Brettology

The Dogpile Search iPhone app launched!

Tue, 29 May 2012 10:27:21 -0700

The Dogpile Search iPhone app launched!:

Just completed and launched the Dogpile Search app for the iPhone. Pretty excited to get this one out the door. Check it out. Let me know what you think.

It's been a while

Thu, 10 May 2012 09:34:26 -0700

I’ve had a pretty rough couple of months. My father passed away recently, and I just havent been in a writing or creative mood at all. Im starting to feel the need to be creative again, and I should be back to being active on my blog again soon as well.

I never imagined how difficult this would be. It wasn’t a surprise. Dad was sick for a while. He was in a lot of pain at the end, and I honestly don’t think it’s fair at all that someone so full of life and happiness should have to suffer like that. He always went out of his way to make everyone around him feel happy, and It’s simply not right for the end to come like it did.

Don't fear the Facebook timeline for pages...

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:57:00 -0700

The Facebook timeline becomes permanent tomorrow, but according to TechCrunch, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. They say that 95% of pages that have already switched have seen increases in likes and conversations. They do though, clarify that by noting that these are early statistics, and we’ll all have to wait and see.

So many people seem to dislike the new timeline, but I doubt that we’ll still be hearing screams in a month or two. Too many people (and companies) rely on Facebook as part of their everyday life, so they’ll get used to it. They pretty much have to.

Personally, I do like the large cover image. I think it opens up some fun creative possibilities for individual people and for companies. I’ve seen some fun ones already. I’m not really fan though, of the lower portion of the Timeline. The way it jumps from side to side makes it harder to follow things in order. I suppose I’ll get used to it. I pretty much have to.

Check out the TechCrunch article for yourself.

If YOU Hate It!

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 10:00:05 -0700

In order to create any sense of usability on a mobile device the elements and features that you add should make the user comfortable and relaxed. Users should feel a sense of place, recognize your branding, and begin to understand your navigation, and they should know exactly what they should and can do. In the case of the iPhone for example, there are standard UI rules that have already been defined, and you really should have a good reason before you break one of those rules.

We want to meet expectations when it comes to the user-experience and creating fluid movement within the application and we want to surpass their expectations when it comes to the content.

Great content with a poor experience = Bad App

Great content with a great experience = Good App

As we’re working on projects we’re always doing competitive analysis. We’re always watching and learning from both the good and the bad that’s out there. Seeing what’s worked (or hasn’t worked) in the past is a good place to start. We’re all for being on the cutting edge of creativity - we love being creative - but not at the expense of usability.

We’re constantly asking ourselves questions about what we see.

Is it interesting and innovative or trendy and narrow?

Is the learning curve too high?

Is it trying to do too much - does it lack focus?

And as we’re building out the feature list for a new mobile project we want to make sure that what we’re building has a pretty darn good chance of being what a good chunk of people want. We stay agile. We release quickly, and let the community of users help guide the vision for new features and new versions.

By staying agile and releasing quickly we’re able to keep development costs lower, create products that more users feel committed too, and evolve the projects that have the greatest potential of success. For most projects it simply doesn’t make any sense to spend months and months building out all sorts of features only to realize that users really wanted something entirely different. That’s the power of the community. We don’t try to control the community; we just become part of the conversation. We listen, and we learn.

Understanding what works and what doesn’t work, and knowing what you personally hate, or what drives you nuts, is also a good place to start.

The chances are pretty good that if you hate something then other people probably hate it too!

Anticipate the Poodle

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:24:47 -0700

When I was in art school (those many years ago) I had a wonderful teacher. He taught a class on advertising. He was young, interesting, and it seemed he was just teaching because he thought it would be fun, and I liked that.

One day he told us an interesting story about a client of his - one of his favorites. This particular client was described as the “dream client”, a client with a big budget, lots of varied projects, and one that would let you do your thing.

Of course this client wasn’t completely perfect. There was this one little catch. He was allowed almost total creative freedom, except for the fact that his client insisted on having a picture of his pet poodle in everything he did, and I mean everything. There was Fluffy right in the middle of that ad, or right there in the catalog and brochure, just sitting there, staring at you, haunting you.

My advertising teacher seemed to take it all pretty well, and I pretty much forgot all about it for years. Then one day I recalled the story to a client of mine, and we both laughed. But it did make me think.

