Anthology Creative Feeds By: All

Forget The Competition, They Are Worthless To You

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500

There is a skewed philosophy in the marketing world today – that in order to beat your competition, you must know your competition inside and out. However, this philosophy tends to yield mediocrity, not innovation. I keep running across phone manufacturers that are promoting their upcoming “iPhone killers.” And with each one, I have the same reaction: “really?!” (in a slightly skeptical and sarcastic tone). The problem with these new phones is that the manufacturers are focusing too much on the competition. It is apparent that they began the initiative by analyzing everything about the iPhone and then building a device that mimics it, but with more features. In contrast, I imagine the development of the iPhone was much different, and it probably started with one question: how can we make the best phone in the world? Sure, I bet they studied other devices, but probably for insight on what they did not want to do as opposed to stealing features. These are two entirely different mindsets. One says, “How innovative can we be?” and the other says, “How can we beat product X?” If you practice the first philosophy, you are really limitless in what you can produce, and you customers will respond positively. However, the second philosophy can only position you in relation to whatever product you are trying to beat. At the end of the day, you just look like a copycat. Now, is it possible for a company to produce an “iPhone killer?” Sure it is. But it will happen by innovating, not trying to mimic the iPhone. Are you paying too much attention to your competition, or are you simply producing the best work possible with excellence? Put some blinders on and do what you do best.

Congrats to Tenth Avenue North!

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500

When our clients celebrate, we celebrate too. So, we are thrilled to congratulate Tenth Avenue North for winning a Dove Award for New Artist of the Year last night. It's quite an accomplishment. Our team enjoyed working on designing and developing the band's website earlier this year (TenthAvenueNorth.com). Way to go, guys! Keep up the great work. Check out Tenth Ave on iTunes.

Potential, Productivity, and Refining the Work Process

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0600

While I lived in New York, I participated in a leadership exercise that illustrated the potential of productivity under pressure. Our group was divided into two teams and given the task to create an actual product, build a website, and provide a way for someone to purchase the product online. Now, this process could take as much as three months or even more to complete. However, we were given a mere three hours. Both teams kicked into high gear as soon as the clock began, and three hours later, both teams had a product, a functioning website, and an online purchase option. Granted, the products did not look that great, the websites were extremely bare, and the payment option was done through PayPal, but - both teams had completed the almost-impossible objective. Many times, we do not really push ourselves. We find a nice steady pace and stick to that. It’s comfortable. However, by not pushing ourselves, we are not meeting new challenges. If we are not challenging ourselves, we are not growing. And, if we are not growing, we are not reaching our potential. Part of our philosophy at Anthology is to push things to the max. Most of our deadlines are aggressive. Our time budgets are aggressive. And we demand excellence. However, by pushing hard and creating difficult objectives, we are constantly refining our process and growing as a team. Our tiny successes become big successes and our tiny failures becoming huge learning experiences.

Twitter Observation: Local News Stations - WKRN vs. WSMV

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500

I am seeing more and more media outlets jump on the Twitter bandwagon in an attempt to utilize the latest web trend. However, while many see the obvious opportunity, few actually use it effectively. Two local news stations here in Nashville are on Twitter: WSMV (an NBC affiliate) and WKRN (an ABC affiliate). Even though both stations utilize Twitter, the differentiation between the two is huge.

Station 01: WSMV

This station has 5,770 tweets at the time of this post. However, despite the high frequency, EVERY SINGLE tweet is a link back to an article on their website. No replies. No personality. No face to this station. WSMV is using Twitter for the sole purpose of pushing people to their website. Lame. This strategy misses the sweet spot of Twitter: to participate in the conversation. For WSMV, it is merely a one-way conversation with self-centered objectives.

Station 02: WKRN

WKRN, on the other hand, gets what Twitter is all about. Despite less activity on the account (only 26 updates), each tweet is engaging the users. In addition, they have experimented with using reply tweets in their nightly broadcasts - brilliant. Instead of taking advantage of Twitter like their counterpart, they are utilizing it to connect to the audience. They are joining in the conversation and engaging users, which is what social media is all about. Additionally, they actively follow 90 other Twitter users (compared to the 0 users that WSMV follows). Unfortunately, for whatever reason, the most recent tweet from WKRN was over three weeks ago. I hope they have not dismissed Twitter as a viable communication outlet. If they stick with it, they will find it to be rewarding to their station and their audience. Come on, WKRN - keep it up. Follow WSMV on Twitter Follow WKRN on Twitter Any readers see other news organizations that utilize Twitter effectively?

