With the recent announcement of the iPhone 4 release this Friday, iPhone apps are continuing to grow in popularity. Our latest app, Saturate, was recently approved for distribution in the iTunes App store.

This free app is a color picker placing the world of color in your hands. Saturate opens the door to infinite color possibilities for everyone.

How exactly does it work?

• Use the sliders to pinpoint exact color values.
• Convert colors from RGB to CMYK to Hex color modes.
• Manage and organize your color palette with ease.
• Shake Saturate to create random color fun.

How will you use it?

• Choosing invitations, decorations, flowers, etc. for your next theme or holiday event.
• Finding the perfect hue to complement your rug while at the paint store.
• Trying to find an exact color match for an outfit.
• Creating business collateral for your friend’s side business.

However you choose to color your world with Saturate, this is the one color swatch you’ll never lose and it’s always readily available.

And best of all – it’s available in the iTunes App Store for free. Download it today!

By 2020, the mobile device will be the primary connection tool to the Internet for most people in the world.(1)   Therefore, it is our job to ask… Are you ready?

Ebay, Amazon, Netflix and Facebook are.  These brands, among others, have gone mobile, providing scaled-back, quickly loading versions of their web sites ideal for access on handheld devices and mobile phones. These web sites are smaller, single-screen and stripped of unnecessary graphics and other site elements (javascript, cookies), built with the functionality to accommodate the site visitor on the go.  Whether in the car, airport parking lot, produce department or on the beach, people are seeking and expecting… thoughtfully designed MOBILE SITES.

Mobile sites are becoming more and more difficult to live without, as more and more people are accessing the Internet from their mobile devices.  In the mobile world, you must be present, be brief and be easy-to-use, or you will miss out on visitors that are on foot, motivated and plentiful.  Without a mobile site, the world can’t easily reach you outside their home or office.  In a highly mobile and interactive world, is that the inconvenient message you want to send?

Newer mobile phones and mobile providers have also grown smarter, and able to overcome many of the restrictions that initially came with the mobile territory: small screen size, absence of mouse-like cursor, slow speed and connectivity problems, etc.  Many of these phones have also become cheaper (BOOYAH! The iPhone is now $99), making them more accessible to a larger group of people that will be browsing the mobile world in no time.

So why go mobile?

1.    Provide access
2.    Demonstrate personal connectedness
3.    Endorse innovation
4.    Spend minimal marketing dollars
5.    Benefit from the web’s organic nature
6.    Calling 411 is so ten years ago

You don’t have to be Facebook or Orbitz to need a mobile site either.  For example, if a client is in route to your office and needs the address and directions, how will they find them?  If a prospect needs to access your contact info as they step off a plane to call you, how will they find your number?  Or if a customer needs to do a quick price check on an item as they stand in another store, how will they do so?

The answer is through a MOBILE SITE.  Whether you are Google or Joe’s Hardware, the future of the web is proving: the more (mobile), the merrier.

(1)Pew Internet & American Life Project

Trends are everywhere.  Whether it is in fashion, home décor, or the web… we are constantly confronted with decisions to follow trends or to ignore them.  In the same way that interior wood paneling and bellbottoms once just looked and felt right, we ask that you try on these web trends for size:

1.    Wide Open Spaces – Negative space that is. A less is more approach has dominated web design with apple.com leading the way. A lack of clutter increases site usability by creating more space between content areas, navigation and images to guide the tracking of a user’s eye across the screen. This makes for quick and easy navigation and, not to mention, happy site visitors.

Cleverly done:
http://www.thefruit-box.co.uk/
http://iclicker.com/dnn/
http://apple.com

2.    The Big Type – Bigger is better when conveying the right message and creating visual hierarchy. More predominantly, web designers are choosing one statement, tagline or word that embodies the site message and inflating the size… literally. Often eCommerce sites are prone to use big type when announcing a new product or special sale. Size is not all that matters, the perfect font plays an equally important role in targeted site messaging.

Cleverly done:
http://www.bigomaha.com/
http://www.artist-in-design.de/

3.    Oversized Graphics – Large graphics and photos tell the story. Recently web designers utilize more space on the site with large, vibrant graphics and imagery to grab the attention of visitors and create a more memorable experience.  When prepping large graphics, don’t forget to compress images for optimal download.

Cleverly done:
http://baristaapp.com/
http://www.lacledegaskids.com/

4.    Layering with Transparency – Let it show through. Transparency in web design is used to gently separate one element from another without the harshness of an opaque shape. This style affect allows the interface to look more unified with a seamless integration of background images and content. It also provides dimension to the visual foreground / background relationship.  As browsers become more flexible, we expect to see this trend in wider use.

Cleverly done:
http://www.webdesigncompetition.com.au/
http://www.emseye.com/

5.    Presentation Carousels – Content in motion. It’s a great way to add a fresh, dynamic look to your site. But this trend has been around for a while. Now, carousels are the latest evolutionary step in motion content. Carousels rotate content vertically or horizontally triggered by two navigational arrows presenting more content, saving valuable screen real estate and avoiding unnecessary vertical scrolling. And it’s fun and interactive for your visitors.

Cleverly done:
http://www.purangy.com.br/#/home
http://www.kuhboom.com/
http://worldwide-classroom.com/

6.    Virtually Handmade – Add a personal touch to evoke that “made specially for you” feeling in site visitors. We are noticing an increased number of graphic approaches that bring a handmade and less synthetic feel to web design. Grunge, collage, scrapbook, retro, vintage and organic are common design elements that bring depth and texture to a site.

