Friday, October 22, 2010

Why blog?

It's a simple question, isn't it? Why blog? Why tweet? Why put yourself out there? Why share your ideas, your thoughts, your views? Why meet other like-minded individuals (and in some cases not-so-like-minded individuals) and converse over topics that can create solutions? On second glance, maybe it's not so simple.

Late to the game, but I brought my own ball
Blogging has been a topic that's interested me since it's inception but no matter how much interest I've had it's been hard to find traction and get into a good posting groove. The factors in this have ranged from lack of topic ideas to not knowing whether people would read or care about what I was writing (also known as fear). So what changed?

This year has been one of change and opportunity and those were the catalysts that made me take a closer look at why I wasn't doing more to share ideas and thoughts (outside of the micro-blogging, social networking realm). I've enjoyed the connections that have been made through Twitter and Facebook, and while sharing other people's posts, I wanted to do more.

Blogging is sharing, teaching, and learning.
The past two weeks were filled with reconnecting with old friends, great clients, and forging new bonds with new, like-minded people. In short, it was great! During this time I have had the same conversation with a variety of question and it all revolved around blogging. "Why blog?" "I'd love to blog, but..." "What would I write about?"

Blogging has been a release and has generated some great ideas and comments. It's my sounding board for the topics that I'm passionate about. It's my home, it's my work, it's my hobby, all rolled into one. After starting it, those questions all went away and have been replaced by one, singular question. Why NOT blog?

Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Adjusting QR codes to fit your design

As I've started to see more use of QR codes in the past months, I've wondered how far a code could be pushed, morphed, and distorted to fit into a design with greater ease or fit into a brand without sticking out too much. When using a QR code, you want to let people know that it's there, but what can you do to make it better fit into it's surroundings?

I started making changes to the traditional black and white QR code style when working on an iPad wallpaper for Escape Route. The goal here was to work the code tag into the design and make it look comfortable in it's environment yet let the client know it was there and that they could use it when needed. Changing the color to red and blending it into the design as the postage stamp on the postcard was how we solved the issue of the QR code sticking out like a sore thumb.

Pushing it further.
Now that we know the color can be changed without affecting the functionality of the code, let's take a look at other color adjustments. If we invert the color using, for example, a black background and a white code, the tag breaks. Ok, duly noted. You'll need to make sure the code element has color and is placed on a white or off-white background otherwise you're just stamping a odd-looking block on your marketing materials.

How low can you go?
Let's shift our focus back to the color of the code itself. How light can we make it? After some quick tests, I've found that #E8E8E8 is the lowest hex color (or L 90 a 0 b 0 for print purposes) I could go before the code became unreadable. Not sure why you'd want to have such a faint QR code image, but if that's what you're looking do do, that's how you can do it.

Pulling, stretching, and twist it around.
Aside from changing the color,what else could be done to further manipulate it. I pulled my basic QR code into Adobe Illustrator and did a quick LiveTrace. The result of the LiveTrace gave me an image with rounded internal corners, which I was surprised to find, still worked on my QR code readers.

I did further tweaks to the trace by adjusting the corner angle, path fitting, and minimum area. The result was something that looks like it was run through a Photoshop filter or two (or left out in the sun to soften). The question remained; would it still work?

Don't lose focus.
While it's great to know that there is some flexibility in creating QR codes and how you can style them, it's important to not lose focus of the goal. If you make it too abstract, people might not know what it is (even more so than if it were a traditional QR code). Before you rush into twisting and pulling the code image into something that no longer resembles what it used to be, keep in mind the fact that you'll still want people to have some indication that they're looking at a QR code.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Book Review: Crush It!

2010 seems to be the year of many, lofty goals that I've set for myself. Ok, maybe lofty isn't the right word here, but I have set quite a few goals, and it's only taken me 7 8 months to start checking a few off the list. One goal, if I can even call it that, is to read more.

No problem, I read my Twitter stream and my RSS feeds daily (if not more frequently than that). I can check that off my list...oh, I didn't finish spelling out the goal. Read. More. Books.

