2010 February | Sazbean

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Using information to make design decisions is something that should be practiced more in the web design community. In this case, a little data has provided a significant argument against a common blog design practice. What else could we be doing wrong or could we improve? - The more I know, the less I need: Thoughts on web design (Brian Cray)

Brian has been iteratively redesigning his blog/website for the past few months – trying something out and then taking a look at the data to see how it’s working. His current design is very clean (and I have a todo list to clean up my own) – very usable (and maybe a slight bit boring).

I think usability is very important to design – but it needs to also be balanced with what looks good. What the eye finds appealing isn’t always the same as what is easiest to use, but eye appeal has a lot to do with how we “feel” about a site and that can play a powerful part in reuse/repurchase/revisit/etc. In Brian’s blog, I really like his layout on his portfolio page – because the images on the right really look nice with the text on the left. On the other pages, the text doesn’t feel like it takes up enough of the page (although I wouldn’t want it to take up the whole thing either) – and the small width means more scrolling for reading. That said, this is a great experiment, I’ve learned some things from Brian’s findings and I applaud Brian for working towards improved usability.

Feb

2010

Review: TweetDeck vs. HootSuite

By Sarah Worsham | News & Notes, Reviews, Social Networks

27 Comments

Awhile back we had a knock-out-drag-out between HootSuite and SocialOomph, with HootSuite winning handily. Now, we’re pairing up HootSuite with TweetDeck. Until recently I was an avid user of TweetDeck for keeping track of my Twitterverse. I switched to HootSuite because TweetDeck seemed to be dropping a lot of messages out of my groups and mentions (not cool). Plus, I’m using HootSuite as my Tweet scheduler now (having won over SocialOomph), so it was easier to be in one place all day. But, let’s see how these two stack up:

Feb

2010

Top Internet Strategy, Marketing & Technology Links – Feb 4, 2010

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When you are looking for new ideas or you need to solve a problem, do you think on paper? This post will show you 2 very simple, easy to use tools, which can help you become massively more creative and a superstar problem solver. - 2 Simple ways to improve your thinking (Jim’s Marketing Blog)

Maybe nothing new, but still good ways to brainstorm when you need new ideas or have to solve a problem. I’m a big fan of mindmapping (or what Jim refers to as spider diagrams) – which work equally well in a program, white board or on paper. They’re also great for explaining problems or concepts to others because they allow you to break it into more easy-to-digest pieces.

Feb

2010

Another Point of View on the Importance of Goals

By Sarah Worsham | Marketing, Strategy

Before you start any strategy or planning you need to know where you’re trying to go – you need to have a goal in mind. Goals are so important (I can’t stress this enough). If you don’t believe me, maybe you’ll listen to Chris Brogan….

Feb

2010

Top Internet Strategy, Marketing & Technology Links – Feb 3, 2010

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By now, we’ve all seen the iPad and know just about everything about it that we possibly can. But did you know that the secretive company may actually be hard at work on a second device already? Now, before I say anything else, take this information with a grain of salt. - Rumor: Apple Has Another Tablet In The Works. More Like A Mac Than An iPhone. (TechCrunch)

The supposed 2nd iPad device is more like a tablet PC than an ebook reader, which is something I might be very interested in buying. One of my major concerns with the current iPad is that it doesn’t do enough to replace my MacBook, and is too close to what my iPhone can do (what niche does it fill for me?) – so just being cool isn’t good enough. We shall see…

Feb

2010

Top Internet Strategy, Marketing & Technology Links – Feb 2, 2010

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Apple represents the “auteur model of innovation,” observes John Kao, a consultant to corporations and governments on innovation. In the auteur model, he said, there is a tight connection between the personality of the project leader and what is created. - Steve Jobs and the Economics of Elitism (NYTimes)

It’s no surprise to anyone who follows Apple that Steve Jobs is a major influence (or control) in all designs that come from the company. He has a vision for what he wants a device to do and expects the design to just work. He’s assembled a team of similar-thinking designers and so far, the products they’ve developed are almost all winners.

Feb

2010

Sazcast Episode 16 – Lack of Control vs. Positive Participation

By Sarah Worsham | News & Notes, Sazcast

sazcastlogo250 Lack of Control vs. Positive Participation. How are companies using social media? Quick News. Web Strategy & Marketing News & Tips. Please consider reviewing us on the iTunes site or emailing us your comments and ideas at sazcast@sazbean.com. Thanks!

Feb

2010

Top Internet Strategy, Marketing & Technology Links – Feb 1, 2010

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The truth is that in the era of new media, we are all brand managers, responsible for its stature, resonance, and direction. While we may not retain control, we now have the ability to shape and steer impressions, answer questions, solve problems, and engender appreciation. And in the social web, brands are now expected to humanize and connect directly with everyday denizens to convey purpose, establish goodwill, and reassure communities that their voices are heard - The Myth of Control in New Media (Brian Solis)

The fear of lack of control has been one that many clients have had. By creating a place where customers can leave feedback, they fear that they’re providing a platform where negative things can be broadcast to other potential customers. The problem is, customers are already talking about you and your brand – either online or off. By providing a place where people can communicate with you, you’re creating a feeling of goodwill and opening the doors to improve the relationship with your customers (so they’ll, in turn, improve what they’re communicating to potential customers). Being involved with your customers is so important.