Tips To Creating Better Website Navigation

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Navigation should not be taken lightly since it is the most important interfacing utility on your website. Many times, people throw in whatever they think is important on the site. This is almost like going to the fridge and throwing together everything you like into one salad - it is just not effective and will probably leave a bad taste in your mouth. 1. Think Navigation should be thought through carefully. When considering the top level navigation, it is usually better to cut out options than add them. Sit down with a pen and paper and map out each section and page that needs to be in the navigation (notice I did not say "that you want to be in the navigation"). 2. Prioritize This fits hand-in-hand with the first tip. Determine the options in which your user will be most interested. What are the sections most used on your site? How do users flow through your site? Do they check one section first, then another? How can you arrange the navigation and options to improve the user experience? 3. Group Try to group items into logical contexts. If it does not fit in the group, then it needs to go somewhere else. Many links live perfectly fine in the footer. Don't think that every single section/link/page needs to be in the main navigation cascade. 4. Optimize More times than not, the first stab at a navigation is not the most effective. Analyze your traffic flows and adjust accordingly. If you find that your users are not clicking on the "About Us" page, then it may be better to link to this page in the footer. You goal is to create the best navigation interface possible for the user. Give them what they need to make browsing the site most effective.

Life Optimization and Efficiency

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

I have always been a freak about efficiency - I guess it is a combination of having an appreciation for aspects of engineering and having the tendency to be slightly obsessive-compulsive from time to time. Optimization yields efficiency. In my day-to-day life, I try to optimize whenever possible - from lines of code in a long web app to simple things like how many loads of laundry I do in a given month. I always try to find the fastest way to get from point A to point B without affecting the quality of the end product. Optimization is really key to progressing and evolving as an individual. As you optimize aspects in your life, you can begin to take on new things, bigger responsibilities, and explore different options. Programmers always boast about optimization of code, but I think the principle can apply to all areas of our life - even design. Some of the best designs I have seen have been optimized for simplicity and communication. It is all about getting the core functionality of something and removing the clutter.

Created by Anthology: Election Countdown Widget Lands as Featured Download on Apple.com

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Recently, Anthology created an election countdown widget for Apple's Dashboard (OS X) to help promote a new site called Help Me Vote 08. Help Me Vote provides a leadership analysis for each of the presidential candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain - then allows you to compare your rankings with others. This morning, Apple featured the Election Countdown widget on the homepage of the widget directory. Awesome. Download the widget: http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/justforfun/election2008countdown.html http://helpmevote08.com/widgetry

Top 10 Best Commercials During the 2008 Olympic Games

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The 2008 Olymipcs not only showcased the best athletes in the world, but also the best commercials in the world. Clearly, the marketing opportunities are huge during Olympic broadcasts and several companies stepped up to the plate. The following commercials are the best of the 2008 Olympics - they are engaging, compelling, and inspiring. 10. Coca-Cola: Bird's Nest 9. GM: I Was Made For You 8. Home Depot: Sweat 7. Visa GO WORLD Series: Michael Phelps 8 Gold Medals 6. GM: Gas Station/Chevy Volt 5. Coke: Olympics and Special Olympics 4. Visa GO WORLD Series: Kerri Strug 3. Nike: Courage (I've Got Soul) 2. Visa GO WORLD Series: Come Together 1. Visa GO WORLD Series: Derek Redmond And a Bonus... the worst commercial of the 2008 Games. McDonald's "Golden" Sandwich Commercial

LeelandOnline.com: The Opposite Way Splash for Leeland

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Anthology recently had the opportunity to develop a custom spash page for the band Leeland. The project consisted of time-released videos of each band member on the splash page. These videos were humorous and received great response from fans. A secondary page was created to communicate the band's "Opposite Way" movement - living the opposite way of the world. This page carried a more serious tone and allowed people to leave stories about how they were living the opposite way. The stories shared here were inspirational to other fans. LeelandOnline.com
The Opposite Way Movement
Leeland on iTunes

Facebook: Personal Life vs. Business Life

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Video Link

Now that more and more people are jumping on Facebook these days, it is becoming increasingly difficult for professionals to separate their online business life from their online personal life. As the video clip above proves, the convergence of these segments in social media are starting to cause problems for professionals.

