corporate.

Visit Southwest.com or Jet Blue and compare that to the feeling of the interface design at Air Canada. One feels like you're about to go on vacation and the other makes you feel like you're about to file your taxes.

Looking at the number of followers on Twitter may seem like a trivial exercise, but it offers a true reflection into the rest of the experience these airlines are offering.

We're off to the airport in the morning and yes we're flying West Jet.

Some details on the stats mentioned above:

Twitter Followers:

Jet Blue: 1.6M

SouthWest Airlines: 1.2 M

American Airlines: 201,738

Delta Airlines: 179,333

US Airways 125,602

West Jet 68,836

Air Canada 15,530

United 6,400

Tackling your Big Idea

Wed, 18 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I'm half way through the Blog-a-day for the month of May Challenge and I feel a little bit like the guy in 127 hours when he starts drinking his own urine. Desperate. As I'm typing now I have no idea what will fill the page, I only know that the sun is going down fast, just like the final couple hill jumps in little wings before you're shut down.

Sometimes it's under this pressure that the best creative ideas are born. If you've been a part of a creative team, as your deadline closes in, you know the adrenaline rush of feeling you're running out of time. Since my days at Emily Carr I've been addicted to that rush of creative problem solving. The stress and frustration of not quite having the right solution was always rewarded with the satisfaction of nailing it.

Earlier this week we were under that pressure at FLIPP and looking at nothing more than a seed of an idea. At this stage the most important part is not giving up. It's obvious when you see some advertising creative that the towel has been tossed in and the team decided to mail it in, instead of working past the bell for the best solution. The most important ingredient to coming up with a really big idea is a team that you trust 100%. You can work as hard as you want with idea generation on your own, but you're limited to one dimension. You need to be comfortable with your team to say absolutely anything, no filters and no concerns of saying something stupid because it's usually the stupid remark that grows into the great idea.

At FLIPP this week, that seed of an idea developed into what I think was our most original campaign idea of the last couple years. Of course with any idea that big it will require a forward thinking client willing to embrace it. In the end whether or not they decide to go with the big idea or the safe one is up to them. The satisfaction for us is knowing that we didn't give up on delivering the best solution.

Wow, look at this I've filled the page. I'll let you know how the presentation goes tomorrow morning... and if they go with the safe solution, give us a call. We've got a big idea in our pocket ready for the right client.

Kickstart Your Ideas

Wed, 18 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

A few months ago I did something that I hadn't done before and decided to lend my financial support to a project on Kickstarter.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Kickstarter, it's a website that helps creative projects gain the funding they need to get off the ground. If you have an idea for a project and you need some cash, you simply pitch it to the Kickstarter community who lend their money and encouragement as they see fit. In exchange for monetary support, project creators offer reward incentives (ie. If you're funding a book, offer your backers copies of the finished book). Being a all-or-nothing funding model, no money changes hands if the project's funding goal isn't met within a timeframe.

The project I supported was a book by Frank Chimero, entitled The Shape of Design. Frank is a designer, illustrator and writer whom I've been following via his blog (currently on hiatus) and twitter feed. He had grown frustrated that he hadn't come across a book that communicated the mental state of a successful designer's journey through the creative process. So he sought out to write a graphic design book that focused on the why instead of the how, as every previous design manual before has. His official description of the book is as follows:

"The Shape of Design is a book about the whys of design. It’s a field guide for makers, a book for the people who believe that the world is not yet done. It’s a handbook for the emerging skillset: improvising, storytelling, embracing paradox, honoring craft, and delighting audiences. More than anything, it’s a book of suggestions to how we can make things that help us to live better."

Chimero brought his project to Kickstarter with a goal to raise $27,000 to cover the publishing of the hard copy book, as well as his time off to write and design the book. He offered the customary Kickstarter rewards, copies of the book, original artwork etc. What happened next was more than he had anticipated. He not only reached his goal but eclipsed it by over 400%. In the end over 2000 people backed his project with the final total raised at $112,159. He's now hard at work on the book, sending out occasional dispatches and progress reports to those 2000 backers. Mission accomplished.

Maybe you've been kicking around an idea in your head, something that you'd like to do if only you had the money to pull it off. Maybe it's time you gave it a shot and just threw it out there, you might just be surprised at the support of like-minded people out there.

Have you backed any projects on Kickstarter? Let us know what project you're backing. Or do you have a great idea that just needs financing? Share your stories and ideas in the comments and maybe your crazy pipe dream can become a reality.

Personal Directory of the future? Or gone in 60 seconds?

Tue, 17 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

About.me is a "Custom Profile + Personal Analytics Dashboard" or what I would call "your living tombstone". Is it the personal directory of the future? Or will it be gone before we know it?

The site allows you to create a custom 1 pager that features your bio and organizes all of your social media links in one place. The idea is that you have 1 place to send any contact.

The design interface is easy to use and I spent more time than I'll admit trying out every font and setup option before realizing that no one is going to look at it anyway. Setting up my page reminded me of an older site called Virb, which has now evolved into a monthly subscription site that allows you to build your own website.

Right now About.me is featuring a free set of printed cards from Moo. Our very own James Bull created his page and ordered his cards complete with a QR code that links you back to your about.me one pager.

The site also offers a dashboard to track your visitors to your about.me page.

So who would be interested in creating an about.me page? The intro video would suggest that it's for anyone who lives online, and that's all of us. I thought this site would be useful to recent design grads looking to get their names and portfolio out there, but if you're just out of school and looking to prove yourself you wouldn't want to be limited by a WYSIWYG set up. The majority of people with a wide collection of social media links already have them in one place.

I think the site is well designed and has a great user interface for designing your own page, but I have to admit I'm a little confused as to why anyone would use this. One thing is for certain, someone is collecting a lot of data.

Take a look, at my profile page: http://about.me/Craiglepan (I'll be able to see on my dashboard if anyone actually does). Set up your profile and leave it here in the comments, let me know what you think.

Never forget your headphones at the gym

Mon, 16 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Who likes working out in a crowded gym? No one does. The only thing worse than working out in a crowded gym is working out in a crowded gym with no headphones on. Just so happens, I forgot my headphones today at the gym and somehow all of the sight and sounds were amplified.

I look at going to the gym as a great idea generator and a chance to listen to music. I don't go to the gym to look like Thor. I go to release stress, be in my own head and ensure I can eat whatever I want and never be on the Biggest Loser. Anyway, we all go for our own reasons.

When you go to the gym at the same time of day for a while, you start to see repeating characters. You don't know them by name, only by the nicknames you've given them in your head. On my way to the elliptical, I walk past 'Spazzy Pants', named for her Elaine Benes type dance-trance she's in. It looks as though she could fly off the machine at any moment and holding on to the handle bars is all that's preventing it.

Next in line is 'Stinky', named for obvious reasons. Then the only machine open is one next to Chatty Kathy who is engaged in a 45 minute phone call type conversation with her 'trainer' slash rent-a-friend who is standing leaning on the machine. I drift in and out of this conversation doing my best to block it out and my best not to reach over and turn up the level 8 notches so she can't breath enough to talk.

As I'm stretching its clear that the number of rent-a-friends is beginning to outnumber the members working out at any given time. An improptu group-x class of 4-5 ladies has formed around a guy in a vest and it's starting to look more and more like Globo Gym.

We (Em and I) have been going to this gym for over 2 years. In that time more and more memberships (and more and more vests) have been handed out, but the actual square footage has never increased. As a result, we decided a couple weeks ago to just call it quits and look for another hang out.

Ideally I think we'd like to join "Average Joe's Gym". I'd happily invite Spazzy Pants, Stinky and Chatty Kathy to join us, as long as I have my headphones on and there are no vests around.

Where are you working out? Is it over populated? Is there a better solution out there?

Tweets of the Week - Week of May 9, 2011

Fri, 13 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Well its week number 3, and I have a great number of tweets I wish I could post. Unfortunately, only the cream of the crop make it. So here they are, the Tweets of the Week:

Bryan Jones tweeted: google chrome in an IE frame without the need for an admin to install http://t.co/CM3uilh

James Bull tweeted: VEGAN BLACK METAL CHEF! http://t.co/xxNNMJo *Hands down. Video of the day. #fb

Emily McCann tweeted: Fighting to run into the wind makes the way back so worth it. #Fact about my run. #Metaphor for life.

Jim Gott tweeted: "I'm not sure what I want, but I'll know it when I see it." - excerpt from the new book bit.ly/cXmQMM

Craig Lepan tweeted: Proof - cool woody shades (via @terrencecoonan) ow.ly/4T6dd

Kate Anfinson tweeted: Today I'm failing at pretending to be a Canadian. Uh-huh.

Cam Hoff tweeted: "There's something about using an Apple product naked." - @jimbones

Greg Bruce tweeted: @flippdotca's Jukebox player is now using html5 + audio tag! no more flash... #underthehood

Dan Rigby is on vacation.

Use the comments below to let us know what you think, and if you found some awesome things on Twitter this week!

We have a Twitter account. Now what? #fail

Fri, 13 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The most difficult thing about selling clients on integrating social media into their marketing is tearing down the misconceptions of what they think social media is in the first place.

