Pinterest Adds New Features

Posted on May 24, 2013 by JP

Pinterest has introduced two new features to its popular social media sharing site.

Now in addition to posting images on a virtual inspiration board – you can send the image to friends.  If you see something on Pinterest that you know that one of your friends will like, you can hit the “send” button to share it. You will be able to send the pins to other Pinterest users, Facebook friends, or email contacts with a personal note. They will be able to see them in their Pinterest notifications or in their email inboxes.  If they reply or like the pins, you’ll get a notification as well. Previously, you could only send a pin to someone via email. The new feature works for both mobile and desktop versions of Pinterest.

In another addition, Pinterest is making its collection of images more informative with a new format for a select group of pins that show products, movies, and recipes. Instead of just showing a small, formless caption beneath the pin, the new format will include an additional space for details like ingredients and cook times on Recipe pins, prices and store locations for Product pins, and ratings and cast members for Movie pins. An icon beneath the picture will let users know when there’s more information. The details will appear when users click on the pin to enlarge it. Among the first to test it out are Target, eBay, Etsy, Sony,, Anthropologie, Whole Foods, Martha Stewart, Netflix, and Rotten Tomatoes. Pinterest will roll this feature out slowly. Users will find new pins from these merchants — and refreshed versions of their older ones — in their feeds.

These new additions are the latest in Pinterest’s quest to make the social media bulletin board even more social and informative.

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Peter Crisafi (Peter Crisafi dzineit)
dzine it, inc. +1.212.989.0813
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Helpful Understandings from Your Web Designer

Posted on May 22, 2013 by JP

Many people who are looking to design a site for their business or themselves don’t have a really good understanding of what it takes to design and build a site. We get many inquiries from individuals and businesses that want to know if something can be done.  Many inquiries are also from those who have started to build a site by themselves or with someone who gave them a really good price and now things are not looking or functioning as they want.  So with this in mind — we thought we would share with you some simple and practical thoughts about web design and development.

Our first insight is that most things are possible given enough time and money. Many people want to design something beautiful and complicated but want it done in a couple of weeks and for little money.  When you’re working with a Web designer to build an e-commerce site, database driven site, or other more involved Web application realize it takes time and more money than a simple web page with text. If you have an idea for what you want on your site, chances are it’s possible to do. But you need to be reasonable in your expectations of what it will take to do it.  Chances are if the estimated price and completion date is too good to be true — it is.  Designing and programming pages is not instantaneous.  Done properly it takes some time and thought.  The more complex the design and functionality of what you are building – the longer it will take and the greater the cost.

Web design and print designs are similar but not the same.  Different web browsers render the same pages differently and often the colors and design might not be exactly the same as the print example provided.  Keep this in mind when trying to transfer print ideas to online.

Try to be as accurate as you can about what you want and your expectations.  Budgets and timelines are estimated on the information provided.  Of course, some of these things may change as you go along, but then it follows that the costs and deadlines may well shift along with these changes.

Lastly, when hiring your web designer it is best to give them as many specifics as possible. This can help both of you focus in on what you like and don’t like in a timely manner. Once you’ve decided to hire a Web designer it’s because you’ve decided to seek a professional to help you get your website up and running. Timely and open communication between you and the person or company you’ve hired will ensure the best possible outcome.

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Peter Crisafi (Peter Crisafi dzineit)
dzine it, inc. +1.212.989.0813
26 West 23 Street
New York, NY, 10010 U.S.A
Specialty:
Design Rant; Interesting Articles; News; Web Design Info

What People Love to See and Share on Social Media

Posted on May 17, 2013 by JP

Social media has become a big player in the marketing of many kinds of businesses.  Finding ideas for content that can help promote your product or service is an important part of your social media marketing strategy.  So it is with this in mind, that you want to pay attention to a recent survey by Prollie — a service that measures and monitors social media trends.

To find out what people are searching for and sharing the most on social networks, the makers of the social search and analytic tool Prollie analyzed the numbers on more than 5,000 of their users’ connected social media accounts, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Foursquare, and Tumblr.

Analysis of social media users found that technology and social media top the list of social media interests that users express when using the search bar and sharing posts. Prollie found that 28 percent of their poll listed technology and social media as their passion.  Next was food, drink & travel (25 percent), followed by movies and television (18 percent), then music and arts (11 percent), followed by health and sports (10 percent) and then fashion and shopping (9 percent). It appears that many hobbies that are popular in the real world are also popular online, like health and sports and food, drink, and travel. Outside of the broader categories there were niche interests like classical music, astrology, and surfing.

Facebook and Twitter audiences differed in the types of searches they conducted, with food, drink, and travel dominating the list of interests for Facebook users, while Twitter users were more interested in tech and social media.

Keeping in mind what people like to see and share may be an important tool in targeting your audience and increasing page views and ultimately business.

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Peter Crisafi (Peter Crisafi dzineit)
dzine it, inc. +1.212.989.0813
26 West 23 Street
New York, NY, 10010 U.S.A
Specialty:
Digital Marketing; Interesting Articles; Internet Marketing; News

About Flat Web Design

Posted on May 15, 2013 by JP

Flat web design is one of today’s most popular trends in the web industry.  The flat web design style essentially refers to design that eliminates drop shadows, textures and gradient features that have been commonly used in web design for many years.  In flat design, typography and the use of solid colors are featured.