Ok, I can handle that. I've read books before, granted it was years ago and they were mainly dealt with Sci-Fi and Star Trek, but this go-around I wanted to do things differently. I wanted to improve myself, get aggressive with my creativity and focus myself on my...goals. The first book that came to mind when I laid out that plan was Gary Vaynerchuk's Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion (affiliate link).

If you're not familiar with the name, you should get to know it. Gary is a one-man army of focus, drive, and determination. He's genuine, he's authentic, and he's honest. Three great qualities, if you ask me.

In Crush It, Gary tells a compelling story of his entrepreneurial beginnings selling baseball cards in mall swap meets to growing his personal passion, WineLibrary.tv. But this book is more than an autobiography, it's a roadmap and a how-to guide to getting the most out of your passion and your life.

I guess this is going to be less of a book review and more of a push from me to you to run out and buy this book. Whether it's in traditional paper-book form (affiliate link), an eBook (affiliate link) or as an audiobook, you need to give this book a read. Gary's passion radiates from within the pages and into your soul. If you're not affected by what he has to say, check your pulse. I mean it. This book is THAT good.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

How to make an engaging and dynamic desktop/wallpaper image.

I'm guessing that most of you have a wallpaper or desktop image on your computer. They let us express ourselves and customize what would be an otherwise bland experience. If you have a custom desktop image for your brand, there's no doubt that you'd like it to say more and do more than show off your logo. Below are some examples of how you can use your desktop image as a tool as well as a decoration.

Make a date with a calendar.
If you're like me, your always looking for a calendar to see what the date is or working to estimate a timeframe for a project. Adding a calendar to your desktop is a great way to help with that.

There are a few ways to add add dates to your desktop. There are software add-ons that will dynamically update the calendar to he current month and can also highlight the current day. These add-ons come in many flavors, so you're bound to find one that works for you.

• Windows


• Mac OS X


• Linux

If you're looking for a more customized look, you can add your own static calendar to your wallpaper. The only drawback is you'll need to swap the imaged out every month, but you can craft the calendar to match any look you choose (like your branding perhaps?). Check out some examples.

To-do list or project board.
Another great way to benefit from your desktop image is to create compartments that can hold folders, apps, or whatever you need to help you with a project.

Taking this to the next, crazy step would be to develop something like Panic did for their project board. You could call it desktop image-ishe-sque, or you could just call it hardcore.

Create a mini-portfolio or a featured work board.
You've just designed an amazing Website and branding solution for a client and can't wait to show it off and generate more business. Why not create a scene, on your desktop, and make your recent projects the highlight?

By displaying your work on your desktop, you can quickly and easily give an example of what you can do to help an organization reach their goals.

I've even gone as far as posting projects that are in-progress to my desktop for critique and examination. One of the best ways to decide if a solution works is to see if you can live with it.

Add a QR code.
A new technology that is slowly crawling into mainstream view is the QR code. Simply put, a QR code is a barcode that many mobile phones are able to read and decipher using a variety of apps. When the code is scanned, it can redirect someone to a web page, twitter profile, a SMS message, email address, or other forms of digital content.

In a recent project for Escape Route, I incorporated a QR code into iPad and iphone wallpaper images. Now when the client is at a convention or trade show, they can display their iPad and let a prospective customer capture the code for later use. In this case, it will direct someone to the Escape Route site. Think of it as a business card on steroids.

I'll be the first to admit that QR code use in the United States is just in it's infancy and there's no telling how long it will take to catch on, but it's a great way to add some cutting edge tech into long-standing piece of static imagery.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Evolution or something like it.

I've been thinking about my use of Social Networking/Media and how it's changed since I started participating in it a few years ago.

My life-stream/what's happening now approach has changed and it was just recently that I've noticed this change. What I'm trying to pinpoint is why I've changed my usage/approach and where did this change come from. It's still a great communication source for my personal connections but it's also proven itself to be an invaluable business and self-marketing tool.

How about you, has your use of these services changed? Are you more personal or less personal with these tools since you first started? Let me know!