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Thinking Out Loud: Random Points of Focus

2013-04-06T04:22:20+00:00

I’m not sure the words random and focus belong in the same sentence, but that’s the case with the latest episode of Thinking Out Loud.

A great source to finding inspirational and creative workspaces.

2013-03-02T20:07:14+00:00

I’ve become focused on the topic of workspaces lately and enjoyed this great post on webdesignledger.com highlighting quite a few amazing desk and work setups. Going even further, most of these are pulled from SimpleDesks.net which offers a plethora of ideas for creatively-energizing your workspace. With health and fitness being a recent goal of mine, I’ve become intrigued by the possibilities that exist for standing desks, but taking that a step further, changing up my workspace(s) so they work for me, rather than me working for (or in them). Do you have a great, personalized setup that helps you get the most out of your workday? Image credit: strangesparks

The slow roll-out.

2013-02-23T05:22:02+00:00

Hype is a hard thing to keep rolling. If you announce a product or service that many people will clamor over, you need to ensure you deliver on the expectations. It’s often hard to keep that fire stoked and anticipation high, and when releases are delayed or intentionally slowed, it can throw a giant wet blanket on whatever party was raging. In recent weeks, I’ve ridden the hype-coaster that is the Mailbox app for iOS. When it was first announced, I was exicted by the details the developers were releasing to the public. Having switched from the default Mail app to Google’s Gmail app on my iPhone, I am still looking for a solution that meets a few additional needs that I have. From what I saw of Mailbox, it looked like it might fit that bill. I waited with great anticipation for the app’s release. Take a number. In a move that has been rarely seen during major app releases, the developers announced a reservation system to allow access to use the app. It would be available to download when it hit the App Store, but to utilize it, you’re number would have to be called. This struck me as both a curious move (from a promotional/marketing standpoind) and a smart move (from a tech/server maintenance standpoint). After signing up, I wondered if my interest in the service would withstand the long wait that I appeared to be in for. After over a week with the app on my phone and a few thousand people still “in line” ahead of me, I can give an answer to that question. Nope. There have been times that I’ve forgotten the app is on my phone and I haven’t been checking it to find my updated location in the queue. Then there are articles such as this one, highlighting the service’s outage last week. A gentle (and somewhat rude) reminder that, yes, I do have that app on my phone, prompting me to check my status. Still waiting. Patiently. As I write this, I still have over 10-thousand people in front of me before I can actually begin using this app. My question, since learning of this staggered rollout, is simple. Is this delay, and potential “hype-kill” for their service, worth it to the developer. They’ve already run into service issues, even with a managed introduction to the service. Is the lowered enthusiasm experienced by myself (and others) another calculated factor in their strategy? Only time will tell.

Thinking Out Loud: Unexpected

2012-12-20T19:55:40+00:00

I’ve been riding a wave of amazing, creative energy recently, all because of a small site that’s grown into an amazing community.

A major footer fetish.

2012-12-05T04:22:41+00:00

The footer, once one of the most-neglected aspects of a website’s design, has become a focal point of layout and information architecture in recent years. With seemingly endless possiblities, no longer is this the last item on the list when it comes to planning the content flow of a website. The junk drawer. Before close attention and focus was paid to how the footer section is used, it was often the “junk drawer” of a page layout. It would house such thrilling content as the copyright notice and a few links that didn’t make the cut for the main or secondary navigation menus. Thankfully, this practice has changed and the footer has become, in essence, a third-tier of navigation. With such a high importance being placed on SEO and keywords, it’s possible to help your site’s search visibility by creating an alternate text menus and lists that help not only search engines but your site visitors. A surprise awaits… Along with the technical benefits of placing helpful content in your site’s footer, it can serve as a subtle (and not so subtle) branding reminder and promotional tool. I’ve found myself drawn to a website’s footer area to see not only what information they’ve placed there, but how they’ve styled and given character to that section. Here are a few of my favorites: FamilySearch.org The Next Web Starbucks OnMilwaukee.com The Verge Ars Technica Dribbble Vyclone Telly USA Today Mountain Dew

Two great deals on blogging and design ebooks.

2012-11-29T03:19:36+00:00

Even though we’ve cleared Black Friday and Cyber Monday there are still a few amazing deals out there if you’re looking for gift ideas for the creative people in your life (or need a gift idea for yourself). Problogger is selling all six of their eBooks for $10 a piece (until 12/07/12). Having just taken advantage of this deal, I’m looking forward to seeing how I can improve my own writing and blogging skills over the next year. $60 for 6 amazing ebooks is a hard deal to pass up. For those with designer and developer friends, A Book Apart has their 8-book library on sale at 30% off for a limited time. You can get paperbacks, ebooks, or copies of both to give to the designer in your life, or just add to your own personal library.

Looking for an alternative to your phone carrier? Take a look at Ting.com

2012-11-24T03:50:51+00:00

My choice to buy a wifi-only iPad has had some drawbacks over the past few years. While I’m surrounded by glorious wireless connectivity at home, my day-job lacks that luxury, unless I venture out to Starbucks, McDonald’s, or Panera Bread. Integrating an iPad into a working workflow is much easier if files can be updated on the device, without making a micro-road trip. I had begun using my iPad at work a bit less because of this, until I found out about Ting. What I saved on device cost and monthy fees to (at the time AT&T), I began to lose in the usefulness of my iPad. I had been looking at portable MiFi hotspots from the “usual suspects”; AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint, but none of their data plans appealed to me (or my wallet). My unconnected ways continued until I found out about a new company that had a unique spin on traditional mobile device data fees. Created by the same folks that run Tucows.com, Ting is a unique take on the traditional cell-phone provider. Pay for what you use…what a novel concept. As an AT&T customer, I’m familiar with and and enjoy the fact that I have rollover minutes at my disposal. Since I don’t spend much time using my phone as a phone, I have quite a stockpile of minutes at my disposal, should I choose to get chatty. I like the idea behind hanging onto minutes that I don’t use. I have, after all, paid for them, so I should be able to keep them. Sadly, this line of thinking doesn’t translate over to data. The brilliance behind Ting is that you can do just that…keep the data, the minutes, the unused, unseen bits to use later. And that’s just once approach. You can elect to pay for what you use by not selecting a data or voice plan or you can select a plan and either live within or if you choose, venture outside of those “limits”. In the end, you wind up truly paying for what you’ve used. The price you pay for accessibility. The biggest drawback to using AT&T, Verizon, or another “big-name” cellular provider for wireless data was the price. I didn’t see a plan that I was happy with and I wasn’t thrilled with paying a large amount of money for a mobile hotspot. When I learned about Ting, I happened to be listening to one of the TWiT Network’s shows. Ting was an advertiser on this particular show and through that ad, a new customer could get $50 off of their first device. This set things in motion. If you’re looking for a new phone provider, Ting offers a variety of Android phones from HTC, LG, Samsung, and Kyocera. Additionally, they also offer Samsung “Feature Phones” if you’re not looking for a touch-screen device. The wireless hotspot device available through Ting is the Huawei Express Mobile Hotspot ($125) which made my decision quite easy. Before finding out about Ting, I hadn’t heard of Huawei or their products. I did some due-diligence with researching the hotspot hardware to make sure I would be getting a decent product and, after reading a number of satisfied reviews, I decided to pull the trigger. Running on Sprint’s network. Before I sent my order to Ting, I had one final reservation; the network that I would be using. Ting runs their services over Sprint’s network. Sprint is regarded (in tech and geek circles) as “third in line” when it comes to network performance, so the thought of using that network as my hotspot provider was a little concerning. I remembered having friends that had used Sprint in the past and while the service wasn’t great, it wasn’t a total loss either. My mind was made up, it was go time. Setup, activation, and usage. The entire ordering process was very smooth and I received updates from Ting along the way regarding when my device was shipped and when it would be arriving. When I received my device, setup was fast and very simple. Once I had charged it, I was up and running and using my iPad in all of it’s glory. The hotspot will allow for “4G” data speeds, but my office location doesn’t seem to be in the right location for that to happen. That said, the 3G speeds aren’t that bad, and I’m able to get to the information I need and turn the hotspot off, keeping my cost down. If you’re like me and want to keep close tabs on your data usage, you can set up alerts (as many as you’d like) and will be notified when you’ve hit certain amounts of data or minutes. Their account dashboard was recently revamped and is now even easier to keep tabs on how you’re using your device and what you can expect to pay. You can also use their Savings Calculator, plan chart, and coverage map to make sure it’s the right fit for you. Speaking of cost… The pricing plans that Ting.com has set up are just as simple to configure and use as the devices. As mentioned earlier, you pick the plan that you want and are either billed for what you use, or you get to “roll over” your data into the next month. There are no contracts either, so you can turn the service on or off as you need it. Keep in mind that you’ll pay a $6.00 per month charge even if you don’t use any data or minutes. What’s the final verdict? I’ve been using Ting’s service for the last 3 months and have been very happy with their service. My iPad has gotten a new lease on it’s office-life and I’m able to get more done while away from the home-base. If you’re interested in checking out their services and want to sign up, using this affiliate link will get you $25 off of the price of your device and I’ll get a $25 credit. If you’re looking for an alternative to the usual providers, it’s worth looking into.

9 Design Tools and Resources That I’m Thankful For

2012-11-21T03:36:59+00:00

I’ve been rocking a renewed interest and passion for design lately and have a few sites, services, and tools to thank for it. With Thanksgiving around the corner (hello, turkey), I felt a list of my favorites was appropriate. Dribble - This community is ripe with inspiration and can supercharge any designer into a creative mood. Pinterest - Another heavy-hitter in the social media space, this site has been great for tagging inspiration that’s not only in the digital space, but the physical as well. Web Design Ledger - The tools and tips that are offered here are great time-savers and also offer new ways to think about solving problems. Hard not to like that! Web Designer Depot - Yet another inspiration, hint, and tip site. I’m especially thankful for their monthly “what’s new for designers” series. Sellbox - I stumbled across Sellbox in the November “what’s new for designers” segment on webdesignerdepot.com and have put it to good use as the shopping cart for my iPad sketch “papers” and my just-released ebook, A Newbie’s Guide to Hobby R/C Vehicles. An in-depth post on this service is coming soon. Ting.com (affiliate link) - While this isn’t a design tool, it gives me a low-cost, yet reliable data connection for my Wi-Fi iPad when I’m away from the home office. They’re worth a look. EyeDrop.me - This is one of my favorite color palette creation tools so-far. It’s beautifully designed and simple to use. Works well with Photoshop too. Wireframe.cc - I wish I had discovered this site before spending a few hours in Photoshop working on wireframes. Oh well, there will be plenty of projects with which to use this dead-simple service. Chirp.js - Another tool that’s not necessarily a design tool but it helps a segment of my site work, and for that, I’m grateful. What design goodies are you thankful for? Photo by Yandle.

Script, retro, and flourished typography inspiration.

2012-11-02T14:53:08+00:00

I’m a fan of retro styling and retro design. There’s an energy and charisma factor in it that, in my opinion, can’t be beat. With that in mind, here are some samples of typography that fit that mold…and some that smash it. Source: brittanickel.tumblr.com via Katherina on Pinterest FuelSource: ffffound.com via Matt on Pinterest Source: welovetypography.com via Matt on Pinterest DetroitSource: foxontherun.tumblr.com via Matt on Pinterest Source: dribbble.com via Matt on Pinterest Source: designspiration.net via Matt on Pinterest

Dana Foods Site Realignment: Project Recap

2012-11-01T16:36:05+00:00

When I page through my sketchbooks to find a clean sheet of paper these days, I find myself paging through quite a few pages filled with ideas, sketches, notes, and concepts. Yes, folks, I’ve been busy, and busy is good. One recent project that I have notes and numerous layout concepts for is for one of my oldest clients, Dana Foods. It had been a while since I had last updated the look of their site and this year proved to be as good a time as any to provide not just a new visual feel for the site, but also a realignment of how their site was set up. In the years between their last site revision and this one, the tech and online world has progressed quite a bit. As I drew up my notes and initial thoughts for the project, I put mobile as one of the main areas of focus. The previous Dana Foods site was built before Twitter, Facebook, and many other social networks became mainstream, household names, so social sharing was another item that was placed high on my list. I also wanted to do more with the typography of the site and worked with Web fonts to achieve a more-cohesive look for the text elements. First things first. This project marked a first for me, at least a first in recent memory. For the past 2 years, I’d been employing a strictly-electonic workflow, from skating to layout comps, to finished product. Shortly after starting this project, I realized I wasn’t happy with the layout possibilities that I was creating on my iPad and felt they were becoming stale before they were even developed. After a trip to a local craft store, I had armed myself with two new sketchbooks and handfuls of markers and pens. It was time to get back to my roots, and to be honest, it was (and still is) an amazing feeling. With my new arsenal of tools in hand, I began working up new and modified layouts for the new Dana Foods site. Once I had the wireframes squared away and a good sense of where the content would be placed and how it would fit and flow, I turned my attention to the mobile layout. Keeping in my I didn’t want to shoe-horn the desktop layout into a smaller setting, I made some navigation tweaks and moved a few elements around to make the end product look, and work, it’s best. The more things change. As layout drafts tend to do, things changed a bit. Between feedback from the client and my own reviews of the layout (which included staring at the thing on my TV for 15 minutes), I made some more modifications to help give some action to the header and navigation section. With the final layout approved, it was time to build. As far as development projects go, this one was straightforward and to-the-point. Another focus area on my project list was to create a better call-to-action on the product and detail pages. While this isn’t an e-commerce site, there is an opportunity to have potential customers reach out quickly with their questions or even request a product sample. When building these action elements, I wanted to make an area that was obvious and attention-grabbing, but also something that doesn’t overpower the other content and elements on the page. For the site’s typography, I found a great group of fonts that work well with each other and help set the tone for the site. The header (h1) treatment uses Copse with subheadings (h2) using a complimentary font, Museo Slab. I chose Muli Regular to use on the body copy. To help the type treatment, there are many small visual elements that also set the mood of the site and help further the overall Dana Foods brand.