Here are three categories that many clients out there fall into:

They believe that Social Media can work, just not in their industry. This group has some exposure to Blogs, Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook and has heard about some of the success stories companies have had using these tools. The key thought that this group is missing is that 'Social Media' is not the strategy, it's the medium. Like with any marketing campaign your goal needs to be established, your objectives set out, and tactics put in place. Starting question is: What is the overall goal?
'We want to do Social Media! Please put the links on our site.' You can explain to this client that there is actually a lot more to it then just putting the icons in the top corner, but their minds are made up. "We'll handle the management of all of that in-house". Months later the twitter account has 3 tweets that date back to the site launch, 1 news item update and a stale blog entry. They will then tell you that the social media just isn't working for them.
They're hesitant to dedicate the recommended % of media spend. This is understandable. Your client may be a marketing manager or a small business owner (ie. worried about spending their own money, or worried about covering their own ass). Dedicating a large percentage of the spend to a relatively unpaved/unproven path is somewhat unsettling. The other thing that is hard to comprehend is how much work is actually involved in making it a success. The fact that you're able to deliver measurable results is usually the component that tips the scales.

If you're a client, are you fitting into one of these groups? If you're in the industry, what other categories are you running into? Talk to me.

Life After My iPhone

Thu, 12 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I got my first iPhone in the summer of 2008, and I knew my life would never be the same. I was obsessed with it. It was my gateway to all things internet, email, and social networking. I swapped out my iPod for the iPhone every time I went for a run or headed to the gym. I slept with it under my pillow. I loved it, worshipped it, needed it.

But in the fall of 2010 my love affair with my iPhone hit a huge roadblock. When my husband and I relocated to Canada, my iPhone wasn't exactly invited to the party. Thanks to a locked contract with AT&T, my phone wouldn't work with any Canadian carrier and was basically useless. I tried in vain to unlock it using a variety of questionable websites that promised great results, but I was without success. Eventually, I gave in and bought a basic LG phone from Fido. Still, I continued to carry around my iPhone wherever I went, scouring the city for free wireless hotspots so I could keep up with my email and apps. I continued to load new music onto it and refused to revert back to my iPod when I went to the gym. Whenever I saw iPhone commercials on TV, I would bury my head into the sofa and sob.

Then something strange happened. I can't recall exactly when it took place, but after awhile I just lost interest. I stopped caring. I stopped compulsively checking for wireless hotspots. I stopped bringing it everywhere with me. I stopped putting new music onto it. I even stopped charging it, until it eventually died while sitting on our console table at home, where it remains to this day collecting dust. RIP iPhone.

Not only have I forgotten about my iPhone, I've also forgotten how to miss it. Now that I don't have my head down, eyes glued to its screen, I'm able to look around and see just how many people are as obsessed with theirs as I was with mine. Heads ducked down, eyes squinting in concentration, fingers flying. In line at Starbucks, in the waiting room at the doctor's office, at dinner when their spouse has gone to the washroom, at dinner when their spouse is sitting right in front of them, in the car, on the bus, on vacation... we can't stop looking at our phones. How many times has there been a dull moment at a social function, and you've instinctively reached for your phone to busy yourself?

In all honesty, I'm sure I'll have another iPhone someday - they're a great little piece of technology. But I no longer feel like I need one. How many of you can say that? Are you addicted to your iPhone or smartphone as much as I was to mine? Do you think you could handle reverting back?

Can you send over the working files?

Thu, 12 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

You've probably heard the question, 'Can you send over the working files?' and you've probably cringed at having to explain to your client that they don't actually own the working files. From website code to print production files, the question inevitably comes up and freelancers and agencies alike tiptoe around it.

I'm going to try calling up Apple and ask them if they could just go ahead and send over the working files for Keynote, because I purchased a copy last month. I have a couple adjustments I'd like to make to it 'in-house' and I'll just go ahead and show them my receipt for the 80 bucks I paid. Pretty sure they would laugh at me and then explain that the working code is not for sale and even if it was, it would be at quite a different price.

The conversation of 'ownership of files' is one you don't want to have to engage in. Having your wisdom teeth pulled is more fun and at least that accomplishes something. This conversation will only end up with a frustrated client and agency. Your only way to avoid this conversation is a working contract or at the very least full disclosure at the estimate stage.

If you haven't updated your estimate mice-type in a while, now would be a good time to add something to this effect:

"This estimate does not include outside costs. Outside costs include but are not limited to things such as colour proof prints. CD's. Mockup materials, couriers, travel expenses, taxi fares, bottles of inspiration, hosting, source files, source code, photography rights. etc."

Just adding the copy to your estimate isn't enough. It's worth your time to explain upfront that the source files or code have not been included in the estimate and to ask if including the source files is something they would be interested in. it's not always the easiest thing to bring up, but it's worth it.

Depending on the type of file and the level of complexity sometimes the best thing to do is just hand over the file. More often then not if a client is asking for the files it indicates that some portion of the working relationship is damaged. Sometimes making the transition easiest is the best thing to do.

Anyone out there battled this question lately? Fought to keep the files or decided to let them go? Anyone on the client side reading? Have you run into this before?

Share your battle wounds here. If you're looking for a computer sleeve like the one in the photo, here it is.

Not just a pretty face

Thu, 12 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

For many, a website is only as good as it looks, and by that measure the websites we build aren't slouches.

But what few notice or appreciate is the coding behind the scenes that make the visuals possible. Things like user experience, accessibility, search engine optimization, and alternate style sheets for printing are all things that we make sure are included in the sites that we build.

Here at FLIPP we like to think we are ahead of the curve, but not the bleeding edge on most standards. Some of these standards are only supported on a handful of browsers while some completely ignore them. We have been incorporating some of the more solidified HTML5 & CSS3 elements into our sites, but we also make sure they are backward compatible with older browsers (excluding IE6 - COMON people)

There are tests out there that validate your code to make it up to par with coding best practices and standards. As a matter of fact, FLIPP's own corporate website has been the #1 rated site on nibbler's top 67,664 rated sites for the past couple of weeks.

Not to toot our own horn (okay, maybe a bit) but you may see many of the sites developed by FLIPP in the following "best website" lists. While these sites mainly focus on visuals, they are also created by industry leaders and therefore they take a lot of the things I'm talking about into consideration:

What do you think of the newly built FLIPP website? Let us know. And don't be afraid to view the source and admire all the pretty code.

How to not be a d-bag when you buy new sunglasses

Wed, 11 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I thought these points were common knowledge but after witnessing a guy try on 249 pairs of shades in a department store I thought maybe this was worth sharing.

Never try on more than 3 pairs | If you want to buy sunglasses like a RockStar, look at your options, try 1 pair on and go pay for them. If you haven't found the right pair after 3 tries... leave immediately. If you can try on only 1 pair and make your purchase, I don't care what kind they are or how ugly they are, you'll be cooler because of it.
Decision time | When you try on a pair of sunglasses you've got 3 seconds to decide if they are for you. If you are checking your profile, or striking poses you run the risk of someone walking up and punching you. (And they would be in the right for doing it.) Even if you have to ask your girlfriend what she thinks, you're in dangerous territory.
Only try the Sunglasses on your eyes | If you are checking to see if the shades sit on your hat or the top of your head you're immediately a douche. Dont' even get me started about resting them backwards on your neck.
Brands | Nothing against Oakely, but there are a lot of other options out there. Here are some to check out.

Let me know of any other notable brands to add to the list and of course any other d-bag sunglass shopper sightings out there. Most of all: Don't be a douche.

Tell the world and just do it.

Tue, 10 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The most powerful way to push yourself to do anything is to tell the world you're going to do it.

We're 5 months into the year and many people are hoping that their New Year's Resolutions have long been forgotten by those they told so they won't have to live up to them.

At FLIPP there is no forgetting. Last year Emily organized company resolutions, all of which were contributed evenly by the entire team. Things from "Keep the server clean!" to "Let's get get out for beers as a group more often" were thrown into the hat. Everything was tracked and in our first Monday morning meeting in the new year we reviewed our progress. This year Emily up'd the anti and asked for a personal resolution from everyone at FLIPP. Those resolutions are printed out and posted upstairs in the games area (by the fridge) for daily reminders.

Instead of just going ahead and posting everyone's resolution from FLIPP, I'll just ask that everyone from the office post a comment with the details of their promise and how they are doing.

The reason I started writing this in the first place was that it's closing in on the end of the day and I had absolutely no idea what I was going to write about. This challenge to myself to post a blog for every day in the month of May is the only reason I'm writing this now. The fact that I broadcast to the entire office that I could do this and the threat of humiliation if I miss a post is what keeps me going.

So I suggest if you're looking for a little added motivation to accomplish anything from cleaning up your back yard to losing 30 pounds...Tell the world. Tweet it, blog it and tell your friends to RT it.

Anyone out there struggling with a New Years Resolution? Or looking to climb mount Kilimanjaro? Tell me about it here and we'll be sure to tell the world.

Team building at 120KM/hour

Mon, 09 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Part blog post. Part client plug.

This summer our team at FLIPP will be heading back to Allen Berg Racing Schools for a day on the kart track. Our first track visit was this time last year. Following that, FLIPP organized and took part in the Diabetes fund raiser Karts for the Cure. It would seem we're hooked.

If you've never been karting I'd highly recommend it.

You might have a vision in your head of kiddy/bumper karts well, think again. We'll be suited up in full racing suits and helmets in professional open wheeled machines that hit top speeds of 120-130Km. As a result of the power of these karts, the day is quite structured and every safety precaution taken to ensure everyone is comfortable zipping around the track. Allen and his team do a great job at making everyone feel comfortable no matter their skill level.

Some photography from our last day of karting was actually used in the FLIPP design of the Allen Berg Racing School website. The second slide on the cover page is our Interactive Director, Dan Rigby, and front and center in the karting section is our very own Emily McCann.