Cleverly done:
http://www.visitbritainrocks.ca/
http://www.bamboojuice.co.uk/

7.    Icons Galore – Small but effective. Tiny but direct. Icons can pack a powerful punch conveying a larger concept with one clean, concise graphic. Referred to as the “universal language,” icons are everywhere from street signs to your cell phone bridging the communication gap. And they are particularly useful on the web especially with the increased popularity of social media. These icons immediately broadcast your social networking presence to site visitors. (Learn more about Social Media in the “Modern Day ‘Prophet’- ability” article.)

Cleverly done:
http://ideafoundry.info/
http://mediatemple.com

8.    Light up the Foreground – Lightboxes are an effective design treatment typically used to focus the visitor’s attention on a particular content area. The beauty of a lightbox is that visitors remain on the same page, never leaving your site. The site recedes to the background while the lightbox pops-up over other page content allowing the visitor to maintain focus on your content / messaging. Lightboxes often feature their own navigational system creating elegance to browsing photo galleries or product details.

Cleverly done:
http://www.eurocort.ro/
http://www.target.com/

9.    Design with Usability in Mind – Site visitors often base what they consider “good” web design on how easy it is to find information. Effortless presentation of content can be a challenge but the emerging popularity of video allows designers to present detailed information in an attractive, engaging manner. Rich media is considered part of the design and it is seamlessly integrated into the interface. However, it is important to note that video is best used in moderation in order to make the biggest impact on site visitors. (Learn more about video in the “Video-Nation” article.)

Cleverly done:
http://www.hillwoodresidential.com/
http://squarefactor.com/

10.    Push the Limits – Don’t get boxed in. While there are effective ways to use conventional web design, let’s push it. Design is used to present information, convey a message and evoke emotion. The best designers are doing this in the most unexpected ways. The Web is a designer’s playground to experiment and showcase trends before they are ever considered trends.

Cleverly done:
http://www.roxaneonmeramec.com/
http://www.tekan.com.br/

Be a friend to trends!  Embracing trends that fit your business model can help you: get noticed, look smart and cutting edge and push you or your brand forward.  Trendspotting inspires innovation and allows others to test the waters for you.  There is no reason to always constantly get wet. You may choose to follow some trends, and for those you do not– you may even discover something new on your own path of resistance.

As well, being aware of the changing trends out there can inspire future trendsetting.  Why not be the first to try something new?   Whether it is with your web presence, or your corporate identity, thinking beyond the norm and experimenting with trends can provide opportunities to set your business apart.

Everyday you interact with dozens of well-designed, digital interfaces. You understand how to use them and how to integrate them into your life. In fact, these devices are so integrated that you may not even be aware how design continually affects your world. Good design is a universal language.

Your alarm clock, dishwasher and HVAC controls have all been carefully calculated to take into consideration the array of human experiences. Despite all the variations in human culture, there are signs of universal understanding. For instance, the use of color to depict hot and cold, the use of icons to communicate when to cross the street, and the use of imagery to help us order at restaurants, all illustrate this understanding. The right design delivers the right messages no matter who you are.

When it comes to designing for the web, designers must become an engineer of interaction. Not only is an eye for color and style a must but a web designer must adhere to functional details that will meet the objectives of any project. When dealing with interactive design, there are a few ways to tell if it has been well “engineered.”

Signs of a successful layout:

• intuitive and simple for any user to find the information they are searching for, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge or skill level
• flexibility in that the design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences on how they view or scan a page for information
• communicative to the user, regardless of what is going on around them or on their computer/device at the time

We use the universal language of design when creating web sites and applications. This allows for greater use by all people without the need for adaptation.

“North American companies spent $12.2 billion on Search Engine Marketing in 2007,” according to businesswire.¹ Throwing money at increased site traffic seems to be standard protocol. But while companies excessively spend to wrangle in an external audience, their employees continue to be ignored.

A professionally developed intranet is a liberating tool for employees: a “home base” for information, company resources and insightful knowledge.

Companies turn a blind eye to this captive audience due to the following factors:

• high budget resources available to the public site
• lack of available IT resources
• simply too busy for internally-focused projects

The Value

Perhaps worse than a company ignoring their employees is the fact that employees are blind to the powerful role that an intuitive, interactive resource plays in their professional lives.

The spatter of statistics validating intranets cannot be ignored. One recent stat from the Nielsen Norman Group states, “the productivity gains from a major improvement in intranet usability were 72% on average (in 2007).”²

The Necessity

Okay, you see the value and currently have an intranet. But many intranets fall short in usefulness, functionality and design leaving employees frustrated and less productive.

A strategically designed intranet:

• focuses on usability and functionality
• creates a centralized information hub
• interacts with and recognizes each individual user
• deciphers and distributes user-specific information

“Employees are demanding simpler, more intuitive and more “Web” like intranet experiences,” according to CIO.com.³

The Benefits

Companies that realize the necessity and embrace this captive audience are better positioned than their counterparts. Increased employee productivity and efficiency are direct results of a continually evolving intranet.

The modern intranet is able to:

• populate and share online calendars
• streamline processes with task management options
• provide search capabilities and tailored RSS feeds
• place frequently used tools at employee fingertips
• locate employees through subject specific directories
• create visual bios from contact information

Knowledge is power. Armed with the value, necessity and benefits of a professionally developed intranet, isn’t it about time to stop ignoring and start empowering?

Sources:

1. Search Engine Strategies New York 2008. “Search Engine Marketing Shows Strength as Spending Continues on a Growth Track Against Doom and Gloom Economic Background.” March 17, 2008. (http://www.businesswire.com)
2. Nielsen Norman Group Report. “Intranet Design Annual 2008: Year’s Ten Best Intranets.” (http://www.nngroup.com)
3. Schindler, Esther. “Success Factors for Corporate Intranets.” January 11, 2008. (http://www.cio.com)