Mobile Web Site and App Design Inspiration

2012-11-01T02:13:37+00:00

With mobile becoming an important piece in many marketing and business plans, I’ve found myself looking at more mobile-centric interface elements and layouts for inspiration, as well as to gauge where things seem to be going in the design industry. Here are a handful of options that are both unique and effective. DieselSource: behance.net via Aroon on Pinterest Mobile game interfaceSource: dribbble.com via Andrew on Pinterest Fidotown Mobile AppSource: dribbble.com via Melissa on Pinterest Boarding pass appSource: a5.mzstatic.com via John on Pinterest Cooking timerSource: designspiration.net via Traci on Pinterest Mobile health trackerSource: designspiration.net via Traci on Pinterest

Branding a passion.

2012-10-30T03:11:38+00:00

My involvement in my newfound r/c hobby has taken some interesting turns. After wanting a hobby that I could get away from technology, design, and most-of-all, a computer, I’ve found myself involved in all of those things on a much higher level. That said, it’s been an amazing journey so far and it’s one that I’m happy to continue. Part of that journey has been the packaging and presentation of my little plot of online land that I use to share my own experiences and thoughts with others that are looking to get into the radio-controlled realm. An organization’s brand consists of more than just a logo. While important, it takes a sum of many parts to make up a successful brand. From the tone used in messaging to the approach taken to promote products and services, how the brand is portrayed and broadcast plays a crucial role in the overall success of the organization. That said, there needs to be an identifying icon that can be used to familiarize an individual with the brand. Put mildly, good branding isn’t easy. Does a hobby need to be branded? As my interest in radio-controlled vehicles and the r/c community as a whole grew, my desire to share what I had learned, along with my own ideas and experiments, grew as well. In fact it out-paced any thoughts I had originally anticipated. I didn’t just want to share and contribute…I needed to. That part was simple. The difficulty came in deciding what brand would serve as the primary outlet for this content. While I would have loved to share my passion for this hobby through my personal brand, Tiglu.com, it didn’t make sense to do that. While the early beginnings of this site have been a little scatterbrained and off-topic, I feel (or would like to believe) that I’ve corraled my overall discussion topics to focus on design, technology, social media, and how those all interact and affect our lives. The result was inevitable: I’d need to build a new brand. Crap. My initial goal of stepping away from the computer, to get away from the sketchbooks and layout ideations was quickly crumbling around my. I had an opportunity to back out of my idea to share my newfound passion and stick to playing around with my r/c vehicle by myself and with friends and leave well enough alone. That thought crossed my mind, but quickly went away under a wave of what possibilities existed for a new site and possibly, a new venture. It was time to go to the drawing board…literally. What’s in a name? Before I could begin building a brand, I needed a name for the new site. With many options floating around my head, I quickly narrowed down the candidates until one stuck out above the rest. RC Newb. I played around with a few variations of the spelling of Newb from Noob, to Newbie, to N00b, but after some research and insight into the different meanings behind the various spellings. From Wikipedia:Two related terms are “newb”, a beginner who is willing to learn; and “noob” (often spelt “n00b” or “nub”), a derogatory name. That was it! A beginner who is willing to learn (and not just some jackass that wants to drive a toy car around, smashing it into anything and everything he can find. I would call it RC Newb. Rockin’ robot: When an ideation becomes muddled. This project was built on an all-digtal workflow. While it’s not the first one that I’ve done this way, it was one of the smoothest. All sketching and initial logo ideations were done on my iPad and I was able to quickly transition over to Photoshop to tweak, massage and finalize the product. I even relied on sending iMessages to fellow designers and friends for instant feedback. All-in-all, the entire process worked very well and I’m very happy with how everything played out. Like any project, this one wasn’t without an issue or two. As I began to zero in on the general look of the logo, I did find myself wandering mentally at one instance. Before I knew it, I had created the head of a robot. I decided to keep the sketch in case he’d come in handy down the road. Controlling the final outcome. With the final design nearing completion, I ran it past a few folks for final critique and feedback. The end result, aside from being something I’m happy with, is versatile and ripe for many great uses. As a project that’s constantly evolving and growing, the promise and possibility that have yet to be tapped into are exciting to think about.

Inc.com’s “Worlds Coolest Offices” - 2012 Edition

2012-10-06T03:54:27+00:00

In what’s become a side-interest of mine, I enjoy looking out for and learning about unique work-spaces. Here’s Inc’s “Worlds Coolest Offices 2012”. I’ll admit, having a slide in my office/workplace would be frickin’ sweet and would definitely boost spirits. What work-spaces or offices inspire you & your creativity/productivity?

Thank you, Steve.

2012-10-05T12:38:43+00:00

I missed the boat. When Steve Jobs passed away last year, I did something that’s not usually in my character. I shut down my creative/output process. There were thoughts of writing a post about how he and his vision have and continue to influence what I do and how I work, but instead I turned to taking in as much content about him as I could. So many posts were written by others that detailed personal experiences with or about Steve and his style of business that I became lost in those accounts and drifted away from my own. But something was brewing in the back of my mind, and as we approach the one year anniversary of his death, those thoughts have come into clarity. The perception we carry around of people, especially those whom we only know through public appearances and news snippets, can change as time passes. Change for better and for worse. I didn’t hold Steve Jobs as if he was a deity, but I suppose I followed him as if he was one (for a while at least). His charisma was alluring and his bravado and matter-of-fact approach to the products he ushered along (and the thoughts/philosophies behind them) was damn near intoxicating. I admired him for many things, especially things I struggle to do myself. It wasn’t hero worship, rather a deep appreciation and admiration. That allure and mystique began to fade a bit when I began reading Walter Isaacason’s biography of Steve. No longer was this larger-than-life figure bulletproof. He was flawed, complicated, stubborn, irrational, and most-importantly, human. It was in these things that I found similarities, both good and bad, between our personalities. So here we sit, a year to the day of his death. My passion for Apple products has waned a bit over the past 12 months, but they still provide moments of awe and joy when I use them. They make what I do possible and, above all, they make my job fun. Aside from the products, I’ve kept a few quotes (and one ad campaign) close to my mind and heart. They act as a gauge for my passion and a reminder to myself that if I don’t feel I’m making a difference with what I’m doing, if I’m not striving to give my best, I should get the hell out and find something that fulfills those aspirations. “When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.” - Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement Speech, June 2005 “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” - Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement Speech, June 2005 Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. - Apple Inc.“Think Different” campaign, 1997 One year later, let me say, with the utmost sincerity, “Thank you Steve”. You’ve left us with many amazing tools to nurture our creativity and ignite our passions.

Graphic Design Inspiration

2012-09-28T03:27:37+00:00

Two pieces to help fuel your creative fire. Christoph Niemann SUBWAYSource: iconoclassic.tumblr.com via Tim on Pinterest Young & United by Sean A. Metcalf, via BehanceSource: behance.net via Tim on Pinterest

Layout Design Inspiration

2012-09-27T02:50:01+00:00

While cruising around, looking for layout and design inspiration, I found a piece that stopped me in my tracks. With online design solutions now needing to span multiple devices and multiple form-factors, it’s rare to find a piece presented as well and as thoroughly as the following. Canon EOS-M / Campaign Microsite by Thomas Moeller, via BehanceSource: behance.net via Tim on Pinterest

To post or not to post… [Infographic]

2012-09-12T11:04:18+00:00

Before you post your next social update, take a second to consider these things… Source: mrmikestreet.com via Tim on Pinterest Hat-tip to @carrieatthill for pinning this first.

The Back Burner

2012-08-29T02:22:23+00:00

Call it a curse or call it a gift, but I often wrestle with having too many ideas at one time. Don’t get me wrong, ideas are the lifeblood of creativity and innovation, but too many of them can create noise and static. Especially if there are too many good ideas. Since adding a trusty paper sketchbook back into my design toolbox, I’ve rekindled a few ideas that I had written-off or at least placed on the back burner over the past months. Giving these ideas another opportunity to develop has re-kindled my interest in them and has stoked my passion to see them through to completion. Then reality sets in. With an already overloaded calendar (that grows more and more with each passing day), the resource of time that’s needed to continue building these ideas is scarce. From past experience, I can tell you that this is a crucial point in the creative process, make or break time. If the idea has enough merit and potential, it will live to see another day. Should the opposite occur, then it’s back to the mental scrap heap, or worse. Knowing how my internal process works, I’ve been making shifts and adjustments that allow me to hold onto ideas, or at the least, better chronicle and document them. The result has been fewer tossed ideas and more ideas that are placed on brief hiatus. What works for you? How do you incubate and nurture ideas into reality and at what point do you decide to stay with a project or to let it fall by the wayside?

Thinking Out Loud: A variety of things…

2012-08-02T04:24:45+00:00

Welcome to the renewal of Thinking Out Loud on a new service/host. I had a few items to throw out to you ranging from my R/C car hobby to the thoughts involved in beginning the design process. I also share my thoughts on the new, supposed, upcoming iPhone. Cheers!

Build an audience by being a content curator.

2012-07-31T03:13:58+00:00

Being an online content creator is a great way to express your thoughts and ideas with others. It is also time-intensive. From choosing your discussion topics to formulating the body of the content, you can quickly gain and lose inspiration and motivation to fully flesh out an idea if you’re crunched on time. If you’re looking to keep your audience engaged, but aren’t finding much opportunity to create original content, look at content curation. Taking a break from creation. Giving yourself a break from developing new content is a benefit on many fronts. How many times have you found yourself searching for new, untapped topics to build on only to end up empty-handed? That scenario has happened to me (too often). Shifting your focus to what others are writing and working on is a great opportunity to recharge your own creativity and inspiration. Another area of benefit is time. Creating your own content takes substantial time, both in preparation of topics, and the creation of the finished product. When you curate content that others have published, you’re not only building a library that others can read and follow, but you’re generating inspiration for your own creativity and projects. In the end, that can work out to be quite a time savings. A few tools to get you started. What’s the best way to begin curating content? Well, for starters, you’ll need sources for your content. Other blogs and news sites are perfect for this. You know what you like and you know what your audience will respond to, so using those things as guides, build your list. I rely heavily on RSS feeds (managed through Google Reader) to manage the bulk of my list. I don’t share every article that comes through my reader. That would be overkill, both for myself and for those I’m sharing with. Before I share posts with networks, I’ll give them a read or a view first to make sure I want to share the information. Depending on how quickly I to post the articles, I’ll either tweet or share on Facebook immediately or I’ll schedule the post for a future time using Buffer or Hootsuite. Relying on your RSS feeds for inspiration can become stagnant from time-to-time. You can also (easily) share information from sites that randomly visit as well. The best way to do this is to use a bookmarklet for a sharing service or social media management platform. Don’t forget that sharing social content from your networks is another great way to curate content and build a library of information. It’s also a great icebreaker to start conversations with people and strengthen your online relationships. Here’s a look at the tools I use:Google ReaderReeder for iPhone and iPadFeedlyBufferHootsuite Tweetbot What works for you? There’s no right or wrong way to curate and share information online. What works for me might not work for all. Do you have an tool or workflow that I haven’t mentioned that you rely on? Feel free to share!

The Return of Inspirational, Automotive Eye-candy: Gymkahna 5

2012-07-11T03:18:37+00:00

Back in 2010 I posted a link to an amazing video, highlighting the visual spectacle that is Ken Block’s Gymkahna. Earlier this week the fifth installment was posted. You’ll never look at the streets of San Francisco the same way again. Between the design of the course and it’s many complexities, to the complex and intense car control needed to navigate, this video is a visual treat. If you need a little adrenaline rush, or are stuck on a project, see if this helps get you out of the rut.

An iPad in the Pits

2012-05-30T02:57:19+00:00

I just came across a great interview on MacRumors with Dave Burns who covers NASCAR races for ESPN. Great insight into how he’s integrated iPad use into his weekend work as well as a peek at what apps he uses to get his job done as a pit reporter. Read the full story.

