Ricochet Partners - Ricochet Partners

SEOmoz Daily SEO BlogSEOmoz, a Seattle-based search engine optimization company, serves as a hub for search marketers worldwide, providing education, tools, resources and paid services.http://www.seomoz.org/blog2010-09-09T04:36:20+01:0047.61067-122.334387seomozhttp://feedburner.google.comtext/html2010-09-08T19:28:51+01:00http://www.seomoz.org/blogDr. PetePriceless CRO Advice for $224http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/seomoz/~3/JZoJ3bPKRds/priceless-cro-advice-for-224Posted by <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/users/view/22897">Dr. Pete</a>The past few years have seen an explosion of usability and Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) tools hit the market. There have been <a href="http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/06/10-tools-to-improve-your-site%E2%80%99s-usability-on-a-low-budget/">many</a> <a href="http://www.usefulusability.com/24-usability-testing-tools/">good</a> <a href="http://www.usereffect.com/topic/guide-to-low-cost-usability-tools">roundup</a> posts about these tools, but I want to focus today on a more in-depth approach to putting just 3 of these tools to work: (1) Five Second Test, (2) Crazy Egg, and (3) UserTesting.com. Total cost to do one round of testing: $224. <h4>(1) Five Second Test ($20)</h4> <a href="http://www.fivesecondtest.com"><img alt="Five Second Test Screen" width="300" height="190" align="right" style="margin-left: 14px" src="http://www.seomoz.org/img/upload/priceless-cro-1.jpg" /></a>The premise behind <a href="http://www.fivesecondtest.com/">Five Second Test</a> is incredibly simple – show a visitor your site for 5 seconds and see what they remember (or, alternatively, where they click). This is a great starting point for getting some starter observations about your visitors. How It Works Setup is easy – just submit a screenshot of your web page or prototype (great for design comparisons) and the replies start coming in. You can view them individually or grouped by concepts. Five Second Test is actually free, but the $20/month package means you'll get a larger response rate. It's worth the extra cash, IMO. You can also earn credits ("karma") by taking other people's tests – it's kind of fun and can be informative. What to Test Think about the kind of things you want your visitors to know about in 5 seconds: The big questions: Who, What, Why. Here are a few uses I recommend: <ul> <li>Do visitors recognize your brand?</li> <li>Do people get what you do?</li> <li>Is your tagline descriptive and effective?</li> <li>Is your page too visually noisy?</li> <li>Is Concept B better than Concept A?</li> <li>Can people find your call to action?</li> </ul> If people are remembering things like "blue", "blonde girl", and "ugly site", you know you've got some work to do (those aren't far from real examples of what I've seen). <h4>(2) Crazy Egg ($9)</h4> <a href="http://www.crazyegg.com/home3"><img alt="Crazy Egg Screen" width="300" height="190" align="right" style="margin-left: 14px" src="http://www.seomoz.org/img/upload/priceless-cro-2.jpg" /></a>Heat-mapping tools like <a href="http://www.crazyegg.com/home3">Crazy Egg</a> take user activity and translate it into visual maps, helping you to easily visualize how people interact with your site. Crazy Egg was founded by SEO wonder kid <a href="http://www.quicksprout.com/">Neil Patel</a>, and is an amazing bargain at $9/month. If you can't bother to spend $9 on improving your website, feel free to stop reading this post. I'm serious – go buy a Venti Iced Mocha and a cookie instead of spending money on your business. How It Works This one's a little bit trickier – you'll have to install a JavaScript snippet similar to Google Analytics and other tools. Then, Crazy Egg starts tracking clicks on your specified page (try to stick to one page, as jumping pages can produce odd results). What to Test Crazy Egg not only allows you create to visual heat maps, but also has a "confetti" mode that lets you visualize clicks by segments, such as referring sources and new vs. returning visitors. Here are a few questions a heat-mapping tool can help you answer: <ul> <li>Are people clicking where you want them to click?</li> <li>Is your navigation effective?</li> <li>Do you have too many choices?</li> <li>Do search visitors behave differently?</li> <li>Is your call to action getting clicks?</li> </ul> Although some heat-mapping tools can get bogged down in the visuals, I think that Crazy Egg has a very simple, elegant reporting approach that can give you solid insights quickly. Once you've gathered some initial impressions from Five Second Test and Crazy Egg, it's time to do some real user testing... <h4>(3) UserTesting.com ($195)</h4> <a href="http://www.usertesting.com/"><img align="right" alt="UserTesting.com Screen" style="margin-left: 14px" width="300" height="190" src="http://www.seomoz.org/img/upload/priceless-cro-3.jpg" /></a>It used to be that user testing required a lab, expensive equipment, and a difficult recruiting process. Now, you can use remote testing services like <a href="http://www.usertesting.com/">UserTesting.com</a> to get quick, inexpensive user feedback. While I won't say it compares apples-to-apples to laboratory testing, I often find that the insights from even a handful of remote testing subjects can be incredibly useful. How It Works Setup is pretty straightforward, but doing it right can take a little bit of time. Technically, you just need to submit your URL and a few instructions to visitors. You pay $39 per visitor and receive both written feedback and an online video of the user walking through your site (with voice-over). Although this is a topic of <a href="http://www.measuringusability.com/blog/five-history.php">some debate</a> in the usability community, 5 users is a good number for uncovering core insights and getting solid bang for your buck. What to Test Take some time setting up your questions. Traditional usability tests are task-oriented – you tell someone to try to complete a task in a fairly open-ended fashion and watch them go to work. Be specific about the task and ask follow-up questions, like "Would you trust this site enough to make a purchase?" (I generally ask 3-4 follow-ups). A few questions this kind of qualitative testing can help you answer: <ul> <li>Can people complete the task?