Christmas Ideas

Books are always a welcome gift at Christmas. I love pouring a cup of coffee and sitting down beside the Christmas tree and diving into a good book. Here are a few of my favourite business books.

5 Things You Might Not Know You Can Do on Google

Google is becoming a household tool. Rather than reach for the “Yellow Pages” we’d rather “google it” Here are 5 ways to use Google.

1. Enter “define” in the Google search box, then a colon, then a space, and then the word or expression you want defined.

2. Find out what Google thinks about just about anything or anyone (including you) at www.googlism.com.

3. Enter an airplane’s tail number in the Google search box to find out the plane’s service history.

4. Yankees or Red Sox? Heaven or hell? Pen or sword? Which one gets more Google hits? Find out this and much more at www.googlefight.com.

5. Enter a few key ingredients to get many recipes.

(Source: David Hochman in The New York Times)

How to Design Stunning Web Pages in Minutes!

If you want to create a stunning web graphic or webpage design why not borrow from the best? it’s common practice for copywriters to keep a swipe file of great copy that has been known to generate great sales results. I’m amazed that graphic designers rarely follow this example. Even if you’re not a graphic designer you’ll want to try this technique.

This method is so simple, you’ll be producing web layouts quickly and easily. I want to share with you some tips to start your own image swipe file and how to build it up to be one of your most powerful design tools. Whether you just dabble in design or you are a serious graphic design professional, these tips will be extremely useful for you.

I follow this procedure almost every time I create a new design.

What is a swipe file? The swipe file is simply a file or folder where you collect examples of images colors and fonts and graphics that are appealing to you and appealing to a wide audience. Textures that capture your attention, color combinations that stand out from the rest, fonts that are bold and eye-grabbing, catchy graphics bursts and icons. photos, Web layouts, opt-in boxes, ding bats and arrows. I even swipe Web 2.0 gradients and text boxes. It’s important to note that we are not swiping material or images that we do not have permission or have license to use, we are borrowing layout and design ideas to create something original of our own.

If you don’t have an image swipe file yet, make it your top priority to begin compiling one. My personal swipe file is organized in these seven categories.

1. Templates. I like to use the phrase page layouts

2. Header graphics

3. Fonts

4. Photos

5. Lgos and icons

6. Forms and text boxes

7. Textures and backgrounds

Once you have created a folder for each of these seven categories, get in the habit of labeling your image swipes so when you do a search you can easily find what you’re looking for. I’ve learned this the hard way by having multiple “untitled” image files on my desktop and wasting time having to open them to see what they are.

How to select image swipe files??If you’re a Mac user your favorite key combination will be shift command 4. if you are a PC user you will need to use snag it or any other image capture software.

Step one: find a webpage layout or header graphic design that has captured your attention

step two: click and drag around the image and take a snapshot to your clipboard

step three: open up a new file in Photoshop, select 800×600 or 1024 x 768 and paste in your graphic

step four: continue to find icons and graphics and paste into separate layers in Photoshop

step five: use the human saturation command to change colors to get new ideas

step six: once you have assembled your page save your file and begin researching stock photos and graphics that are similar to replace any images that you don’t have a license for.

For a complete video tutorial on selecting image swipe files go to http://www.fastcreative.com/training/there you will find a complete step-by-step video showing you how to create a website in minutes using simple cut-and-paste image swipe files in Photoshop.

Now whenever you surf the Web, find items to catch your eye. If something catches your attention chances are it will work the same with others. You should always be on the lookout for webpages and web graphics that are proven to convert. There are websites that test and track their landing pages extensively and you can benefit from swiping from the best.

The most important thing to remember is that your image swipe file is not a place to infringe copyright laws. Any swipe file is there to give you a jump start and to help you generate ideas. Use it to find inspiration and continue to add to it to get you motivated when starting a new project.

“What is Web 2.0?”

Web 2.0 may be a buzzword that has existed for a few years already, but it’s still creating a lot of buzz and disagreement. Experts are still debating about the exact definition of Web 2.0. If you’re still feeling confused about it, the following explanations might hopefully make things clear for you.

Essential Characteristics of Web 2.0

-Instead of looking for the exact statement that would explain what Web 2.0 is, let’s just focus on what makes a website Web 2.0 instead of just Web 1.0. To begin with, let’s focus on the common examples provided by most experts. What makes Netscape (Web 1.0) different from Firefox (Web 2.0)? Hotmail from Yahoo Mail? Geocities from Blogger? MP3.com from iTunes? Do you get the picture now? If not then here are several essential characteristics of Web 2.0 that all experts do agree with.

Knowledge-Oriented Environment

- Web 2.0 acknowledges the need and power of knowledge. Information is what makes the world go round today ñ or at least it does in the Internet. User-Generated Content  Now, what matters most is the content that users themselves are not generating. They may not be as professionally packaged or executed as what we’ve been used to with Web 1.0 websites and applications, but user-generated content also tend to have greater impact on readers.

User-Managed Content

- With Web 2.0, users don’t just generate content. They manage it as well. They control how, when, and where itís presented as well as who gets to see it.

Service-Oriented Architecture

- It’s all about what a Web 2.0 application can do for you. That’s why Web 2.0 applications tend to offer as many features as possible and expand continuously.

Human Interaction

- Web 2.0 also acknowledges and makes use of human interaction. It is why social bookmarking and social networking sites are incredibly popular with people nowadays.

Doesn’t Fight the Internet

- Web 2.0 learned from its predecessor, Web 1.0, not to fight with the Internet. Rather than force the Internet to make itself suitable to the services required by a particular application, Web 2.0 takes advantage instead of the inherent advantages of the Internet. Its global audiences should be seen, for instance, as a benefit rather than a disadvantage.