5 tools to let your voice be heard

2012-05-28T12:04:03+00:00

If you have something to say, sometimes the easiest way to get your thoughts out to the public is to record yourself. While writing thoughts down non a blog post can be expressive, the added audible dimension can really let your passion show through. I’ve even found audio podcasting to be an easier and more time-efficient way to get my thoughts out quickly, as opposed to starting a written post and letting it sit for months before it sees the light of day. I’ve found and used plenty of podcasting services over the past few years and have made a list of the ones that work, no matter what you’re trying to say. Audioboo - This is the service I use for my Thinking Out Loud podcast series. While Audioboo has many benefits, the most attractive ones are the price (free), the mobile app and overall portability of your recording options, and the ability to easily share and embed your recordings into blog posts. Apps are available for iOS, Android, and Nokia’s Ovi Store and you can also call a number to post a podcast, email an audio file, or record and upload from a traditional computer. In addition to the convenience of recording, you can also make your audio posts available for subscription through iTunes, One item of note: recordings are limited to 5 minutes, so you’ll need to get to the point rather quickly. If you want to have more time to express your thoughts, Audioboo offers a paid, Plus plan with expanded features. Cinch - Along the same line as Audioboo, Cinch is another mobile-centric podcasting service that’s free, easy to use, and easy to share. Many of the features mentioned for Audioboo apply to Cinch, along with the paid “pro” plans. Unlike Audioboo, there isn’t a time limit for your recording sessions and there is a small audio intro that’s inserted at the beginning of each of your shows. Soundcloud - If you’re looking for greater control over your shows and open to feedback and comments at specific points in your shows, take a look at Soundcloud. With apps for iOS, Android, and other mobile platforms, additional apps have been created to allow the creation of audio shows from almost any device you can imagine. Soundcloud is also running a beta test of a podcasting service. Blip.me - While not a “true” podcasting app, Blip.me has a unique offering in that you can leave short, 30 second audio clips of whatever you’d like. I discovered this service last Fall and since that time, the folks behind Blip have added some great features: audio replies, topic searching, and improved following features. To be honest, I was drawn to the app because of it’s icon and I’ve struggled coming up with personal uses for the app since that. However, it’s a great app with a growing community, so if you have something to say, give it a shot. Powerpress - If you’re looking to host your own audio files and you also run WordPess, then keep reading. Powerpress is a WP plugin that allows you to quickly and easily create and manage your own podcast feed on your site. You can also set up the details necessary to have your show listed in the iTunes podcast directory. I’ve been using this plugin for my RC Newb podcast and have found the features to be quite robust. For those looking to have total control over their podcast, this is an option to look at. Any others? While I’ve covered a few, I’m sure there are many more great podcasting services and tools available. Feel free to share your favorites!

Racing the rainbow.

2012-05-18T12:11:39+00:00

As a follower of many forms of auto-racing, I’ve seen my fair share of paint schemes and liveries over the years. With my primary focus being on NASCAR and the many series that fall under that umbrella, I take notice when something new rolls onto the track. An article on Jalopnik caught my eye last night because they showcased a paint scheme that was unique, yet still familiar. Nelson Piquet Jr. will drive the Alpinestars Chevy Silverado in Friday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Charlotte. He’s a former Formula One driver that’s been performing well in NASCAR’s third-tier series. The truck that he’ll pilot on Friday might take some traditional fans a while to get used to, but I like the somewhat “pixelated” and digital look that it’s sporting. Personally, I like the direction that the designer, Death Spray Custom, took with the truck. It fits the sponsor, and the driver well. It’s colorful, yet toned and not garish. Check the truck out for yourself! I’ll be posting some additional thoughts on auto racing design and branding soon, as it’s always been an interest of mine.

Google+/- (and why I’m holding onto hope.)

2012-05-18T02:45:00+00:00

Last night I participated in presentation to the Social Media Club of Milwaukee about the social media history and philosophy of my full time employer, North Shore Bank. During that discussion I mentioned Google+ as an avenue that we also participate in and a combination hush/light laughter fell over the room. It may have been my delivery or the fact that 90% of the people in the room feel the same ways do about G+: “Eh.”. While Google can lay claim to rapid growth in it’s early months, G+ subscriptions have slowed as of late. Those I’ve asked about the topic express both joy and a bit of relief that the network hasn’t taken off as much as anticipated. That combo stems from the realization that yet another network won’t need to be updated, monitored, and managed. With the number of social networks available today, the addition of one more could put an online community manager over the edge. Although my personal feelings toward Google+ may have cooled since it launched, a recent update has me turning my attention to it (yet) again. An update to Hangouts called Google+ Hangouts On Air brings Ustream-like features to Google’s network and gives broadcasters the ability to embed live video in their own website or blog while simultaneously posting their YouTube channel and Google+ page. After the live broadcast is done, the video is then archived and available as standard YouTube content. On the surface, this isn’t a big enhancement, but with a little creative thinking (cute gimmicks aside), this has the possibility of being a huge platform for online content creators. I have plans for utilizing Google+ Hangouts On Air with a few of my online properties, specifically RCNewb.com and am looking forward to seeing what this new tool set can provide. If nothing else, it may breathe some new life and interest into Google+.

Automotive Inspiration for Friday

2012-05-11T16:32:34+00:00

Source: Uploaded by user via Mike on Pinterest Source: driveryou.com via driver on Pinterest Source: Uploaded by user via Derrick Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram on Pinterest Source: Uploaded by user via Derrick Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram on Pinterest Source: ffffound.com via Wynn on Pinterest

Thinking Out Loud: Taking a look at what’s here now, not just at the horizon.

2012-05-03T22:49:03+00:00

It’s been a while since I’ve posted…anything. Between life and the 9 to 5, things have been hectic. That hasn’t stopped me from thinking about how we seem to be clamoring for the next big thing while there are useful tools right in front of us. listen to ‘Taking a look at what’s here now, not just at the horizon.’ on Audioboo(function() { var po = document.createElement("script"); po.type = "text/javascript"; po.async = true; po.src = "http://d15mj6e6qmt1na.cloudfront.net/assets/embed.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })();

The “Dark Side” of Typography (Inspiration)

2012-03-30T02:52:39+00:00

I may lose my geek cred (and all of the benefits that come with it) by admitting this, but I’m not a huge fan of Star Wars. Give me Star Trek any day (TNG FTW)! I should say, I wasn’t a fan of Star Wars until my oldest son became fascinated and enthralled by all things Yoda, Obi Wan Kenobi, and “Dark The Vader”. Between watching the re-release of Episode I in 3D and playing Lego Star Wars on the Wii, I’ve started to come around and can find some redeeming qualities in “those other space adventure movies”. My interest is now piqued whenever I see anything related to The Force, The Dark Side, or The Death Star (resisting urge to insert AT&T joke) and I give bonus points if the items I find are design or typeography related. Enter this stunning piece of work by doaly: Darth Vader Typography PosterSource: creattica.com via Kevin on Pinterest I might need to make room on my office wall for this (if it’s ever available for purchase).

Jonathan Ive on Design

2012-03-14T11:07:23+00:00

I’ve long been an admirer of the work that Jony Ive has produced for Apple and many of the products that he’s had a hand in designing are the very tools that I work with on a daily basis. Getting insight into a designer’s mode of thinking and their thoughts on the design process can not only be a useful learning tool, but it sheds light on the decisions that go into to products and service that we all enjoy on a daily basis. Ive recently gave an interview to the London Evening Standard and touched on these specific items. One of my favorite quotes from the interview : “Q: What makes design different at Apple? A: We struggle with the right words to describe the design process at Apple, but it is very much about designing and prototyping and making. When you separate those, I think the final result suffers. If something is going to be better, it is new, and if it’s new you are confronting problems and challenges you don’t have references for. To solve and address those requires a remarkable focus. There’s a sense of being inquisitive and optimistic, and you don’t see those in combination very often.” If your’re a fan, a student, or a seasoned-pro in the discipline of design, this interview is well worth the time reading (and learning from).

Everybody is a genius…

2012-02-28T13:30:21+00:00

Some great words to remember… Source: houzz.com via Autumn on Pinterest

Workspace inspiration

2012-02-27T16:04:37+00:00

Your office, your studio, your creative place. It is, without question, the most important area for a designer. Ideas are sparked, nurtured, and cared for there, why not make sure your workspace is as creative as the ideas that are generated there. Source: convoy.tumblr.com via Thomas on Pinterest Source: ffffound.com via Carmen on Pinterest Source: myidealhome.tumblr.com via Carmen on Pinterest Source: weheartit.com via Lnnk on Pinterest Source: jannesch.tumblr.com via Jannesch on Pinterest Source: spagat.dk via Carola on Pinterest Source: ffffound.com via Juan on Pinterest Source: sfgirlbybay.com via Itziar on Pinterest Source: unplggd.com via Brian & Abby on Pinterest

Pinning your creative thoughts with Pinterest

2012-02-27T04:26:33+00:00

Who’s the darling of the social media world this year? Why that would be Pinterest, the community that allows people to share their styles, tastes, and likes with the world. While it’s been unofficially branded as a network for women (with over 97% of Pinterest’s fans being female, it’s hard to argue that) I’ve found it to be a network of visual stimulation…for creativity. One of the hardest aspects of the design business can be getting inspiration and the initial spark for a project. For years I’ve spent time taking in many forms of inspiration in various environments. Pinterest has opened up a whole new world or possibilities when it comes to gathering ideas. No matter what you might be working on, from a design/layout project to finding new and creative workspaces or simply looking for an inspirational quote, you’ll find all of that (and more) with Pinterest. I’ve even used it to create collections of design ideas to post. You can even use it to catalog typography examples and other ideas for project concepts. If you’re a creative professional, it’s worth your while to check it out. You’ll also meet other people with similar inserests, which doesn’t hurt the creative process either.

Get your motor running (more visual goodness & Inspiration)

2012-02-17T13:51:25+00:00

The beautiful thing about inspiration is that it can come from from anywhere. Some of the greatest inspiration I’ve had has been from topics and subjects ah that I love. Here are some auto-inspired visual muses that are sure to get your creativity moving. Art Ball CSL ChairSource: shop.classicheroes.co.uk via Aaron on Pinterest Art Ball GT ChairSource: autoblog.com via Christopher on Pinterest White & orange ‘79 CorvetteSource: ridelust.com via Angie on Pinterest HondaSource: ffffound.com via RACEPONY on Pinterest

A dose of design and type inspiration.

2012-02-16T11:07:38+00:00

In the mood or need some visual design inspiration (or do you just like looking at cool, beautiful things)? 78 ArtistsSource: Uploaded by user via Teturou on Pinterest The first mistake of ART is to assume it’s seriousSource: letterpressposters.co.uk via Sara on Pinterest Find Beauty in RainSource: cloudy-forever.tumblr.com via Alyson on Pinterest SouvenirsSource: Uploaded by user via Teturou on Pinterest 12Source: buamai.com via Ben on Pinterest 12Source: buamai.com via Ben on Pinterest Zoo YorkSource: ffffound.com via ?ukasz on Pinterest

How I’m using multiple blogs to increase my creative output.

2012-02-15T03:52:04+00:00

As you may have read, I picked up a new hobby this year. The purpose was to get my mind onto a new topic and to get offline. So far, I’m not accomplishing those goals to the extent that I’d like to. If anything, I’ve done more online since starting the hobby, and that’s not entirely a bad thing. After getting my feet wet with the new hobby (r/c cars), I quickly felt the urge to start a site that could chronicle and document my experience. Through learning more about the hobby, this urge solidified to a need. Some quick brainstorming and discussions with potential contributors lead from one thing to another and RCNewb.com was born. Shortly after the site launched, I realized what having another outlet for writing could do for my creativity. I’ve written more than a few draft posts that were ultimately tossed out because I didn’t feel they fit the main topics of this site. That’s a shame since I don’t like putting effort into things that don’t go anywhere. While the creation of a new site that fits a specific niche is a bit of a stretch (maintenance, design, etc) there are additional benefits that can be reaped aside from the increased room for creativity. I’m experimenting with different cms systemse and venturing out of my ExpressionEngine comfort zone, helping expand my technical and development and balancing out the additional content creation. Although I could run everything under one banner, I like keeping some aspects of what I do compartmentalized. It’s cleaner and tends to keep posts heading in one general direction, rather than shotgunning them willy-nilly. Now it’s time to write!

Is your business as social as it could be?

2012-02-13T15:25:50+00:00

This month I took a look at what I had written about and posted on my blog last year. I was a bit surprised by a few items. First, I didn’t write as much as I thought I had (or wanted to). Chalk that up to not enough time, too many projects, or some other excuse (because that’s what they are). The other glaring omission from last year was the low number of social media-related posts. Again, I could come up with reason upon reason (read: excuse upon excuse) as to why I didn’t more about every online marketers topic du jour, but it all boils down to one. I thought people and businesses had it figured out. I follow many brands and organizations through my social networks. I do so for a variety of reasons and from different perspectives. First-and-foremost, I like these companies and products. I enjoy using whatever these companies produce and want to stay in the loop with what may be coming down the pipeline. Second, I want to see how they maneuver and exist within these various online communities. Do they engage? Are they responsive? Do they care? While I do believe that people and organizations can use social networks in any way that they see fit, there are some basic, neighborly interactions that have become commonplace. If you direct a comment to someone, it’s common courtesy to respond (unless the comment is meant to antagonize or troll). It’s amazing how many valid questions and comments can go unanswered or unnoticed by brands that have a presence online. These aren’t small brands either. They’re big, household names even (in some circles). Yet questions and comments from their customers seem to go unnoticed. If you’re in charge of a brand’s face online, you need to remember one crucial element of a successful social experience. Be human. This, above all else, is main key to success. Listen, respond, interact, engage. Be human. This sounds like a broken record, and I know I’ve said and written this very message before. I get it, I’m being repetitive. The sad thing is, I need to be. Here we are, years after social networking grabbed the hearts of marketers and brand managers everywhere and whispered sweet nothings of a blissful nirvana. Social was the key to everything. No, it WAS everything. If only we remembered the rules. Social media, at it’s core, is easy. Be human, no matter how large a corporation you might be behind. Just respond,learn, and make those interacting with you feel that they’ve been heard. Trust and relationships are built from those things. They are the cornerstones of any great relationship in either the physical or virtual world, yet some brand and community managers seem to have forgotten that. Instead of using social networks to their fullest potential by building rapport and conversing with the people that buy their products and services, they’ve chosen to turn these channels into nothing more than a dumb pipe to spew out their latest announcements (and nothing more). Again, I get that, if that’s what you’re intending to do, but please disclose that up front. If you tout an account as being a “customer service” channel, the least you can do is comment back to someone that says good things about your product. Chances are, there are other companies who produce similaror competing products, and are more than happy to interact and treat individuals as people.

Lost in translation.