Which brings up a good question: Should your business life and personal life really be segregated?

Whatever you do in your free time is a reflection on you, right? You are you. Your actions on the weekend reflect on your 9-to-5 life and vis versa.

If you like to go out and party on the weekends, be ready to take responsibility for images that may be posted of you on Facebook. Be ready to have friends write things like "you were totally wasted last night" on your wall. These are reflections of you. You should not feel that you need to hide that, and if you do try to hide that, you are not being true to yourself.

Facebook has allowed anyone that you befriend to journey with you in your personal life. They are able to see where you go, follow what you do, and monitor who you hang out with. You are not able to separate these and exist effectively in the social media world.

The only way to keep embarrassing content from showing up on Facebook is to realize that your business life and your personal life is one. And people will respect you if you act accordingly. If you do not place yourself in potentially embarassing situtations, you have nothing to worry about. A little integrity can go a long way.

Itegrity in your personal life = interity in your business life.

Cabin Experience Followup

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

I posted earlier this week about our cabin vacation to Gatlinburg, TN and the lessons of how your brand and the customer experience is one in the same. A comment left on that entry was an example of the very concept I was trying to convey. After reading about our horrible experience, my sister, Bethany, commented with links to a fantastic cabin her and her husband had rented:

Sorry you place wasn’t all you hoped for Next time, try Mountain Laurel Chalets. http://www.mtnlaurelchalets.com/chalet_index.html We have used them more than once and have never been less than pleased. Here is the cabin we stayed at last Christmas. http://secure.instantsoftwareonline.com/StayUSA/Property.aspx?coid=0210&propid=SCHONBLICK Bethany

She had a great experience and it turned her into an evangelist. This is what every company should strive for - having the customer evangelize on your behalf. This penetrates through the influence layer since the marketing is coming from someone within their circle of influence, not outside it. Thanks for making my point, Bethany.

Experience Branding: What We Can Learn From A Cabin in Gatlinburg

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Your brand is only as good as your customers experience your product or service. Negative experiences yield a negative brand. Positive experiences yield a positive brand. Additionally, your brand is affected by your advertising or marketing attempts only to the extent of whether you live up to your claims. My wife, Rachael, and I took off for a weekend getaway to Gatlinburg, Tennessee this weekend. It was a last-minute trip and fortunately, we were able to book a cabin rental. Our excitement quickly drained to disgust when we arrived. The driveway was eroded where it met the road, so we nearly ruined the car trying to accelerate quick enough to overcome the large ledge. We were then greeted by several species of bugs when we finally got inside - a insect killing spree was required. We discovered there was not even a battery in the smoke detector - which I assume is against the law in the rental business. There were holes in the walls in the bathroom. We even found writing on one of the walls. The shower knob kept falling off and the bathroom fixtures were not secured to the wall. Then, on our second day, we were infested with ants - hundreds of them - all over the kitchen. Needless to say, our experience was less than perfect. The rental website painted this cabin as a perfect getaway location. In fact, the cabin was named “Hidden Heaven.” Ironic. Because of our experience, it has affected our thoughts on not only this cabin but also the company that rented it. We will never use this company again. There is no telling how many other cabins they have that are in worse condition than a run-down motel. How your customers experience your product or service is EVERYTHING. Strive to create the best experience for your customers in any way possible. A good experience will not only bring them back for more, but they will become evangelists on your behalf.

