Digital Mountain Top

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2010-11-04T16:23:00.028Z

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2010-11-04T16:23:00.001Z

Apps for apps sake

2010-08-19T16:29:00.005+01:00

Everyone is at it aren't they? "Lets make an app - that's what the kids want, right?" It reminds me of the days when people added in a splash screen because it was the new thing to do.

If an app doesn't fit into at least one of the following categories it shouldn't be an app - it should be an optimised mobile site.

1. It does something useful with the fact it knows your location

2. It it sends you regular useful information

3. Is fun

If you take a step back. look at your shiney new app and realise it's just giving information, much like a normal website, it SHOULD be a website (optimised for mobile obviously). Otherwise all you are doing is creating a closed platform which relies on somebody looking for and downloading your particular app. In the case of the itunes store this means them knowing it's name too.

"To define is to limit" (Oscar Wilde)

2009-04-28T23:34:00.018+01:00

Ok, so I'm sure Wilde wouldn't be over joyed at his work being used in the context of web development, but he had a point and it applies to the wireframe process. Yes, wireframes can limit creativity but they also limit scope creep. So should we use them and what other solutions are there?

I use wireframes a lot and find them pretty useful for defining functionality for developers, keeping a project in scope and helping clients to understand functionality. Plus they are good for understanding user interaction before a build.

The problem with them is that not only do they limit creativity/innovation in house but clients also can find it difficult to think of wireframes as just defining functional spec rather than design, making it hard for them to except new layouts/designs. Another problem is that often the wireframing process can mean that an Information Architect can end up defining a site's functionality with little involvement from the rest of the team - who do after all hold a lot of useful information.

So what are the solutions to these problems? One idea is to abandon wireframes and give clients, designers and developers a written spec with a written visual guide e.g. content area should take 50% of the page. Although this is it can make it easy to miss functionality out of a spec. A wireframe can be used as a "thinking device", before writing out the tech spec to help solve this problem, but functionality can still be easy to miss in a build if a spec is simply written down. Wireframe abandonment perhaps isn't the perfect solution for the client either - wireframes help them to visualise functions and ideas too. It can also help the client get stakeholder buy in for sign off.

So if wireframe abandonment isn't the perfect solution, we need another solution. Maybe it's the approach we take to wireframes that needs to be reviewed. How detailed should they be? Just how much do we pin down functionality? Who should be involved? Who shouldn't be involved? When should they be involved? How are wireframes presented to the client? How much of the site is wireframed?

It would be a nice have "one solution fits all" ideal. That's not going to happen, so it would be good to have a solution that works most of the time. I still don't know what that is - I would like to know if there are any other good alternatives to wireframes being used out there though. I will investigate and experiement!

If you haven't come across wireframes before read this: "Introduction to wireframes" and for futher reading go to Wireframes Magazine.

Is that a wheel you have there?

2009-03-23T19:47:00.026Z

My recent revelation is that open source/off the shelf is, in general, better. It gives the client much better value for money and it should give an agency more free time to innovate rather than reinventing the wheel.

Good for the client

Cost
As client you get more for your buck. With plenty of ready made plugins ready to be popped in at minimal cost, why would you pay to get these things especially built for you? It's also likely that clients can cut down on training costs by employing content editors who already know their system.
Choice
If I'm going to buy shampoo, ideally I want a carefully selected range suiting all possible hair needs from frizzy, silky smooth to super duppa 80s go go volume. I don't want to wait for somebody to mix up my own special shampoo or indeed pay for it. I need the money for the conditioner too.
No tie in
Best of all the clients are not tied in. There are loads of agencies using the same CMSs. A client can keep using the same agency because they are good not because they are locked into using their bespoke system.

Good for the agency

Cost
Think of a open source/off the shelf system as your P.A. doing all the jobs you don't want to. Because you have a library of ready made plugins to choose from for all the "normal" tasks, you have time to actually put some of those more exciting innovative ideas into action. Hopefully that means clients will come back for more too.
Support
Whether you are using an open source system or a "paid for" system, you get a support network. You no longer just have to rely on your internal staff for the answer, again giving them more time to think up "new stuff". It also means you can employ people who will instantly know the systems you are using - great when you have that big job to be finished and your head honcho developer has just caught the flu.
Your client isn't tied in
Yes, this is a good thing. It challenges you to keep a closer eye on the competition and push yourselves to give the best client service possible.