I was looking back at all of the various projects that I’d done over the years and I realized something. Almost every project I’ve ever worked on has had a Poodle. It’s something that comes up, usually unexpected, to throw a little wrench in the process. Sometimes the Poodle is something simple, and sometimes it’s something intensely complex, but it is out there, waiting.

Over the years as my process of project management, design, and client interaction has evolved, I’ve worked in a variety of ways to keep the Poodle at bay. A few of those ways - Really understand the client’s brand, and how they want it positioned, deep dives into the target demographic and extensive competitive analysis are part of every project proposal I do. I also think about the Poodle. I’ve become comfortable with the Poodle. So even though I may not know what the Poodle will be, I can arm myself with enough “creative ammo” to Anticipate The Poodle, and maybe take a little bite out of its bark.

Anticipate the Poodle = Expect the Unexpected.

How to pitch your startup at conferences | VentureBeat

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 09:36:00 -0800

How to pitch your startup at conferences | VentureBeat:

Sometimes the most obvious things are the ones that dont get done. Nice short article full of great tips that should be done.

Pinterest Drives More Traffic to Blogs Than Twitter [STUDY]

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 11:45:00 -0800

Pinterest Drives More Traffic to Blogs Than Twitter [STUDY]:

I have a Pinterest account, which I update occasionally. I’m still looking at ways that might take it beyond just something fun, and turn it into something that will help my business.

http://pinterest.com/19sixty5/

Pinterest drove more traffic to online publishers in February than Twitter, according to third-party measurement data. That’s an impressive figure, given that the two-year-old site has an estimated 11.7 million active registered users compared to Twitter’s more than 100 million…

Is This the Best Startup Launch Video Ever?

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:43:00 -0800

Is This the Best Startup Launch Video Ever?:

I think this is a great promo video. It makes me want to create a promo video for my startup…Hmmm, I think I’ll do that.

A dollar a month for razors, shipped to your door? Most thrifty guys and gals who wield a blade in the bathroom won’t need much convincing that that’s a good idea for a startup…

The Five Questions Users Ask About Your UI

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 13:34:00 -0800

Back in 2002 I wrote an article called The Five Questions Every User Asks On Every Page, and it was based on a lecture I used to give my multimedia and web design students. The basic idea was to understand user-experience from the “users” point-of-view, and not from the designer’s point-of-view. In other words, put yourself in the chair of your user, and understand why they’ve come to the site, and what their expectations are.

So I started thinking, how do these questions apply to mobile UX design, and is there any overlap? Are the things we look for when we’re designing web sites some of the same things we look for when building the interface for mobile applications, like the iPhone? Well let’s find out. First though, the original list…

The Five Questions Every User Asks On Every Page

1. Whose site am I on?
This is all about branding. It’s not just the business that wants their brand recognized, user’s want to know whose site their on too. It gives users a sense of place.

2. What is the value on this page?
Some web sites can be long and tedious, and users will always ask themselves, “Ok, im here, I’m on this page on your site, now what? And you need to have an answer for that on every single page. It gives users a sense of purpose.

3. Where am I on the site?
Nobody likes to get lost, but sadly too many sites still don’t gives users a clear indication of where they are. You always want users to quickly know where they are within your site. It gives users a sense of location.

4. Where do I go to get what I want?
You should always build into the UI easy ways for users to have their expectations met. So it’s important to understand what those expectations are before you design any UI. It gives users a sense of value.

5. How do I get back?
It doesn’t matter how well you design your UI, people will always want to start over from the beginning. You always want to design in a way to do that. It gives users a sense of comfort.

Ok, so how do these five questions relate to creating a mobile UI?

1. Whose app am I using?
Branding is just as important on a mobile application as it is on a web site. You’ll often see a mobile application with a “splash” or loading screen, and that screen will display the logo of the company that made the application. And within the application itself, you’ll often see a separate logo that’s specific to that app. Both of these opportunities to create brand awareness are important to the user. We try to incorporate the app logo into headers, or loading screens within the app, but sometimes we just don’t have the screen space to do that – another reason the initial loading screen branding is valuable.