For those looking for a little more of a challenge, the core offering at ABRS are the formula cars that run on the main track at Race City Speedway. These Tatuus Renault Formula 1600s are as close as any of us will ever get to understanding the adrenalin rush of professional racing. Last summer I had the opportunity to spend the day ripping around the track in #17 . Words can not describe the rush of finding your line through the track at top speeds.

The reason you need to put this on your list of things to do this summer is that this will be the last season in Calgary for Allen Berg Racing Schools. Allen and his team will then be operating exclusively out of Thunderhill Raceway Park in San Francisco.

So get out there while the world class instruction of Allen Berg is here in our own backyard. For costs and schedules visit the very well designed www.allenbergracingschools.com

Signs That You're a SuperFan

Fri, 06 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Since 1991, I have been a fan of Pearl Jam. Ok, so maybe fan is an understatement. I may have been young then, but when 'Ten' was released, I knew that I had a love for this music that just wouldn't die. It wasn't until 1994 that I bought my first pair of 10-hole Dr. Martens and paired them with a plaid flannel shirt for school picture day, but by then Vs. and Vitology had been released and it was clear there was no turning back.

I'm often teased (I'd even say ridiculed) for my devotion to one band, but for me it is so much more than just a love of the music.

This single band has given me what I would call the soundtrack of my life. At every major milestone, whether a celebration or tragedy, there is a song or album that matches up along with it. Along the way I have collected endless mementos such as hoodies, tshirts, posters, stickers, buttons, cassettes, vinyl, CD's and DVD's. They are all pieces of my history with the band. Some are displayed on the walls of our home. Others are packed away for a rainy day.

So how do you know if you're a SuperFan to a band out there? Well here is a list of your own behaviors you might want to look out for:

Of the 6500 songs in your iTunes collection, over 700 of them belong to 1 band
When the Sirius XM Radio Station was announced for your favorite band, you had to pull the car over (Does your fave band even have it's own Sirius XM Station?)
When a new album was released back in the day, you were the first one in line at HMV to buy it
When a new album is released these days, you pre-buy it on itunes weeks before it's released
You are a lifetime International member of the band's fan club
You know strange but true details about each of the band members
You buy bootlegs of shows you've never been to, in cities you've never been to
You've been to a concert and then boarded a plane to see them in another city just two days later
You've been to two concerts on back to back nights in the same city
You've been to three concerts in three cities in one summer
You made your guitar teacher show you how to play only songs by your favorite band

So far, I've been to 7 Pearl Jam concerts and seen Eddie Vedder (lead singer) perform solo twice. This summer, I will be seeing Eddie perform in the amazing Benaroya Hall in Seattle, the city where it all began. This is literally a dream come true. As long as they're still playing, I'll continue to see them live. There is nothing that compares to connecting with your band time and time again.

We LOVE music at FLIPP. However, I put up with a lot of jokes around the office about my dedication to Pearl Jam each time one of their songs pops up on the Jukebox. But dedicated fans are tough fans.

In my opinion, music preferences are personal and subjective and therefore should face no judgement.

Does anyone out there share my SuperFan status about another band out there?

Keep it real. Really Real.

Fri, 06 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

We're pretty lucky to have the working environment we have at FLIPP. A warehouse space with graffiti covered walls, an Astroids arcade game surrounded by desks and computers, a democratic music system, fusball table, video games center and full beer fridge. All of this you can see and read about on our website, but what isn't listed on the site is a FLIPP Friday tradition called the 'Chore Lottery'.

Every Friday at around 4PM we divy up the following:

Mop the Floors
Collect the Garbages
Dusting
Clean the Kitchen
Vacuuming
Clean the Washroom

When we first started there were 5 of us so we literally pulled names from a hat. Names scribbled on little pieces of paper made Greg Bruce's head explode so he put together a little script that randomly matched names to the chores and the 'Chore Lottery' was born.

We've grown from 5 to 9 (so there are a couple of free passes) but the Chore Lottery remains and actually helps mark the start of a weekend. Strangely enough you don't hear any of us complaining when our name matches up with 'Moping the Floors' or 'Cleaning the Bathroom' and it's actually a great way of pulling us away from our computers, into conversation and back into the real world. And lets face it, sometimes the clients you're dealing with make cleaning the toilet a nice break. (Not me of course my clients are perfect)

We know we're lucky to love what we do for a living so cleaning the toilet once and awhile is a small price to pay. The beer fridge defiantly helps but overall it's pretty cool to see everyone pull together at the end of the week clean the place up.

What's it like at your office? Would you be ok with scrubbing the toilet?

Tweets of the Week - Week of May 2, 2011

Fri, 06 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Well its week 2, and here come the tweets. Here are our favourites!

Bryan Jones tweeted: BOO YES!! @flippdotca is #firstonnibbler http://t.co/OgMAMCV

James Bull tweeted: RT @ArnieR: Thinking about the Flemings today: Wayne, Carolyn, Angie, Allie, Jarett, and Jordan. <3 http://t.co/o2JcXmW *Same best of luck.

Emily McCann tweeted: @GBInFlames Your msn status is set to 'god damn these electric sex pants'. How's the vacay going so far?

Jim Gott tweeted: Awesome! RT @heywhipple: Meme-mash-up from a small strange corner of the web. http://bit.ly/lSzEAw RT @AdAnarchist:

Craig Lepan tweeted: Great spot for Toyota with Steve Nash | Practice Run http://ow.ly/4M8uq

Kate Anfinson tweeted: WAHOOOOO!!!!! #AMERICA

Cam Hoff tweeted: My son told his coach he's glad their team's not the #Yankees, cuz they're evil. #proudmoment

Greg Bruce and Dan Rigby are on vacation.

Use the comments below to let us know what you think, and if you found some awesome things on Twitter this week!

Did you give me a task for that?

Thu, 05 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

There are only a few things that account managers and designers share, but hatred for time tracking software is probably one of them. Words/phrases like 'did you fill in your time sheet?' or 'did you give me a task for that?' make the best of us run for the beer fridge.

At FLIPP, our first time tracking software was built in-house and although it served its purpose it was a lot like the Caddy in the Jonny Cash song "One piece at a time" and eventually we gave into the fact that we didn't have the time to work for free on creating our own program.

Our first experience with an off the shelf solution was Project Bubble. Although the set up and cost are both quite easy to take, the ability to interact with the software was a huge fail. Programmers and Designers were confused with the tasks and with the ability of the software to relay important project details. The account team was struggling with tracking project status and hick-ups with associating team members.

In a previous lifetime I worked with "Workamajig" who has now rebranded as "Creative-manager" (for obvious reasons... seriously - Workamajig?) I found this solution extremely bulky and confusing... and to top it off, expensive. Anytime you're calling the help line more than you're clients you know you're in trouble.

The biggest problem with creating a successful time tracking/invoicing program for creative professionals is that you're asking one program to speak to 2 distinctly different mindsets. The way that the Account Team wants to interact with the reporting and project analysis is 100% different then the way a creative wants to see a task list and interact with the content for any given project.

It's surprising that in such a large segment, no one service has grabbed the title of 'industry standard'. There are a ton of different programs out there right now competing for your business. To mention just a few:

Our next trial is with Harvest. www.getharvest.com I'll let you know how that's going later this month.

What are you using? Why do you like it? Why do you hate it? Let us know...we feel your pain.

One Great City

Wed, 04 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I've found myself stuck in the Winnipeg Airport for a couple hours so this blog entry comes from my iPad waiting for the plane, humming a song by the Weakerthans. If you've been to the Winnipeg (James Armstrong Richardson International) Airport before you'll know what I mean when I say it is part airport, part time machine. In a strange - twilight zone type - way, it's a late 1970's airport experience, complete with the nicest, most laid back security in the country. (I'm pretty sure the metal detectors don't even work, I've never seen them go off there once.)

Check out this great 80's news cast of the last renovations that took place some 30 years ago. Ron Burgundy would be proud of this intro.

Since those renovations somehow time has managed to stand still. The fluorescent ceiling tiling lighting (complete with bedbugs) could burst into flames at any moment. Its neon glow lights both ends of the building which are flanked with art work that has gone in an out of style so many times that it's actually cool again. You won't find a Starbucks here, just a strange clothing shop called "Journey's Leisure Supercentre" with the most eclectic mixture of 70's, 80's and 90's styles you've ever seen (and a lady counting loonies trying not to say...).

If you haven't had a chance to visit you better do it soon, the new terminal in Winnipeg is set to open October 30th of this year. It will be nice to enjoy a Starbucks, but kind of sad to say good-bye to the living breathing airport museum.

Social Media Sharing of Tomorrow

Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

David Wald (Legendary Branding) suggested that I do a blog post about "tomorrow", because that's what people are interested in. I agree, so here's where I think the power of social media /sharing is heading tomorrow.

A few of us at the office were talking with James Bull about his recent trip to SXSW. He was mentioning the buzz there around smaller more private social media sharing sites. One I've recently come across is PATH. It's a little like Instagram and Twitter had a baby, with the main difference being a sharing limit of 50 friends and family.

Confession. I'm not on facebook and I've avoided going on facebook because I was never comfortable with posting images and status updates knowing that it could be viewed by anyone. ( I know there are security features but no one ever gets them right and then the next thing you know some crazy person from your past is showing your Hawaii vacation photos with someone you don't even know. )

I think this smaller circle of sharing is where things are heading. Of course it's not for the Narcissist among us, but I'm sure they will be too busy planning staged photo shoots to broadcast on their regular social media channels to notice that things are changing.

