Now that I think about it… you don’t really hear about this anymore. I forget sometimes that VCRs are obsolete; I guess it shows my own generational and technological bias (I still use mine occasionally to time-shift, since I don’t own a DVR or use BitTorrent).

But with other devices with built-in clocks, you don’t run into this problem as much, perhaps because we’ve had 30 years to get used to programming digital clocks using poorly-labeled, non-intuitive, multi-modal, context-sensitive controls; or because clock programming user interfaces have gotten better; or most likely, since most connected devices now automatically program their own clocks (thanks to time signals from a variety of sources).

Using the VCR clock as an example, we see that the first, longest, laziest phase of technological acceptance was a Darwinian sort of familiarity — it required no effort from product manufacturers, just relying on technology users to adapt, or age out of the marketplace. It places everything on users, requiring them to learn the required syntax (education), or at least memorize the steps (training).

(It helps if you’re talking about something completely new — users had no expectations, and we were jazzed enough to be able to do something new, that we were willing to put up with crappy, barely-existent interfaces because that’s the way it was. It took us a while to figure out that things could be better. This isn’t really the case nowadays.)

The second phase in the maturing technology was largely design-driven improvements, adding step-by-step menus and displays using natural language and clearly labeled controls, and even introducing layered-on services like VCR Plus codes to make things easier for people.

It also means having a better understanding of how people actually use things (which is why I’ll bet that the most used button on your microwave oven is “Minute Plus” or a functional equivalent). It’s more of a matter of will, recognizing that usability is important, and accepting that the costs of adding friendly controls was worth it.

The third phase — “it just works” — represents the maturation of technology, where tasks like setting the clock aren’t just made easier, they’re made unnecessary and completely hidden from the user (as in the case of, say, your cell phone, which gets everything from the network). It becomes part of the overhead managed by the device and the network — at the cost of a little control, maybe a little privacy.

Because so much of what we deal with these days is software, and because design and usability have moved closer to the head of the class since we see how it drives adoption (Apple, anyone?), and because we place more emphasis on usability testing and feedback from the marketplace, the third phase isn’t really the third phase anymore: We not only expect things to work, we expect them to work the way we want them to, without having to figure them out. Which is a huge change from the expectation that we need to figure something out to make it work, and throwing up our hands when it doesn’t

I wonder what the modern equivalent of the VCR clock flashing 12:00 is, as the signifier of technological incompetence or refusal? A wireless router that still broadcasts a default SSID (”Linksys”) is one, or anything that  shows that the default settings haven’t been changed, I suppose.

I have a few other candidates, but they mostly present as attitudinal choices (refusnik/Luddite stuff — people who choose not to engage with the technology at all).

Have your own flashing 12:00 candidates? Have we lost something, expecting things to work automagically without education or intervention? Leave a comment.

To get it out of the way, as if you couldn’t tell, the tone of this blog series will not be stuffy, terminology laden, or over your head with jargon.  Steven Fisher came to me and asked if I’d like to tackle a blog.  I expressed my concern, because my approach isn’t necessarily…for the faint of heart.  I tend to be blunt, direct, and to the point, but with a sense of humor.  I believe if you’re going to be spending the money on it…marketing your business should not only pay for itself, taken seriously, but you should have a bit of fun as well.  Steven reassured me that the blog will be geared not to designers, but people either in their first years of business or who just want to think about expanding the visual branding of their company.

I understand that things like bleed, taglines, font weight, scope creep, appropriate resolution for a web banner or large printing run, and a wide variety of industry related terms may turn you off or confuse you.

So relax.

If those type of terms do pop up from time to time I’m going to find an easily understandable comparisons to put them in plain speak for you.  Please don’t get me wrong.  I’m not saying this is going to be the “See Spot Run” of blogs in this genre, but if you’re reading this, you’re someone who is interested in learning more about how to get your business out there to the masses, may have had some frustrations dealing with marketing your business, and have some fun while you do it.  This series should feel like a conversation with someone over a cup of coffee and not something you need to jump up and grab a dictionary for at every paragraph.