"Above the Fold" and Designing for the Web

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

I think too much attention is given to the concept of "above the fold," especially in regards to web design. This concept was borrowed from older print design, and more specifically, newspaper design - Old media. These days, many old-minded people still assign an unreasonable amount of value to "above the fold" on the web - or as it is now commonly referred to as... "above the scroll." This is the portion of the page that a user will see without having to scroll down for more content. 1. The "Above the Scroll" area is important. Don't get me wrong. The top portion of the page is important. There is no doubt about that. However, the major problem is that the first reaction to the sense of "valuable real estate" is to try to cram as much information in the "above the scroll" area as possible. This is just wrong. Prioritize the information and have a keen editor's eye. 2. User screen resolutions are different. The days of 99% of users having a 800x600 screen resolution are over. Screen resolutions are so diverse now that it is difficult to tell exactly where the scroll line occurs. Because of this, the thought of defining the line becomes extremely vague. 3. Users know how to scroll. For goodness sake, most mice now have scroll wheels. I think that many designers disregard the fact that users can scroll down for more content. In fact, most users scroll the entire page even if they do not read it... It is called skimming and users probably do it on your website more than you think. Learn to work with conventions, not against them. When having a site designed for you, make sure the space at the top of your pages is used wisely, but do not overdo it. Define a list of the most important things on your site or page and use that as a guide to arrange the content effectively.

The Coolest Browser Trick You Will See Today: Change CNN's Website

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Goto CNN.com (you can even try it here on Anthology Creative). Then copy & paste the following line of code into the address bar: javascript:document.body.contentEditable='true'; document.designMode='on'; void 0 Hit Return. You can now edit the page freely. Select some text, change the copy, drag and resize the images. See - Anthology Creative was just featured on CNN's homepage:

Bummer that you cannot add your own images or move full block elements around, but it is a nice way to trick friends and family - if only to act as if you hacked CNN.com.

This trick works on any website.

Just as a sidenote: this trick does not actually allow you change the public page, so you will only see the changes in your browser.

Spice Up Your Web. Try a Pattern.

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

[by Katie Laxton] Some of my favorite blogs have one thing common. Sure the content is great but with all the blogs available to read, great content isn't too hard to come by. No, my favorite blogs are like my favorite men...they are all quite easy on the eye! They not only inspire me with their wealth of information but with their wonderful graphic content as well. I mean, is having both too much to ask for? A teacher of mine once spent an entire class period talking about the fact that humans do not think with words, they think with images. I am seeing examples of this in new ways everyday. Today in particular, I notice it through background patterns. Since web design is no exception when it comes to following optimal column width and with computer screens forever getting bigger, browser windows often leave plenty of blank background space. While it is important not to distract the viewer from the information your site is trying to get across, it never hurts to spice things up a little. Sure, backgrounds are neutral for a reason but that doesn't mean you have to use a solid color or, for the more adventurous, a gradient. Patterns aren't just for fabric and bad 70's wallpaper any more! There are some great sites out there that provide some wonderful (and some not so wonderful) background patterns free of charge. Just to name a few of my favorite... http://www.k10k.net/pixelpatterns http://www.squidfingers.com/patterns/ http://citrusmoon.typepad.com/citrusmoon/ http://www.noqta.it/dromoscopio/ http://playground.everydayicons.jp/ Just be sure to choose wisely. Some of the patterns are so creative and vivid they may be the only thing a visitor sees on you site. Enjoy!

