Mar
10th

Oneupweb : It’s Time to Jump on the Usability Train

Posted by Denise on March 10, 2010 at 10:20 am

My little grandson will be turning two years old this week. Wow! Time really flies by. So much has changed in these past two years, from a newborn to the two’s, and every step has truly been a joy.

For his second birthday I wanted to get him a keepsake toy. Something unique, something that he’ll have forever, and maybe someday give to his kids. So where did I go to start my search? You got it—Google. I typed in “wooden toys” and started shopping.

The first couple of sites that I found in the search engine results page were not what I had in mind. But I was pretty sure I was where I needed to be when I arrived at www.woodentoy.com—real wooden toys. I picked out several train pieces and placed my order.

However, when I first looked at the site I really wasn’t sure if it would be easy to use, or secure. Most users, at this point, would just click off of the site, and purchase similar items with a competitor. But I decided to stick it out, found what I was looking for, and placed an online order. More trouble—I did not receive any type of confirmation that it went through, which meant I had to call the company after all.

As this example shows, a lot depends on your site—especially the first impression. If a consumer doesn’t feel comfortable with the appearance and the function of your website, odds are high that they will go elsewhere. Not only do your products need to look good, you want your site to welcome your customers. And for me, feedback is very important. When I place orders, I want to know when I can expect them, and a confirmation that they were received.

The train arrived this past week (as you can see above) and it is more than the pictures or words described. The toy maker really has a great gift, a real one-of-a-kind. I’ll definitely place more orders in the future. I just wish I had a confirmation that they went through.

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Feb
26th

Oneupweb : Every Designer Has A Magic Wand, Right?

Posted by Ashley on February 26, 2010 at 9:35 am

I was recently introduced to a blog titled, Clients From Hell, which is a compilation of hilarious—and some horrific—stories of designers’ interactions and correspondence with clients. This blog has it all—everything from a request for a “faxed animated GIF”, to matching a PMS color to the Texas sky at daybreak, to the numerous stories about impossible turnaround time requests, cost of services and payment (or non-payment, in the case of many). And these are stories that only two types of people will understand—those who are either currently working in or around the design industry and those that have worked in or around the industry in the past.

Although there’s a part of me that questions the validity of some of the posts because they seem just a bit too outrageous, there’s another part of me that can totally relate—in one way, shape or form—to every last word. Just with less severity. And after reading the first eight or so pages, I realized that all of these stories share a common theme—the misconception that designers carry magic wands that allow us to perform impossible tasks, under impossible deadlines…for free.

Fortunately, I’m part of a five person (soon to be seven) in-house design team who answers to a marketing director who’s been around the industry block enough to understand our designer plight. Oh, and did I mention that our CEO started her career on the interweb as a website designer? Yes, this takes some of the pressure off, but we still maintain our Midwestern work ethic (aka: we work our butts off) and perfectionist attitudes.

The moral of the story is this: we won’t (re)design your website for $100, we can’t do it in less than three days and under no circumstances will we sacrifice usability for design, or vice versa. However, we can provide you with a website (re)design that actually produces results. Because our process begins with a well-conceptualized plan that factors more than just pretty colors into the equation and ends with an online presence that delivers your visitors a positive experience, which keeps them coming back for future visits. And ROI is king, right?

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Feb
2nd

Thoughts On The iPad, Flash And Online Video

Posted by Jeremiah on February 2, 2010 at 10:12 am

Ah yes, the iPad. Shrouded in secrecy until its recent unveiling, this newest gadget from Apple was the subject of nigh rabid speculation regarding its features, form factor and name. Post-launch, the product is still being hotly discussed, but one feature in particular (or lack thereof) seems to have grabbed quite a bit of attention: no native support for Adobe Flash.

This is nothing new for Apple. The iPhone and iPod Touch have lacked any support for Flash since coming to market, relying on custom apps to allow access to content on sites like YouTube (which ordinarily streams content as Flash video files). As described in an earlier post on this blog, Adobe has once again found themselves with the ball in their court. I wouldn’t be surprised if Adobe Flash Professional CS5 winds up able to compile apps for both the iPhone and the iPad. Or who knows, maybe that’s a CS6 feature?

But why take such a hard line against Flash with the iPad? First, Apple has been consistent in its position that Flash is too resource intensive for its mobile devices, citing decreased battery life and processor strain as the two primary examples of why it could be considered advantageous to drop support altogether. Secondly, Apple is pushing standards with the launch of this device—HTML5 specifically.

By supporting HTML5, Apple has enabled the iPad to stream video content without the need for a browser plugin. Most mainstream video content providers, including YouTube, are already moving to adopt HTML5. Currently, web browsers Opera and (unsurprisingly) Apple’s own Safari boast strong support of HTML5, while Microsoft’s own Internet Explorer lags far behind.

It would be unwise to take all of this as reason to be dismissive of Flash altogether, however. Roughly 96 percent of internet users have some version of Adobe’s Flash installed on their computers. While HTML5 may be the future of video distribution on the web, Flash developers continue to push the platform’s boundaries, delivering not only video, but games, advertising and interactive media to a steadily growing global market.