2. What value is there with this app?
This is an interesting one when it comes to a mobile application. Many mobile applications have a very short shelf life. It’s just the nature of the environment that’s been created for us. Users can get bored quickly, and with so many applications to choose from, especially on the iPhone, apps are loaded and dumped alarmingly fast. So it’s important to quickly establish the value of the application. You don’t have the luxury of time.

3. Where am I?
Perhaps not as important for many mobile applications, especially games or one or two screen utilities. For larger multi-screen applications though, it’s still important to give users that sense of location. Header titles, and highlighted tabs, are one way that Apple has built that into their UI. Follow the expected conventions until it’s time to break those conventions.

4.How can I find what I want, or complete the tasks that are important to me?
With the iPhone especially, Apple has created a standardized UI methodology that’s designed to give users familiar and expected interface elements that allow them to navigation through applications. Follow the expected conventions until it’s time to break those conventions.

5. How do I get back?
For many mobile applications we want to give users a way to go back to the beginning of the application and start over. It’s maybe even more important with the limited screen real estate of mobile. If it’s a game, you obviously need a way to start over. If it’s a utility, then you need a way to begin new tasks.

It looks like there is a bit of overlap between designing a good interface for a web site and designing one for a mobile application. It all comes down to the fact that “Good Design Is On Purpose!”

Are Brands Ignoring Facebook’s Interactive Potential?

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 10:24:00 -0800

Are Brands Ignoring Facebook’s Interactive Potential? :

Consumers want more genuine engagement and interactivity with brands on Facebook, along with nonpromotional content

It’s a bit hard to imagine that some brands still dont have this figured out.

The study found that in 2011, 94% of the 50 top brands’ Facebook pages directed users to a one-way communication page, such as a tab or a closed Facebook wall that didn’t allow consumers to initiate a conversation.

Really?

The upside for the brand is great, the effort to engage and respond not large, while the negative impact of doing this all wrong is huge.

If you’re one of those top 50 brands that doesn’t get it, give me a call, and ill help you figure it out.

Engage users where THEY'RE comfortable

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:15:00 -0800

This is a repost of an article I wrote a few years ago…

Today people just have so many choices, so many bright and shiny things begging for their attention. How do you get those people to pay attention to you? How can you shine brighter than someone else standing right next to you? How can you get attention, and better than that, actual use, for what you’re offering?

Maybe you have a great web site and you know that if people just stopped by to check you out that they’d love what you have and sign up and join. But how many people really want to sign up for yet another web site? How many people will take the time to sign up for something new without really knowing what they’re in for? The answer is not many will.

So how do you get the attention you want? You can spend tons of money and “buy” traffic. Or you can join the conversation that’s probably already going on.

When it comes to conversations, it’s all about social media and social marketing, and there it’s all about the users; the community. It’s about making people as comfortable as possible and engaging with them where things are familiar, easy and predictable. Not all people use things the same way or at the same time, so why would a business present its message in only one way?

Some people are totally mobile. They have their entire world right on their iPhone and like it that way. Some people are addicted to sites like Facebook and they find everything they want right there and have no need or desire to look much farther. And let’s not forget that user expectations are different in each of the places they interact with information.

On a mobile device people tend to expect a certain fluid way to consume content; often on the go and in between doing other things. It’s about easy access to relevant information and usability. It’s also about fun, games and having an outlet to distract them from the rest of the world for a moment or two.

When someone’s on a social networking site they tend to expect more interaction with other people and look to friends for recommendations. It’s all about trusted community.

When visiting a niche or business web site people will often expect to interact within a bit of a tunnel, with fewer outside distractions than on a social network.

The interesting thing is that all of these can be the exact same person; wanting different things at different times and in different ways, even if it’s all basically based on the same information. It’s the presentation that creates the expectation.

So the answer is to get in front of users in all of the different ways they like to interact. You create a plan to give them the right amount of content and interaction in the right place, right where they expect it. If you understand how your users think in each of these different ways and create content outlets with all of this in mind, you stand a much better chance of getting the results you’re looking for.

You could, for example, have a web site that is deep and wide and showcases all the cool things you have to offer. Your iPhone application can pull in the right content pieces from the web site and mixed with a little iPhone “fun” and “interaction” create a whole new way for people to see you. And when users are happy, are the chances that they’ll find their way to your web site better than they would otherwise? And are the chances that when they do find your web site that they’ll be likely to hang around and participate? It typically works out just that way.
The same holds true for creating an application on a site like Facebook. It doesn’t have to be everything you have to offer. It has to be what that person is looking for in that place and at that time and in that mindset.