Syndication

- Web 2.0 makes great use of syndication. Syndication refers to the various processes used by websites to make their content available and accessible, preferably in digest form, with other users and websites for several purposes. RSS feeds and podcasting are just a few ways of syndicating content.

Innovation

- Web 2.0 embraces innovation in all its stages. It is why web 2.0 is defined as to be in a stage of “perpetual beta”: not a day passes by wherein software developers continue to find ways to improve their products and services.

Four Levels of Web 2.0

- Tim O’Reilly provided four levels to categorize Web 2.0 applications. Level 3 is at the top of the hierarchy: they exist only in the Internet and primarily rely and improve based on the frequency and variety of interaction with and between users. Wikipedia, eBay, and del.icio.us are just a few prime examples of level 3 Web 2.0 applications. Level 2 websites are those able to operate offline but work better online such as Flickr. Level 1 websites on the other hand are those that also operate offline but provide more features when theyíre operated online. Examples of level 2 Web 2.0 websites are iTunes and Writely. Lastly, level 0 websites are simply those which produce the same results whether they’re operated online or offline. Examples of such websites are Yahoo! Local and Google Maps.

Fast Business Cards

I recently came back from a conference and a lot of people I met handed out business cards from “Vist Print” I was stunned at the quality considering these cards are free. To get free cards they print their logo very small on the back of your cards. It’s a good promotional deal for them and even a better deal for you if you need “fast business cards”. If you are going to a trade show or a conference where you anticipate handing out a lot of business cards, why not geta specific gmail address for that event and have Vista Print print you some fast business cards. You can then track your contacts from that specific event? Here is a link:

Order 250 professionally printed, full-color business cards FREE right now.

Click here to view our business card designs and place your order.

Can’t wait for MAC OSX Leopard

I watched the Apple video on the new Mac OSX update Leopard and I have to say this looks like the most impressive update yet. Apple is on a roll. The iPhone stunned the nation but this update for Macs could see every PC user with an iPod seriously consider jumping ship. I won’t discuss the features in this post because the video at apple.com is worth watching. Every designer I know will be drooling over this update. Like my title says “Ican’t wait for MAC OSX Leopard!”.

Do Virtual Teams Actually Work?

I just read a study done by an IT professor at the University of North Carolina. He researched 54 global virtual teams in 31 companies and found some amazing results.

Virtual teams are usually made up of people who have never met. His investigation has shown that they are more  productive and amazingly more innovative than teams who work together face-to-face.

The professor states that “They make decisions faster with more input from others and develop policies that are implemented worldwide with fewer problems than conventional teams”.

His research finds these facts about virtual teams:

• High-performing global teams are measured on faster, better responses to rapidly changing environments.
• Team leaders check in on members of their team frequently. They mentor them, and establish and communication system.
• Team leaders also handle diversity and leverage it throughout the team’s life cycle.
• Global teams build trust through a planned team communication strategy without ever meeting face to face.
• Teams build trust and simulate intellectual growth by pairing diverse members into subteams that perform highly interdependent tasks.
• This is consistent with my experience.  Working virtually on certain projects is simply more productive and innovative.

There is still an old-fashion part of me that likes to have a group of people in a room brainstorming . . . of course once we come up a concept and a plan we can always put a virtual team on the tasks.

Fast Creative uses virtual teams for many projects and we embrace the diversity of cultures which brings innovation and insight into the mix.

Fast, Creative Ways to Design Newspaper Ads!

Fast, Creative Ways to Design Newspaper Ads!

From churches to carpet wholesalers, all businesses that advertise in the newspaper could increase their business  dramatically if they would only take some time to think. Yes, you heard me, think!

When challenged with providing material to an account rep to prepare an ad for print you would be surprised how many people don’t take the time to think it through. Here is a trick that I use quite often.

Set aside 1 hour, no more and no less. No phones and no distractions.  Once you have booked time for yourself, take out a sheet of paper and describe your typical customer. If you can pick someone you know that’s even better.

Now see ONLY that person in your mind’s eye. Give them a name and begin to think of their needs. Most people try to beat their chest in an ad “We provide quality service the best selection, blah, blah, blah”. When you can describe what your customers are actually feeling and identify with their needs then you are on the right track.

Your customers don’t care what you do or sell, they only care about the results that they will receive from doing business with you.

So after you have made a list of what your “specific person” desires, craft your ad message around those things using the AIDA priciple. (Attention,  Interest, Desire and Action)

• A – Attention – Grab their attention first. The headline is the most important part of your ad. Craft your headline with your specific person in mind. Tell him or her what’s in it for them. Solve their problems instead of talking about your products.
• I – Interest – Assuming your headline gets their attention, you’ll need to perk their interest. You can use bullets and sub headlines to describe benefits and ask questions.

• D – Desire – Once you have their interest you’ll want to create desire within them to want your product or service. Testimonials and case studies work extremely well. It’s natural for people to want what others have.

• A – Action – You have to tell your reader “exactly” what you want them to do. “Pick up the phone and dial . . .” “Order now online” or “Fill in this coupon to recieve a . . .” etc. Try a scarcity tactic like a  “Limited Time Offer”

You will be surprised how quickly you can do this once you only think about communicating to only ONE person. You will also realize how silly some of your old sales copy may sound when you actually put a name and face to your message.

• Christmas Ideas
• 5 Things You Might Not Know You Can Do on Google
• 52
• How to Design Stunning Web Pages in Minutes!
• “What is Web 2.0?”

• December 2009
• October 2009
• April 2009
• April 2008
• October 2007
• September 2007