2012-02-05T03:36:24+00:00

Whenever I feel I’m at a loss for topics to write about or am struggling with examples to peel apart and examine, from time to time, opportunities seem to just fall into my lap. I ordered a small on-board camera to use with my new hobby and was quite happy when it arrived in the mail this week. I’ve been looking into what camera setups people have been using with their R/C cars and decided to check out a less-costly alternative to GoPro to get my feet wet. You know the old saying, “You get what you pay for”. It’s true and entertaining. (Too) easy to share. After the camera arrived on my desk, I quickly opened up the package and checked it all out. In a state of joy, I snapped a picture of the camera box and tweeted it to Chris Sherman. We’ve been discussing the R/C hobby for a while and on-board cameras has become a recent topic of interest for us. After a while I glanced down at the box in which the camera was packaged. There was a phrase toward the bottom of the box that I hadn’t noticed before. I slowly read it, each word causing my eyes to widen and my pulse to quicken. It wasn’t an blatantly bad message, but it was suggestive. Very suggestive. Hilarity then ensued. A friend of mine had also seen the picture and made a comment about the wording on the box and we exchanged messages about it and it’s strange phrasing. I was asked, by more than a few people, where I bought the camera from. It was purchased from hobbypartz.com, not some x-rated website as the wording on box would tend to suggest. My guess is the wording was a poor translation to English from another language. This thought was reaffirmed when I opened the instruction manual. Broken phrases and broken confidence. Aside from the amusing “marketing” copy that adorned the front of the camera box, I was was stuck with one glaring issue. I had no idea how to turn the camera on. I saw the power button but there wasn’t a clear indication of whether or not the camera was on (note: I was charging the camera at the time, so every light on the unit was lit up, blinking, and communicating with the mother-ship). I turned to the manual for help, only to find frustration and more amusement. The manual for this camera reads like nothing I’ve ever encountered before. It’s broken, in more ways than one. Does it serve the purpose that it was intended? It tries, but it’s (and again, I’m guessing here) translation is so disjointed and off-balance that I became lost and had to re-read many of the sections more than twice to try to comprehend what the manufacture was trying to say. Here are some samples from the manual for your entertainment (and possible bewilderment). After numerous attempts to understand what the manual was trying to say, I gave up on reading it and unplugged the camera from the charger. I was quickly able to figure out which way to slide the power switch in order to turn the device on. Problem solved. Now on to recording video. After a few sideways glances at the instruction manual (in hopes it had been re-written while I wasn’t looking) I was able to piece together a basic idea of what buttons to press. From the looks of it, I was able to figure things out. What a rough ride to get there. Mixed messages. Trying this back to a “teachable moment”, I pose this question to those of you that are in the business of educating and training customers which, by my last count, includes everyone that runs a business. Are you sending mixed messages to your customers? Is the information that you’re creating for your products and in support of your products clear and understandable? It’s clear to me that the company behind this camera is not based in the United States and they’ve taken a stab at translating their wording, both for marketing and support purposes, into English, but they miss the mark in both message and assistance. As for their cover phrase…I have no clue what they’re trying to accomplish. To be honest, that wording was nowhere to be seen on the hobby site or in the description (not that I expected it to be there). If the name of the camera manufacturer would be clearly written anywhere on the box, I’d go as far as saying I wouldn’t purchase another product made by them in the future. Both for the semi-inappropriate packaging language and the incomprehensible instructions.

The iPad in Education

2012-02-02T02:29:53+00:00

Never before have I been so interested in an announcement aimed at the education-sector as I was with last week’s announcements from Apple. Having children has changed that, just as they’ve changed many aspects of my life. When the iPad was first announced in 2010, I put together a short list of areas in which it could be affective, and education was one of those. With the launch of iBooks Author, the iTunes U app, and the updated iBooks 2 app, that opportunity has been cemented. However, the educational benefits of the iPad have shown their face long before this announcement. I read a post earlier this month questioning why adults are amazed when children, even as young as 2 years old can pick up an iPad and use it with ease. Surely these are superior children that possess Mensa-quality intellect and will be running the country by the time they’re 7! As much as I’d like to think that, again speaking as a parent, I no longer believe that’s the case. That’s not to say I don’t think my children aren’t intelligent (or even above average). The truth is, the iPad is easy to use. Period. As I’ve written before, I’ve seen both of my kids use the device, navigate through the screens of apps, find their favorites and use them with ease. So simple, so elegant, so…what’s next. The announcements from Apple, iBooks 2, iBooks Author, and the refined and retuned iTunes U (making it’s app debut) are all amazing elements when you look at them on their own merit. But it’s when you lump them all together that a truly-inspired vision of what the future of education could be. While the approach from Apple locks schools into one platform and one device, it’s an approach that I’ve not seen rolled out on such a promising scale. These items aside, I’ve seen my own children use the iPad as more than just a gaming device, but rather an educational tool. My youngest son has two favorite apps, AlphaTots and TallyTots and after using them he’s now able to easily recite the alphabet and count to 20. What’s the draw to these apps? They’re engaging, they’re entertaining, and they’re able to present lessons in an easy-to-understand format. Who knows what role, if any, the iPad (or similar devices) will play in education, but it appears to off to a good start.

Stop SOPA & PIPA

2012-01-19T02:15:26+00:00

I’m not a fan of politics. I don’t like discussing them and they tend to lead to arguments and destructive consequences. Sorry, not my cup of tea. That said, when bills are proposed that threaten to undo the very thing that my livelihood is built on, I stand up and take notice. I’m not going to write a drawn-out post about why SOPA and PIPA aren’t the answer for stopping Internet piracy. Others have written amazing, thoughtful, and informative articles on this topic and I deeply encourage you to read some, if not all of them to educate yourself on what these bills are and what they have the potential to do. I’ll keep my thoughts on this topic short. These bills are a heavy-handed attempt, born from and old way of thinking, to stifle much of the freedom that we enjoy online. I agree that online piracy is bad. Nobody is denying that. The issue with these two bills is the fact that they overstep boundaries, not by inches or feet, but miles. Epic, massive miles. They threaten the openness that is one of the cornerstones of the Internet. It’s true that the Internet is somewhat like the “Wild West”, but the community has learned to police itself (in most areas). The what-if’s are too many and too unknown to risk passing a bill that can unseat the foundation of the Internet. Alright, I’m off my soapbox. Here are some links I hope you’ll check out. What is SOPA and how does it work? The Stop Online Piracy Act explainedEnd Piracy, Not LibertyThe Oatmeal’s SOPA message.

Building a community on the backs of giants.

2012-01-13T03:53:23+00:00

2012 has become the year of the personal project. Along with a list of client projects, I’ve made an all-out effort to nurture a few random ideas that I’ve had rattling around in my head for the past…few years. One of the projects I’m the most excited about is a new community-based site concept that I’ve had an on-again, off-again relationship with. Wrestling with the basic questions of “will it work” and “will anyone use it” and the all-too-familiar “will anyone care” has been at the heart of my internal hesitation. I was about to write this particular project off and had almost forgotten about it until I stumbled across a brand identity that I had started sketching. The last revision date on these logo sketches was in 2009. Almost three years this file sat on my computer, half-finished in both concept and reality. I was ready to delete the files (and all other traces of this project) until something struck me. The logo concepts weren’t that bad. When a spark or even a faint glimmer of creativity hits, you need to grab onto it and carry it as far as you can, regardless of the outcome. After rediscovering this site concept, I poured a fair amount of work back into it and dedicated myself to giving it life. Without giving too much away, the concept of this project is simple; build a website that will act as a hub for connecting people with similar interests, share information, and discover new places. On the surface, it sounds like a recipe for a social network. The truth is, this will be built and thrive on social. Using tools and networks that have been established and hold a decent user-base is an appealing prospect when you’re looking to make a community-driven site. We don’t need another social network, we just need to fine-tune and focus those that we have. Hopefully, this project will do that.

The QR Code Quandry

2012-01-04T02:41:28+00:00

As much as I love QR codes and the potential that they hold, there are barriers that I’ve noticed that can and have prevented people from using and, more importantly, understanding them. What is that thing? One good thing about QR codes is their overall shape. They look like barcodes, for the most part, and most people know what a barcode does and how it works. The biggest question, apart from what the QR code is is how does one scan it? I’ve seen an array of barcode-enhanced ads and promotional materials over the past year but some of the instruction and details around the use of the code has been blurry. Some television ads just pop up the code for a quick second (or two) or have the code positioned in the corner of the screen where it’s hard to identify. When the viewer realizes what the’re looking at, it’s too late to grab their smartphone, launch their code reader app, and aim it at their tv. Other forms of traditional media have been used to display QR codes as well, such as billboards, posters, and direct mail pieces. Depending on where these billboards and posters are placed, their usefulness can suffer from the same setbacks mentioned earlier. Implementation and Education There have been some interesting and unique examples of outdoor and moving-media usage as well, such as the QR code-wrapped vehicles from AmeriSign & Graphics as well as a scannable code on the side of Juan Pablo Montoya’s Target Chevy. In the retail space, I’ve noticed Best Buy and The Home Depot using QR codes on products to provide additional information to their customers. I personally found the Home Depot versions useful as they were placed on the tags in their nursery and gave additional details on growing conditions and what types of weather the plant would thrive in. These provided useful information that helped my wife and I decide what to purchase and plant in our garden. The implementation and positioning of the code was solid, there was additional information listed on the tag regarding how the code should be used, and the end result provided rich and meaningful information. The item that I feel is more important than the placement and use of QR codes in marketing and promotional materials is educating the masses about what these odd-looking barcodes are, and more importantly, what they can do. Going beyond that, once your audience knows what these codes are and how they work, they then need to find (and make easily accessible) a QR code reader program. Speaking from personal experience, this may be the weakest link in the chain when it comes their use. Depending on where the QR code is placed on a material, whether it be print or digital, the time that it takes to recognize what it is, grab your mobile device, find the appropriate app, launch that app, and get a clear capture of the code image is of the utmost importance. When used properly (and not just slapped onto an ad) I feel that QR codes have shown great potential for providing rich content and information. Then again, there are those that don’t feel QR codes should be used in marketing. Period.

5 Informative and Entertaining Design Podcasts

2012-01-02T14:15:35+00:00

If you were to look at the music on my iPhone, you’d find that a good chunk of it isnt even considered music. I’ve been a fan of podcasts (and podcasting) ever since it hit the scene. I’ve found it to be a great way to learn about topics that interest me or to get acquainted with new ideas and I can listen to them no matter what else I may be doing. If you’re looking to bolster your design knowledge or just want to soak up some great talk about the topic, here’s a list of design-focused podcasts you should subscribe to. The Web Ahead - A relatIvely new show, I’ve enjoyed what the host, Jen Simmons brings to the table. The guest list has been an impressive variety of design professionals.The Boagworld Podcast - I’ve enjoyed Paul Boag’s show for quite some time. He covers topic that are central to the business of web design and uncovers some areas that may be forgotten from time to time.The Big Web Show - Jeffrey Zeldman and his guests cover the gamut of design topics in a fun yet informative way.Media Artist Secrets - This podcast by Franklin McMahon may be one of the first design podcasts that I subscribed to. Usually focusing on one topic an episode, the show length is manageable and can be the perfect fit for your morning commute.TEDTalks - This is a series of podcassts created from the amazing TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) events that take place throughout the year. Rather than focusing on how-to’s and techniques, these “episodes” focus on concepts, ideas, problems, and ultimately solutions that apply to all walks of life. I hope you’ll find that these selections are not only informative, but are a pleasure to listen to!

Typography Inspiration to kick off 2012

2012-01-01T14:21:22+00:00

I found a few great and inspiring typography examples to help any designer get the new year rolling in a creative direction. A, B, C…Source: flickr.com via Stephanie on Pinterest Bubbly 2(0)Source: designyoutrust.com via Mathieu on Pinterest 3 minutesSource: typographyserved.com via Kristen on Pinterest Concert posterSource: smashingmagazine.com via Alexis on Pinterest ColaSource: abduzeedo.com via jourjan on Pinterest StealSource: designspiration.net via Emma on Pinterest SymbolsSource: smashingmagazine.com via Michael on Pinterest Save the DateSource: beyondbeyond.co.uk via LEO on Pinterest

My 2012 will be…

2011-12-31T13:30:12+00:00

As we bid farewell to another year and look forward to the one coming up, what’s in store for you? What are your plans and what are your goals? Here’s a short list of what I have planned.A year of new projects, new ventures, and new experiences.Letting ideas grow and allowing them to fail.Finding what works, realizing what doesn’t and moving forward.Streamlining both concepts and self, cutting the fat both figuratively and literally.Creating more content and building tools that can be shared with the communities that I believe in.Help connect people that share the same passion(s).Picking up the “pen” and writing more. This was sorely lacking this year.Using the tools that I have and creating new types of content.Acting on items with more speed and worrying less.Banishing excuses. They accomplish nothing and only hold us back. Now it’s your turn! What do you have planned for the new year?