I’m bringing over ten years of experience in fields of marketing and design to help be the translator between the business owner and the designer as well as the marketing and the customer.  Being of the rare breed of designers who balance well between print and web (there’s a world of difference between the two and in future posts you’ll learn why), I tend to focus on designs with a focus on sales and marketing for my clients.  As a large portion of my work experience has been with startup companies, I spend a lot of time finding creative solutions to help business owners, marketing managers and startup companies effectively understand why a visual brand is an extremely effective tool for their business that not only needs to be created, but maintained and nurtured.

So grab a cup of your favorite beverage, of course mine being coffee, and join me each week for a rare glimpse into the mindset, expectations and opinions of a professional graphic/web designer.  Some of my posts will run parallel with some of the blogs here on Network Solutions, but my goal is to support them to help you get the most out of your business. I look forward to give you some topics that may spark some thoughts or conversations. I also look forward to hearing your horror stories, successes and thoughts on each topic.

Until next time…stay wicked.

We’ve always been focused on singles, of course, in the sense that hit singles drove us to buy albums. But the album was still the primary distribution mechanism for music. This is because singles back then, due to record companies practices and the limitations of the media, were pretty lame:

* Relatively few of the tracks of any given album were released as singles

* Cassette and CD singles weren’t really cost-effective — even if you could get every track separately, it was cheaper and easier to just get the whole album, and eat the crappy songs to get the songs you wanted.

* Playing back singles was annoying — who wanted to change a cassette or CD single after every one or two songs?

Of course, with the rise of the mp3 and the convenience of “pick, click and pay” online music stores, all that has changed. While bands still release albums, people think of buying in terms of tracks. And everyone has had to make adjustments.

What’s All This Have to Do With Blogs?

I’m simple-minded, so I like simple analogies: If blogs are like albums, and blog entries are like singles, then feedreaders, search results, and sharing have put the focus on entry pages instead of blog main pages.

For example, if you come upon this entry because you found it in a search, or someone sent you a link, you’re probably not going to visit the main page — you’ll either get what you need from this entry or you won’t. If we’re lucky, you’ll be inspired to check out a few other entries in the blog, so we’d better make it easy for you to do this.

Similarly, if you’re using a feedreader, then you’re jumping in directly to particular entries (if you’re even leaving the feedreader at all), and you’re even more likely to bypass the blog’s main page.

Optimize Your Blog Main and Entry Pages

The design of your blog needs to support both folks who start from your main page, and people who hop in directly to entries. Just how much you’ll want to focus on each type of behavior depends on your blog’s traffic, so check your blog’s Web and feed metrics and see how people are getting to your blog.

* Make sure your blog’s main page quickly, cleanly and clearly explains what your blog is about. I also prefer main pages where I can see and scroll through the full content of the most recent entries, so I can get a better sense of what’s going on, without doing a lot of clicking.

* On blog entry pages, give people a “next step” once they finish with the current entry. Let people flow to other content in your blog, through something as simple as previous/next navigation, or a sidebar of recent or highlighted entries. You want to give people a chance to see more of your content, after they get what they need (but before they bounce off your site).

Now, I still like albums, and I still like blog main pages. However, I also like the directness of reading blogs via feedreaders — it focuses solely on the content of the entry, and strips out all the other cruft. Your challenge is to try to accomodate both types of visitors.

What do you think about the idea that some blog designs focus too much on main pages, and not enough on entry pages? Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

During this time people who made presentations moved from physical overhead slides to using tools like Microsoft PowerPoint® and Apple Keynote®. Unfortunately, most still use these tools creating very boring text-dense presentations that put people to sleep. Some who were forward thinking began to utilize Adobe Flash® as their medium for creating interactive presentations. While updates are not as easy to do in Adobe Flash®, using Flash® you can accomplish things you would only dream about with tools like Microsoft PowerPoint® or Apple Keynote®.

This is where the two worlds of Jennifer Schwed converge.