PATH positions itself as "The simple and private way to share life with close friends & family". I think that this type of shift in privacy control is going to be seen more and more.

So check out Path.com and download the app - tell me what you think. Just don't ask me to join you.

Tweets of the Week - Week of April 25, 2011

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Today marks a glorious day in the life of our FLIPP blog, we are introducing a weekly feature, cleverly titled "Tweets of The Week"!

These series of articles will highlight FLIPP employee tweets and showcase exactly what was popular around the office. Hope you enjoy the linkage!

Bryan Jones tweeted: I can't wait until I go to Austin next year! (hint hint)http://disq.us/1szq11

Greg Bruce tweeted: RT: “@jimbones: GUI interface using visual basic to track the killers IP address CSI http://t.co/tLcZTit *Say what? #csi #fail”

James Bull tweeted: Check out @hellofisher's "Open Source Future" TEDxYYC talk!http://t.co/8eIBvQF #opensource #drupal #cms #designthinking

Emily McCann tweeted: The secret of happiness is freedom. The secret of freedom is courage. HAPPY DAY!

Dan Rigby tweeted: Great to see this type of tech in our medical system. Montreal doctors use iPads for patient information - CBC News http://t.co/ZZbTn7j

Jim Gott tweeted: How do you differentiate a product that's almost completely undifferentiated? More great advice from http://bit.ly/jZuTkJ

Craig Lepan tweeted: If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live. #keepcalm (and get back to work)

Kate Anfinson tweeted: @camhoff Piss off.

Cam Hoff tweeted: If you love bacon, you hate turkey bacon. #crimesagainsthumanity

Alright, so those are my favourite tweets from the FLIPP crew this week. Use the comments below to let us know what you think, and if you found some awesome things on Twitter this week!

Feeding the Agency Blog

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

There has been a lot of discussion at FLIPP about our blog - 'Who Wants To Know?' What's the strategy with this blog? Who's our audience? Are we targeting new business? And more importantly; What the hell am I going to write about next?.

Not too long ago we launched our new site and our blog. The idea was to open up the forum for 'water cooler' talk about anything you'd like to post. We did not limit the topic list to interactive or marketing and we did not limit the contributers to english majors. ( A special thanks to those who have gone out of their way to point out the most mundane of grammar issues.) If you wanted to write about movies, music and entertainment, go for it. Games, videos, sports or life-style... all open game, just make sure you contribute. As content was generated we would categorize the postings and see what we had on our hands. You could say the strategy was to experiment. What's the worst that could happen?... no one reads it? To date we've had some great articles and stimulated some interesting conversation, but continuing to feed the blog has become somewhat of a chore... it's always hungry and there is always something more important to do.

I think it's important that our blog not become a blatant agency type authority blog that screams "we're doing this for new business". It should remain an open feed of consciousness from FLIPP as it's the diversity in our group's skills, interests and passions that makes FLIPP such a great place. In order for our blog to take that personality on, it needs to be fed on a daily basis.

So in the quest for blog content (and to lead by example), I'm posting a challenge to myself. I will make a post to the 'Who Wants To Know' blog every day for the month of May. I'm not promising that it will be interesting but it will be daily. What's the worst that could happen?... no one will read it? So see you tomorrow, I have no idea what I'm going to write about.

Having trouble feeding your Agency Blog? Share your pain here. Have ideas as to what I should write about? Please let me know.

"What world are we in again?"

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Coins, Star-bits, Gold Stars, Grand Stars and Green Stars, we've got 'em all (Thats right, even the green stars!). *Spoiler Alert!* ...

Oh, hello there. Please, take a seat...

Here at FLIPP, we're no strangers to the Mario Brothers, given that about half of us are hardcore gamers and no self respecting gamer would ever deprive themselves the pleasures of chompin down mushrooms and stomping goombas, So when we got our hands on a Wii and a small stack of the latest mario games we did what any geek would do... we dedicated all our free time to exploring every level, finding every secret and collecting every coin/star that these games have to offer.

First up, "New Super Mario Bros"

This Game was great. Each level has 3 large coins to collect, usually placed in hidden or hard to reach places and with a "Secret World 9" lurking in the shadows who could resist playing this one until their fingers blister. With the ability to have 4 people on the screen at the same time jumping off one another and throwing each other into pits of lava this game made for some awesome team lunches (some of us may have even stayed after hours to play).

Save States FTW!

Next we all piled into the Delorean and took a trip back to the late 80s to play a classic Mario title known as "The Lost Levels". Now my recollection of this game is a little fuzzy because time travel always leaves me a bit light headed but I do vaguely recall something about worlds A - D... I don't have much to say about this one, classic Mario titles are always a good time and despite the fact that its only one player at a time we still managed to keep the team spirit by passing the controller around.

"Super Mario Galaxy 2"

This one took a bit of time for everyone to warm up to, after the success of "New Super Mario Bros" everyone was a bit hesitant to get into a 3rd person, single player Mario game but after we discovered that the second player could actually help out by holding down enemies and collecting star bits, coins and "1 Ups" people started easing into it and it wasn't long before they were long jumping, triple jumping and butt pounding their way through the levels as Mario!

What was great about this game was its replay value, you can beat the game without collecting all the stars but once you do you unlock "World S" and every galaxy in this world (galaxies in a world?) requires a certain number of stars to unlock so you find yourself going back to get the stars you missed or avoided (Blazing dragon level) during your first run through. So anyhow, after you get all 120 stars in the game, turns out, there are 120 more "Green Stars" to get! These green stars are scattered throughout each level in high up or hidden places, but after mastering all Mario's jumping techniques on the first play through most of them where a breeze to get (crouch, back flip, wall jump, spin, wall jump)

Anyhow, the fun doesn't stop after the green stars! Once you've collected them all you unlock the "Grand Master Galaxy" which has 2 more normal gold stars to collect. The first one wasn't that hard to get but the second one was epic, the level is made up of about 6 or 7 mini levels with no check points and you've only got 1 hit point to work with... It took us a few lunches and some after hours plays to finally get that last star, but rest assured we did and the pay off was... well, aside from a letter in the Wii mail section from the developers congratulating us on our achievement there really wasn't any pay off, but it was fun while it lasted, which by the way was approximately 106 plays/60 hours according to the stats.

So now what do we do?

So now we're playing the original "Super Mario Galaxies" which, aside from some seriously crippling player 2 limitations is almost exactly like Galaxies 2. Why did we play 2 first you ask? I'm not really sure but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else who hasn't already played Galaxies 1, The difference in player 2's abilities is just to much of a setback...

Anyhow...

So I guess after all that there is only one thing left to say... "TRANSFORM!!!" *A new galaxy has appeared* son-of-a...! This had better not be another chimp challenge... Gotta run, but leave a comment, FLIPP wants to hear about your video game success! (especially if you know some secrets we don't).

SXSW Interactive 2011

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

That's Blake Mycoskie, Founder and Chief Shoe Giver of Toms Shoes, and he's one of the reasons I LOVE Austin, TX. There I said it. I never thought I'd love anything in Texas at all, let alone a whole city, but the place is just too damn cool. Austin is an up and coming epicentre, like Seattle or Portland, of techie goodness. Multiple successful startups have their roots in Austin, most notably Gowalla, one of the geo-location crown contenders. I recently had the pleasure of attending a conference in Austin, the 2011 SXSW Interactive festival (SXSWi) and wanted to share my experience with you!

To start, SXSWi is the LARGEST interactive festival of its kind. Although official numbers haven't been released yet, rough estimates by festival volunteers have pegged attendance at over 20,000 people this past year. That's a lot of interactive geeks!

After attending over 20 different panels in a five day span, I noticed three distinctive themes this year:

Mobile web
Gamification
Group messaging

Instead of writing about all three of those topics here, I've decided to include links to my favourite sessions, a few of them even include audio recordings. So click the links and download the MP3's, you'll be glad you did.

Web Anywhere: Mobile Optimization with HTML5, CSS3 and Javascript
Keynote: Seth Priebatsch - Audio Available
Cure for the Common Font - Audio Available
Lean UX: Getting out of the Deliverables Business - Audio Available
Steve Krug Explains It All For You - Audio Available

FLIPP blog readers don't despair, I do plan on writing individual posts about these themes and topics specifically. So check back every now and again.

Now FLIPP wants to hear from you! Did you attend SXSW? What were your favourite parts? If you didn't attend, why do you want to go? Why do you NOT want to go? Leave a comment below, we want to hear it!

Edit: While browsing the interwebs for photos of SXSW, I came across these amazing SXSW Slideshare presentations, SXSW 2011 Recap 1. Jesse Desjardins is an amazing Canadian presentation designer and his SXSW recap is wonderful. Enjoy!

Photos are courtesy of Mashable and Flickr

Font Alternatives for the Every Man

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I know you're all tired of Arial or Verdana by now, and Times New Roman just isn't doing it for you anymore. You may have even gone so far as to thrown some *gasp* Comic Sans in the mix on occasion. But fear not, I've compiled a few designer-approved font alternatives that will help you elevate your next PowerPoint presentation or garage sale flyer to the top of the heap. Best of all, they're all free.

Museo Download

A geometric display font designed by Exljbris Font Foundry's super type designer, Jos Buivenga, Museo comes in a sans serif, semi-serif and slab serif. All are available for free in basic weights (but you'll have to pay if you want the entire family). Wildly popular in design circles, MyFonts named it one of the Top Ten Fonts of 2008. Museo makes a great modern alternative to Arial and Verdana, especially if you're looking for something a bit different.