Mobile User Interface Sketching Templates for iPad

2011-12-28T05:10:29+00:00

If you want to focus on mobile app and mobile web design, here are a few sketching assistants I’ve created to help as you head into the new year. With your iPad or other tablet device, you can choose from an assortment of 10 Mobile UI design and sketching templates to assist you in your design process. These work well with many drawing apps and I’ve included a set that is created specifically for Penultimate. You’ll find both portrait and landscape layouts with and without grids. There are also two and three-up configurations with optional lines for notes (single & two-up). This first round of templates was based off of the iPhone, but I am working on other visual styles as well. What styles are included?Large phone (portrait)Large phone with grid overlay (portrait)Small phone (portrait)Small phone with grid overlay (portrait)Small phone two-up (portrait)Small phone with notes (portrait)Small phone two-up with notes (landscape)Small phone two-up with grid (landscape)Small phone three-up (landscape)Small phone three-up with grid (landscape) 10 Mobile UI Sketch Templates for iPad (.png) - $1.49 10 Mobile UI Sketch Templates for iPad (.ppr Penultimate) - $1.49

8 Great iPad Resources

2011-12-26T15:45:04+00:00

So you got an iPad for the holidays but you aren’t quite sure where to start with it? Here are a few great resources that can help you get the most out of your new iDevice. Podcasts & Video TutorialsiPad TodayWe Have CommunicatorsiPad Guided Tours iPad Tips & TricksThe iPad Show General iOS Tips and InfoTUAWMacWorldiLounge

R/C Body sketching templates (Traxxas)

2011-12-22T05:11:40+00:00

Well, I didn’t get too far down the “new” hobby path without finding a shortcut back to my previous one. After spending some time digging around the recent changes in Penultimate (a great sketching app for the iPad), I had an idea to create some importable papers and images that can be used on many sketching apps for laying out paint scheme or modification ideas. Below are a variety of flat PNG files that you can use while sketching with your favorite tablet device or desktop design software. I’ve also included a series of Penultimate “paper” files as well if that’s your sketching app of choice. The sketching templates have been moved to their permanent home at RCNewb.com.

Building an online project board with ExpressionEngine: Part 3 - Putting the pieces together.

2011-12-20T04:57:58+00:00

With the project board pieces complete, it is time to put the elements together and apply the finishing touches. To get things moving, I set the board up to run on my office’s 40” TV. From there, I went smaller. Much smaller. The big screen. Making a digital project board is quite easy, if you’re only planning on having it used in one location. Since my plans called for the board to be displayed on a TV, laptop, Cinema Display, iPads and an iPhone, I had to set up a few stylesheets to cover all of the bases. The first implementation that I had set up was for the TV in my office. On the surface, this appeared to be an easy task, but after tossing a few variations of sketches up onto the screen I realized I needed to modify my approach. After playing around with the font sizing using standard Web fonts, I made a few trips past the TV to make sure I could easily read my project list at-a-glance. After a few passes I changed my typography plans for the board and went the Web Font route. FontSquirrel.net carries a font by the name of Chunk Five, which has become my font of choice for my site headers and that remained true for this project. I finally had things set up for the TV display and could shift my focus to how the status board would appear on other devices. Templates When people ask why I like ExpressionEngine, one of the first answers I give them is “templates”. Templates are, by far, the best asset of EE (in my humble opinion). They’ve allowed me to quickly create a mobile version of my site, create and test different layouts and design options, and give clients quick previews of site adjustments without much time investment (or headaches). My project board relies heavily on them, specifically around the stylesheet switching for desktop, iPhone, and iPad viewing. To assist with the user agent detection for style sheet and other functionality switches, I installed the MX Mobile Detect plugin. I recommend this plugin for anyone needing to handle mobile devices in various ways. It’s easy to implement and can be used in a variety of situations. In addition to controlling the specific stylesheets, I used this plugin to control certain interface and layout elements. Holding my project list in my hands. A breakthrough moment came when I began reviewing the project board on my iPad and iPhone to determine what changes needed to be made to the stylesheets. Although the main intent was to build a display for large-format viewing, being able to easily glance down at my status list from smaller devices quickly became a priority. After much experimenting and real-world testing, I found layouts that worked for me on every device that I had. I also noticed the potential for expanding the status board into a project management tool. To streamline the appearance of the project board on the iPad and iPhone I set the page up to use the “apple-mobile-web-app-capable” meta tag to eliminate the address and Mobile Safari navigation bars. This not only maximized my screen real estate, but it cleaned up the overall look of the project board and eliminated unneeded distractions. Making it Fluid This project was a perfect application for Fluid, a great app with which you can run any Web site as a standalone Mac OS X app. Not only can I have my project board open when my laptop or desktop start up, I can run the app in full-screen mode and also take advantage of Spaces within OS X.

Get a hobby.

2011-12-17T04:33:39+00:00

A few weekends ago I found myself getting ready for another work-week and started thinking about how I had spent those two, precious “off days”. While most of the time was spent with my family, there was a large chunk that had been devoted to work, either by thought or by action. I’ve often said, half-joking, that my hobby is doing the same thing that I do for a living. The thing is, that’s the truth. I love what I do, the creative process, the technology angle, helping better my clients. But although I love it, I’ve come to the realization that I need a new way to spend my down time. I need a real hobby. Searching for something offline. It didn’t take me long to run through a list of things that I’d like to do. It took even less time to start crossing most of those items off the list. Finally an option came to the top that would fit the bill. R/C cars. I’ve always been fascinated by radio-controlled cars and have longed for one since my days in elementary school. Sure I’ve had an assortment of R/C cars in the past, none of them could be customized or tuned (easily). This hobby would also allow me to scratch my itch for racing that I’d been left with since I stopped kart racing back in 2000. A chance to recharge, in more ways than one. While I haven’t begun my foray into the R/C world (yet), I’ve started researching and reviewing, and hanging out at hobby shops. It’s fun and a welcomed escape from my other hobby. Here’s to hoping it provides some creative benefits too. What can I say, I’m a creature of habit.

Audio Inspiration

2011-12-14T16:51:29+00:00

A little visual and mechanical inspiration, with audio at the heart of it all. Source: koostik.com via Kyle on Pinterest Source: perpenduum.com via Ryan on Pinterest Source: illusion.scene360.com via Luis on Pinterest Source: Uploaded by user via Marcus on Pinterest Source: conceptblanc.tumblr.com via Claudia on Pinterest Source: samsontech.com via Shawn on Pinterest

Playing with Penultimate

2011-12-14T04:22:56+00:00

No matter how many iPad sketching and note-taking apps I may download, I always find myself coming back to Penultimate. I fell in love with this app about a year ago and it has replaced my once-trusty paper sketchbook. A few updates ago, the folks at Cocoa Box gave Penultimate the ability to have custom papers imported into it and I’ve finally gotten around to kicking the tires on that feature. I know, I’m a little late to the party, but I have some interesting contributions that I’ll be taking the wraps off of soon.

The joy of personal projects.

2011-12-09T19:33:57+00:00

As the end of the year quickly approaches, it’s easy to feel run down and uninspired when it comes to design work and projects. Doing work for clients is great, don’t get me wrong. It pays the bills and it puts food on the table. But nonstop client projects might put creativity into a rut. When looking at the new year and gearing up for new clients and new opportunities, don’t forget to look at yourself and your ideas for potential projects. I’m excited to be working on great client work but I’ve found myself just as thrilled to be starting some personal projects that I’ve been mulling over for the past year (or so). These are a little outside of my normal work and will be as challenging as anything I’ve ever worked on in the past, but I can’t wait to get them started and see what happens with them. I’ll reveal more information closer to the individual launches, but until then remember to make time for yourself!

Building an online project board with ExpressionEngine: Part 2 - The Interface

2011-11-26T04:01:04+00:00

With any project, the design of the interface can make or break the usefulness of the final product. During the process of laying out the project board, I was in a state of constant flux, adding elements, removing elements, adjusting their size and visual weight to find the right combination that worked. Starting with Panic. The seed for this project was planted, as mentioned before, when I read about the Panic Status Board. This thing is amazing, and I’m still in awe of how beautiful, and more-importantly, how functional it is. It was the benchmark. I went to my drawing board with many ideas, possibly too many, flowing onto the paper. Before long, I had a mess on my hands. I didn’t like any of the ideas that I was coming up with. I didn’t want to do a complete hack-job and rip off the Panic design. I did (often) check back to their project board post and studied their images feverishly, comparing them to my sketches and wondering why solutions didn’t have the same impact. It didn’t take me long to understand the reason. I wasn’t focusing on what I needed, instead I was cramming the items that Panic had employed into my board, where they didn’t belong. My needs for this board were simple, a quick view of my projects that were in progress and on the horizon. Simple as that. Back to the drawing board. With a much clearer vision in place, I laid out the items that I needed and tossed the “wish-list” items onto the back burner. The result was a clean solution that would give me the information I needed at a glance. Just as planned. The more things change. After diving into the Photoshop layout and markup stage, I discovered more adjustments were needed so the look (once again) underwent another round (or two) of changes. The flexibility of ExpressionEngine let me quickly make changes on the fly, review them and go on without wasting too much time. Now that things were taking shape, it was time to fine-tune and refine.

A cloud of confusion.

2011-11-24T04:58:11+00:00

With the launch of iTunes Match I’ve encountered one of the first Apple products/services that has truly baffled me. It’s not the service itself that’s causing the confusion, rather the signals that it sends me. First, a little background information. All (or most) of your music in the cloud. While it’s not the first cloud-based music service to hit the scene, iTunes Match is the one that makes the most sense to me (thanks to years of iTunes purchases coupled with a steadfast dislike to purchase multiple copies of music just to have them available on multiple devices). Other offerings from Google and Amazon let you stream your music to your computer or mobile device for easy listening but they can take a while to upload content that wasn’t purchased through their services. iTunes Match takes a slightly different approach where you can access not only your music purchased from Apple, but also any of the other music you might have added from other sources such as ripped CDs or Napst…eerrr…friends. The difference comes in where Apple is only scanning your library and matching this music and granting you access to (usually) higher-quality version of music that you have in your library. You can upload songs that aren’t available in iTunes which can mimic the storage-locker-style approach that both Amazon and Google have taken. Say what? Signup for this service is straightforward, I’ll admit that right now. The confusion and mixed signals sets in after the matching process begins, and in some cases fails. The error messages that Apple has implemented aren’t very “Apple-like”. They’re confusing. They don’t give the whole picture, or even a snapshot for that matter, of what the real issue is. In addition to the cryptic error messages, Apple has brought new iCloud icons into play that, unless you have a legend for, you have no clue what they mean. Thankfully Apple has shed a bit of light on this issue. Issues and interface inconsistencies aside, I’m loving iTunes Match, though it keeps sending me mixed signals. Quick Tip The November 19 episode (#143) of We Have Communicators makes mention of a MacWorld article that explains an iTunes column sorting option that is extremely handy when dealing with iTunes Match music. “One way to cut through the confusion is by turning on a new view option in iTunes. Choose View -> View Options and check the iCloud Status box. This will add a new column to your iTunes list detailing the status of every item in your library.” - Jason Snell of MacWorld.com A very handy tip indeed!

Building an online project board with ExpressionEngine: Part 1 - Laying the foundation.

2011-11-21T14:05:03+00:00

When I set out to create an online project board powered by ExpressionEngine, I wasn’t sure how the project would turn out. After seeing the setup that the guys at Panic created, I immediately lusted after it, but quickly realized that I didn’t need all of the bells and whistles that they were implementing. My solution needed to encompass two main aspects. It needed to be simple and it needed to be clean. Before working on any of the interface elements I made sure this project had a solid foundation and would be able to give me the information I was looking for when I needed it. As mentioned in my latest Thinking Out Loud post, preventing scope creep was important, but some additional items did find their way into the process. Custom Fields are your friend. The main reason I opted to build the project board with ExpressionEngine rather than creating my own front and backend system was the sheer power that’s under the hood of an EE system. I can create a custom template, a custom input channel, and top it off with custom fields that will do exactly what need them to do. In short, it’s the smart thing to do. Making a list and checking it…many times. After setting up the template and the channel for the project board, I needed to set up the fields that would make everything work. After jotting down some initial ideas that I needed, I began thinking about this project down the road and had visions of where I could take it and what it could turn into. The result was a list of entry fields that go beyond what a project board needs, but laying this ground work in the beginning will make expanding the functionality easier in the future. Power and flexibility. I’ve never paid too much attention to the Custom Field possibilities that ExpressionEngine offered until I began working on this project. Once I started looking around, I was shocked at the variety of field-types I could choose from. I had wanted a dynamic, JavaScript-driven date box to handle my project Start and Due dates, figuring I’d need to either build one myself or find a suitable option through searching. No need. One of the field types is a calendar-style date selector. Here’s a brief list of other custom field-types: Text InputTextareaCheckboxesRadio ButtonsMulti SelectDateFileRelationship There are some additional field-types that become available when you install select plugins and modules.

Thinking Out Loud: Scratching the surface.

2011-11-17T05:07:28+00:00

Does this sound familiar: you’re working on a project and discovering many new additions or even new projects that could be built off-of or from it? I’ve encountered this experience on many past projects and the most-recent instance made me take a few items into consideration. listen to ‘Scratching the surface.’ on Audioboo (function() { var po = document.createElement("script"); po.type = "text/javascript"; po.async = true; po.src = "//d15mj6e6qmt1na.cloudfront.net/assets/embed-120632a7e4d1146dddadf1e106266c7c.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })();

The experience.

2011-11-15T15:00:19+00:00

I’d like you to take a look at the tools you use each day, for work and for play. They can be computers, music players, phones, golf clubs…anything. Now look at which tools and toys you enjoy using and what you are, for the lack of a better word, forced to use. What’s the difference between the two? The experience or, more importantly, how enjoyable the experience is for you. Finding tools that suit your style. I’ve brought up the fact that I’d much rather type and do work on my iPad to co-workers on a few occasions. Their responses are mixed with puzzlement and disbelief whenever I make that claim, but it’s a true statement. That device gives me the best experience for viewing and handling digital content. Why not use something that makes a job more enjoyable rather than just tolerable? Why not find a tool or set of tools that remove themselves from the picture, if only by illusion, and let creativity and focus rule the day? I challenge you to find tools that you enjoy using and see how they’ll fit into your workflow. Don’t just take a high-level look at them either. Try them out and see what works and what doesn’t. You might surprise yourself.