</li> <li>How long does task completion take?</li> <li>Do users experience common stumbling blocks?</li> <li>What are visitors thinking out loud about?</li> <li>Does your search/navigation work as expected?</li> <li>Are you missing features people might be looking for?</li> <li>Do visitors get frustrated using your site?</li> </ul> Qualitative testing can be a great precursor to quantitative (A/B and multivariate) testing. Don't throw design changes at the wall and see what sticks – put user testing to work to uncover hidden issues on your site. We all need a fresh pair (or 5 pairs) of eyes from time to time. <h4>Here's to $224 Well Spent</h4> I'm an entrepreneur and a Bohemian – I understand that parting with money isn't easy. The insights you'll gain from just over $200, though, will, in my experience, easily yield 10X or even 100X back in online sales improvement. Solid qualitative data collection will also prevent you from making costly mistakes and will better inform how you look at your analytics and quantitative testing. There are plenty of good tools out there – choose a couple of them, and really put the effort into understanding how they work. You'll be well rewarded. Do you like this post? <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/thumbs/add/blog/10950/1/0">Yes</a> <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/thumbs/add/blog/10950/0/0">No</a> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=JZoJ3bPKRds:4NkVtBxcp3c:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=JZoJ3bPKRds:4NkVtBxcp3c:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=JZoJ3bPKRds:4NkVtBxcp3c:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=JZoJ3bPKRds:4NkVtBxcp3c:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=JZoJ3bPKRds:4NkVtBxcp3c:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=JZoJ3bPKRds:4NkVtBxcp3c:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=JZoJ3bPKRds:4NkVtBxcp3c:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=JZoJ3bPKRds:4NkVtBxcp3c:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/seomoz/~4/JZoJ3bPKRds" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.seomoz.org/blog/priceless-cro-advice-for-224text/html2010-09-08T00:32:44+01:00http://www.seomoz.org/blograndfishAn Interview on SEOBookhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/seomoz/~3/9mA_iGeMjmg/an-interview-on-seobookPosted by <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/users/view/63">randfish</a>Just a short post tonight.First, off, I'm honored to be <a href="http://www.seobook.com/rand-fishkin-interview">interviewed by Aaron Wall</a>. We've had our differences and maintain some divergent opinions on a few topics, but we both have an insane passion for helping make SEO professionals better at their job and work hard to grow the credibility of SEO as a whole.<a href="http://www.seobook.com/rand-fishkin-interview"><img width="600" height="505" alt="SEOBook Interview" src="http://www.seomoz.org/img/upload/interview-of-rand-on-seoboo.gif" /></a>Second - we've got a lot of reason to be thankful. SEOmoz was recently named the <a href="http://www.inc.com/inc5000/profile/seomoz">334th fastest growing company in the US</a> by Inc Magazine. I was named to Seattle's <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/events/2010/40_under_40/index.html">40 Under 40 List</a> (I'm guessing it's a typo) and we've recently <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=202019&id=8489236245">passed 6,000 PRO subscribers</a> (actually, we're up over 6,300 as of today).<img width="400" height="302" alt="SEOmoz's Jen Lopez as Wonder Woman" src="http://www.seomoz.org/img/upload/jen-lopez-seomoz-wonder-wom.jpg" />As amazing as all that is, nearly everyone at SEOmoz is thinking not about these milestones, but about one of our own - <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/team/jen">Jen Lopez</a> - who noted on <a href="http://twitter.com/jennita">her Twitter feed</a> that she's out battling cancer. We are all with you Jen - every last one of us, with all our hearts. And we agree: #fuckcancer Do you like this post? <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/thumbs/add/blog/10947/1/0">Yes</a> <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/thumbs/add/blog/10947/0/0">No</a> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=9mA_iGeMjmg:wgXxL-_4QyI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=9mA_iGeMjmg:wgXxL-_4QyI:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=9mA_iGeMjmg:wgXxL-_4QyI:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=9mA_iGeMjmg:wgXxL-_4QyI:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=9mA_iGeMjmg:wgXxL-_4QyI:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=9mA_iGeMjmg:wgXxL-_4QyI:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=9mA_iGeMjmg:wgXxL-_4QyI:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=9mA_iGeMjmg:wgXxL-_4QyI:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/seomoz/~4/9mA_iGeMjmg" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.seomoz.org/blog/an-interview-on-seobooktext/html2010-09-06T19:42:18+01:00http://www.seomoz.org/blograndfishLatent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and Google's Rankings are Remarkably Well Correlatedhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/seomoz/~3/dp-GHvFbhgE/lda-and-googles-rankings-well-correlatedPosted by <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/users/view/63">randfish</a>Last week at our annual mozinar, <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/team/ben">Ben Hendrickson</a> gave a talk on a unique methodology for improving SEO. The reception was overwhelming - I've never previously been part of a professional event where thunderous applause broke out not once but multiple times in the midst of a speaker's remarks. <img height="309" width="300" alt="Ben Hendrickson of SEOmoz speaking at the London Distilled/SEOmoz PRO Training" src="http://www.seomoz.org/img/upload/ben-hendrickson-london.jpg" /> _ Ben Hendrickson speaking in last Fall at the <a href="https://www.distilled.co.uk/proseminar/">Distilled/SEOmoz PRO Training London</a> (he'll be returning this year) _ I doubt I can recreate the energy