5 Annoying Ways Websites Hijack User Experience (And Lose Users)

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Some web developers tend to believe that the more control they maintain over the user's experience on a website, the better the experience will be. On the other hand, sometimes, it is the client that insists on certain gimmicky "features" in order to make what, in their minds, is a better website. The more control, the better - right? Ugh. Websites should gently guide the user experience. It is the job of the web developer to keep the experience from being hijacked and explain these reasons to the client. It is the job of the client to understand why it is essential to guide the user experience instead of commandeering it. Here are 5 annoying ways that websites spit in the face of this mentality by hijacking the user experience: 1. Automatically Resizing the Browser This is one of the most annoying ways to hijack the user experience. Anytime I visit a site and find that my browser has been resized by some sort of Javascript code, I immediately leave that site. Usually, this "feature" is requested by clients that want their users to be engulfed by the entire site - usually clients that are too proud of their work. The problem today is that users normally have several sites open in tabs and by hijacking the browser and resizing it to what you think is best, it screams that you are more important than anything else on their computer. Leave the browser size alone. 2. Automatically Playing Music Nothing is worse than enjoying the new Coldplay album in iTunes and then visiting a website that automatically starts playing music that you never asked for. Now I have Coldplay and some cheesy trance music mixed together, polluting the musical atmosphere. I equate this to pulling up next to someone at a stop light that has music blaring, windows down, with no regard to anyone else in earshot. Unless you are a band or a record label (in which case I would still not recommend it, but at least it makes sense), do not automatically play any music even if you have a way for the user to stop it. A nice opt-in music player is the way to go. Let the user choose what comes through their speakers. 3. Automatically Playing Video This goes hand-in-hand with automatically playing music. Unless the user expects to see a video that automatically plays, do not hijack the experience. For example, if the user clicks a link reading, "See a funny video," and this link takes them to another page with the video, it would be okay to autoplay the video. Other than that, allow the user to choose when to play the video. 4. Making Links Open in New Windows This is one hijacking technique that can be debatable. Users are very familiar with the back button on the browser - Heck, even Firefox now has an enlarged back button to signify hierarchy over the other buttons in the top interface. However, many times, clients feel that if a user clicks on a link to another site, they have essentially lost that user. Solution? Open all external links in a new window. However, this usually does more harm than good. More advanced users know how to use a back button, so if they wish to go back to the site, they can simply use this knowledge and hit the back button. Similarly, these users are also accustomed to having links open in new windows. Therefore, they know how to close a window to get back to the site if the link opened in that fashion. On the other hand, a user without much experience may not realize that a new window has opened when a link is clicked. Thus, when they want to go back to the original site, they may click on the disabled back button - becoming frustrated with this unexpected turn of events. Play it safe. Just allow links to work the way links were meant to work. Don't force a link to open in a new window. 5. Popover Ads These are becoming more and more popular. I am sure that most users are familiar with them - they are the ads that pop over the rest of the content on the page until you click the (often hidden) close button/link. Again, this is hijacking the user experience because the user expects one thing and receives another. When clicking to read an article, users want to read the article (novel concept, I know). Users don't want to play the "betcha can't figure out how to close this ad" game in order to get to the content. Banner ads are bad enough - don't cover the content with annoying popover ads. All in all, just be mindful of and respect your users. Keep away from things that force an experience. Always give the user a choice and strategically guide them through an experience. Your website will be better for it and your users will stick around longer. Subscribe to the Anthology blog to get future posts or check out Building Websites With Effective Communication.

Warner Bros. Records Nashville MySpace Layout

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Anthology Creative just revamped Warner Bros. Records Nashville's MySpace page with a layout design based on their newly-relaunched wbrnashville.com. If you have a MySpace profile - whether you are a band, a music label, or a business - branding it with a custom layout can create better brand awareness - and let's face it... the default MySpace design is not much to look at.

FUSE Commercial: Music is Your Soulmate

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Good commercials are good. Great commercials are better. Profound, I know.

Information Architecture: Evaluate, Decipher, and Organize

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500

There are many times in our lives that we look around and find ourselves overwhelmed. Occasionally those moments for me are when I am confronted with a lot of information at once. When these moments happen I tend to be reading directions or filling out forms. Businesses spend so much of their focus on getting people to purchase their products but drop the ball when it comes to helping those customers use their products. Directions seems to be only an afterthought or at the most, minimally considered. There has to be a meeting of minds between businesses and designers about who needs to structure this information. While business should always keep their bottom line in mind, it benefits them to know their limitations. A good designer should be able to evaluate information given to them and decipher how to organize it so that users can follow it with ease. We, as designers, need to remember that while creating posters and cd covers may be more fun than designing forms and directions, we have an opportunity to change tasks as frustrating as filling out forms and assembling furniture into an easy experience that people can walk away from with a smile. The tasks of a designer are expanding now more than ever. There needs to be an emphasis of the fact that the most successful designs are created with the smallest details in mind and to accomplish that you need a designer.

The “Click Here” Disease: Click Here to Read More

Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

You should never use the words “Click Here” in a text link. And just to be clear - the title of this post should be characterized as ironic. The “Click Here” text is one of the key signs of unprofessionalism on a website, and here is the conceptual equation to prove it: “Click Here” != Professionalism (It should also be noted that there is a positive correlation between frequency of “Click Here” links and really, really bad design, but that is not the point here.) The web has conventions. Conventions exist for a reason. Strategic developers and designers know how to utilize conventions to cut out excess fat, which ultimately leads to more elegant and more effective communication. CONVENTION: Links are underlined and usually a different color. Anyone that has used the Internet understands that when words are underlined, they posses the ability to be clicked. The action of clicking will deliver a new page or other expected feedback to the user. When the text “Click Here” is used, the understood link convention is not being utilized.