If you give a child an iPad…

2011-11-14T19:30:31+00:00

Children don’t have any preconceptions or expectations when they encounter something for the first time. This is all-too apparent when I watch my two boys (ages two and five) use our family iPad. Not to take anything away from the simplicity of the device, but I’ve shown countless people the iPad, demonstrated it for individuals of all ages, and the results are as varied as the individual experiences. Nothing compares to the experience of placing one of these devices into a child’s hands. They seemed to understand how it worked only moments after touching it, and appeared to have mastered the basics of navigating it after a minute or two. I’m not exaggerating either (as tall as this tale sounds now). Some trial and error was up next, figuring out what each of the chicklet-shaped icons would do, what apps they would launch and what entertainment they would provide. After the first few apps were launched, they both had established a pattern of how all apps worked. The app they chose to base this belief on was Angry Birds. Close, but not apps are made equal…regarding their navigation. The kids would each adapt their use after finding out that Angry Birds doesn’t control the universe. After seeing that, I made sure I was paying very close attention to their facial expressions. I wanted to see if either of them would express frustration or would become angry if something didn’t work the way they expected (or wanted) it to. To my surprise, they appeared happy and delighted to be puttering around and making the screen come alive. As they get older and the tools and technology that they encounter become layered and burdened by expectations, I have no doubt that they’ll get mad at the outcome of some interaction. It’s inevitable. But as the world continues to move and become more fluid, there’s hope that these instances will be few and far between (along with the hope that they’ll help usher in the next wave of gadgets and gizmos).

“The only way to do great work…”

2011-11-11T16:45:46+00:00

I love this Steve Jobs quote and I love this image. Words to live by and create by. Source: mayanrocks.com via Natasha on Pinterest

Typography Inspiration - Friday, November 11, 2011

2011-11-11T12:40:48+00:00

Feast your eyes and your typography-loving-soul on these gems… FlightplanSource: dribbble.com via kara on Pinterest VaderSource: beeperbebe.tumblr.com via Laura on Pinterest Know Pain. Know Gain.Source: designspiration.net via Monica on Pinterest CassetteSource: ffffound.com via Charlotte on Pinterest Things will get better.Source: abduzeedo.com via Jacqui on Pinterest

Poster design inspiration - Thursday, November 10, 2011

2011-11-10T19:55:08+00:00

These few posters grabbed my attention and my curiosity. I hope they do the same for you. Wait…What?!?Source: laura119.tumblr.com via Kody on Pinterest 5 Simple Rules for Using Typography as an ImageSource: google.com via Kassey on Pinterest Steve Savage TourSource: blog.echoenduring.com via Charlotte on Pinterest

A touch of customization.

2011-11-10T16:05:43+00:00

Earlier this week I discovered an iOS app from the folks at Ford that allows you to customize a Ford Mustang any way you like (on the exterior). I downloaded it to try it out, but am surprised at the amount of fun I’m having using it. The Mustang Customizer app began it’s life as a website but has been adapted to work on the iPhone and iPad, as well as Android devices. Fresh from the lab. As I mentioned, I’m having fun with this app, maybe too much fun. You be the judge: Social to the core. Quick aside: I’m a fan of not only Ford’s vehicles, but also their approach to social networking. This app and the Mustang Customizer site are no exception. You can submit your creations in head-to-head battles with other rides and can share your experiences on the top social sites. You can even embed your profile to show off your skills.

The Most Magical Place On Earth

2011-11-10T04:47:00+00:00

Just over a week ago, my family and I returned from a vacation to Orlando, FL. This being our second trip there as a family, it was great seeing my oldest son’s reaction to rides that he’s been on before and how his tastes have changed. Likewise, I enjoyed watching my youngest son find his favorite rides and see his favorite characters. It was a great escape, and it was, as they bill it, magical.

Beetle Mania

2011-11-04T12:00:34+00:00

While there are many cars I’d like to own, the VW bug doesn’t rank high on my list. It is, however, a beauty of a car with soft lines and curvy appearance. I submit the following for inspiration. Black BugSource: 500px.com via CM on Pinterest BugsSource: flickr.com via CM on Pinterest Source: dailydoseofstuf.tumblr.com via CM on Pinterest Source: Uploaded by user via CM on Pinterest

Interior Inspiration for Thursday

2011-11-03T17:43:25+00:00

An assortment of furnishing and workspace inspiration. Vintage LockerSource: rhbabyandchild.com via Shawn on Pinterest Home Office OrganizationSource: penniesandblessings.com via Shawn on Pinterest SinkSource: hviit.blogspot.com via FormFire on Pinterest ShelvingSource: tetinotete.tumblr.com via FormFire on Pinterest TableSource: fromscandinaviawithlove.tumblr.com via FormFire on Pinterest Wireless SpeakersSource: design-milk.com via FormFire on Pinterest

Sassy Siri

2011-10-20T02:33:30+00:00

If you’re one of the many, many people that purchased the iPhone 4S last Friday, you’ve no-doubt played around with Siri. While this feature does have some useful and potentially beneficial uses, there’s the irresistible urge to find out just how much information and thought Apple and the Siri team have put into this service. The answer: A whole-heckofalot. These are a few of my PG-esque queries. For more virtual assistant hilarity, check out S#!tThatSiriSays & S#!tSiriSays.com.

Here’s to the crazy ones…

2011-10-11T00:14:31+00:00

While I’ve been gathering my own thoughts on the passing of Steve Jobs, this version of Apple’s Think Different ad struck a chord with me. Rather than Richard Dreyfuss narrating it, it’s Jobs himself. Enjoy it and let the words sink in.

Interior Design Inspirtion - Workspace

2011-09-30T15:10:26+00:00

Ending the week with some workspace furnishing inspiration. Corner shelvesSource: smallplacestyle.blogspot.com via Shawn on Pinterest OfficeSource: houzz.com via Shawn on Pinterest Modular desk systemSource: atlaswest.com via FormFire on Pinterest Bad-ass industrial kitchenSource: materialgirlsblog.com via FormFire on Pinterest

Fast Steel: Automotive Inspiration

2011-09-26T16:43:37+00:00

When all else fails, and I need inspiration on a project, I turn my attention to cars. Fast, sleek, classic, or modern automobiles. Rev it up. ChallengerSource: carpr0n.tumblr.com via Kevin on Pinterest ChromeSource: flickr.com via Kevin on Pinterest Corvettes

Initial Thoughts on Facebook’s Timeline

2011-09-23T18:52:00+00:00

I was able to investigate Facebook’s new Timeline feature first-hand last night. What I saw of it, I liked. Take a listen! Initial thoughts on Facebook"s Timeline (mp3)

Typographical Inspiration - 9/23/11

2011-09-23T16:29:13+00:00

Feast your eyes on this sample platter of beautiful fonts as you head into your weekend. Lost TypeSource: friendsoftype.com via Chris on Pinterest Amazing logosSource: behance.net via Ben on Pinterest RSource: reddit.com via Chris on Pinterest Black WoodSource: typography-daily.com via Khanh on Pinterest This font rocks!Source: typeverything.com via Benjamin on Pinterest Hi

10 Great CSS Showcase Sites

2011-09-21T16:09:51+00:00

There are many online resources for designers to utilize, but some of the most important are inspiration showcases. When learning CSS back in the day, I spent countless hours perusing some of the first CSS galleries, closely examining each pixel of a layout, digging into the source and figuring out how folks were getting sites set up without tables. Now that CSS layouts have become the “norm” I still cruise these showcase sites for ideas and inspiration. csscutie.comcssmania.com csselite.combestcssvault.comcssdesignawards.comcss-design-yorkshire.comcreamycss.comcssbeauty.com - (Not updated since January 2011, but this is still a classic and deserved a place on the list.)cssdrive.comcssheroes.com What favorite galleries do you rely on for inspiration?

A touch of Classic

2011-09-21T13:22:14+00:00

I stumbled across this beauty while browsing Fancy last night. Beautiful, elegant, simple. Words actually can’t do this justice.

Graphic Design Inspiration - 9/20/11

2011-09-20T15:11:09+00:00

More visual goodness from around the Web. Feist Concert PosterSource: indiegalore.com via Lisa on Pinterest Pasta packagingSource: design-milk.com via Shawn on Pinterest Aeroflot Poster - I’ve been a longtime fan of this color combination…

The iPad as a design tool.

2011-09-19T12:38:59+00:00

I’m not sure why I didn’t ask Chris Sherman to put his iPad ownership thoughts into writing sooner. We’ve had many discussions about it’s usefulness (and weaknesses) over the past year and I’m glad that Chris was willing to spend some time to write down some of his thoughts. Why did you get an iPad? I love Apple products and I wanted to bridge the gap between my iPhone and my MacBook Pro. Is it an original or iPad 2? It is the original iPad Are you happy with your decision? I am, although I know now that I didn’t need the model on steroids. The 64gb w/3G is more than I need. Did it fill a need or was it a impulse buy? I have to be honest here, it was more of an impulse buy. I would have been totally happy with the 16gb wifi model. How has the iPad changed your “normal” computer-use habits? I handle most of my social media needs on the iPad so it has become my feed screen even while I am on my regular computer. What are you doing with the iPad that has made your life easier or has surprised you? I feel that the iPad is a larger version of my iPhone so I am still using my iPhone for a lot of my on-the-go needs. Have you been able to integrate the iPad into your work life? Aside from the social media use as stated above, I have all of our sample photo’s on there so when we visit with clients, we use it as a digital portfolio. Awesome tool in that respect. Also, FTP On The Go is very helpful with the large files. How would you grade the iPad as a work tool, specifically in the area of design? It is amazing. The “Palette’s” app is awesome. I can pull out color palettes on projects to work with when trying to create corporate images etc… Sketchbook Pro and Adobe Ideas are great for designing. Are there any business apps or content creation apps that you rely on? Nothing in that respect have I tried yet. How often do you use your iPad for business/how often for personal? It is pretty much business use. I would say almost daily at work. Is that use more that you’d expected? Not now, but at first, I almost never used it until I started searching for apps and researching online what is useful. Do you still use your other computers as much? Yes. Are there any apps you’d recommend for either personal or business use? Audio Note is great if you attend seminars. You can record the audio and then whatever you type in as a note, it will time-stamp the recording for fast reference. Very useful. What would you change about it or what features would you add/take away? I wish it worked more like a laptop. It would be nice if it had a desktop like OS with a cursor and a USB port for file transfer if you are not in a WiFi setting.

Creative workspace inspiration. (9/15/11)

2011-09-15T12:05:29+00:00

Keeping your workspace in mind and how it either works or doesn’t work for you, here are some spaces and furniture that struck a chord with me. A work nook.Source: ffffound.com via Brian on Pinterest Kitchen designSource: practicalenrichment.wordpress.com via Emilia on Pinterest OfficeSource: bing.com via Shannon on Pinterest Quad shelving unit via TheFancy.com

An Android fan walks into an Apple store…

2011-09-14T12:30:01+00:00

My friend and fellow designer Steve Dalton recently shocked me when he tweeted he was buying an iPad. This wasn’t shocking, many people by iPads…but I never would have guessed Steve would buy something with an Apple logo on it. For as long as I’ve known him he’s been a Windows and most-recently Android user through-and-through. Since he’s had a few months to get used to the iOS side of things, I wanted to get his thoughts on his latest geek purchase. Being an Android fan, why did you decide get an iPad? I have always been interested in gadgets and technology and I’d heard how great the first iPad was and was holding out to see what Motorola was offering as a tablet. Are you happy with your decision? I am extremely happy with choosing the iPad. It has exceeded my expectations in every way. What need did it fill or was it a impulse buy? Initially I thought the Motorola Xoom was the way to go, but due to the lack of apps that were available and price I decided to take another look at the iPad. The only Mac product I have used in the past 10 years was my iPod and being Android fan I was hesitant to make the switch. How has the iPad changed your “normal” computer-use habits? My normal computer use hasn’t changed that much except I find that I don’t use my laptop as much when traveling. Mainly because it’s so light and thin I can easily slip it into my writing pad folio to take it on the go. What are you doing with the iPad that has made your life easier or has surprised you? I was probably most surprised how well it works as an all around personal trainer. I can set up a personalized workout and take it to the treadmill, elliptical, and weight machines to keep track of my progress. Plus, it’s always great to fire up the Netflix app and watch movies to make the time running on the treadmill less monotonous. As a designer, have you been able to integrate the iPad into your workflow? I do have a stylus for my iPad, however as a designer I haven’t used it much as a tool for sketching out ideas (yet). I’ve used it quite a bit for showing mockups, ideas, and as a portfolio of past projects to current and prospective clients. We have also used it as an interactive sales took for showing our products, services, and service area. Are there any design apps or content creation apps that you rely on? I use PhatPad and Evernote for taking quick notes of ideas, things I find interesting and material I don’t want to forget. Once you get used to it the handwriting recognition for PhatPad it’s quite handy for writing notes longhand. How often do you use your iPad? I use my iPad daily, and definitely use it more than expected. It really hasn’t changed the amount of time I spend using other computers, although it has improved the workflow between devices. For example ideas worked out in Evernote on the iPad are synced nicely if I need to review notes on my Droid, laptop or desktop computer. Any apps you’d recommend for either personal use or business? I have downloaded quite a few fitness apps and a few of them are quite helpful. ITGO MatrixHD is great for HIIT Intervals for elliptical machine training. You can even sync it to your iTunes library to play certain songs during warm-up / cool down periods. Fitness HD has a ton of great workouts with videos and photos. While it doesn’t have a way to save your progress online yet, you can use the Daily Burn app to sync this information quite easily. The business app I use the most and would recommend is Evernote. I use Evernote on my phone and desktop, but with the camera functionality on the iPad it makes it an ideal portable scanner as well. What would you change about it or what features would you add/take away? There isn’t much I would change. The battery life, speed, and easy learning curve of the device has made this lifetime PC user a true fan.