Aller Download

Aller is a fantastic sans serif that comes in 7 weights all for free. It was designed by Dalton Maag Ltd. in 2008 for the Danish School of Media and Journalism. it too, is a great alternative to those tired old sans serif standards like Arial and Verdana.

DejaVu Serif Download

If you need something a little more business class to replace the Times New Roman, try DejaVu Serif. It's available in 8 free styles and will give your seriffed documents a more modern feel with it's unique square serifs.

GoodDog Download

So you're a closet Comic Sans fan, and you're looking for something a bit more playful to use in it's place. Look no further than GoodDog, designed by Fonthead Design. This hand drawn font offers a felt marker feel for use anywhere you need a casual fun touch. it's available in 3 free styles, including dingbats. While it may not be as designerly as my previous choices, it is a good option considering how poorly designed some of the more common hand drawn fonts are.

There you have it, a beginner's list of some free fonts that will help you add some new design flair to your home and office documents. Also be sure to browse around the foundry websites for more great free fonts to be had, and feel free to post links to your favorite free fonts in the comments. Happy font hunting!

Viva La Video

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Maybe it's the gargantuan TVs sitting in everybody's living rooms, or maybe its the poor quality of writing in movies. Maybe its the fact that big name movie actors are taking 90% of the movie budget that leaves little to actually writing a good story. But I can only speak to my perspective and I've come to the conclusion;

Movies are losing relevance to TV and Video Games.

I know what you're thinking, that's ridiculous, but ask yourself; when was the last time you were really excited to see a movie? I mean, line up at the theatre excited. I'm talking "STAR WARS vs. Indiana Jones on the Island of Jurassic Park" (trademark pending) type of excited!

Now how often do you find yourself saying one or more of the following:

Oh man, I cant wait for season X of _____* to start

The next _____** video game is going to be epic!

Now think back to the last time you paid between $15-$20 (depending on the inclusion or absence or 3D) only to leave the theatre angrier than when you entered because you saw every good part in the trailer?

I believe that longer running TV shows have a huge advantage. When you fall in love with a well written, deep, engaging character, you want to see said character over and over again. You want to see them in a myriad of situations. You want them to grow, to evolve or devolve depending on the show. Considering that a movie needs to cram in an entire story into an hour and a half, it's no wonder movies are going into 3 - 6 parts. And no, i'm not talking about Saw VII.

Could you imagine trying to watch the entire Twilight saga in an hour and a half? (Actually, that might actually make it less painful). Okay, Lord of the Rings then.

Which begs the question. When was the last time a movie wasn't based on a book, video game, or graphic novel? It seems that the movie industry is trying in vain to latch onto everything and anything to keep themselves relevant.

And then there's this. The 2011 Tribeca Film Festival is honouring the new Rockstar Games' Crime Thriller L.A. Noire as an Official Selection. Now I won't say I told you so but isn't it about time we start taking games and TV seriously by giving them the justification they deserve?

* Insert any one of the following. Walking Dead, Curb your Enthusiasm, Entourage, Californiacation, Mad Men, Dexter, Breaking Bad, Weeds, Big Love, Boardwalk Empire.

** Insert any of the following video games. Mario, LA Noire, Bioshock, GTA, actually, I am going to quit this cause the list would go on an on.

Moving beyond Explorer 6

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The internet and capabilities of browser's have grown by leaps and bounds in the last 10 years. Yet, for what ever reason, some people are still using Internet Explorer 6, a 10 year old browser. Be it stubborn IT people in corporations or government or users just not knowing any other option, it's important for them to upgrade and tell others as well. For it's time IE 6 was a good browser but that time has past. You've probably upgraded your computer in that time so why not upgrade your browser.

So at FLIPP, unless the client requests specifically to support it, we're telling our users to do just that. Check out our site in IE 6, and you'll get our friendly "upgrade your browser page". Many of the big companies including YouTube and Facebook have already started giving their IE 6 users a friendly upgrade message. Microsoft has even started their own campaign to kill the browser. ie6countdown.com is their latest effort to encourage users to upgrade.

Why upgrade?

Security - as of a year ago, there were still 24 unpatched vulnerabilities that will never be fixed. IE 7 and 8 have known issues as well.

Poor support of web standards - For the web and web technologies to grow, browsers need to embrace web standards. That way they can all grow together and ensure quality, security and universal functionality.

Reliability and capabilities - Minimize or completely eliminate crashes, pop ups, and other disruptions while you browse.

Development Hacks and Work-arounds - The amount of time, hacks and work-arounds developers have to go through to make things work on this browser would probably surprise most. Think of it as using ancient construction techniques and patches to build a modern, efficient home.

Usability - There are numerous innovations in newer versions of IE or other browsers that will make your experience much easier and more enjoyable. Tabbed browsing, speed improvements and stability are just the beginning.

IE 9 - Microsofts latest and greatest

Microsofts browsers have been a target of web developers over their different versions. IE 7 wasn't much better than IE 6 and IE 8 saw small improvement but didn't quite hit the mark. Now with IE 9's release last week everyone was hoping that those days were over. In many instances, they are but it's not perfect. There are still some layout bugs, hit and miss html5/css3 support, and lack of support for windows XP (the main install base for IE6 users). To Microsofts credit though they have listened to the developer community for many important things, including better standards support, and have created a more open and transparent dialog within the development community. Hopefully this communication will help improve the browser and fully bring it into the same "modern browser" class as its counterparts.

Take the next step

Really, we're not just a bunch of stubborn techie jerks. We just want to make everyone's online lives a bit easier, safer and more enjoyable. For us, developing websites and web applications for a 10 year old product isn't productive and is really holding back the growth of our industry. If you or your friends or family are still using IE 6, please tell them to upgrade and educate them on why they should. Help spread the word and help get Canada under the 1.0% mark. Let's tackle IE6 then onto IE7...

We recommend these browsers :

Firefox
Chrome
Safari
If you must, Explorer 9

You Don't Need A Website

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

You need a clear message... then you need a website.

'You don't need a website.' - might seem like a strange statement coming from an interactive agency but many of the new clients we meet with are confusing a new website for an Advertising Campaign or a Marketing + Communication Strategy.

Truth is, you do need a new website, it's just not where you need to start. Asking for a website quote before having all of the above in place would be like showing an empty lot to a home-builder and asking for an estimate for a new kitchen... and then being surprised when the estimate is for the kitchen and the rest of the house.

Just like that kitchen, your website needs a framework to stand on. Our work begins with Marketing + Communications Planning to establish and understand your brand core. From there we work to align your marketing strategy with your business goals. Once we have a clear measuring stick for our creative we begin working to bring your message to life.

If you're looking for a quick low cost solution to website development, there are many groups offering template design and programming. If you're looking for your site to reach out to your audience, interact with them and successfully deliver your message you need to spend some time crafting that message.

Looking forward to working with you on your campaign... and then your website.

Does the logo really need to be bigger?

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

"Can we make the logo bigger?" This is not an unusual or an absurd request, however, it is an often ridiculed request. In fact, there's even a song that parodies the idea. But why? Why does there appear to be a constant desire to make the logo bigger?

Granted, there are times when the logo should be scaled up to improve legibility or to meet the requirements of a graphic standards guideline. However, a more realistic reason as to why the logo should be made bigger is that there may be a disbelief in the marketing message or advertising concept. So, for some reason, by making the logo bigger it will somehow make a weak concept stronger?

Probably one of the most important things to consider when deciding to make the logo bigger is to take a step back and re-evaluate the ad concept or marketing message.

Is the ad strategically on the mark? If the ad’s message successfully stops a reader and engages them, they will likely look for the logo. The reader just found something they want, now they'll look for the logo to find out where to get it or who's responsible for it. In this case, the logo will be found no matter what the size or color.

Why isn’t bigger better? It’s not only a matter of taste. In every ad there are messages that need to be conveyed in a matter of seconds. A headline, tag or image is the message that is designed to capture attention. All these elements must stand out and be clear. Why introduce yet another dominant or colorful element to compete with the main message. The ad and its layout as a whole must clearly deliver its message. The layout and artistic decisions made for the entire ad sends messages about the quality of the product and the personality of the client. All these things should be well thought out ahead of time. These elements contribute to a large overall brand image and shouldn't be altered to enhance the look of a logo.
People buy into benefits, not logos. People also buy into brand names, but a logo does not make the brand. A brand is only established by advertising that evokes an emotion from a consumer - that's a tall order for a logo.

Getting Hooked on Qrank

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Since I joined the ranks of the iPhone users last year I've seen a lot of apps come and go from my phone. Most apps I added found themselves deleted soon after, some immediately after. Even the mega-games like Angry Birds and Cut the Rope had a relatively short life span, and though I haven't deleted them, I don't find myself coming back to them regularly any more. But the one app that I've found myself hopelessly addicted to is the fantastic daily trivia game, Qrank.

Boasting a 70% player retention rate, Qrank (pronounced Crank) is a daily (and free!) pop culture trivia game from Ricochet Labs for the iPhone and Facebook (and coming soon to Android). Billing itself as a "Daily Social Quiz Addiction" it all began in Austin, TX and has ballooned into an international obsession with over 30,000 trivia junkies. Each day you're presented with a game board similar to Jeopardy from which you select 15 of the 20 questions to answer in a multiple choice format. But don't dawdle, the longer you take to answer a question, the lower the score. Many of the questions are user submitted, so the content is always fresh with the pop culture and news items of the week. Once you complete your questions you're presented with a leaderboard that shows how you fared versus your friends, city, state and so on. This keeps you coming back day after day as you try to best your friends and climb to the top of the global leaderboard.