Of you will always be asked to build a website that can't use a ready built CMS. This is when you do need a tailored/bespoke system especially for the client and a nice big budget. But most of the time it's a waste of time and money for everyone.

Chairs...again

2009-03-04T13:17:00.040Z

My pearl of "wisdom" for today:

"A slick website without useful content is like a designer chair, that cannot be sat upon. It won’t be used"

Of course this is unless the site is based around a social media tool, which some what puts a spanner in the works...I suppose that's still content though; it's just user generated. Then again...what about interactive addictive gamey type stuff....arrggh my head. Time for a re-think...

...some time later...after some thought:

"A slick website without useful content is like a designer chair, that cannot be sat upon. It won’t be used" (terms and conditions apply)

Maybe we should be asking content is still king when we have social media? Is UGC still content or is it a conversation? At the moment, I'm thinking conversation but, if I'm honest, I'm yet to apply any real thought to this....nope I'm already swaying back to content. What a conundrum.

P.s. I should say that apparently the above chair is apparently functional....it just doesn't look it. So that's my theory completely blown out of the water. Find more info about chair designer Osian Batyka-Williams, here.

Right hand blindness

2009-02-25T10:15:00.001Z

I was being a guinea pig for some usability testing today and we noticed something very interesting. The site we were testing was a traditional 3 column design i.e. left hand nav, content and then call to actions on the right hand side. As a user I completely ignored the right hand column.

Now this could just be me; I am known to be awkward at times but it got me thinking. I'm wondering with some of the popular sites such as facebook and google using the right hand column for advertising, if users are sub-consciously ignoring it.

As users we don't like to think to much - our brain has become adept to looking for patterns and following conventions to save time and find the information we need as quickly as possible. Thanks to in page advertising, maybe the right hand column is becoming something we ignore as it takes up unnecessary thinking time.

Open Souce Food - nice Web 2.0

2009-02-02T00:14:00.011Z

Ok, so the other week a did have a bit of a "rant" about web 2.0 sites. I've been feeling like a bit of a kill joy so I wanted to say when somebody gets it right, it's great - I stumbled across a site which demonstrates this perfectly. Yong Fook's Open Source Food, which allows people to upload and share recipes, takes a large scoop of usability, a generous spoonful of glorious design and carefully blends in social media to create an all round satisfying experience. The site does nothing revolutionary but what it does, it does very very well.

Everything is simple and beautiful. Some nice features include auto tagging UGC content, the banner ad being made up of UGC images and the search is lovely. I like the fact you become a pro through votes from fellow members, not payment and that each individual user has their own RSS feed. It's extremely easy to share content, post content and contribute content. Plus the process of building up an online community has really been considered.

Although I'm not one of those lucky iphone owners, the site is apparently nicely optimised for said phone. You can read more about that at appleiphoneschool.com.

So there it is, a whole blog post without a moan in sight! Although saying that some of the google ads could have been better placed. Ho hum.

Helping clients to keep you content

2009-01-22T22:47:00.015Z

CMS systems are now pretty standard for any company's website - they bascially let clients control their own content. For a designer this can be the equivalent of sending first your child off to school and hoping that all that hard work won’t be undone by the spotty kid teaching them to say c*nt on the first day.

There are plenty of pros in letting clients control their own content but it can be dangerous in the wrong hands. The last thing you want is for a slick cool site to be ruined by a pixelated,stretched JPEG and badly formatted text. I’ve been thinking about this and believe it’s absolutely essential that everyone using CMS systems aren’t only trained on how to use them technically but also how to use them to good effect. I have perhaps thought about this a little too much and come with the following analogy.