When I was brushing my teeth the other day, I noticed that the cap on the toothpaste did not read “Twist Here To Open Toothpaste.” There is an understood convention by anyone that has opened a tube of toothpaste that to open, one must twist the cap. However, some futuristic toothpaste tubes (you know, the ones that stand on their own) often have flip-caps. These flip-caps usually have some sort of text or graphic to cue the user to flip the cap in order to open. The convention for the toothpaste tube interface (twisting the cap) is in violation of the actual interface in the case (flipping the cap), thus a cue needs to be present to increase usability. (However, the flip-cap is becoming used more often and consumers will eventually adopt the flip-cap as being a common convention - at which point, no cue will be needed). On the web, it is very easy to cue the user that a link exists: links are underlined and colored. If this is true, no further cues need to exist. Any text that follows this convention will be understood to be a link. Thus, the “Click Here” text is not necessary. Consider the following examples: Old: Click here to watch a video of my son golfing. New: Watch my son play golf Or: My son and I golfed on Tuesday (watch the video) Old: Click here to register. New: Join the Community Old: Click here to sign up for the email list. New: Sign Up for the email list Using web conventions to help your text links rather than adding excess text will help your website usability, and the world will be a happier place. It should also be noted that users expect your links to be underlined and in a different color from the normal copy, otherwise the convention breaks and usability is tossed out the window. Subscribe to the Anthology Creative blog to catch future articles about web design, development, and common sense.

Anthology Creative Has New Offices

Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

After spending almost a year in Cool Springs, Anthology Creative has made the move to Nashville. I am super excited about the move - We found an outstanding office space in West Nashville. The building is an historic home that has been converted into office space. We currently share the second floor with a couple other small companies. This suits Anthology better than an office park. Be sure to update your address book. Anthology Creative 346 21st Ave. Nashville, TN 37203 Download an updated vCard

Best Kept Secrets: Online Shopping

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

I discovered Deal Hack the other day and am loving it. Deal Hack follows great deals available at online stores and passes the tips along in a blog format. For example, the most recent deal is saving an extra 10% off refurbished systems at Dell. (And many of you already know I am a fan of purchasing refurbished computers). Another recent deal is saving 50% off when buying warm-weather items from Old Navy. Think of Deal Hack as an aggregator of all the awesome deals on the web. Check it out and subscribe to the RSS feed to follow the deals - you never know when you are going to find something that you need at a great price. Just another way that you can become a smart shopper.

Building Websites with Effective Communication

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

“The problem with communication... is the illusion that it has been accomplished.” -George Bernard Shaw Communication is essentially what Anthology does. Sure, at the surface, we create some really nice designs and we develop functional websites - but websites function as communicative devices - and as I explored in The Anatomy of Great Design Part 01, great design starts with effective communication. So, the goal at the core of all of this is to communicate to your audience. As simple as this concept may seem, it is overlooked far too often. Let’s take websites for example. As companies explore building a website, the natural tendency is to make an attempt to impress potential customers. Too many times, the requests are filled with desires to hijack the user experience (not intentionally), create menus that move and sparkle, and bring attention to non-important items. These requests have the same goal as an executive that purchases a flashy sports car just to “show off” when meeting clients. At the end of the day, the car may be impressive, but whether the job is done effectively is what ultimately matters to the client. When this tendency to impress is extended into web development, it cripples the ability to communicate effectively. Flashy design, gimmicky features, and unnecessary copy cloud the ultimate goals of the site. And, unfortunately, too many times, the web developer has to lay down and submit to the clients requests - and when that happens, the job is not being completed with excellence. The problem is that when the site is finished and everyone has gone home, the company may be thrilled with the impressive new website, but if it does not communicate effectively and meet the needs of the users, it is ultimately a failure - it is the illusion that communication has been accomplished. The next time you are building a new site for your company, keep these things in mind: 1. Deny The Desire To Impress - Users will only be impressed the first time they visit your site. After that, the only thing that keeps them coming back is functionality and ease of use. If you can say "that is coooooool," it probably is doing more harm than good. 2. Develop A Site For Your Client, Not Yourself - Keep the user in mind when determining how you site will look and how it will function. The site may be about you, but it is more about your user. 3. Determine The Key Goals - And do not add anything to the site that does not directly or indirectly encourage the success of these goals. Stay focused. Agree? Disagree? Feel free to be heard in the comments section. And as always, remember to subscribe to the RSS for future posts on design, web development, and online marketing.