and excitement of the 320-person filled room that day, but my goal in this post is to help explain the concepts of topic modeling, vector space models as they relate to information retrieval and the work we've done on LDA (Latent Dirichlet Allocation). I'll also try to explain the relationship and potential applications to the practice of SEO. A Request: Curiously, prior to the release of this post and our research publicly, there have been a number of negative remarks and criticisms from several folks in the search community suggesting that LDA (or topic modeling in general) is definitively not used by the search engines. We think there's a lot of evidence to suggest engines do use these, but we'd be excited to see contradicting evidence presented. If you have such work, please do publish! <h2>The Search Rankings Pie Chart</h2> Many of us are likely familar with the <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/article/search-ranking-factors">ranking factors survey</a> SEOmoz conducts every two years (we'll have another one next year and I expect some exciting/interesting differences). Of course, we know that this aggregation of opinion is likely missing out on many factors and may over or under-emphasize the ones it does show. Here's an illustration I created for a presentation recently to help illustrate the major categories in the overall results: <img height="458" width="620" src="http://www.seomoz.org/img/upload/more-to-ranking-pie-chart.gif" alt="Illustration of Ranking Factors Survey Data" /> This suggests that many SEOs don't ascribe much weight to on-page optimization _ I myself have often felt that from all the metrics, tests and observations of Google's ranking results, the importance of on-page factors like keyword usage or TF*IDF (explained below) is fairly small. Certainly, I've not observed many results, even in low competitive spaces, where one can simply add in a few more repetitions of the keyword, maybe toss in a few synonyms or "related searches" and improve rankings. This experience, which many SEOs I've talked to share, has led me to believe that linking signals are an overwhelming majority of how the engines order results. But, I love to be wrong. Some of the work we've been doing around topic modeling, specifically using a process called LDA (Latent Dirichlet Allocation), has shown some surprisingly strong results. This has made me (and I think a lot of the folks who attended Ben's talk last Tuesday) question whether it was simply a naive application of the concept of "relevancy" or "keyword usage" that gave us this biased perspective. <h2>Why Search Engines Need Topic Modeling</h2> Some queries are very simple - a search for "wikipedia" is non-ambiguous, straightforward and can be effectively returned by even a very basic web search engine. Other searches aren't nearly as simple. Let's look at how engines might order two results - a simple problem most of the time that can be somewhat complex depending on the situation. <img height="313" width="484" alt="Query for Batman" src="http://www.seomoz.org/img/upload/query-batman.gif" /> <img height="380" width="472" alt="Query for Chief Wiggum" src="http://www.seomoz.org/img/upload/query-chief-wiggum.gif" /> <img height="331" width="487" alt="Query for Superman" src="http://www.seomoz.org/img/upload/query-superman.gif" /> <img height="417" width="476" alt="Query for Pianist" src="http://www.seomoz.org/img/upload/query-pianist.gif" /> For complex queries or when relating large quantities of results with lots of content-related signals, search engines need ways to determine the intent of a particular page. Simply because it mentions the keyword 4 or 5 times in prominent places or even mentions similar phrases/synonyms won't necessarily mean that it's truly relevant to the searcher's query. Historically, lots of SEOs have put effort into this process, so what we're doing here isn't revolutionary, and topic models, LDA included, have been around for a long time. However, no one in the field, to our knowledge, has made a topic modeling system public or compared its output with Google rankings (to help see how potentially influential these signals might be). The work Ben presented, and the really exciting bit (IMO), is in those numbers. <h2>Term Vector Spaces & Topic Modeling</h2> Term vector spaces, topic modeling and cosine similarity sound like a tough concepts, and when Ben first mentioned them on stage, a lot of the attendees (myself included) felt a bit lost. However, Ben (along with <a href="http://www.distilled.co.uk/company/people/will-critchlow.html">Will Critchlow</a>, whose Cambridge mathematics degree came in handy) helped explain these to me, and I'll do my best to replicate that here: <img height="524" width="500" alt="Simplistic Term Vector Model" src="http://www.seomoz.org/img/upload/simplistic-term-vector-mode.gif" /> In this imaginary example, every word in the English language is related to either "cat" or "dog," the only topics available. To measure whether a word is more related to "dog," we use a vector space model that creates those relationships mathematically. The illustration above does a reasonable job showing our simplistic world. Words like "bigfoot" are perfectly in the middle with no more closeness to "cat" than to "dog." But words like "canine" and "feline" are clearly closer to one that the other and the degree of the angle in the vector model illustrates this (and gives us a number). BTW - in an LDA vector space model, topics wouldn't have exact label associations like "dog" and "cat" but would instead be things like "the vector around the topic of dogs." Unfortunately, I can't really visualize beyond this step, as it relies on taking the simple model above and scaling it to thousands or millions of topics, each of which would have its own dimension (and anyone who's tried knows that drawing more than 3 dimensions in a blog post is pretty hard). Using this construct, the model can compute the similarity between any word or groups of words and the topics its created. You can learn more about this from Stanford University's posting of <a href="http://nlp.stanford.edu/IR-book/html/htmledition/irbook.html">Introduction to Information Retrieval</a>, which has a specific section on <a