About 12 years ago, she started Jensworld.com as her personal brand/ freelance/ portfolio site. Over this time she has worked on many web sites and her skills as an artist have established her as a well-known web designer in the freelance world. Most recently she has built sites for the Politico, Washington Post Newsweek Interactive (WPNI) and Health Central. She also launched a separate business called “The Artful Presentation” which brings the two disciplines of graphic design and presentation design together.

Her site, ArtfulPresentation.com, is hosted by Network Solutions and she has been a customer for many years. Recently, I was able to chat with her about being a Network Solutions customer, her experiences as a small business owner and maybe find out why most people still create boring presentations. Here is the transcript of that interview:
Steve: You have been working in graphic design since the early days of the web. What are the main things you have seen evolve for the better and the worse?
Jen: Certainly there are many, many improvements as the web evolves. Increased speed and bandwidth allow for greater creativity because we’re able to add a bit more to file sizes and use elements like video without having to worry as much about download times, buffering, etc. The web experience continues to get better with time and so far, I can’t say that I’ve seen anything negative result from the growth and innovation that seems to occur on an almost daily basis. It is equal parts exciting and intimidating to watch this form of communication grow at such an explosive rate.

Steve: You have been a Network Solutions customer for some time. When did you become one and why did you decide on Network Solutions?
Jen: I bought my very first URL, jensworld.com, from Network Solutions eleven years ago and I’ve been using their services ever since. Most recently, I bought the domain name, hosting service and email for my new business, The Artful Presentation, through Network Solutions. The reason I went with them was because I needed a company I could rely on for quality customer service—and a good natured customer service that would be willing to entertain all of my questions 24/7. Even more importantly, I felt confident that Network Solutions would make sure my site was always online, that I’d be notified of any technical problems should they arise and any issue I did encounter would be resolved quickly and professionally.

Steve: What kind of services do you utilize Network Solutions for in your business?
Jen: For the Artful Presentation, I host my site and email with Network Solutions, which means that I utilize the FTP, check my site stats and use their online interface to check email.

Steve: Your firm spun off “The Artful Presentation” offering as a separate business to meet the needs of customers looking to build powerful interactive presentations. Do you work all in Adobe Flash®? How do you feel this type of medium is used most effectively in a business environment?
Jen: I create presentations in a variety of programs. PowerPoint® is still popular and I do use it a fair amount. I like to use Flash® because it adds another dimension to a presentation; brings it to life. There is also the option of incorporating Flash into PowerPoint® using Adobe Presenter®.

There are a number of ways to use Flash® presentations effectively. I think the free-running presentations work well as a short introductory movie that precedes a slide presentation. Taking one to two minutes to show a short movie on the upcoming topic gets a crowd engaged and piques interest. I’ve also designed Flash® presentations for online media kits. This allows potential advertisers or customers to get a feel for what your company offers in a unique way—like an online commercial.

Steve: What types of services do you offer in your core business in addition to what you offer at “The Artful Presentation”?
Jen: I’ve been working as a designer for the last twelve years and though I started out in interactive design, I’ve worked to broaden my skill set. I offer design solutions for print and video, as well as web. I’ve created large scale sites from wireframe through to design. I do a great deal of online advertising and I design email campaigns and e-newsletters, too. I’ve also been contracted as a Creative Director to oversee the course of a project.

Steve: What is a typical process that you take a client through so that they get all their ideas out and you can clearly manage their expectations of the project?
Jen: Each client is unique and I don’t have a formula as everyone’s needs are completely different. For presentation work, I look to develop the story first. Sometimes, the client knows exactly what they want to say and how they want it displayed. Other times, I’ll create a storyboard for the client based on the big picture, meaning that I’ll break down the message into something that resembles a linear story for a short movie. I work very closely with the client to help them understand their audience and how to deliver their presentation so that the message sticks and makes an impression. Depending on the client, the approach might be very straightforward or it might require layers of presentation that include video and music and a full show.