TNM 07: Mind Your Banner Ads

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The next installment of The New Mediology has been pushed to the podcast. In this episode, Bill Seaver and I discuss advertising using banner ads:

When are they appropriate to use, if ever?
How do users feel about banner ads?
What is the return on investment?
And what are the best practices when you are required to advertise via banner ads.

Check out this episode at The New Mediology website, or to get this and all future episode goodness, subscribe to the podcast via iTunes.

The Anatomy of Great Design: Part 01

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

So, what truly separates great design with the not-so-great, wanna-be designs? The anatomy of a great design starts with the audience, not the designer. The mistake that most young designers make is they forget the ultimate goal of their design - to communicate. Many times, ignoring the importance of communication hurts the effectiveness of the design, and thus, damages the integrity of the design. The designer must be able to remove himself from the design and view it through the eyes of his audience. This process requires honesty and an attention to detail - if it brings the realization that the piece is not communicating effectively, then the design is flawed, and it should be changed. This is an extremely difficult step in design since it turns a critical eye on one's own piece, but it is necessary. The message does not simply consist of text and copy, it also is the mood and the tone. A dark background communicates differently than a white background. A textured element creates a different tone than a solid color. When the perspective switches from making art to encouraging the communication, the designer can begin to create great designs. There must be a distinct separation between the create process and the logic process, but both must harmonized together in a balanced act. The key characteristic of a great design is that the audience does not notice the design; the design simply communicates the message without any barriers. If the information or message is hindered by the design, then the designer has not designed effectively. Any element that does not encourage the communication of the message, mood, or tone should be removed. It becomes a consist editing process - validating the design at every stage in the process. Ultimately, if done well, this refining process will produce a great design. Check back for more on The Anatomy of Great Design, and make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed.

Wow, Netflix Knows More About Me Than I Thought

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

I was browsing through my Netflix account today and stumbled upon this recommendation that seemed to be a little too accurate:

Compass Cinema Launches Modern Parables Digital Store

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Yesterday, Compass Cinema launched the Modern Parables Digital Store. Acclaimed as "Bible Studies For People Who Like Movies," Modern Parables is a set of six short films based on modernize versions of Jesus' parables from the Bible. These six films are now available for individual digital download in Quicktime or Windows Media format. Video quality options range from free iPod versions of the films to full HD ready-for-your-massive-home-theater versions ($26.99). In full disclosure, Anthology Creative designed and implemented the online digital store.

So Why Blog?

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0600

So, now that I have started a blog (for real this time, I promise), why is it worth it? Why should I blog? My reasons come down to these three things: 1. Content Is a Promotion Strategy Time to promote - There is no denying that in this new blog/podcast/online video age, content can serve as promotion for just about anything - and for much less than one would spend on newspaper ads, billboards, chess tournament sponsorships, etc. There is absolutely no reason for a company to not be constantly producing content, even if it is micro-content such as tweets. 2. I Need to Give Back Time to get all sentimental - I would honestly not be where I am today if it were not for the tools, articles, tutorials, etc. that I have found on the internet (thank you, Google). And frankly, until now, I have pretty much been a take-take-take type of information consumer. It is time for me to start producing content for other people that are just as curious as I have been and are looking for new information, interesting approaches to problems, and the like. 3. Blogging Pushes Me Further Time to be effective - In order to blog effectively, I will need to research. I will need to keep up with what is going on in new media and the internet world. Blogging about these topics will more-or-less force me to become an expert in these topics and to stay relevant. But, don't get me wrong - you do not need to do these things in order to start a blog - I just feel that I need to stay on top of these things in order to blog effectively. If you wish to follow this blog and all its goodness, make sure you subscribe via RSS (imagine a little orange icon here).

The Anthology Blog

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Yes, I have been the person that recommends blogging to just about everyone I know. However, my attempt to blog previously has been halted on every occasion due to a variety of reasons - mostly me and my lack of focus on any one topic. But, nevertheless, here is the Anthology Creative blog - a blog about design, web development, and just about anything else related to the new media sector.