href="http://nlp.stanford.edu/IR-book/html/htmledition/dot-products-1.html">Vector Space Models</a>. <h2>Correlation of our LDA Results w/ Google.com Rankings</h2> Over the last 10 months, Ben (with help from other SEOmoz team members) has put together a topic modeling system based on a relatively simple implementation of LDA. While it's certainly challenging to do this work, we doubt we're the first SEO-focused organization to do so, though possibly the first to make it publicly available. When we first started this research, we didn't know what kind of an input LDA/topic modeling might have on search engines. Thus, on completion, we were pretty excited (maybe even ecstatic) to see the following results:   <h3 style="text-align: center;">Correlation Between Google.com Rankings and Various Single Metrics <img height="464" width="620" src="http://www.seomoz.org/img/upload/spearman-correlation-lda.gif" alt="Spearman Correlation of LDA, Linking IPs and TF*IDF" /></h3> <h3> </h3> (the vertical blue bars indicate standard error in the diagram, which is relatively low thanks to the large sample set) _ Using the same process we did for our <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/blog/google-vs-bing-correlation-analysis-of-ranking-elements">release of Google vs. Bing correlation/ranking data</a> at SMX Advanced (we posted <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/blog/statistics-a-win-for-seo">much more detail on the process here</a>), we've shown the Spearman correlations for a set of metrics familiar to most SEOs against some of the LDA results, including: <ul> <li>TF*IDF - the classic term weighting formula, TF*IDF measures keyword usage in a more accurate way than a more primitive metric like keyword density. In this case, we just took the TF*IDF score of the page content that appeared in Google's rankings</li> <li>Followed IPs - this is our highest correlated single link-based metric, and shows the number of unique IP addresses hosting a website that contains a followed link to the URL. As we've <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/blog/the-science-of-ranking-correlations">shown in the past</a>, with metrics like Page Authority (which uses machine learning to build more complex ranking models) we can do even better, but it's valuable in this context to just think and compare raw link numbers.</li> <li>LDA Cosine - this is the score produced from the new <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/labs/lda">LDA labs tool</a>. It measures the cosine similarity of topics between a given page or content block and the topics produced by the query.</li> </ul> The correlation with rankings of the LDA scores are uncanny. Certainly, they're not a perfect correlation, but that shouldn't be expected given the supposed complexity of Google's ranking algorithm and the many factors therein. But, seeing LDA scores show this dramatic result made us seriously question whether there was causation at work here (and we hope to do additional research via our ranking models to attempt to show that impact). Perhaps, good links are more likely to point to pages that are more "relevant" via a topic model or some other aspect of Google's algorithm that we don't yet understand naturally biases towards these. However, given that many SEO best practices (e.g. keywords in title tags, static URLs and ) have dramatically lower correlations and the same difficulties proving causation, we suspect a lot of SEO professionals will be deeply interested in trying this approach. <h2>The LDA Labs Tool Now Available; Some Recommendations for Testing & Use </h2> We've just recently made <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/labs/lda">the LDA Labs tool available</a>. You can use this to input a word, phrase, chunk of text or an entire page's content (via the URL input box) along with a desired query (the keyword term/phrase you want to rank for) and the tool will give back a score that represents the cosine similarity in a percentage form (100% = perfect, 0% = no relationship). <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/labs/lda"><img height="510" width="550" src="http://www.seomoz.org/img/upload/lda-topics-tool.gif" alt="LDA Topics Tool" /></a> When you use the tool, be aware of a few issues: <ul> <li>Scores Change Slightly with Each Run This is because, like a pollster interviewing 100 voters in a city to get a sense of the local electorate, we check a sample of the topics a content+query combo could fit with (checking every possibility would take an exceptionally long time). You can, therefore, expect the percentage output to flux 1-5% each time you check a page/content block against a query.</li> <li>Scores are for English Only Unfortunately, because our topics are built from a corpus of English language documents, we can't currently provide scores for non-English queries.</li> <li>LDA isn't the Whole Picture Remember that while the average correlation is in the 0.33 range, we shouldn't expect scores for any given set of search results to go in precisely descending order (a correlation of 1.0 would suggest that behavior).</li> <li>The Tool Currently Runs Against Google.com in the US only You should be able to see the same results the tool extracts from by using a personalization-agnostic search string like <a href="http://www.google.com/xhtml?q=my+search&pws=0">http://www.google.com/xhtml?q=my+search&pws=0</a></li> <li>Using Synonyms, "Related Searches" or Wonder Wheel Suggestions May Not Help Term vector models are more sophisticated representations of "concepts" and "topics," so while many SEOs have long recommended using synonyms or adding "related searches" as keywords on their pages and others have suggested the importance of "topically relevant content" there haven't been great ways to measure these or show their correlation with rankings. The scores you see from the tool will be based on a much less naive interpretation of the connections between words than these classic approaches.</li> <li>Scores are Relative (20% might not be bad) Don't presume that getting a 15% or a 20% is always a terrible result. If the folks ranking in the top 10 all have LDA scores in the 10-20% range, you're likely doing a reasonable job. Some queries simply won't produce results that fit remarkably well with given topics (which could be a weakness of our model or a weirdness about the query itself).