Public speaking and the art of the “Stevenote”.

2011-09-13T16:32:10+00:00

For a long time, I was never a fan of public speaking and giving presentations (where I was the one doing the talking). In fact, I can remember one instance in 3rd grade where I had to give an oral book report on a book that I knew cover to cover, and I froze. Big. Time. A 50-gallon drum of WD-40 couldn’t have freed me up enough to where I could make a sound. It was bad. I mark that that as watershed moment in how I viewed the topic of public speaking. Until the last few years… I have been put into more product/service presentation situations over the past few years than I ever thought I would have. From discussing the basis behind a mobile Website to preaching the benefits of social networking, I’ve found my personal feelings on the subject beginning to change. In fact, I’ve gotten quite comfortable sharing information in front of a crowd. Pinpointing what changed or what has caused my attitude to change is somewhat of a difficult task. Between volunteering and being requested to speak, the typical pressures that I’ve experienced in the past have subsided (not that I don’t have moments of panic before “showtime”). I’ve also witnessed some great examples of how to present and how to express one’s passion for a subject. Being the dyed-in-the-wool Apple fan that I am, I’ve always enjoyed watching Steve Jobs give a product announcement or discuss a new feature of the Mac OS. There’s something in the way he presents products and features, a way that captivated the audience and the fan base and makes you yearn for whatever is being unveiled. What that “something” is has been discussed, deconstructed and scrutinized, but it does exist. Before my past few presentations, I’ve replayed an assortment of Stevenotes and played close attention to not just what was being said, but how it was being delivered. That activity has not-only gotten me into the correct mindset but also reminds me of what a person can do when they believe in what they’re presenting.

Creative inspiration in poster form. (9/12/11)

2011-09-12T13:44:34+00:00

Need a creativity pick-me-up? Look no further than these posters that display words to live (and work) by. Do More of What Makes You HappySource: None via Tim on Pinterest Change your thoughts…Source: None via Jessi on Pinterest To Live a Creative Life… via TheFancy.com

How do you explain evil?

2011-09-12T02:55:59+00:00

Today, as many are painfully aware, marks the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States. I can remember where I was, what I was doing when it took place and I still get a mixed reaction of anger, sadness, and pain when watching the coverage. The biggest challenge I’ve found myself faced with is how to begin explaining these terrible events to my kids. As soon as I turned the tv on this morning, the memorial coverage was in full swing. The boys were up as well and beginning their day as their attention quickly turned to the television. My youngest, who’s two, didn’t give much of a reaction, but my oldest (five) had a different response. It wasn’t what I’d hoped for. To him, it wasn’t real. It was video and it looked no different than a movie. For all he knows, it is a movie, but watching this unfold myself as I sat in a friend’s dorm room ten years ago, I know it’s all-too-real. I realized I needed to give some level of reality so I mentioned that this was a very bad event that killed many people and it was caused by very bad people. Evil in it’s purest form. I stopped short of the evil remark. Carter’s too young to grasp that and is just now getting into superheros and villains, but the villains he sees aren’t to the level of hatred that people in the United States came to know so many years ago. I looked for his reaction and he didn’t get it. He started to play “rescue guy” after gathering his toy firetrucks and police cars. Innocent enough, but I quickly changed the channel to Disney and that ended all talk or questions of the disaster. I know I’ll need to cross this bridge again, but now isn’t the time. They still have innocence in their lives and they should be allowed to keep that for as long as possible.

Crafting a new Escape Route: Project Recap

2011-09-10T02:51:56+00:00

Scrap-booking and crafting creativity are a favorite pastime for many of my friends and family members. A few years ago a friend of mine decided to turn that pastime into a business and launched Escape Route. I’ve been fortunate to “tag along” and assist with the branding and Web marketing aspects of this business and am very pleased with the latest collaboration. Replacing a placeholder. The first incarnation of the Escape Route website was meant to be a placeholder. It would host contact information, basic details about what could be expected from the business and also serve as a catalog for creativity podcasts. The placeholder was in place for more than two years. Life get’s in the way of things from time-to-time and this was one of those instances. With a renewed spark, Pat relayed a new direction for the site and I went to work planning the next evolution for her Web presence. Much had changed in those two-plus years. Escape Route had leapt into the social networking sphere with Twitter and Facebook. We had also collaborated to produce some video tutorials for some select creativity apps and she wanted to launch a blog. With all of these items in mind, the realignment phase was in motion. There’s no place like home. The homepage is often the starting point of many site redesigns/realignments because it sets the tone for the site structure. While all of the elements don’t carry though, the core DNA is there from one page to another (at least that’s how I approach it). The new homepage for Escape Route would be comprised of four main elements. The first is a larger hero image/message area that would showcase projects, products, blog posts, or any other item that Pat would see fit. Nestled underneath that area would be compartments for the latest blog post, email signup, and Twitter feed. These areas are as important, if not more than the hero image that hovered above so I was careful to not let these items fade into obscurity. Crafting the content container. The content pages all share a similar layout to the homepage (remember, it’s in the DNA) with some subtle adjustments to better-suite the purpose of the detail pages. A sidebar was added to act as a secondary navigation area as well as give an opportunity to cross-promote the Twitter stream and e-news enrollment. I borrowed a page…or a bar, from some of my favorite blogs and added a subscription area at the head of all blog pages. Textured treatments. One reason I enjoy working with Escape Route is the tangible and textured nature of craft and scrapbook materials. The finished products are as much treat to hold as they are to look at with the contrasts in materials and embellishments. I wanted the site to mimic these aspects as much as possible but not go overboard. The final design has touches of stitching, fabric tabs, and embroidered labels sitting over the blue striped and lightly-distressed blue background (which began it’s life as a desktop image that I had made for Pat’s laptop). True to scrap-booking “form”, we found an element that worked and were able to carry it on for future use. There are other extensions of this site that are still in planning phases, namely a custom mobile layout and some iPad-centric goodies. It’s good to love what you do.

Design Inspiration - 9/03/11

2011-09-03T17:14:27+00:00

My new realization that I’m in love with watch design is a driving factor with one of these items. Contemporary WatchSource: ffffound.com via Hannah on Pinterest 7UpSource: abduzeedo.com via Keith on Pinterest

A dose of design inspiration - September 1, 2011

2011-09-01T14:25:59+00:00

A few design finds to help you spark inspiration. Design is…Source: crushculdesac.tumblr.com via Sojung on Pinterest Office StyleSource: convoy.tumblr.com via Carly on Pinterest

A dose of design inspiration - August 31, 2011

2011-09-01T02:00:05+00:00

Retro 2012 Olympics PosterSource: typeverything.com via Seamless on Pinterest B

Make time for your own projects.

2011-09-01T00:27:54+00:00

This isn’t a how-to or a list of reasons why you should make time for your own projects. It’s a simple, yet very direct statement. Make time for your own projects. It’s too often that we put time and effort into working on client projects (and rightfully-so), while our own personal project thoughts and ideas own sit on the sidelines. It’s time to make time for you.

Three tools to help you watch your weight without making you lose your mind.

2011-08-31T03:33:38+00:00

Nothing like launching into a “New Year’s Resolution” over half a year into the new year, but better late than never, right? Back in July I started a new diet & exercise routine and, as opposed to previous attempts, I wanted results this time around. I quickly found a few great tools for assistance and inspiration. LoseIt.com - A great site and mobile app combo that give you tools to monitor your weight, set loss goals, and track your calorie intake. While you need to measure your food out (in some cases) in order to track it through the LoseIt tools, I’ve found this isn’t that challenging. DailyMile.com - If you’re looking to get into an excersise routine, DailyMile is a great site that can help you do this. Find friends and cheer each other on as you track your workouts. This is a terrific site for generating help and getting motivational assistance from others who are looking to accomplish the same goal. Calorific - A unique take on calorie monitoring, Calorific breaks the foods that you eat into three categories; Great, Ok, and Bad. From there, they employ a measuring system of tiny, small, medium, and large. This system allows you to re-imagine what you’re taking in, not in cups or quarts, but as handfuls. This basic breakdown of calorie counting is a refreshing change from measuring and eagle-eyed monitoring of each food item you eat. BONUS Honorable mentions: MyFitnessPal.com Pedometer (Free)

Does your work environment work for you?

2011-08-26T14:25:54+00:00

Credit: Free images from acobox.comWhen you’re at work, what kind of an environment do you work in? Is it noisy, quite, or somewhere in between? No matter how you answered that question, the more-important question is this; do your work surroundings work for you or against you? No matter what line of work you’re in, your work environment plays a large part in how you work and how productive you can be. My “9 to 5” work environment and my home-office environment couldn’t be any more different if they tried. By day I’m in my office where I have a good amount of quiet and solitude, which matches up fairly well with my work style. There are times I wish I could make some drastic changes to that space, or just crank my music up once and awhile, but that wouldn’t end up well. For those times, I rely on my home office to pick up the slack. There’s no place like home. My home office has taken on many shapes and forms over the years. After graduating college I turned a guest bedroom of my apartment into my office but my actual desk space was relegated to One corner of the room. Not ideal, by any means, but it worked. After moving into a condo I, once again, got a guest room as my office but this time I was able to absorb the entire area and make it my own. All of the decorating may not have been exactly the way I’d wanted it, but it was close. When we bought our house after three years of condo-living, I was hopeful that I’d have an opportunity to get even closer to my “perfect” office. Organized chaos. Back in college I vividly remember my roommate and I being at odds regarding the physical and aesthetic state of our dorm room. My side of the room looked like a bomb went off, followed by a series of natural disasters that only affected my living quarters. His side, however, was organized. Very organized (at least when compared to me). While my area was a constant clutter, it worked. I knew where things were (most of the time) and I was able to get done what I needed to do. That said, married life has changed me (slightly) as I now follow my two boys around picking up their clutter and wishing things were more tidy. That leads us to my current home-office/studio. When we bought our current house, I fell in love with the basement as soon as I saw it. A finished basement with mint-green walls, it had enough room for our desk, bookshelves and my other workstation necessities plus it would let our kids have some space to play as well. As we’ve settled into our house, the basement (my office/man-cave/studio) has gone through some transitions and received a coat of paint (goodbye green, hello burgundy). While I do have to dance around children’s toys from time-to-time, the more I think about it, the happier I am with my current setup. I have multiple locations that I can set up shop and work, either at my desk, at a standing project table, or at a very nice ( and dangerously-comfortable) couch. When I need a break from work I can fire up the Wii or shoot Nerf guns across the room or crank music up as loud as I’d like. It’s a dream office that keeps improving. It works with me rather than against me. How about your workspace, does it work with your style or against it?

Keeping your social networking properties in order.

2011-08-26T03:58:54+00:00

Credit: Free photos from acobox.com If you’re keeping track of the many social networks that are available, you’ll notice that there are quite a few of them out there…putting it mildly. For the people that want to be involved in as many communities as they can, managing all of the connections, conversations, and properties can feel somewhat overwhelming. Social Housekeeping. Personally, I’m involved on more than my fair share of networks. Twitter and Facebook are my two main areas of focus, but I’ve also made an effort to do more with LinkedIn and was one of the many clamoring to jump onto Google+ when it was announced. It wasn’t long after I was granted a Google+ invite (thanks Steve) that I felt a true, overwhelming sense of stress with regards to my online communities. There were simply too many (or I had too many irons in the fire). After that thought entered my mind, I felt myself pulling back from not just G+ but all of my networks. I didn’t post as often and I didn’t engage as often. It was nice…for a while. After a few days I missed the interaction and came to the conclusion that I couldn’t just abandon the online properties that I had once been inhabiting. That wasn’t fair, not to myself or to the people that I’d gotten to know (and appreciate) within each of the communities. I started to look at each social network location as a house or a proerty that I had to maintain. Each property was in a different community with different neighbors and different rules. Managing and defining each location. As much as I dislike the term “managing your social network” I realize that this is a necessary task for those involved in social networking. From the outside looking in, it may be easy to suggest dropping one or more networks and only focus on those that give the most joy and are the most worthwhile to your time. Personally speaking, that didn’t seem like the appropriate response. Turning toward tools when running out of time. While I’ve used these tools for a while, I find myself relying on them now more than ever to help me stay up-to-date with my communities and not let things slip too far behind. Hootsuite - Managing multiple social networks from within your browser.Tweetdeck - Manage multiple networks in mobile and desktop apps.Boxcar - Mobile notifications for iOS and beyondFirefox 5 (and 6) with “Tab pinning”Google+ Mobile Apps How do you keep your social properties in order? What tricks or tips do you have to stay on top of all of these networks (while not ignoring anyone)? What tools do you use and how do you use them to manage your time as well as your relationships?

Get the lead out and dig through your thoughts.

2011-08-25T02:45:49+00:00

A thought hit me today as I looked through my list of “started” blog posts and written musings in Evernote. I’ve set up a nice junk-drawer of thoughts, but most of them are sitting unfinished. It’s as-if I’ve jotted a note down on a scrap of paper, folded it up, tossed it into a box and then put that box into a drawer. The farthest-possible depths of that drawer. So here I sit, with countless thoughts in varying states of completion. Some of them are almost ready to be posted and some are nothing more than a line or two, trying to find their way and get traction. The key is to not ignore these thoughts, no matter what shape they may be in. Nurture them and share them with the world. Just some food for thought.

LinkedIn launches a new look for their iOS and Android apps.

