Blog Directories

Directory listings are great way to expose your website or blog. You can add your listing to one or to many different directories depending on the the type of site and on the directory specifications. Some directories are free, some require a monthly fee. It may be worth the expense to add your site to a paid directory if it will incresase traffic to your site! Search google for industry specific directories or general directories. Links to your site from multiple places will increase your ranking on search engines. Search Engine Optimization or SEO is extremely important to the success of your website. Hiring an expert in website optimization is a great way to get started!

A few blog directories to check out:

http://www.digg.com/

http://www.bloghub.com/

http://www.bloggopedia.com/

http://www.blogorama.com/

Twitter and LinkedIn are also great resources to network your blog or business:
http://www.twitter.com/
http://www.linkedin.com/

Loading...loading....loading...

Flash content can be eye-catching and dynamic.. but what if it just won't load fast enough! Will a viewer stay on your page if the content doesn't immediately load? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I will share a few tips to make your Flash content load faster..

The first two options relate to Flash content that contains rasterized images like .jpg's. I've borrowed these from a site called http://www.sitepoint.com/article/steps-faster-flash.

Change the JPG setting of your images:
Open up your library by hitting CTRL + L, and locate your imported .jpg. Right-click on it and go to properties. Uncheck 'use imported JPEG data' and you'll find that you can adjust the image quality. You will have to play with the quality setting until you find a happy medium of appearance vs. file size. I always adjust this setting -- it alone can make a huge difference to your file size.

Load Images Dynamically
A great new feature of MX is that it gives you the ability to load .jpg graphics dynamically. This is achieved in the same way you would load an external .swf -- using the loadMovie() action. Add a MovieClip to the stage and give it and instance name of "imageholder". Then add the following actionscript to a keyframe:
loadMovie("name_of_jpg.jpg","imageholder");
Warning! Progressive JPEG images do not appear when loaded dynamically using the loadMovie action.

Re-use Symbols and Instances in Flash
You have the option to create symbols, movie clips, and graphics that can be added to your library and re-used throughout your project. If you are using multiple instances of the same object, then the browser only has to load that symbol once, regardless of how many times it has been placed in your movie. If you need to alter a symbol, use the Break Apart command, and then you will be able to make adjustments to it.

Smoothing
If you are having a problem with pixelated images, you can try using the smooth option under the settings for your raster graphic. In the Library, right click on your image and choose properties. When the window pops open, there will be a check box for "smooth". If you click on this option, Flash will smooth out any issues with pixels that your movie has had.
**Note that this is not a good option to use if you are trying to show a high resolution image as it will soften the appearance.**

Adjust Export Settings
When exporting your .swf file from Flash, go into the settings and make sure that the quality is set properly. Most times, you don't need to have web content set to 100%. This will somewhat reduce your file size. Also remember to check on audio and playback settings.

Google Search
There are constantly new changes being made to internet technology. On occasion I would recommend a thorough google search for any new tips that might be circulating out there!

Bad Web Design!

As a designer, one hopes to create eye-catching and innovative design, fully functioning, dynamic websites, and thought provoking animation.

An artist hopes NOT to show up on the following website: http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com

Take a look at the lists of bad web design going back 13 years. I've used it as a resource in classes before undertaking a lesson on web design.

A site that is badly designed or uses confusing navigation could wind up on this site. I've actually noticed a few beautifully design sites listed that have ridiculous and confusing navigation.

Just because you know how to create a floating, blinking drop down menu that grows flowers and talks, doesn't mean that you should.

Intake Forms

Creating a contact form to use on your website is a great way to collect information from potential clients. Rather then simply listing your email address or phone number, the contact form will require the user to enter important information like name and number, and also give the option to ask for extra info like comments or questions. The simplest way to create a form will require the viewer to send the email themselves, while using a .php file to send your form will automatically send you the information as soon as the send button is pressed.

Don't know PHP? Don't worry, there are many websites available that will create your form and the PHP file for free! With a few alterations to the .php file, you can customize your form and add extra intake fields.

For example, I use a site called The Site Wizard to create forms. It will quickly generate a form to use, but has limited intake information. You will need to create an extra .html page to use for your ERRORS and THANK YOU pages after someone hits send. If you need to add extra, customized information, then you can copy and paste the existing form lines, and change the name or question. After you do this though, you must alter the .php file so that the new lines get sent. Basically, read over the PHP and everytime you see a line that refers to one of the intake form boxes, duplicate that line and change the name to match your new box. For example, if there was orginally Name, Address, Email, and Phone, but you added Comments, then you would need to find everywhere in the PHP that Name, Address, Email, and Phone are listed, and create a new line for Comments. If you don't alter the PHP, and only the form, then the new info you have added will not be sent to you in the email.

It might help to read up on PHP before you tackle it, unless you have experience with other programming languages and HTML.

Work for Hire!

Starting a business can be tricky, especially in the creative fields. There are some industry standards, but many artists have very individual styles and ideas about how a company should operate. Common things to think about are pricing, strategy, and marketing. Some of the hidden topics include taxes, bank accounts, payroll and billing. It's a lot to think about, but there are resources aplenty!
There are many books on all of these issues available. One that I recommend and also seems to be an industry favorite is "Graphic Artist's Guild Handbook: Pricing and Ethical Guidelines". It includes sample forms, invoices, contracts, and also has detailed pricing guidelines (and its not just for graphic design!). The pricing guides are extremely helpful when quoting a new client. You can also use it to show sample rates and comparisons. A quick search on Amazon will turn up hundreds of books to get you started.