</li> <li>Our Topic Models Don't Currently Use Phrases Right now, the topics we construct are around single word concepts. We imagine that the search engines have probably gone above and beyond this into topic modeling that leverages multi-word phrases, too, and we hope to get there someday ourselves.</li> <li>Keyword Spamming Might Improve Your LDA Score, But Probably Not Your Rankings Like anything else in the SEO world, manipulatively applying the process is probably a terrible idea. Even if this tool worked perfectly to measure keyword relevance and topic modeling in Google, it would be unwise to simply stuff 50 words over and over on your page to get the highest LDA score you could. Quality content that real people actually want to find should be the goal of SEO and Google's almost certainly sophisticated enough to determine the different between junk content that matches topic models and real content that real users will like (even if the tool's scoring can't do that).</li> </ul> If you're trying to do serious SEO analysis and improvement, my suggested methodology is to build a chart something like this: <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/img/upload/seo-serps-analysis-big.gif"><img height="346" width="620" alt="Analysis of "SEO" SERPs in Google" src="http://www.seomoz.org/img/upload/seo-serps-analysis-small.gif" /></a> SERPs analysis of "SEO" in Google.com w/ Linkscape Metrics + LDA (<a href="http://www.seomoz.org/img/upload/seo-serps-analysis-big.gif">click for larger</a>) Right now, you can use <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/keyword-difficulty/">Keyword Difficulty's</a> export function and then add in some of these metrics manually (though in the future, we're working towards building this type of analysis right into the <a href="http://pro.seomoz.org">web app beta</a>). Once you've got a chart like this, you can get a better sense of what's propping up your competitors rankings - anchor text, domain authority, or maybe something related to topic modeling relevancy (which the LDA tool could help with). <h2>Undoubtedly, Google's More Sophisticated than This</h2> While the correlations are high, and the excitement around the tool both inside SEOmoz and from a lot of our members and community is equally high, this is not us "reversing the algorithm." We may have built a great tool for improving the relevancy of your pages and helping to judge whether topic modeling is another component in the rankings, but it remains to be seen if we can simply improve scores on pages and see them rise in the results. What's exciting to us isn't that we've found a secret formula (LDA has been written about for years and vector space models have been around for decades), but that we're making a potentially valuable addition to the parts of SEO we've traditionally had little measurement around. BTW - Thanks to <a href="http://www.michaelcottam.com/">Michael Cottam</a>, who suggested the reference of <a href="http://code.google.com/p/plda/">research work by a number of Googlers on pLDA</a>. There are hundreds of papers from <a href="http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=latent+dirichlet+allocation+google">Google</a> and <a href="http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=latent+dirichlet+allocation+microsoft">Microsoft (Bing)</a> researchers around LDA-related topics, too, for those interested. Reading through some of these, you can see that major search engines have almost certainly built more advanced models to handle this problem. Our correlation and testing of the tool's usefulness will show whether a naive implementation can still provide value for optimizing pages.For those who'd like to investigate more, we've made all of our <a href="http://models.seomoz.org/lda_vs_tf_idf.xlsx">raw data available here</a> (in XLS format, though you'll need a more sophisticated model to do LDA). If you have interest in digging into this, feel free to email Ben at SEOmoz dot org. <h2>How Do I Explain this to the Boss/Client?</h2> The simplest method I've found is to use an analogy like: If we want to rank well for "the rolling stones" it's probably a really good idea to use words like "Mick Jagger," "Keith Richards," and "tour dates." It's also probably not super smart to use words like "rubies," "emeralds," "gemstones," or the phrase "gathers no moss," as these might confuse search engines (and visitors) as to the topic we're covering. This tool tries to give a best guess number about how well we're doing on this front vs. other people on the web (or sample blocks of words or content we might want to try). Hopefully, it can help us figure out when we've done something like writing about the Stones but forgetting to mention Keith Richards. As always, we're looking forward to your feedback and results. We've already had some folks write in to us saying they used the tool to optimize the contents of some pages and seen dramatic rankings boosts. As we know, that might not mean anything about the tool itself or the process, but it certainly has us hoping for great things. p.s. The next step, obviously, is to produce a tool that can make recommendations on words to add or remove to help improve this score. That's certainly something we're looking into.p.p.s. We're leaving <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/labs/lda">the Labs LDA tool</a> free for anyone to use for a while, as we'd love to hear what the community thinks of the process and want to get as broad input as possible. Future iterations may be <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/gopro">PRO-only</a>. Do you like this post? <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/thumbs/add/blog/10927/1/0">Yes</a> <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/thumbs/add/blog/10927/0/0">No</a> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=dp-GHvFbhgE:tT8LerTY6-A:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=dp-GHvFbhgE:tT8LerTY6-A:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=dp-GHvFbhgE:tT8LerTY6-A:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=dp-GHvFbhgE:tT8LerTY6-A:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=dp-GHvFbhgE:tT8LerTY6-A:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=dp-GHvFbhgE:tT8LerTY6-A:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=dp-GHvFbhgE:tT8LerTY6-A:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=dp-GHvFbhgE:tT8LerTY6-A:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/seomoz/~4/dp-GHvFbhgE" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.seomoz.org/blog/lda-and-googles-rankings-well-correlatedtext/html2010-09-06T00:31:36+01:00http://www.seomoz.org/blogRobOusbeyTwo