Features:

Fresh Questions pulled from the news of the week
Life Line Power-ups (Reveal Subject, Reveal Bonuses, Freeze Timer, 50/50, and Percentage Life Line)
Awards Unlock Awards for achieving in game feats
Submit Questions for inclusion in the game via the Qrank Website
Social Gaming Leaderboards let you compete versus your friends, city, state, country and the world!
Social Media Tie-ins Get daily hints via the Qrank Facebook and Twitter feeds

If you're a lover of trivia or a self-professed purveyor of useless knowledge like me, you'll definitely want to do yourself a favor and check out Qrank. Just don't blame me once you're addicted!

Check out the screengrabs below and get yourself some Qrank: Facebook | iPhone

Less Is More: The Facebook Friends Cleanse

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

When I signed up for Facebook nearly seven years ago, I added everyone I knew. Friends were something to collect and the more you had, the cooler you appeared to be. Somewhere between Friend #1 and Friend #587 the novelty wore off, and when Jimmy Kimmel declared November 17th as National Unfriend Day, I jumped at the opportunity to trim my list. Four months later and 345 friends shorter (I'm down to 242!) I haven't regretted the decision yet.

How to do it? From your Home page (the first page you see after you login) click on Friends in the left-hand column, then click on "Edit Friends" at the top. Choose "All Friends" in the drop-down menu, and start x-ing away! Not sure who to ditch? Here are a few examples:

You have no idea who they are, where you met, or why you're friends.
The only interaction you have with them is declining their never-ending Farmville requests.
They haven't changed their profile pic or posted an update in over a year.
They've recently popped out a kid and the only stuff they post relates to what is going in or coming out of their bundle of joy.
THEY WRITE THEIR STATUS UPDATES IN ALL CAPS WITH LOTS OF EXCLAMATION MARKS!!!!!

Would you ever do a "Friends Cleanse"? Who would you ditch? Who would you keep?

E-Reader OR Good Old Fashion Book?

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I have been asked several times if I would be interested in receiving/using/purchasing an E-Reader. My answer (without hesitation) has consistently been 'No'. On several occasions this answer has been met with a single raised eyebrow. It seems that the more people I've in turn asked, the more I've realized that you are either from one camp or the other. Pro-E-Reader or Pro-Book.

I suppose I can see the benefits of an E-reader when it comes to travel convenience and quick access to the latest new releases. Or maybe there is an environmental aspect of saving a tree by buying an e-book download instead of a hardcopy. But let's be honest. I'm not the fastest reader, so having new releases at my fingertips is really irrelevant. It's also not a secret that I'm not the best recycler. Beyond the pleasure of a bit more room in my carry-on luggage, I can't see myself developing an attraction to an E-Reader in the near future.

Here's my thinking & rationale:

1. There is nothing that can ever replace the smell of a real book. New books, old books, library books. There is something about cracking a book open and getting a whiff of the pages that is comforting and relaxing.

(As I write this, I realize I just made someone their next million. The next new thing is going to be scented E-readers. 'New book with vanilla' scent. 'Old World Library' scent. 'Bookstore Coffee Shop' scent. They'll probably come with different scented covers in a rainbow of colours too so you can collect them all. Great.)

2. Who names these things? I looked at three E-Reader names and none of them provoked thoughts of reading or literature or learning or escape. None of the names conjure up feelings of comfort or coziness that I get when I think about curling up with a great book . Let's see what the dictionary says:

Nook: A corner or fragment
Kindle: To be aroused (ok, well maybe certain kinds of books)
Kobe: A port in Japan severely damaged by an earthquake in 1995. Also, beef.

(Definitions were looked up in an actual hardcopy dictionary)

3. Bathing with an E-Reader seems like a hazardous and potentially expensive risk. I'll admit that I like to bring my books into the tub. And I don't mind if the pages get wet and curl up on the ends. I think that just adds to the character of the book when it ends up on my shelf as part of my reading collection. An E-Reader however would require careful attention and very dry hands. This is extra stress that I don't need when trying to relax.

4. E-Readers offer one more reason not to leave your computer screen or your house for that matter. You can really do everything online if you put your mind to it. Buy clothes. Buy groceries. Do research. Read the news. Find out the weather without opening a door. Talk to your friends. Even SEE your friends. One of my favourite pastimes is going to a book store to browse. New books, old books, books in different sections. Even flipping through magazines. I love finding what my next read will be. Or the satisfaction of grabbing a copy of next month's book club book and actually holding it my hands. Seeing what the front cover looks like. Reading the back cover. An E-Reader takes away all of the excitement of the process of buying a book. It takes away the uniqueness and individuality of a book. E-Readers sterilize the look and feel of a book and the most variation they offer is larger or smaller font and maybe the option to change the type setting.

5. The potential for bruising on the face when falling asleep with your E-Reader seems greater and would likely take longer to heal. I fall asleep with my book almost every night. I drop it on the floor or drop it on my face. That's the signal that it's time for lights out. I don't suspect that a plastic E-Reader punching me in the face would feel quite the same as a soft cover book. I'm also not sure that an E-Reader could take the beating of being dropped on the floor every other night.

Well, there you have it. I'm clearly Pro-Book. My hope is that there are enough people in my camp to continue the demand for real books as it seems the popularity of E-Readers is continually on the rise. I'll stand my ground on this one until the bitter end. I'll tie myself to a tree in protest if I have to (unless they want to cut it down for a paperback, then I'll step aside).

Which camp are you in?

Whatever happened to... augmented reality?

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Since appearing on the scene in 2009, augmented reality (AR) has had an interesting lifespan. It quickly became the "hip new thing" in the technology world and marketers jumped at the opportunity to utilize this new engaging experience. In fact, a quick Google news search reveals that there were 7,000 augmented reality news articles published last year alone. AR was destined to become a mainstream reality because camera-enabled smartphones enabled users to "escape reality" and explore their world like never before. One question remains though, after having more than two years to develop and mature, whatever happened to augmented reality?

If you've never heard or seen augmented reality before, I'll give you an introduction. In March of last year, GE made big splashes after introducing their "Smart Grid" campaign. Within the campaign, GE released a micro site that contained a nice little easter egg. Users could print off a "marker" and interact with the website by utilizing that marker. To prevent confusion, I'll let GE explain the details and show you how it works.

GE's Plug Into The Smart Grid Augmented Reality Demo

It has now been a full year since that AR demo hit the web, and where do we stand? Well not too well. Immediately following the release of GE's demo, hundreds of marketers and developers jumped at the opportunity to create their own augmented reality experience. And not surprisingly, most of them were terrible. Here are just a handful of the worst the web has to offer:

Now that you've seen the worst, let me bring some good news. Augmented reality isn't dead. In fact, one of the biggest technological products released in the last year is based on augmented reality. I'm talking about Microsoft's Xbox peripheral, Kinect. Utilizing all kinds of drool-inducing tech to create a full-body controllerless gaming experience was no small feat, and Microsoft nailed it. The public loves it, and most people probably aren't aware that they are using an augmented reality device, but selling 8m Kinect units in the first 2 months is strong evidence of that.

That not the only success story either, marketers have finally started to figure out some decent uses of augmented reality for everyday use. Applications and utilities that actually make our life easier and allow us to engage with brands on a deeper level. Here are some great examples of AR being used today:

What are your thoughts on augmented reality? Is it just a fad, or is there some real value in it?

Letterpressed to Impress

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

It should come as no surprise that in this age of the paperless office and cheap digital printing, that people are coming back to a more tactile method of printing. Something that stands out from the pack the moment you pass out your card and the recipient feels it between their fingers. This is where the 500 year old craft known as letterpress printing has re-entered the scene with stunning results.

Letterpress is a relief printing method that imparts a unique handmade quality by impressing a reversed raised surface into the paper, creating an embossed effect as it prints. This process was invented by Johannes Guttenberg (the father of movable type) in 1440 and served as the primary method of printing until the advent of the linotype in the late 19th century. Today we're seeing a resurgence in commercial letterpress shops that use a 'water-wash' photopolymer plate that can produce a relief printing surface from a digital file.

One such shop, and the reigning champ of letterpress for my money, is Studio on Fire out of Minneapolis, MN. Their seven presses and in-house platemaking make them one of the larger exclusive letterpress shops around, but the quality of their work is what makes them a truly sought after printing partner. They've lent their expertise to projects ranging from posters to coasters alongside the more traditional applications like business cards and wedding invitations. A unique service they have pioneered is edge coloring, the application of contrasting ink to the edges of business cards. Since letterpress is usually done on extra thick card stock, the colored edge can add quite an unexpected hit of color that looks amazing.

Another small American boutique printer cranking out some beautiful letterpress work is Alex Daley's one woman shop, Dolce Letterpress. Based in Bohemia, NY the bulk of her work is invitations, announcements, stationery and business cards all done with a handcrafted flair.

Here in Calgary the availability of letterpress printing is relatively slim. Unicom Graphics apparently offers some letterpress services with a hot metal typesetting facility, likely the only one of it's kind in town. Also for the sake of old timey authenticity, I should mention that Heritage Park also has a letterpress, even though it's not available for commercial printing.