Flat design is two dimensional. There is no attempt to add any three dimensional effects or trick the user into thinking they are interacting with anything else than a flat screen.  In flat design there is a lot of white space and a clear interface created by a grid system.

Flat design is minimalistic.  It relies on visual cues, such as color and typography to guide your users and help them reach their goals. The idea is to remove all distracting design elements and really focus on the content. Without distractions, your attention is drawn to the essential parts of the site. It allows goals to be reached in a shorted amount of time.

Like another recent trend, responsive web design, flat design is easily scalable. While realistic images and other design effects can be difficult to scale, flat design elements like color and typography can easily adapt to smaller screens.  With mobile devices becoming so mainstream – this is almost vital in today’s world.

For example, instead of having a highly designed button, in flat web design a colored link is used. Instead of a background image, a plain background color would be used.  Another example would have different content areas done in different colors so they could be easily viewed across many different kinds of devices.

Flat design is being used more and more. Its simplicity and effectiveness is being embraced by many sites and might well be popular for years to come.

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Peter Crisafi (Peter Crisafi dzineit)
dzine it, inc. +1.212.989.0813
26 West 23 Street
New York, NY, 10010 U.S.A
Specialty:
Design Practices; Design Rant; Interesting Articles; News; Web Design; Web Design Info

LinkedIn Adds “Channels”

Posted on May 10, 2013 by JP

LinkedIn, the popular professional and job networking site has added a new feature intended to make news links and slide shows easier to find.

This week the social media site launched “Channels” – its name for topics on LinkedIn today, its news hub. The “Channels”  include topics such as “social impact”, “the economy,” “your career”. Some of the channels, like “Things I Carry” and “My Best Career Mistake” are based on LinkedIn’s monthly content packages that incorporate themed essays from LinkedIn’s chosen “thought leaders.”

They “Channels”  allow LinkedIn members to customize the news they see based on their interests. Now members can browse, sort, and follow content by category.

LinkedIn is trying to help its members develop professionally and get better at their current jobs – not just find new ones.

In addition to offering more content of interest to users, “Channels” is an important way to get people to use the site more frequently.  This will in turn help LinkedIn build up its advertising business. It could also help LinkedIn build up its database of information about its members. Right now, LinkedIn mostly has data that members share, like their education and employment history. By tracking what news a member views on LinkedIn, it can develop insightful knowledge about them such as their interests outside their immediate professional field or new interests by knowing what articles they read. This information could be used by recruiters – a key customer base for LinkedIn, find not only people with a track record in a particular industry, but not so obvious candidates for jobs.

Previously, LinkedIn’s customization options were more limited: Members could follow companies or industries, as well as LinkedIn’s “influencers”,  high-profile business leaders who contribute articles to the site. The redesign of LinkedIn today adds emphasis on posts from these “influencers” as well.

Currently, there are around 20 channels. The company expects to add more in the future.

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Peter Crisafi (Peter Crisafi dzineit)
dzine it, inc. +1.212.989.0813
26 West 23 Street
New York, NY, 10010 U.S.A
Specialty:
Interesting Articles; Internet Marketing; News

Creating a Successful Online Gallery and Portfolio

Posted on May 7, 2013 by JP

Having an online portfolio is a great way to showcase accomplishments and work – whether you are an individual or business. Creating a portfolio on your site lets you present your work and can illustrate you and/or your firm’s capabilities.  The old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” applies here.  Why just tell people about what you can offer — show them.

An online portfolio typically includes samples of your best work.  Take the time to look at all of your work and carefully choose the right pieces for your portfolio. You should choose projects that can demonstrate the breadth of your work, but also be selective. Don’t put everything you’ve ever done in your portfolio, because that will overwhelm visitors. It is better to have a portfolio of a few projects that are eye-catching than dozens of projects where some of them are just okay. The gallery should present your image and capabilities in the best light. And be sure to showcase the type of work you want to be doing in the future.

Make your portfolio focused on your target market.  Design the portfolio you think your clients want to see. If you’re speaking to a specific audience it allows you to become a recognized expert in the field easier. Targeting your market can differentiate your services. For example if you specialize in designing websites for law firms or e-commerce – have a section with numerous successful law firm websites and/or e-commerce sites.  It will make it easier a potential law firm or online retailer to choose you over another designer or design agency.

Keep the website design simple, and let the work take center stage. This means simple navigation and the fewest number of website sections necessary.  Simplicity in the interface and visual design of your website will push your work to the forefront, where it should be.

Some portfolios share the back story.  You might consider showing an early version of a project, the final version and the various iterations in between, to reveal the story of how the project was accomplished. A good rule of thumb is to present the whole piece first, followed by more detailed shots to show the precision of your craft.  You want this to be quick reading — you need to be able to glance at it and understand what it’s about. The title, a short paragraph, and first image should be engaging enough to make people want to look at the entire project

So remember find your best work and present it in the best and most simplistic light. A successful portfolio offers a perfect blend of your personality, prominence of work, simplicity, and ease of use that makes your portfolio stand out from the crowd and achieve your goals.

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Peter Crisafi (Peter Crisafi dzineit)
dzine it, inc. +1.212.989.0813
26 West 23 Street
New York, NY, 10010 U.S.A
Specialty:
Design Practices; Interesting Articles; News; Web Design; Web Design Info
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