We may be just catching a glimpse of the end of Adobe’s market dominance on the horizon, but in the meantime, it’s still the 800 pound gorilla in the room when it comes to the multimedia content being consumed by the one billion plus global internet users online in 2010. Apple’s decision to essentially “lock out” its iPad users from this type of content may have been intended to be a push toward the future, but could wind up hurting them in the end.

Pushing standards is one thing, but denying people access to content they have become widely accustomed to consuming is another thing entirely.

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Jan
20th

Weeding Out The Good From The Bad

Posted by Heather on January 20, 2010 at 3:48 pm

I come across ads nearly every day offering design services at dirt cheap prices. And at first glance, the cost might seem appealing to some. But it’s important to consider the quality of the services that are being offered. Will they produce results that are actually going to land your business on the A-list?

Choosing the right design agency to manage your creative and marketing efforts is a daunting task. And I think it’s safe to assume that finding an agency that you can build and grow a working relationship with is ideally what you want to find.

But first, there are a few things you must do to get yourself ready. Before you even start scouring the internet for a compatible design agency, you must figure out exactly what you want—it’s time to create a brief. This is done in order to clarify things, including the message you want your brand to relay, the purpose behind the project, your target audience and of course, your tentative budget. Having these things established will help you communicate better with whichever agency you choose to work with.

After you’ve created your brief, it’s time to determine what you’re looking for in a creative agency. What factors are most important to you? Is it location, experience, company culture, a well-rounded portfolio—all of the above? Whatever it may be, establishing a few guidelines detailing what you’re looking for in a design agency will aid you in your search to find the right one.

When you find an agency that sparks your interest, be sure to refer back to those qualifying factors (location, experience, company culture, etc) you had initially established. If this agency lives up to those standards, there are a few more things you should look for before contacting them, including:

Portfolio
Check out their portfolio. Are they offering a wide range of creative services? Are the pieces well executed and void of spelling errors and funky photoshop disasters? Does the copy make sense and match the imagery and style? Is the style aimed at the right audience? For example, using kittens and puppies in an ad selling hot rods to middle-aged men most likely isn’t the appropriate approach. And don’t overlook the details. You can usually tell if a design firm is credible by closely examining their work. Do they have a good handle on typography? Is there a sense of hierarchy? Keeping all of these things in mind will help give you a little more insight into what type of work a creative agency is capable of.

Accessibility and Web Standards
Take a look at their site on multiple browsers (Firefox, IE and Safari are fine for starters). Does it look right? Be sure the company practices good web standards. And it might be a good idea to ask a friend who is web savvy to be sure their code doesn’t look like spaghetti (they’ll know what you’re talking about). Syntax is the discipline that exams the grammatical rules and structural patterns that a web developer should adhere to when writing code for a site. A company that takes web standards into account is usually on the right track.

The Future
Do they offer services that are essential for growing a business? Can they offer you other services besides web design, such as print, point-of-purchase, media planning/buying, copywriting, and public relations? Hiring an agency that can provide a variety of services might be your best bet.

Once you find an agency that fits your standards, go ahead and give them a call. Pay attention to how they answer the phone and how they treat your request or questions. Be sure that you feel comfortable and at ease when communicating with them.

Choosing a creative agency is not an easy task. Be sure to take the time to find the right fit for your needs. And do your homework—you’ll be glad you did.

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Jan
18th

Pragmatic = Success

Posted by Doug on January 18, 2010 at 4:35 pm

I’m a Senior Software Developer here at OneUpWeb. When I hired in, one of the first things my Director had me do was read a book titled, The Pragmatic Programmer. Everyone knows a programmer’s job is to “write code.” But this book explains dozens of other functions and principles that make for successful software projects. While most are quite technical, quite a few address aspects of human psychology with applications well beyond writing software.

Because we in our department (and our company) try very hard to implement these principles, we can achieve both success in producing our projects and enjoyment in the process.

Now take a look at these quotes from the book, and forget it’s about programming, because I’d bet you can use these to improve quality and productivity in your job:

No Broken Windows

Don’t leave broken windows (bad designs, wrong decisions, or poor code) unrepaired. Fix each one as soon as it is discovered. If there is insufficient time to fix it properly, then board it up. (p. 5)

Mistakes happen (in programming a lot). Keep their lifetimes short.

Relentless Automation

The Cobbler’s children have no shoes. Often, people who develop software use the poorest tools to do the job.

But we (programmers) have all the raw materials we need to craft better tools. (p. 236)

Okay, this one is for programmers, but we all need good tools to do our job efficiently.

Ruthless Testing

Most developers hate testing. [We] are different. We are driven to find our bugs now, so we don’t have to endure the shame of others finding our bugs later. (p. 237)

Quality is important. Implement whatever process it takes to assure it.

The last two quotes require no further comment:

Great Expectations

In an abstract sense, an application is successful if it correctly implements its specifications. Unfortunately, this pays only abstract bills.

In reality, the success of a project is measured by how well it meets the expectations of its users. (p. 255)