While digital and commercial offset printing will always have it's place as we go forward, it might be a good time to consider letterpress printing for your next business card or invitation. It is admittedly more expensive than the common conventional printing methods, but making a good first impression could prove to be priceless.

A brand identity is more than just a logo

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

When developing and designing a logo, think more about developing a visual identity. Initially, this will take a lot more effort, however in the long run it will make life much easier and be more cost effective. Visual identities are the foundation for creating ad campaigns and designing effective marketing materials, especially when third parties are involved (designers will refer to a graphic standards guideline for a particular brand to develope visually consistent marketing materials). As your brand becomes more established, your brand becomes much easier and faster to recognize.

This ad campaign for FedEx is built around a very strong, well designed, visual identity. The FedEx identity is so strong that most people would recognize these ads without the logo. The logo is an important part of the visual identity program, but it should not be the only part. When referring to a visual identity, it refers to the logo, colors, typeface, and all other visual elements that represent the personality of the brand. This includes advertising campaigns, packaging, retail design, product names, web site, uniforms, etc. The scope of the visual identity or language is unique for every different brand. You can create much more compelling marketing materials when you have a group of elements to work with, rather than just a logo.

Twitter vs Facebook Breakdown

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The following is a social networking user demographic breakdown. It's all interesting to look over, but there are a couple of things I found particularly surprising.

While twitter only has 1/5th of the total users that Facebook has, both websites have a higher percentage of women using them.
Facebook has been around for much longer than twitter so it enjoys a broader range of age groups and education levels. This also could be due to the fact that Facebook started on a university campus (see the movie "The Social Network")
Both Facebook and Twitter will influence the purchases of products if the user "follows" or "likes" a particular brand. Underlining the importance for companies to keep their social networking pages exciting.

Click on the images below to see them in greater detail. All stats are based on U.S. unless specified otherwise.

The Flippin' Jukebox

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

When you hear the term "jukebox", you may be reminded of The Fonz queuing up a hot track with a nonchalant bump of his fist on Happy Days. Our Jukebox at Flipp doesn't quite work like that, but it does make it quite simple to listen to some of your favorite music while you work.

Created by our in-house programming team, the Flipp Jukebox is a web-based music library and player that randomly selects songs from our collection of over 18,000 mp3's. Since we flipped the switch back in August 2006 over 307,000 songs have played through our studio speakers.

What makes it a true jukebox experience is how the playlist is determined by everyone in the office. Since everyone has their own musical taste (or lack there of), we all have our own personal log ins and can rate songs on a 5 star scale as they play. Songs with higher ratings (like those by The Weakerthans) play more often, and songs rated poorly (like those by Rush) find little air time. If the currently playing song receives enough low ratings it is "gonged" and the jukebox moves onto the next song in the queue. This ensures a democratic system of quality control, and gives everyone input into what plays the most.

If you still really want to hear that Rush song (despite it's one star rating), you can also request songs and create playlists through the searchable database. Simply type a band or song name in the search field, or browse the artists and albums alphabetically. To date, Jukebox has filled over 27,000 listener requests.

Just like Fonzie's jukebox kept the good times rolling at Arnold's Drive-In, one of the keys to maintaining a fun creative environment here at Flipp is good music, and our Jukebox system provides us that in spades. I'm sure The Fonz would offer his signature two thumbs up seal of approval, even if he didn't have to smack it to get it playing the hits. "Heeeeeeey!"

The Need For Speed

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Last November FLIPP worked with our favorite Rally Racer, Johnny Summers and supplied his Vex Performance Subaru with some new clothes - complete with FLIPP logos. Our expert friends at Free Style Designs completed the wrap and provided a whole new attitude for Johnny and his ride. The design was fueled by Jim Gott at FLIPP and incorporated Johnny's passion for speed with his love for music. That's right, it wasn't enough for Johnny to be a race car driver, he had to go and be a Rockstar too. I've attached some great shots of Johnny and the car in action.

You can learn more about his music at Jonnysummers.com and more about his racing at Johnnysummersracing.com

You Have to Disconnect to Reconnect

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I recently read an article about a mom who decided that her Christmas present to her kids was to 'unplug' for 14 days. No twitter, no facebook, no email, no iPad, no smartphone. Sound impossible? I think for most of us it would fall inline with needing a 12-step program and a sponsor. It seems more and more being 'connected' to the digital world is moving towards a full blown addiction. And with all addiction, comes trade-off. Your time. Your attention. Your presence. Your honesty. Your awareness of others and of self. All of these can become jeopardized when coupled with an obsession with social media and the gadgets that have become part of our everyday lives.

The result of this one mom's experience of disconnecting was that she became more in touch with her kids and herself. She didn't miss anything. She didn't lose anything. She didn't sacrifice anything. She felt appreciated. She noticed things around her. Her kids seemed to complain less. Fuss less. Talk back less. There's a lot to be said for those kinds of changes simply from unplugging for a couple short weeks.

Maybe the challenge of 14 days fully disconnected isn't possible for some. I guess it's likely not realistic for many jobs or parents. But there are other less extreme ways to test out this disconnect theory. Here are a few that I've come up with to try or at least think about:

A New Rule

How about no computers, phones, email, text, tweets, facebook after 9:00pm. That includes everyone under your roof.

Pick Up The Phone

Remember when you use to call people and have great conversation instead of typing it all out on a tiny keypad or in sentences no greater than 140 characters? I miss those days.

'DO' Instead

Instead of tweeting about things, actually do them. For example, to say 'I'm playing with my kids and loving them right now' makes no sense. You're tweeting about playing with your kids while ignoring them because you've stopped to type about it. Social media has a time and a place. It's doesn't need to be all the time and in every place.

Mini Break

Declare a 'social-media-free-weekend'. It's just 2 days. You'll be surprised how much longer your weekend feels.

Holiday! Celebrate!

On your next holiday, leave your phone, computer & iPad behind. That's what holidays are meant for. Everything back home can wait. You'll see.

Tough It Out

The next time you're out for dinner and your spouse or friend gets up to use the washroom, leave your phone in your pocket or your purse. You might feel awkward. You might feel anxious. But just look around. Fidget with the cutlery. You don't need that security blanket. You can do it!

Live Your Life

Try practicing some discretion and privacy when using social media. Certain conversations are better suited one-on-one using MSN, phone, email or skype. Remember back in the day when you didn't feel the need to tell the whole world every detail about you; and where you are; and what you did; and what you ate; and how many reps you did; and when you got up; and when you went to sleep? That felt more like living.

Good Morning!

If the first thing you do when you wake up is grab your phone (because it's already on your pillow) and check your tweets, emails and facebook, then STOP! Give yourself some breathing room before you invite in all the craziness and information that will clog your newly cleared head.

I try (although I fumble) to practice most of these. I have to say, feeling liberated and mindful and in the moment is worth more to me than creeping on photos from this past weekend or making sure I've had enough tweets today so not to run the risk of losing followers. I love some things about smart gadgets and social media and I don't expect to ever fully get away from them, but I also love giving myself time to feel free and independent of technology. Even if it's just for a moment.

It's interesting that the mom in the article I read saw the notion of 'unplugging' yourself as a GIFT to your family. What she was really giving them was the gift of her time. Her attention. Her presence. Her love. Her honesty. The way I see it, she was giving all of those gifts to herself as well. Examples like this are a great reminder that sometimes you need to stop. Step away. Put down the gadgets. Get back to basics. Disconnect. Reconnect.

(Image from Veer + my current desktop photo)

Cracking The QR Code

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

You've probably seen a few of these odd, blocky bar codes around by now. They're starting to pop up in magazines and print advertisements regularly, but what exactly are they and how do you use them?

They're called QR Codes (Quick Response Codes), and they're a type of bar code that can be scanned with your smartphone's camera. They're commonly used by marketers to store URL’s and be used to instantly direct users to rich web content on their phone. Consider them offline hyperlinks bridging the gap between print and online content. They're hugely popular in Japan and most Japanese phones now come equipped with a code reader as standard. With over 50% of americans carrying smartphones, and readers for every operating system readily available for free it's expected that QR Code circulation in North America will increase dramatically in 2011.

That’s great that it's big in Japan, but does anyone actually use them here?

Since QR codes are a relatively new medium, there lies a huge potential for early adopters. Here's a few examples of how this context-sensitive marketing has already been used successfully in North America.

The Detroit Red Wings have made their game programs a powerful interactive fan experience by including QR Codes that directly link to custom video content from print articles.

Several museums have experimented with QR Codes by offering additional mobile content to museum guests via QR codes placed alongside their displays.

Google has recently launched a "Favorite Places" campaign where they mark local businesses (100,000 in the USA for starters) as Google favorites by placing a QR code sticker in their window. Scanning this code will give the user detailed business information, pricing, reviews, recommendations and the like. They're also introducing a coupon feature tied into this program, where users would receive a discount just for scanning the QR Code.

Jimmy Fallon, the tech junkie of late night, brought QR codes right into North American homes on a recent show. When introducing the guest musical act for the night (Odd Future), Fallon held up a large QR code in place of the album art the host would typically display. Viewers who scanned the code on their TV screens were directly linked to a music video.

Ok I'm sold, now how can I start using QR Codes?

There are simple online applications where you can input a URL and receive QR codes in a range of sizes. It's recommended you generate as large a code as possible to ensure clarity in your final printed piece. Aim to adhere to a minimum size of 1.25" x 1.25" for best results. Also try using TinyURL to shorten those long URLs into a short simple hyperlink before you plug them into a QR Code generator. By keeping your URLs short, a simpler code is generated, with less room for error when the end user scans the code.