Steve: Since you have been through the booms and busts of the economy, you have seen the ebb and flow of marketing budgets and the sometimes contradictory things that happen. How does this impact your type of business?
Jen: So far, I’ve been fortunate in that the clients I’ve had understand the necessity of powerful messaging and the creative services needed to meet those goals. A tough economy should challenge you to restructure your business development plans and can actually serve as motivation in rethinking marketing and promotion of your company. But regardless of the ebb and flow, it’s a must to deliver the best possible quality of service for current clients while maintaining a lasting and positive relationship.

Steve: To close our interview I would like to get a “Top 5” from you. Since many people struggle to put together good presentations, what are the Top 5 things you would recommend to people trying to put one together?
Jen:

1. A storyboard. Creating an outline of the story you want to tell will clarify how you can create the most engaging presentation.
2. For a click-through presentation used by a speaker and a set of slides, I can only repeat time and again: keep the words on the slide to a minimum. Underline your point and be prepared to speak to the audience—not read to them.
3. When you have a free-running presentation/video that precedes your speech, pull out the bold points to emphasize and keep the runtime to less than two minutes.
4.  Gather all of the content that you think would be effective in communicating your message. Photos, video clips, logos, taglines should all be pulled together and then sorted through once the storyboard is complete. This allows you to have all of the needed components in one place and gives you the ability to see which elements elevate the message and bring it to life.
5. Hire me!

Steve: So if someone would like to contact you and learn more about you company, how would they do that?
Jen: I can be contacted via email or phone: Jennifer@artfulpresentation.com and/or 703.282.5162

Well, Network Solutions has taken a completely different approach and created a beautiful site dedicated to all things Network Solutions.

Because I have a background in User Interface (UI) design I am often critical of sites that don’t properly layout their information or are just plain lazy in how they market themselves. Granted, marketing web sites are different than e-commerce web sites but they do have one thing in common, they must sell/convince the customer to buy from them. Many companies who throw a web site up without a concern for brand continuity or good messaging are just hurting themselves. They wouldn’t waste money on print collateral or send out proposals that are ugly. Well, they might but they will never win any clients. This is why I come back to the fact that companies must spend time on all aspects of their web presence, including the “About Us” section. Here is what is so great about the new “About Network Solutions” site that you should apply to your own site:

Show customers that you are strong and reliable

People don’t buy from companies that they don’t trust. You should definitely have what you do as a tab with your product/service offerings so you look like a focused company. More importantly, you should talk about customer success stories because nothing says it better that you know what you are doing when other people who have bought from you are willing to share it publicly.

If you have been around a while, give them a time line of your progress and growth

Sure, you can give people an overview of your company, but what makes the “About Network Solutions” site stand out is their use of an interactive time line. The time line uses flash in a proper context and goes into not only a history of Network Solutions but the evolution of domain names and how everything came to be over the last 50 years. Very cool and educational.

Don’t just list careers or job opportunities, tell people how great it is to work there

Almost every company web site has a careers page where you can search for available positions. This is kind of expected with established companies that get lots of resumes and post jobs on a regular basis. It is a great way to manage submissions into a resume database. But after the listing and maybe a page on benefits, what else do you know about the company? The Network Solutions Careers part of the site does a great job by talking about the culture so you can see if you are a good fit before you think about sending your resume. It also includes testimony from staff that work at Network Solutions and what it is like to work there. This a great approach to emulate on your site.

Use photos of your people instead of stock photography

Most web sites use generic stock photography to covey their message or idea on a certain page. This was fine for a while but many people end up using the same images. It makes you look like you were not very creative and quite possibly lazy. Each of the pages on the “About Network Solutions” site has candid pictures of Network Solutions staff relevant to that particular part of the site. In fact, our very own “Social Media Swami”, Shashi Bellamkonda is the one you see when you go to the Online Community page that mentions our Solutions are Power blog.

Check out the new “About Network Solutions” site today

To see what I am talking about, check out the new “About Network Solutions” site at about.networksolutions.com and give us your feedback in the comments.