Ran into this great presentation on how and why design is important for business. I didn’t write it but I’m sharing it here, cause I couldn’t have said it better myself. Enjoy!
Mark here, with this week’s INTERNET GENIUS. I’ve been following this guy for a while because he always brings the goods. Chris Spooner of Spoon Graphics offers the best vector tutorials and free vector design files on the internet!
Ever wonder how to use that symbol sprayer tool? Or how to make those trendy color explosion in space designs? Did you ever need to make a vector panda? If you’ve answered yes to any of those questions than you’re prayers have been answered!
As busy designers we don’t always have time to jump into illustrator and create some original artwork. So chances are you’ve needed a vector doo-dad to complete your designs. Whenever that happens to me, I check out the freebies section before i even think about iStock, or dreamstime. Why pay for it, when Chris Spooner is spoon-feeding you awesome for free!
Book mark blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/ today! You won’t regret it!
he Drop Cap has long been a handy tool in the designer’s tool box, adding a subtle flourish to a layout and lead-in interest to editorial. Its been used for centuries, but I can’t remember the last time I actually used one.
Well, to ensure the drop cap doesn´t become a lost art, illustrator Jessica Hische has started Daily Drop Cap – a tumblr blog dedicated this typographic art. Each day, Jessica posts a new hand-crafted decorative initial cap and generously provides the embed code for others to beautify their own blog and sites.
Facebook frenzy has infected the masses and we all know how great Google Analytics is. Most people use Google analytics to track traffic on their websites. But did you know that with a few simple steps, you can use it to track traffic on your Facebook fan pages too! Check out how the folks at WebDigi get it done!
Na, na, naaaa… Hey, hey, heeey… Gooodbye…
The beautiful video playing above was made with no keyframes at all. The animators used complex physics-driven equations and codes to create this trippy world with glowing spheres and bio-robotic plants.
Although it’s exciting to see technology advance before our eyes, one must ask the question, “What does this mean for animators?”
Are we entering a time where animation will be done solely through writing equations and defining physics parameters? Will animators go the way of the elevator-operator and soda jerk?
Will I be telling my grandkids stories about the good ol’ days when animators used to have to tell balls when to bounce? Or will we be granting Emmy nods for excellence in animation to Skynet and Agent Smith from the Matrix?
Let’s take back animation one keyframe at a time!
It’s amazing how color can evoke emotions. This simple, yet stunning, animation uses only After Effects and Particular to create the whispy color trails.
More more information on Particular, or to download the trial software, click here.
Above: (l-r) Maria Pacheco, Stephanie Huynh and Tameka Kee
On Thursday April 30, 2009 the IPG Emerging Media Lab hosted the latest SheSays LA event, Ms. Gamer, on women and gaming. Attendees were able to test their skills on the Wii and then settled in to hear our expert panel share their various experiences on the state of the industry and and how they first got into the game.
Maria Pacheco, of MoboGift and formerly of Vivendi Games Mobile, shared how she successfully marketed the mobile gamer, Surviving High School, and engaged users by utilizing viral tactics, including contests, quizes and Facebook widgets.
Stephanie Huynh from Denuo talked about the changing market of gaming–with tweens and teens now generally playing the same games, the lines between hardcore (typically male) and casual (female) gamers will begin to blur as audiences mature into future.
Finally, Tameka Kee from ContentNext Media presented perspectives on life and careers in the gaming industry. She shared advice from four female industry leaders on how women can enter and advance in fields related to gaming in the marketing, media and development arenas.
During the Q&A session, our panelists discussed trends in gaming and shared their personal stories on how they got into the industry and provided their own tips for the women who’d like do the same.
The fun-filled evening, sponsored by Weber Shandwick, ended with a raffle with great prizes provided by Namco Bandai. Stay tuned for details on the the next SheSays LA event, on Cause Marketing. If you’re a woman in digital marketing and advertising and would like to get more involved in SheSays LA, please contact Kim Hoang.
The IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) Marketplace Conference held in NYC today focused on Digital Video had provided a wealth of information related to best practices and insight from people shaping the platform’s future. Presenters included executives from Pepsi, Mindshare, R/GA and Starcom.
Take a peak at one of the panel discussions related to “Broadcast vs. Online”:
Also from our friends at IAB, this compelling video on how small publishers leverage interactive advertising is helping them achieve the American Dream:
On my way home I saw a sign that said “Watch for Children.”
I said, “That sounds like a fair trade.”- Demetri Martin
Seeing how this is my second entry to feature a “butt hole” of some sort, I’ll keep this short.
You’ve probably spent a good portion of your life looking for them, deciphering them, and even cursing at them. No, I’m not talking about your roomate, I’m talking about road signs.
Road signs do one crucial thing: relay information. And all though that seems like a simple task, as designers we often get caught up in sparkling doo-dads because they provide instant visual gratification.
Communication is fundamental to graphic design. Don’t be a butt hole, make your graphics communicate.
And thank your lucky stars you don’t live in this city.
Above: Kim Hoang, Melinda Moore, Raquel Krouse and Melissa Robinson.
SheSays finally landed in Los Angeles this past Wednesday, with its launch event at the Weber Shandwick offices.
With existing chapters in London and New York, SheSays offers resources (such as roundtable discussions, networking events and a mentoring program) for professional women worldwide to supplement their creative digital career development.
During the chapter launch, the panel discussion centered around the apropos topic of social media, and featured three of the industry’s thought leaders.
The presentations kicked off with Melinda Moore, VP of Trailer Park, who has worked on cross-platform campaigns for companies including imeem.com, msnbc.com and Vivendi Universal Televsion. Melinda shared case studies from her work with YouTube as a tool for social change, with a spotlight on will.i.am.’s use of the video sharing site to gather support in the effort to end world poverty.
Raquel Krouse, VP and Social Media Lead at the IPG Emerging Media Lab, provided insight on the importance of listening as customers are talking more with their peers online about products and brands. Raquel presented examples of how active listening has helped social media-savvy brands uncover opportunities, stay competitive, manage their reputation and avert crisis.
Bringing it all together was Weber Shandwick’s own Melissa Robinson, SVP, Digital Communications, who drove home the point that with new outlets and tools, companies still need to create content that is relevant and compelling. Melissa shared her work with Stand Up To Cancer and how they engaged organizations, bloggers and social media sites to help mobilize a legion of supporters. They joined a “Virtual Standup,” which increased online conversations and helped drive consumer participation in the telecast which ultimately helped raise $100 million for the cause.
The Q&A session which followed allowed for an in-depth discussion with the audience on the future of Twitter, ROI measurement and the importance of human analysis of data collected from listening tools.
The SheSays launch had a terrific turnout and leveraging the momentum and success of the launch, the next event, featuring mobile gaming, is already in the works and is slated to take place early April.
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