Creating the codes and implementing them into your print materials is only half the battle. The most important thing to remember when using QR Codes is to deliver content to the end user that is optimized for mobile. Sending people to your flash-based website on their phones isn't going to do them (or you) any good. So make sure you're at least linking to the mobile version of your website, preferably something directly related to the content in the printed piece. YouTube videos can also work well and deliver compelling video content that can't be put on a printed page.

Let us help you.

Being in it's relative infancy, the possibilities are really quite infinite when it comes to this new bridge between print advertising and mobile content. If you'd like to learn more about this new marketing tool please contact us at Flipp and we'd be more than happy to explore creative ways to put QR Codes to work for you.

User Experience and Your Brand

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

As modern browsers, web sites and mobile apps take center stage, it becomes increasingly important to invest time in thoroughly exploring user experience and user interface design not just to create a good looking website but to create a good brand. More often than not, customers are interacting with a brand online first before talking to a sales person. That experience goes a long way to developing the feelings a user associates to a brand.

Many of today's largest and most successful companies are investing heavily in User Experience as a central part of their branding. Apple, Electronic Arts, Google, Nike, Research in Motion and Yahoo are just a few of the big names who are doing it right. For these companies, branding is much more than their logo or their next ad. It's about integrating their core values into everything they do and every experience customers have with their company.

Here are few of our guiding principles we strive to follow:

Know your user. And that user is probably not you.
Know your user's goal. Help them get there as quickly as possible.
Keep it simple. A good user interface stays out of the way and lets you accomplish your goals.
Have a plan. Wireframes and site maps allow you to explore your options and set your goals without design getting in the way.
Pay attention to design patterns. Familiarity is important to adoption and creates comfort.
Know your goals, have a strategy and integrate that through everything you do.

No one sets out to build a site that's unusable. Knowing your objectives, proper planning, trusting the experts and following some simple guidelines will help to prevent a mistake that's not only bad design but bad for branding. It's the experience customers will remember most.

Say the most with the least

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

When starting a new campaign or looking for a way to get your message out, billboards are a great place to start. Why? Because they force you to keep things simple. They force you to strip away as many elements as possible until you have the real essence of the message. Tony Cox, a British writer, once said, "Inside every fat ad, there's a thinner and better one trying to get out."

This billboard campaign for Chipotle Mexican Grill promotes their dedication to only the best, locally-sourced ingredients for their burritos. It's not really fair to use these billboards as an everyday example because they're so good. What makes them so good?

They use very few words. There's a good chance this message will be seen primarily by people driving cars. It's tough to compete for their attention especially if they're texting, talking on the phone, drinking coffee, eating an apple, daydreaming, etc. You want people to absorb the message as soon as possible so they can get on with their lives. At most, one or two seconds is all the time you really have to get the message across.

They're easy to read. The high contrast between text, logo and background makes the billboards very easy to read. Some might call this boring, but in today's cluttered world these billboards actually stand out. One font, one point size. A simple, well-designed logo and a minimal color palette. These billboards use only a few elements. Each element you add takes away from the importance of the elements. Don't take the "less is more" concept for granted.

They're engaging. The simplicity of these billboards make them engaging by default. You can't help but notice and read them. Even if you hate burritos, you are now aware that Chipotle Mexican Grill makes the best. What makes this particular campaign so effective is that there are two levels of information. Those who give the billboards only a passing glance will get the basic message, and those who are stuck in traffic can gain even further information.

Most importantly, this campaign is based on a very strong concept and the company is willing to take a chance. Chipotle is not just a place to eat, it's an attitude. Make sure you have a solid concept and a well-designed visual identity, or creating work like this will be very challenging.

Xbox + Kinect = ?

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Recently I had an XBox 360 meltdown (RROD) and at first I thought I could handle 2 weeks without my console while Microsoft shipped me out a new one, but after about 3 days of tremors, cold sweats and extreme irritability I realised I couldn't last much longer without it. So I did what any normal perso... err... gamer would do and I bought a new one. But this new console wasn't just any old Xbox, this was an XBox/Kinect bundle! And after seeing videos on the internet about the Kinect's capabilities (Milo Demo), I must admit I was pretty excited to get home and try this thing out.

Conclusion
Well, after a little over a month with the Kinect I gotta say I'm not impressed. The technology has huge potential but its current use in games is very poor. Every game I've tried or seen so far has just been a clone of a Wii game, which is alright if your 4 years old (my nephew loves the Kinect) but an adult gamer like myself will most likley find that they're sitting on their couch with a controller in hand playing "Super Meat Boy" or "Fallout: New Vegas" after about 15 minutes.

Final Thoughts
The games released for the Kinect might not be that great, but a lot of the custom mods/hacks people are making are pretty rad, check out kinecthacks.net to see what people are doing.

The Heritage (not so) Classic

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I don't like the Flames Heritage Classic jerseys. There I said it.

I'm a Flames fan and I have been since my first game in 1981 at the Corral (I was 8)*. So I feel close enough to this team to be critical. My favorite team has frustrated me through the years with a blatant disrespect of their own brand. The addition of black, the sideways stripe of the mid-ninety's and the embarrassing flaming horse head in 2000 were hard enough to recover from.

Most of us see the shortsighted changes throughout the years for what they are - attempts at selling more merchandise (suckers)** - but not everyone realizes the effects of knee jerk changes to the brand. Third jerseys and Heritage Classic jerseys are blank cheques for the NHL to write, but they're not the problem. Lack of consistency is the problem.

What should the Flames have done for jerseys for the Heritage Classic? Thought you'd never ask -

The Calgary Flames owe their name and their original colors to the failed franchise in Atlanta. Wearing the Atlanta Flames jersey for the Classic would have been a classy tip of the hat to the teams' true origins without deviating from the brand. If using the Atlanta jersey was not an option, the next choice should have been the team's original jersey of 1980. The original Calgary Flames jerseys are our classiest and they hold the bulk of the franchise history. A throwback to the Stanley Cup finals vs the Canadiens '86 and '89.

Speaking of the Canadiens, it's not surprising that their jerseys didn't require a single change for the Heritage Classic. As a result, they bring over 100 years of history with them to the game in their current jersey. When you think of classic Jersey's there is a reason the original six immediately come to mind, they've respected their brand for many many years.

My issue with the (Calgary Tigers) Reebok designed, Ronald McDonald jersey is that we contribute nothing to the Calgary Flames brand, we only fragment it with slightly altered colors and a look that has nothing to do with the Flames. I understand the reference to the Tigers, based in Calgary from 1920 -27, but it is a hockey reference, not a Calgary Flames reference.

As a hockey fan I'll be cheering for my Calgary Flames on February 20th. As a Creative Director I'll be cheering for the red, white and blue.

* Yes I'm old enough to remember when the C of Red consisted of a red t-shirt from the closet and playoffs called for Red Sweatpants.

**There are very few left, but every once and a while you'll see a black flaming horse head jersey with 'Turek' on the back.

Twitter Pet Peeves

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Nobody's perfect. We all have our flaws and bad habits, even when it comes to Twitter. It only just hit me a few weeks ago that I was becoming one of those annoying people on Follow Friday who merely lists out some random Twitter handles and throws a #FF on the end and calls it a day. Tsk tsk, not good. But lately I'm not the only one forgetting basic Twitter etiquette. Below is a list of my top five biggest pet peeves on Twitter:

1. Don't have 3,842 followers on Twitter and only follow 12 yourself. The point of Twitter is to be engaging, so make sure you're playing along. Be mindful of the gap between your followers and who you're following, and vice versa. The number don't have to be identical but they should at least be in the same realm.

2. Don't use an automated DM for people who follow you. It's impersonal and annoying to no end. (Unless, of course, it's an instant offer for $50 off your next purchase - i.e. @apartstyle - in which case I'm not complaining.)

3. Don't split your tweet into multiple posts. That's what a blog is for. Feel free to sign up for one.

4. Ease up on the hash tags. I'm going blind trying to find the link in between all those ######s.

5. Don't tweet and drive. Extra emphasis on the DON'T. It's amazing how many people tweet about traffic and whine about other drivers while on the road. When I read tweets like those, all I do is judge you. #justsaying

What are your biggest Twitter pet peeves? Are you guilty of any of the ones above?

The Next (R)Evolution in Video Games

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

If you know me, then you know that I am a huge fan of video games. I'm by no means the only addict in the office (I think Jim may have actually checked into a clinic once or twice at the insistence of his girlfriend) so please take my post with a grain of salt. The next evolution in video games is due out in May 2011 and it's entitled "L.A. Noire"

The game was developed by Team Bondai (a subsidiary of RockStar Games & Take Two Interactive) with an unparalleled meticulous attention to detail. The team went to countless buildings still standing from the 1940's in order to capture as many photos as possible to catalogue style guides for the game.

"We created 'Production Bibles' which are like production design style guides for all the locations in the game," said Wood, "The bibles have floorplans, material, dressing, graphics and signage, lighting details, and any other reference images that are needed to create the locations in the game. We made over 140 of them altogether."

But the biggest technological stride is probably the game's advances in character modelling entitled MotionScan, where actors are recorded by 32 surrounding HD cameras to capture facial expressions from every angle. This gives characters life as they're faces change to indicate when they are telling the truth or lying. This level of detail gives a game play element that could never be seen before now.

My only regret is I took so many days off to go to Brazil and I could use them to play this game. Naaa. I would still rather go to the beach.