Quick, Simple Social Media Tipshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/seomoz/~3/WdK8sdE7lKI/two-simple-quick-social-media-tipsPosted by <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/users/view/78590">RobOusbey</a>Today, I want to share two pieces of advice that are particularly useful to certain types of business - and will be exceptionally quick to implement. I've also created a free download that might help some people implement one of these ideas even more quickly. About two years ago, I made a recommendation to a client in the UK, and I've just seen it used by a hotel in the USA. If your business offers public computers with internet access - such as those in hotel lobbies, libraries, etc - this is for you: Tip 1: Put up a sign, next to your public computers, with a call to action; typically this could be something like 'Find us on Facebook' or 'Follow us on Twitter'.Here's such a poster in use, at the <a href="http://www.yakimawahotel.com/">Ledgestone Hotel in Yakima</a>. (Click the image to embiggen.)<a target="_blank" href="http://www.seomoz.org/img/upload/follow_us_poster_large.JPG"><img width="450" height="300" alt="" src="http://www.seomoz.org/img/upload/follow_us_poster_small.JPG" /></a>Sadly, it doesn't look like the Ledgestone is doing much with their Twitter account; this probably disappoints people who go to their page, and so they don't end up with as many followers as they could do. Remember - getting people to your Twitter page (or Facebook, or whatever else you're asking them to do) is only the first stage - there has to be something there for them when they arrive.The second tip is more for people who offer wi-fi - this could be all manner of hotels, conference venues, airports, aeroplanes, train stations, coffee shops, etc. For places that offer free wi-fi, this can work even better:Tip 2: You control the first page visitors see after logging on to your wi-fi. Don't waste this with a dull message; make the page interesting, and put some calls to action on there.People have probably logged on to do something - but many will welcome a distraction - particularly if you keep the request brief. Create a nicely styled, but simple page, and add a couple of message on there. Some examples could include:<ul><li>Follow us on Twitter / Like us on Facebook: you could incentivize this, for example: if you're a coffee shop, then offer a free latte to new followers</li><li>Sign up to our email newsletter: this will only take them a second if you make sure the form is right there on the page, and again this can be incentivized</li><li>Don't forget to check in on foursquare: ideal for almost any location, and this is as good a time as any to remind them to check in</li><li>If you're enjoying your stay, please review us: particularly useful for hotels, where online reviews can increase visibility; I'll go into a little more detail about this below.</li></ul>There can be some issues with sites noticing that a lot of people from the same IP are visiting, particularly when it comes to review services. Local search expert <a href="http://www.davidmihm.com">David Mihm</a> advised me that he's heard Yelp in particular does try to filter our multiple reviews from the same IP, and that <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/help/what_is_considered_fraud">TripAdvisor's fraud rules</a> do include clauses that might get you into trouble (such as offering incentives for people to write reviews is not permitted.)I'd recommend that there are two steps around this type of issue:<ol><li>Try to appeal for reviews only from people who already have accounts on those sites (e.g.: "If you're a Yelp member, please review us here...." or "If you have a Google account, please leave a review here..."</li><li>Make this 'post-wifi-login' page available on the public internet; review sites should be able to recognize that lots of people are being referred to your page from the same URL - if it's public then they'll be able to visit that page, and should figure out what is going on.</li></ol>I've built a quick free template for you to to download as a starting point. You can visit the file, or download it, by clicking this link: <a href="http://gingerhost.com/media/login_page_demo.html">free wifi login CTA page</a>.(That was created based on a template from <a href="http://blog.html.it/layoutgala/">LayoutGala</a>; I'm not going to add any licence to it, other than use it however you want. You should change the image that are in it to be local files at the very least.)Honestly, it doesn't take long to print off a couple of small posters (or even to publish a nice wifi login page) so I'll hope to see social-media CTAs cropping up all over the place soon. :) Do you like this post? <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/thumbs/add/blog/10929/1/0">Yes</a> <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/thumbs/add/blog/10929/0/0">No</a> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=WdK8sdE7lKI:UX7tK_i6ziI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=WdK8sdE7lKI:UX7tK_i6ziI:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=WdK8sdE7lKI:UX7tK_i6ziI:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=WdK8sdE7lKI:UX7tK_i6ziI:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=WdK8sdE7lKI:UX7tK_i6ziI:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=WdK8sdE7lKI:UX7tK_i6ziI:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=WdK8sdE7lKI:UX7tK_i6ziI:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=WdK8sdE7lKI:UX7tK_i6ziI:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/seomoz/~4/WdK8sdE7lKI" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.seomoz.org/blog/two-simple-quick-social-media-tipstext/html2010-09-04T13:59:04+01:00http://www.seomoz.org/blogDana LookadooLDA - Is On-Page Optimization the SEO Secret?