What we do is study more than just the business our clients are in; we also study the conversations people are already having about those businesses. From those community conversations we learn what and how real users interact with a business and what they like or don’t like – in other words, we learn about their expectations. We never try to control the conversation, all we want is to be part of it – to be aware, to learn, adapt and communicate.

The idea is that each of these content outlets; web, mobile and social, speak to users in a way that they expect, present their message in a way they expect and that each one can drive users to each of the others. When that happens you have met your user’s right where they’re comfortable, no matter where that might be. And that’s a pretty good place to be.

InVision Raises $1.5M For Beautiful, Interactive Prototypes

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:46:47 -0800

You need compelling visual design and a great user-experience or you’ll have lot’s of beautifully written code that will never get used.

“Designers are the future of product creation”

“The engineers ruled at the beginning … but now the question is who can create something that’s emotionally appealing and meaningful to our lives. The ones who are best equipped to do that are the designers.”

It’s great to see a product like this that put’s the emphasis on “design” and “experience”, and helps keep the control over those things where it really belongs. Product design is a collaborative effort, but at the end of the day users want something clean and easy to use, and looks good doing it.

Marketers: What Mobile Users Will and Won't Put Up With [INFOGRAPHIC]

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:23:00 -0800

Marketers: What Mobile Users Will and Won't Put Up With [INFOGRAPHIC]:

What are those kids doing on their phones all day anyway?

And how can we use that knowledge to our advantage?

Maui Snorkeling (by BaldShark01) Funny video of Summer and I in...

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:40:37 -0800

Maui Snorkeling (by BaldShark01)

Funny video of Summer and I in Maui last December.

How Target Figured Out A Teen Girl Was Pregnant Before Her Father Did

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:14:09 -0800

So Target, and I assume many other retailers, are tracking every move you make and everything you buy. Surprise, surprise!

It seems as though they keep getting more clever (read sneaky) since they know that people hate feeling like they’re being watched.

The idea of inserting non-related ads next to the ones they know you’ll be interested, just so you “think” they’re random…genius…or creepy?

How Your Cat is Making You Crazy...Really!

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:47:20 -0800

How Your Cat is Making You Crazy...Really!:

It’s a rather long and involved article, but pretty interesting none the less. Actually, some of the comments were even more entertaining than the article.

Have you ever known anyone that has lots of cats? Do they ever seem just a little off? Maybe there’s a real scientific connection there. Of course, it could all be a bunch of nonsense. You be the decider.

Motorcycle road trip...Yeah!

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:42:19 -0800

Spent a little time last week with some friends planning out a road trip for later this year.

On the list of possibilities is the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route. It looks like a great dual sport ride, but probably best for the end of Summer because of the weather.

Also considered Vancouver Island, but dont know much about it.

May end up doing a mini ride down PCH, just to warm up.

Still more to plan, but I like the options.

15 Facts About McDonald's That Will Blow Your Mind

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:16:52 -0800

15 Facts About McDonald's That Will Blow Your Mind:

I have to say that Im a bit surprised by a couple of these.

And seeing the pink goop that they used to make the “chicken” nuggets from was a little nasty. So happy to learn that they stopped using mechanically separated chicken “parts” years ago. Whew!

100 Best Companies to Work For

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:06:27 -0800

100 Best Companies to Work For:

Google tops the list with International Hotels Group getting the last spot. Glad to see REI in the top ten, but a little surprised that Apple is nowhere to be found.

Any surprises for you?

Brands - Pay attention to your social media responses!

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:52:00 -0800

Brands - Pay attention to your social media responses!:

Brands with social media experience know they don’t need to respond to every ounce of negative buzz in the social sphere; often, letting consumer brand advocates do it for them can address the problem while also showing how loyal some customers are to the company. At the same time, however, leaving genuine questions, problems and complaints unanswered could leave customers feeling out in the cold—on a medium that is supposed to be all about dialogue.

If you’re going to have a social presence, and you probably should, then you should pay attention to it. Take full advantage of the opportunity, or it might backfire on you.