“We are landscape gardeners who spend days cutting the hedges, trimming the grass, installing the water feature and preparing the compost so it's all just right. We then hand it over to the client, to plant the flowers in the beds. If they know nothing about gardening, all the flowers die or look out of place and any visitor’s attention will be drawn to the crappy flowers rather than the marvellous water feature and neatly trimmed grass. As expert gardeners, it’s our responsibility to teach them to dig out the weeds and how to make flowers blossom.”

Web 2.0 - suit your Sir?

2009-01-16T01:41:00.026Z

Oh how we chuckle, at the thought of blinky animated GIFs being fun, flash intros being absolutely essential and we won't even mention frames!

Now of course the buzz word, the "new raver" in the digital world is Web 2.0. Although web 2.0 has many advantages and certainly won't end up on the rubbish heap with blinking text, it has it's time and place.

The problem is that many businesses are effectively shoe horning web 2.0 into their existing sites or planning their entire site around social media when it's not always appropriate. It's the new must have and some people are buying into it without thinking.

Therefore I've put together 5 questions you need to ask before setting up a web 2.0 site.

1. Are Web 2.0 elements appropiate to meet your business needs?

Ask yourself why you are creating your social network, video uploader etc. What advantage does your customer/audience base being friends, making comments and connecting really have for your business? Could it even damage your business?

2. How will you build a community?

You can build an all singing, all dancing web 2.0 site with a mini facebook and UGC galore but unless you have an online community to use it, then it's pointless. People get over zealous about web 2.0 and want to jump in feet first. It's the equivalent of opening a 1000 people capacity venue and then just 10 people from the pub next door turning up. You'd feel silly wouldn't you?

Now that there is so much competition out there and social media is some what overcrowded, it may be better to phase in your web 2.0 elements a bit at a time and slowly build a community. That way you can get to know your punters and understand if your site is a strictly shoes only venue or if t-shirt 'n' jeans are just fine.

3. How will the site be moderated?

Don't even ask if the site needs to be moderated if you are using UGC- it does. If you are selling actual products rather than making money from attracting visitors to your new shiny web 2.0 site then I suggest you need pre-moderation as this will protect you from any malicious comments from competitors etc. That established, who is going to do this? Perhaps the community can moderate it's self by flagging offensive comments?

4. Are you re-inventing the wheel?

Maybe social media is your USP within your industry but what is your USP within social media? What does your site do that facebook, youtube, last fm, digg etc, don't?

Can you link up with other social/UGC sites? Why make users upload all their photos to your site as well as Flickr - save them the hassle and integrate Flicker with your site (dopplr.com does this well). It's unlikely you can successfully build the next facebook so work with them, not against them. If there is already a community built up that would be interested in your service/product then why not become part of that community rather than making your own?

5. Do you have the resources attend to your web 2.0 needs?

Web 2.0 doesn't look after it's self. For example, you cannot have a blog that is not updated regularly - it's worse than not having one at all. Have you got the resources or indeed enough news to write regular blog? Have you got staff ready to moderate comments, forums etc. Do they understand social media? Have your got the resources to gather the feedback received from your community?

I could write loads more points to look out for but you'd be bored, and I'd sound like I was raining on the web 2.0 parade a little too much.

I like 2.0 (I don't like it's name), it's turning traditional media/marketing on it's head, it is here to stay and by in large we should embrace it but how we do that should be very carefully thought about.

Digital Innovation

2009-01-13T21:11:00.021Z

As Digital Project Manager, you are often dealing with challenging situations. Clients expect the moon on a stick, with neon flashing lights for 3p, when none of your developers have much experience of the moon, sticks or light fittings.

New cutting edge projects are likely to need research and development time, which often impacts on deadlines and of course budget. Thus new technologies can put the fear of god into any Project Manager, creating negative connotations with innovation. Innovation that is essential to keep up with, if not lead current web trends.

This is just one reason why putting budget aside for new technology research/development is so important. I think it's a good idea to have a budget set aside for this within a controlled environment, preferably not involving client deadlines. Also it keeps your "creative types" and developers, happy and motivated.

Head London seem to have fully taken innovation on board with their Head Labs project. Best of all it's making them money too as clients have seen what they are doing and want a piece of the pie. To be honest you are better off letting Head telling you about this first hand at www.headlondon.com/pages/head-labs. They have a fab logo too.