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/seomoz/~3/PXddO9jPNuA/lda-is-onpage-optimization-the-seo-secretPosted by <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/users/view/27093">Dana Lookadoo</a>This post was originally in <a href="/ugc">YOUmoz</a>, and was promoted to the main blog because it provides great value and interest to our community. The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of SEOmoz, Inc.How do I recap the <a title="SEOmoz PRO Training" target="_blank" href="http://www.seomoz.org/seminar/series">SEOmoz PRO Seminar</a> session on Uncovering a Hidden Technique for SEO? The title is so attractive that it produces Pavlonian symptoms as we salivate at the thought of uncovering a hidden SEO treasure. <a title="Ben Hendrickson - SEOmoz Bio" target="_blank" href="http://www.seomoz.org/team/ben">Ben Hendrickson of SEOmoz</a> presented a model which appears to show how Google may assigning relevance to keyword terms based on context - topical relevance. Is Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) that hidden jackpot? 1st - LDA is not new nor something SEOmoz invented. The Information Retrieval model has been around for 7 or 8 years, and IR geeks have talked about it before. There are a number of resources, as well as nay saying, about LDA and Google's possible use of it. 2nd - What is new is SEOmoz's <a target="_blank" title="LDA Topics Tool by SEOmoz" href="http://www.seomoz.org/labs/lda">LDA Topics Tool</a> that produces a relevancy score based off a query (search term). It enables one to play with words that may increase a page's relevancy in the eyes of Google. It shows words that help Google determine how relevant the page is to a user's search query. Game Changer? <a target="_blank" title="@SEOKyle" href="http://twitter.com/seokyle">Kyle Stone</a> tweeted that the LDA tool is a game changer, and many retweeted. <img width="455" height="212" border="0" alt="SEOmoz LDA tool = game changer" src="http://yoyoseo.com/images/seomoz/lda-game-changer.gif" /> Is SEOmoz's LDA tool a game changer? That's yet to be seen. The goal is to report Ben's research as presented at the Mozinar and how a layman (myself) interprets such. Rand is going to do a follow-up post to explain more. Why all the hype? The SEO Challenge SEOs face the continual challenge of figuring out Google's hidden ranking algorithms. How do we rank higher? Which signals are the most important? We know search engines are "learning models" that attempt to understand "context” of words. Google has said for years that webmasters should concentrate most on providing good relevant (contextual) content. There are ways to rank higher. Is it as easy as 1, 2, 3? <ol> <li>Create quality copy with keyword(s) on the page along with associated anchor text links.</li> <li>Get good links.</li> <li>What Ben talked about in this session.</li> </ol> LDA - Topic Modeling & Analysis Latent Dirichlet Allocation, in layman's terms, translates to "topic modeling." In search geek terms, LDA is the following formula: <img width="600" height="409" border="0" alt="LDA Formula" src="http://yoyoseo.com/images/seomoz/lda-formula.gif" /> (Did you digest that? Don't worry; Mozzers groaned and laughed at the same time. PLUS: Scientist Hendrickson delivered this session after lunch!) LDA Simplified - Here is Ben's way of explaining topic modeling: <img width="600" height="409" border="0" alt="LDA Formula Simplified" src="http://yoyoseo.com/images/seomoz/lda-formula-simplified.gif" /> (Okay, I was once proud that I got an A in Logic and Combinatorics - discrete math/set theory. However, that computer science class now feels like basic math compared to this formula.) It made more sense when <a target="_blank" title="Rand Fishkin of SEOmoz" href="http://www.seomoz.org/team/randfish">Rand Fishkin</a> joined Ben on stage and when <a target="_blank" title="Todd Freisen - Oilman" href="http://www.oilman.ca/">Todd Freisen</a> moderated and deciphered during Q&A. <a target="_blank" title="Manuela Sanches of Enlink" href="http://www.enlinkbuilding.com.br/">(Manuela Sanches</a> of Brazil was sitting next to me and said that Ben's "presentation needed subtitles!") The objective of LDA, from my deciphering of Greek, is to understand how Google is using semantic contextual analysis combined with other signals, to define topics/concepts. It's how Google analyzes the words on a page to determine the "set" to which a word belongs - how relevant a search query is to pages in its database. For example: How does Google assign relevance to the word "orange" on a page? They determine orange is related to the fruit set or to the color set by page context. LDA Defined: "Latent Dirichlet Allocation (Blei et al, 2003) is a powerful learning algorithm for automatically and jointly clustering words into "topics" and documents into mixtures of topics. It has been successfully applied to model change in scientific fields over time (Griffiths and Steyver, 2004; Hall, et al. 2008). A topic model is, roughly, a hierarchical Bayesian model that associates with each document a probability distribution over "topics", which are in turn distributions over words." Bayesian - ah, a term I recognize!! Bayesian spam filtering is a method used to detect spam. It draws off a database and learns the meaning of words. It's "trained" by us when we mark an email as spam. It looks at incoming emails and calculates the probability that the content of an email is contextually spammy. I found a PowerPoint presentation about <a title="Microsoft Research about Bayesian & LDA" target="_blank" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=7&ved=0CDQQFjAG&url=http%3A//research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/cmbishop/downloads/bishop-siam.ppt&rct=j&q=latent dirichlet allocation tutorial&ei=-GSCTJLcCYnCsAPiv4T3Bw&usg=AFQjCNEYbUhzjUQEEeQCow42sTVzwsl9jg&cad=rja">Bayesian Inference Techniques</a> by Microsoft Research from 2004 that presents the possibility of using LDA. Go to slide 54 and read: "Can we build a general-purpose inference engine which automates these procedures?" Microsoft has been looking at LDA models. Do search engines use it as one of their primary methods? Ben sampled over 8 million documents with approx. 