A few tips can be extremely helpful when going into business on your own. I'm going to share from my own experience as well as the experiences of friends in the industry.

When thinking about a business strategy, you should start simple. If you know how to do 100 things, it will be hard to market yourself initially. Choose your strongest skills to focus on.

When it comes time to advertise, make sure that you have a functioning website. I have a few other blog posts available that give tips on web design. Simple navigation is probably best and be sure to use SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to get your site found! Word of mouth is probably the best advertising when starting out, but try other methods as well. List yourself on Facebook, Myspace, Craigslist, etc. Try to attend business related functions in your area to pass out cards. Send out mailers or emails to potential clients. You can also cold-call directly to the businesses you want to target.

If you are setting up a new business you will need to decide on the type. Be it LLC or INC for example, then you would want to register with your state (a quick search on google will bring up the appropriate website). Once you have registered your business, you can apply for a Tax ID number. You'll need this tax ID number to start a business bank account. It will look a lot more professional to use a business name and documents rather than sending invoices and checks with just your name and home address listed. It will also help you at tax time!! I've noticed that most banks have a lot of tools available to their business account holders, such as accounting and payroll.

Most of all, your new business is going to take hard work and maybe even a little bit of luck. Start yourself off right, and then work toward your goals!

Realistic Vector Art

Vectors vs Rasters is an argument that is most often quickly solved. Are you designing with photos or simple graphics? Are you creating a poster or a business card? Do you like using Photoshop or Illustrator?
All of these questions are related to the Vector vs Raster debate, and deal primarily with style preferences. If you're designing a logo, business card, or clean edged graphic, then most likely, you'll want to use vector based software like Adobe Illustrator. If you want to use photo-realistic images or need advanced layering and filters, most like you'll used raster/pixel based software like Adobe Photoshop. But... what if you want to photo-realistic quality you get from Photoshop, with the scalability and clean lines of vector art? This is where realistic vector art can help.
Using the Gradient Mesh tool in Illustrator, you can assign colors to points on an object that will automatically blend together, creating a customized and detailed gradient. The more time spent color each individual point on your object, the more realistic the final outcome will look. Results have the potential to trick viewers into believing they are looking at a photograph rather than a vector image, and the image can be scaled as large as desired without losing any quality like a rasterized image would.

Description: Vector graphic containing a highly detailed gradient mesh that resembles a photograph
Advantages: Vector graphics will never look pixelated, can be scaled infinitely larger, and will preserve a clean, crisp feel

The link below shows a variety of samples of realistic vector art. Click on the "Outline" option to see the mesh.

Realistic Vector Art Samples

Sample Art above by Adalynn Martinez, a Multi-media student in my Digital Illustration class

No Flash Player!!

It can be very frustrating as a web designer to create amazing Flash content, only to find out that many of your viewers do not have Flash installed.  There are a couple ways to get around this. 

1.  If you have a site that is completely designed in Flash, then you will need to use the javascript option listed below.  The reason for this, is that unless you want a single image to replace your entire site, you will need to redirect the user to an alternate page that does not contain Flash. This option creates more work for the designer/developer because you'll actually be constructing two separate sites.. one for Flash, and one for HTML alone.  

2.  This second option works well for any site that has Flash content only as a header, or other singular part of a site.  The majority of the site in this example should be HTML, with limited Flash content added.  This technique uses a line of HTML code that will swap the Flash content for an image anytime that a Flash Player is not detected.

Links and Code for Flash Detection:

(Also try searching Google.com for Flash Player detection)

Adobe Flash detection kit

Flash detection script for Javascript or HTML

Chick-fil-A

It has been a subject of conversation several times since I've moved up north. In Florida growing up, Chick-fil-A was always a treat during trips to the mall. Eventually the fast food chain branched out with individual drive-thru restaurants all along southern highways. (I've actually held out for hours on road trips just to find one) Anyone I've met up north who has visited a Chick-fil-A, always remembers it fondly as "The bet fast food ever!". While the food stands alone, the advertising the company uses also proves very effective and memorable. Most people who have visited the restaurant are sure to remember the black and white cows promoting "chikin" as an alternative to the burger chains. Humanizing the cows with their "Eat Mor Chikin" signs immediately conjures the smell and taste of a Chick-fil-A sandwich, or waffle fries. The branding works and is immediately identifiable to anyone from the south, or to anyone who has ventured off the highway. Another thing that I have noticed, is that while the advertising has changed over the years, the original logo has not been modified. It remains a red beacon signifying wholesome, southern food on the go. The style of the scripted logo is reminiscent of a 50's diner, or maybe a neon sign. It works alone or is effectively placed into all of the company's modern advertising campaigns. Recently, the Tropicana orange juice company tried to recreate their branding and logo. They met with vehement complaints and emails in response to the new campaign. While the new packaging was pleasing to the eye, it did not retain any of the former elements that the public had associated with the brand, such as the orange with a straw in it. Perhaps their campaign would have been more successful if they had kept some of the classic elements of their brand similarly to the Chick-fil-A logo positioned along with the cows.