Designer chairs & battered sofas - funkability vs. usability

2009-01-13T00:10:00.027Z

Just been looking at plusgood.co.uk. The site's navigation is inspired by those lovely sitemaps we all spend hours over.

It's nice idea, fun to use but f**k me is it frustrating to use should you actually want any specific information.

It could be improved by making the "map" which appears to be only a visual representation, clickable or by indeed providing one those "boring" traditional sitemaps. But then, if you have to use one of those to make your nav work, your site's nav is flawed.

There is an accessible version which is nice to see. The problem with this is it's less usable than the flash version, as it doesn't have any buttons taking you to the main areas of interest.

Call me old fashioned, call me boring, but you know what? I need a site, to above all give me the information I need, quickly. Unless it's a site where you hit Bush round the head with a shoe or such like.

I can see what they are trying to do and indeed people are talking about their site - which is going to appeal to an audience looking for someone to create viral websites. In that sense a round of applause is called for. The trouble is I couldn't even find out where plusgood were based - yeah I know - it's doesn't matter in the digital global world. The fact is, I'm a country bunkin' and if I was a digital marketeer, choosing my digital agency, one of the first things I would ask "Are you local?" or at least "where are you from?" I'd be a bit suspicious if I couldn't find out fairly quickly. Basically, I got impatient when trying to find specific info.

On the other hand, I really don't like using Jakob Nielsen's site www.useit.com because it is so god damn ugly. It's like eating gourmet food in a burger bar. Not that I think that all of Jakob Nielsen's ideas are of gourmet standard but that's another day's discussion.

To sum it up, I'm the type of person who will go "oooh nice shiny designer chair" and will then walk past to sit on the comfortable, practical, battered old sofa. I think there are lots of us sofa lovers out there. Good website design is about striking a balance between "ohhh shiny" and practical, in manor that's appropriate for the audience.

Half way there

2009-01-12T00:54:00.027Z

Ok, I've finally logged back into my account after some time away. Since I last wrote, lots has happened! I'm well on my way to getting into Digital Marketing.

For nearly a year, I have worked as a Digital Project Manager. This has been nothing less than a rollercoaster of emotion! Never the less it has been interesting, fun, revived my interest in the web and given me the chance to work with some huge household names.

At the agency I've been employed at the PM (Project Management) role includes both managing time/budget and writing wireframes/IA - quite unusual, I think?

I've now decided that my heart is in getting a website right for the client and meeting their customer needs rather then just getting it out on time /budget. In essence I'm not a pure Project Manager - in fact my heart is in taking offline marketing principles to the web and making them work online. Therefore I want to concentrate on being an expert in this field.

What I'm slowly getting to is, I've change role again. In one months time I'll be a Strategic Consultant for a NMA top 100, London based agency.

In my new job, I'll be working more closely with clients to make websites that really do combine marketing knowledge, audience needs and business needs to make websites that work. The company work with focus groups, truly investigate audiences and user journeys. It's all stuff that you dream an agency will do when you are sat in lectures at University.

I feel pretty bad for leaving my current company, after all they gave me the chance to cut my teeth. At the end of the day, the reason I love the web is the speed at which it moves on and I need to be moving with it. I feel, I have made a at least a small mark in my current company. A senior PM at the company thanked me for inspiring her about the web again text me this "I've been stagnating for years with my career as a PM and this is the first time I've been motivated to raise my game & learn latest about the industry". That makes me feel proud.

I really hope I have made the right decision. I love working where I do now but I need to strive to take my career in the direction I want it to go in. Reading my first post written on here just under a year ago, I'm fairly pleased with my process so far - let's hope I've made the right move and I can continue to develop my skills.

My New Years Resolution - to write more on this blog!

Freebie advertising

2008-03-10T12:09:00.009Z

As I mentioned, I'm trying to boost the traffic for a friend's business website (mamash.co.uk), on a zero budget. Firstly, I have used free search engine submission sites and secondly, I have managed to secure a year's free advertising on urbandtraffic.co.uk, in exchange for giving a discount for their members. It's the perfect website to run the ad on as it's the exact target audience, so I'm very pleased. They will also be sending out a mail shot with a Mamash feature too. See the ad at urbantraffic.co.uk.

