Oh, hai! Here’s another list of links we’ve been grooving on.
Minnesota smart Why are the Twin Cities a great place to work on the interwebs? Because of all the smart, passionate people we get to work alongside.
Rethink genius Elizabeth Gilbert's TED talk on having vs. being a genius. It’s long, but we highly recommend taking the 20 minutes to watch it.
Social Media, Inc. Tom Smith explores why big brands struggle with social media. All companies should ponder before signing up for "MyFace," "Twckr," etc.
Around 3 p.m., Brain Traffic takes a break (coordinated by Angie 1.0). It doesn’t happen every day. And not everyone can always participate. But those of us without pressing deadlines step away from our desks, often to pick up miniature containers of Play-Doh. (Thoughtfully supplied by Katie.)
Not many of us are expert sculptors. (Except Christine, who’s good at everything artistic and crafty. She’s our resident Martha Stewart, and she makes delicious toffee, too.) But creating works of art is beside the point.
The main goals of Play-Doh time are simple:
Relax. Taking time away from our desks to recharge, breathe, and de-stress.
Chat. We happen to enjoy each other’s company, and chatting often leads to laughter, and laughter is contagious—especially for Katie.
Play. Mashing colored clay in our hands gets our creative juices flowing. Play-Doh’s tagline states it best: “Imagination Taking Shape.”
Play-Doh time usually only lasts around 15 minutes. It’s not a huge investment of our time. But it is a creative investment in our quality of work.
A little playtime gets those brain cells moving again, energizing our creative process. And once they’re moving, there’s no stopping them. After our Play-Doh break, we knock out more great work. And just a couple hours later, we go home with a feeling of satisfied accomplishment, and some fun memories.
From left: Italian Dinner by Elizabeth (including a bottle of Chianti and spaghetti with meatballs), BT Skull by Angie 1.0, and Frog-Man with Bow Tie by Angie 2.0.
When using the phrase "design strategy" in relation to a website, here's how I’ve seen it defined (and I’m paraphrasing here):
Design strategy is determining how to make a website that meets business objectives and user needs through analysis of user research, business goals, source content, brand guidelines, and identified competitive differentiation.
So, here's my question: Is "design strategy" really the best moniker for this effort? To me, the term by itself conjures up a visual, graphic design association.
But if you Google "What is design strategy," here are a few other definitions:
A discipline which helps firms determine what to make and do, why do it and how to innovate contextually, both immediately and over the long term. (Wikipedia)
A process developed by designers to efficiently find a visual solution to a stated business need or problem. (Design Council, UK)
Using design research (such as consumer observation and fast prototyping) strategically to help identify new product categories and extend core brands into other markets. (Business Week)
This is getting really confusing.
At Brain Traffic, we just call it "website strategy." Because, really. Isn't that what it is?
After defining our project's strategic foundation (informed by business objectives, user goals, research, analytics, source content, and so on), we then focus on three primary components of the website strategy, itself:
Content strategy—The messy process of wrangling, analyzing, and governing the words, images, and transactional features of a website. For a better and more detailed definition, see Kristina’s A List Apart article: The Discipline of Content Strategy.
Visual design—Although I dislike the visual association of the term “design strategy,” I do believe in the importance of good visual design. Without it, websites suck. But that doesn’t mean going all flash on users' arses, either. Good design can be simple.
Functionality—What is it that users are supposed to DO on a website? How can we design the site to make their tasks easy and intuitive?
Together, these three components deliver a comprehensive website strategy.
Let's get aligned on this, can we? By calling this approach “website strategy” instead of “design strategy,” we can provide a better frame of reference for our clients and our industry.
Much better. Feel the excitement. The exclamation point changes the tone. Just like that! Why, then, are we encouraged to steer clear of this titillating punctuation mark? The exclamation point—known on the street as the screamer and the bang—has a bad rap. In school and at my first corporate communications job, I was warned to never, ever use the bang. It was the four-letter-word of punctuation. Grammar books and professional writerly folk get all prickly at the use of exclamation marks. But why? And does this hold true for web writing, or is this an outdated, print-only restraint?
If you’ve ever seen "The Princess Bride” (and I hope you have), you know those wise words belong to the character Inigo Montoya. This bit is almost as well-known as his introductory greeting.
The word under suspicion is “inconceivable.” And Inigo is correct; the character uses the word incorrectly. In this instance, though, I'll forgive the misstep. 'Cause it's hilarious. And I love that movie.
But in real life, errors like that are not as funny. In fact, they make me cry.
Today, though, I'm weeping with joy. Thanks, Copyblogger, for this little gift:
Writing for the mobile web is a newish discipline. But this noob draws on an old standby: the inverted pyramid.
Dig that old nugget out from your J-school files. Already, you’re halfway there to understanding mobile web writing best practices. Simple.
Here are a few other mobile web writing guidelines that embody their own basic principles: short and sweet.
Give them what they want
On-the-go users are looking for specific, task-based info. Provide that first. Give them the option to get additional details later.
Cut the fat
Get rid of information not relevant to the task-at-hand. This includes advertising, teasers, and happy talk.
Make every word count
Write concisely. Alternate short and long sentences for a good reading rhythm.
Break up content
Use multiple paragraphs. Love your line breaks.
Don’t be afraid of the single sentence paragraph.
Maximize heads and subheads
Use headlines to provide context. Clearly spell out the subject matter.
See it on the small screen
While phone formats vary, all of them have one thing in common: small screens.
Visualize your content on the small screen. Use a mobile web emulator to see how your site stacks up right now. It’s eye-opening.
Simplify page layouts
Use a single column for text. Eliminate or minimize images. Don’t use Flash. All of these things complicate content display on mobile web devices.
Provide easy navigation
Use simple way-finding techniques to help users navigate and orient themselves. Don’t rely on left or top navigations. Don’t embed links in graphics. All of this gets in the way of the content your users really want.
Consider going mobile
If many users access your site via the mobile web, consider making a mobile-only version. Your regular website can keep some of the flashier features. Put just the basic information most accessed by users-on-the-go on your mobile site.