2011-08-17T00:00:56+00:00

LinkedIn pushed out a (welcome) update for their iOS and Android mobile apps today. Gone are the chicklet-styled home buttons, which have been replaced with an entirely-new navigation scheme. In essence, the header bar rules the day. Everything you need to do and your main mode of navigating through the app is handled through this area. While this is an interesting take on mobile app nav design (as a good majority of apps that I’ve used rely on the footer bar to house their navigation), it’s not the most intuitive option, unless you turn a blind eye to the informational hovering window that appears the first time you launch the updated app. Once you get the hang of the navigation scheme, you can easily move through the app into the four main modules; Updates, You, Inbox, and Groups & More. The icons for each of these sections have distinct visual traits that help you distinguish what they are at-a-glance. Areas of the app that have multiple sub-categories or options once you dive into them are sectioned off nicely with visuals that are much larger and bolder than in the past. Creating a new message or status update also seems to have a more polished/streamlined look. Overall I’m very impressed with this update and plan to make more use of the LinkedIn app because of it. If you haven’t already, go grab the update from the iOS App Store or the Android Marketplace.

What’s in your bag? (Pt. 1)

2011-08-11T14:04:44+00:00

What tools, gadgets, and other devices do you carry around to help you with your job? This is what’s in my “daily traveler”.

Thinking Out Loud: No More Excuses

2011-08-11T04:17:15+00:00

Just like the title says. Use the tools that you have and make something happen! No More Excuses (mp3)

Papa’s got a brand new bag: A review of the STM Scout for iPad.

2011-08-09T17:03:05+00:00

I’ve been toting my iPad around in a full-size computer bag for the past year and after getting some flak for it (namely the gross misuse of space) and encountering some instances of social awkwardness (lunch line bumping and airplane head-knocking) I’ve made a move to something a bit smaller. STM Scout for iPadPlenty of padding for the iPad, keeping it protected from bumps and the other items you might keep in the pouches.Ample pouch-space for travel documents, or other papers.Slim, very slim and lightweight make it comfortable to carry on your shoulder, even with an iPad and cables in it.Durable canvas exterior with a ultra-soft iPad compartment give it a perfect combination of outer and inner protection.

A quick introduction to Instacast.

2011-07-26T15:42:02+00:00

I’ve been meaning to write a review of Instacast, an app that I’m not quite sure how I’ve lived without. It’s allowed me to cut the cord between syncing podcasts from iTunes or even using iTunes to catch up with old episodes of shows I subscribe to. It’s what the iOS version of iTunes should be…at least the podcasting area. Well worth the $1.99 cost in my opinion.

What to consider when approaching a redesign.

2011-07-25T12:54:07+00:00

Speaking from personal experience, there is no other type of project that I enjoy more than a site redesign. Starting a site from scratch is fun, don’t get me wrong, but there’s something about taking an existing interface and massaging and improving on it to achieve greater results. I’ve been looking at how my site exists now and how I need it to exist, with the realization coming that changes are in order. Before I fire up Penultimate (ok, I’ve fired it up and have started noodling on ideas), I wanted to share some thoughts on the process that goes into a redesign, or as it was put oh-so elegantly by Cameron Moll a few years back, “realignment”. What’s the purpose of your site and how has it changed or evolved? - Personally speaking, my site has changed in it’s purpose and direction. What started as a site that existed as an online portfolio and “sometimes” sounding board for geeky ramblings has become a content creation factory. What are your customers looking at/for? - Don’t be afraid to look at your site statistics (you should be using some sort of analytics package, btw). Where people are spending time on your current site should give you an indication of where they’ll want to go in the future. Just because you can do “X” doesn’t mean you should. - There are so many different technologies, script libraries, and development frameworks that you can sink your teeth into when building a site that it’s easy to go overboard and overdo things. Using some JavaScript libraries and jQuery effects as tools to enhance the user experience are fine, but don’t make them the main reason for visiting a site. Focus on the content and build hooks around it. Start with a list and work towards the wrapper. - Back in my earlier, pre-pro design days, I would begin a design by focusing on the look and feel of the site more than the layout and the distribution of content. As I look back at that approach now, I realize it was wrong. The emphasis was misplaced on making the “wrapper” look good and not giving as much consideration to the product behind it. I’m not suggesting that the “wrapper” of the site isn’t important. The aesthetic design of a site is as important to the overall project as the layout and information flow, but there should be a solid foundation underneath your well-crafted shell. Make a list of the content items that you want to have on your site as well as those that you no longer need. This will help you when you get to the layout and visualization stage of your design. Look at how you interact with other sites and services and see how those apply to your own site. - Don’t be afraid to look at other sites and use other sites before tearing up your own. Pay attention to the sites that you enjoy going to. What’s enjoyable about it? Is the content well-written or well-arranged? Does the navigation have an inviting, intuitive feel to it? Don’t lift elements directly from these inspirations, but keep them in mind when you begin crafting your projects. This isn’t a definitive list, but it’s what I use as my “pre-flight” check list. What are your tips on approaching redesign projects?

Arizona iPad Wallpaper

2011-07-09T04:56:49+00:00

I was flipping through some old photos last week and came across a set that I shot back in 2005 during my first trip to Arizona. A few of them have been converted to iPad wallpaper for your viewing pleasure.

The Social Box Top Brigade

2011-07-04T12:00:15+00:00

My wife and I are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to technology. I’m the geek of the house, constantly searching for new gadgets and ways to automate and digitize life. Lisa, on the other hand, doesn’t care what the iPad 2 can/can’t do nor does she want to see one in our house. She prefers CDs to iTunes downloads and cringed when I set up the lights in our first apartment to run via remote control (thank you X-10!). However, there is one area of our digital lives that meets an intersection. Lisa started playing the Facebook game Zoo World in late 2009. Much like Farmville, Zoo World is an online, social game that involves maintaining a venue, caring for animals and designing and interacting with others to reach achievements and “level up”. In January 2010 she had foot surgery and was relegated to couch duty for well over a month. I bought her a netbook so she could stay connected to her fellow Zoo World friends during her recovery. When Spring rolled around, my wife had amassed a large number of Zoo Friends on Facebook and had developed relationships with them outside of the game. They’d chat about everyday items in between ZW discussions. She’d created an amazing community of friends that would soon prove to be invaluable. Box Tops for Education It was also around that time that we began attending re-enrollment meetings at our school for our oldest son who was starting 4K that Fall. In one of the many information packets we brought home was a flyer for a back-to-school Box Tops for Education contest. Knowing how competitive and driven my wife is, I knew our son had a fair shot at winning this contest. Little did I know how much and how quickly these little pieces of cardboard would become a part of our life. As the start of the school year approached, my wife would update me on our current Box Top count. I became increasingly interested when she said that her Facebook friends were chipping in and mailing tops to us. Besting that feeling of amazement was the fact that these friends were located all over the world. We were getting people offering to help our son’s school from as far away as Canada and Great Britain. That was amazing. That was community. That was real. Further proof that social “works”. While I had doubted her initial involvement in Zoo World, I have always believed in the power of social networking. The connections that I’ve been able to make have proved that to myself, but seeing someone else have such an amazing result added more fuel to the fire. At the end of the school year, our son’s school ended up with over 80,000 Box Tops for Education, of which some 8,000 came from our son and his social networking supporters.

When do you make the tech jump?

2011-07-03T03:38:53+00:00

Technology. We love it and we hate it. We hate to love it and love to hate it. One of the most frustrating things about it, to the point of infuriation, is the fact that as soon as you buy something, it becomes obsolete. I often find myself in that struggle and it’s hard to plan out when to upgrade equipment. Wants vs needs vs gadget lust. On a recent trip to Minnesota for some Box Tops for Education action and to hang out with friends, I started chatting with a friend about iPads and iPhones. He had just put his first-gen iPad up for sale and was looking to upgrade to the latest-and-greatest. I had been feeling that I’d sit tight and see what the iPad 3 looked like, but the more I’ve started thinking about it and the more I’ve started testing out the iPad 2…let’s just say I’m starting to change my tune a bit. While I have thoughts of selling off my iPad and jumping to a 2, I can’t ignore the fact that we’re only a few months away from (the possibility of) seeing next revision of this device. Rumors are running rampant for the next iThing with a possible Retina Display-esque update which would make the visual experience that much more enticing. Then there’s the iPhone 4S/5/Super-Unicorn, which begs the question: When do you make the jump to upgrade your gadgets/tech/tools?

Meet the rolling QR code, by @AmeriSignGFX.

2011-06-28T11:41:57+00:00

Photo credit: Chris Sherman2011 has been the breakout year for QR codes in the U.S. I’ve seen their use increase greatly over the past three months and articles like this one make me think they’re here to stay for a while. After experimenting with the various shapes and size that QR codes can take, I never thought I’d see anything as interesting as this. Chris Sherman, owner of AmeriSign & Graphics in Pewaukee, WI has taken QR code application to the next level with his newly-wrapped “@AmerScion”. To put it lightly, he’s made a rolling QR code that can be scanned at almost any angle. It’s as eye-catching as it is innovative, which should surprise no one that knows Chris or his business. Eye-catching and innovative are staples in every bit of work they do, and this vehicle wrap is no different. Impromptu interview After seeing the new @AmeriScion around town, I went to the source to get some additional details on this mobile marketing machine. Here’s a quick Q&A with Chris: Q. Why create a rolling QR code? Chris Sherman - I love to network and market my company. With the ability to actually change what the code points to, I thought this was the best way to combine the use of Facebook & Twitter by offering contests and give-a-ways for people who find the car, scan it and see what they get. Q. What was the motivation behind it? CS - I did some research and didn’t find anything like this out there, anywhere. I know there are vehicles with QR Codes on them, but none that are fully wrapped. This made me excited to be able to get out there first since I know this is so new and so many people are talking about it. Plus, it is so cool to be able to change the specials and content that the code points to depending on time of year, events we are attending etc… Q. Where do you see QR code use going, both from the consumer and implementation side? CS - I see limitless potential with the QR Code. When I am at the store and I see these on products that I am interested in, I scan it and it shows me videos, other products by the same manufacturer, more details on a specific product, the list goes on. Plus, being in the printing industry, I see even more opportunity for printing these on marketing materials. This might be a topic for another post, but people are saying that social media may be the death of printing, but I see it differently. We have seen such an increase of clients wanting QR Codes printed on their marketing materials (along with Twitter & Facebook handles etc…), so it has actually increased sales. Q. How has the updated @AmeriScion been received and how much use has the QR code gotten so far? CS - Well, to say it simply, worldwide coverage. This has been out for less than a week, and there are blogs and articles in multiple countries about this car. Just amazing.

Getting the most out of Twitter.

2011-06-15T02:59:33+00:00

In the past. when I’ve asked people if they’re on Twitter (and then tell people that I tweet), I’d get a mixed bag of reactions. More often than not, I’d get one (or a combination) of these responses: rolling of the eyes, an exasperated sign, an “Oh…” followed by a remark about how they “don’t get Twitter” or how “that’s just a waste of time”, “why would anyone want to read about my day”, “I don’t want to read about what some guy had for lunch…”, etc. Fun stuff. I would have probably been accepted with more warmth if I said I liked to lick peanut butter off of roof shingles in the middle of the night. Seriously. Over the past year, responses like these have lessened, mainly due to Twitter’s growing mainstream popularity and the fact that more people have tried it out for themselves and have discovered it’s not as pointless as they once thought. Still, there are some that remain skeptics. That’s ok, we need skepticism in this world. We also need a little acceptance. Twitter is much more than an outlet for you to share what you ate for breakfast. It’s a complex and layered. A system of communicating, listening, interacting, and most importantly finding people that are like-minded. From there, you let the conversations take over and the ideas run free and see what kind of results you get. See for yourself. If you’ve been on the fence about Twitter (or social networking as a whole), why not check it out or at the very least, give it a chance. You might be surprised by what you find. Sign up for an account. If you haven’t done this yet, take the leap and sign up. Make sure you add your bio. This is an important piece in letting people know what you’re about. It’s more-often-than-not the first impression that someone will have of you on Twitter, so you want to make it count. Who to follow. Twitter is more enjoyable if you follow other people and there are plenty of places to find folks that are like-minded and share the same interests that you have. Below are some places you can start your search.Twitter SearchTwellow.comTweepi.comKlout (to find folks with influence) By the way, I hear this @Tiglu guy is pretty cool. You should check him out. (It’s true, I have no shame.) Search Speaking of search, this may be one of the greatest resources available through Twitter. Use it to locate people that are not only interested in the same activities and topics that you are but also find people that are actively conversing. How many people you follow us up to you. I suggest keeping the list manageable at first and then expand and follow people back as they follow you (if they seem like a good fit). Engage! Don’t be afraid to comment on a post or jump into a conversation. Breaking the ice in chat form is often easier to do as opposed to face to face meet ups and can help cement the building blocks of the relationships you could possibly make. Share Another beauty of Twitter is the ability to not only share articles, pictures, video, anything that you find interesting in your own tweets, but you can also retweet other people’s tweets and help spread their messages. It’s a great way to comment or give your approval/appreciation and, again, is a great way to break the ice and start conversations. Keep the conversation going. While the elements of social networking are simple, there is work that needs to be done to maintain relationships and continue growing them. It’s up to you. Ultimately, your success with Twitter falls back on how you use it, which is entirely up to you. If you want to use it as a sounding board for your own thoughts and don’t want to get into the back and forth conversation, that’s fine. If you want to lurk and read what other people are saying and doing, well that’s fine too, but through my own use and experience, the Twitter experience is much more worthwhile when you’ve got friends and connections to share with.