Mamash's traffic boost is slightly on hold at the moment, as I got the freelance web design job, so it's all systems go on that.

On another note, I came across a useful site for checking your competitors traffic, called alexa.com. You can also find out which sites they are linked to as well. This is very useful in finding out where you should advertise.

Chasing the word on GA

2008-03-05T01:50:00.013Z

Right where were we? Oh yes, google analytics. When I said I glanced over a site criticizing google analytics, I did just that "glance". It was actually written in 2005 and is no longer relevant, so apologies all round. The over all opinion is that it rocks.

As for my own stats, after one day of being fully installed, I have had a grand total of 5 unique visitors - get me! The good news is that I only have a 20% "bounce rate" (a bounce rate is the percentage of visitors that exit the site instantly).

I have also installed analytics on mamash.co.uk. At the moment they have a lovely looking website, a nice product but not much traffic. I'm hoping to try and change that - on a budget of er absolutely nothing. It's my friend's site - so I'm doing this for free as a little side project.

I have also discovered that there isn't much point in me going into the ins and outs of how GA works, as it's all fairly intuitive and just takes some poking/prodding around. If you are keen for some bed time reading then you can read Google Analyticsby Mary E. Tyler, which will give you all the basics.

Today, I have been digging around in open source CMS systems. I came across Wordpress which is simple, flexible and seems relatively easy to use. Why is this relevant to digital marketing, I hear you cry? 1. CMS systems are revolutionising, the way the web works for businesses 2. Wordpress has some great plugins relevant to digital marketing.

Plugins available from the Wordpress website include those relevant to; Google Analytics, Google Ad sense (another important marketing tool), SEO optimisation and social sites. Check out the plugins here wordpress.org/extend/plugins/. I will take this opportunity to admit that I haven't actually tried and tested these so any feedback on how well they work, would be well received.

I'd like to finish this post with an announcement, that have succeeded with some email marketing, with a 100% success rate! Ok, so I sent one email to one company, offering my services as a freelance website designer. It will also give me the chance to experiement with SEO. I have a meeting with them on Thursday, so fingers crossed I may get some much needed work - wish me luck!

Google Analytics

2008-03-03T01:40:00.010Z

Wow, I've just started using google analytics (and yes I know I'm a little behind the times here). Ok, so I've only used it on this site at the moment and since I only created it a few hours ago the traffic is, lets say, minimal.

It's been a while since used analytic software and it's come on leaps and bounds. One of the most innovative tools is a page overlay, which tells you exactly where your visitors have been clicking. Genius and so useful for accessing your website's usability.

I will be trying it out in more detail on a bigger, real life, e-commerce website next week, who sell canvas art (mamash.co.uk).

I did glance across an article criticising google analytics earlier, so I shall endevour to find out more. As it is the clock is ticking and I really should be in bed. Perhaps I'm getting a little over excited about this blogging business.

Who am I?

2008-03-02T21:01:00.006Z

Ok, I should introduce myself. I'm a Media Technology graduate with a background in multimedia. I now want to launch myself into a digital marketing career. I don't wish to attend university again and courses I have found in digital marketing tend to be very expensive. The only choice is to teach myself.

Oh, I should mention that I have stumbled upon this digital marketing path a couple of times in my career but some how got distracted by various viewing points and stumbled back off.

A change in career will not be easy but I think it's far more satisfying get to the top of a big mountain than to the end of a flat straight.

I'm going to use this blog, to keep a log of the discoveries, I find along the way. It's mostly for me to be honest, but if someone else finds it interesting, all the better.

Anyway, I have started with "Digital Marketing for Dummies". It is, as the title suggests basic, but I'm only on chapter 4 at the moment so perhaps if I skip a few pages, I'll get to the good stuff. In a way, it's quite good to know that I already have some of the knowledge I need. That said, I think I may well flog it on ebay when I've finished!