1,000 queries. He believes Google is using LDA topic modeling to determine (learn) what words mean by their associations with, relevance to, other words on the page. (Other factors are included.) Ben called the results a "co-occurrence explanation" that use a "cosine similarity." SEO Takeaway: <ul> <li>Results that are higher in Google SERPs, in general, have more topical content.</li> <li>Search engines do APPEAR to apply semantic analysisÂ when indexing a page and determining the intent of the words on the page.</li> </ul> Rand tweeted an explanation (in 140 x 4) as follows: <img width="450" height="587" border="0" alt="Rand's tweets explaining LDA" src="http://yoyoseo.com/images/seomoz/tweets-lda-rand-fiskin.gif" /> Dana's LDA Catwalk Metaphor for Topic Modeling: Imagine the words on your page as walking down the fashion runway in Paris. Your keyword phrase is "dressed" in semantic accessories, words that correlate to and dress up your topic. Associated words bring meaning to and highlight the fashion model's outfit. Adjectives, modifiers and synonyms are like jewelry, hats, and shoes. The combination can transform your base layers (your target terms) from casual or conservative business attire into a sexy night-on-the-town ensemble. Combinations and permutations of words on a page "dress" your skinny or curvy fashion model. Relevant words provide Google with an image of what she is wearing and the catwalk upon which she struts. LDA refers back to what Google already knows about these "accessories" (words) and their previous association with the topic terms related to fashion. Enter Topical Ambiguity - I just broke the "rules" for context with the catwalk metaphor by referring to modeling in two contexts on this page: <ul> <li>I used "modeling" terms that relate to the "fashion industry" set.</li> <li>The catwalk metaphor is irrelevant content that is off-topic for discussing "LDA topic modeling."</li> </ul> Google Algorithm Exposed? Ben clearly said that LDA is an ATTEMPT to explain the SERPs. His scenario, a quote from his presentation slides, follows: One of us needs to implement it so we can: 1) See how it applies to pages 2) See if it helps explain SERPs One-two-three-not-it. LDA is not LSI. There were some tweets claiming SEOmoz was bringing back LSI or snakeoil. Ben clarified that LDA is not LSI, which deals more with keyword density. He explained that he is NOT talking about loading keywords on a page but about the relevance of the topics within the page. He said that: "LSI doesn’t have the same bias toward simple explanations. LSI breaks down as you try to scale up the number of topics." The LDA tool deals with context, semantic relevancy, not density - in addition to some other random factors. Example: If SEOmoz has a page all about "SEO" and "tools," and there is another word on the page that can be explained by a word that is more related to SEO topic, then the related word would be used. Meaning, "seo tools" doesn't have to be repeated over and over, and the related word would be interpreted by Google as being relevant. Ben, who appears to have the brain of a search engine, noted that it "appears" LDA is what Google is heading for in the near future. He said (paraphrased): If they are not doing it, they seem to be doing something that has the same output. They are probably already using it. Rand deciphered: It’s a super weird coincidence if Google is not using it. Are On-Page Signals Stronger than Links? Are we heading toward more emphasis of on-page topic modeling? I'm not an IR geek, but I do plan to spend more energy focusing on understanding how search engines retrieve informaton. We are dealing with a semantic Web. LDA may indicate that good old on-page optimization sends stronger signals than links. SEOmoz's LDA tool attempts to show how relevant content is to a chosen keyword. It computes relevance of queries. The following shows how relevant <a title="SEOmoz SEO Tools" target="_blank" href="http://www.seomoz.org/tools">SEOmoz's Tools page</a> is to Aaron Wall's <a title="SEO Book SEO Tools" target="_blank" href="http://tools.seobook.com/">SEO Book Tools page</a>. <img width="600" height="500" border="0" alt="seo tools relevance for SEOmoz & SEO Book" src="http://yoyoseo.com/images/seomoz/lda-seo-tools.gif" /> The score at the top is an indicator of how relevant the content on that page is according to LDA. <ul> <li>Aaron's content is 72%* relevant for the query "seo tools."</li> <li>SEOmoz's tools page is 40%* relevant.</li> </ul> *NOTE: (I inserted the logos.) You can run the same pages and get different results. The results are similar in that SEO Book always scored as more topically relevant, but the percentage varies. Is this the random Monte Carlo algorithm at work? Ben? Mozinar Question: "How do we execute this for SEO?" Ben's Answer: "I don't actually do SEO. I write code." That's up to us, the SEOs, to play and test in our Google playground. Use the tool to decide if you can win with LDA to optimize your on-page signals. <ol> <li>Use the LDA Topics Tool to return words that could be used on a page for a query.</li> <li>Then determine who is ranking for that term.</li> <li>Simply write content that is highly on-topic based off the findings you observe.</li> </ol> If you are not performing that well in the SERPs, think about classic on-page optimization. In the example above, rather than putting another instance of "seo tools" on the page, LDA shows there are better ways to tell Google that you are about that topic. The tool provides a way to measure that. IMPORTANT: There is a threshold at which too many related words will appear as too spammy. LDA is not something to be used to game Google. Test the <a title="SEOmoz's LDA Topics Tool" target="_blank" href="http://www.seomoz.org/labs/lda">LDA Tool</a> out for yourself, and draw your own conclusions. *** DISCLAIMER: I'm not claiming this methodology has uncovered hidden SEO treasures. Time, testing and playing around with a new SEOmoz tool while observing the SERPs will reveal the answer. In the meantime, I'm going to dress up my pages and accessorize them with relevant terms that make them dazzle so they look good climbing the Google catwalk. Do you like this post? <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/thumbs/add/blog/10918/1/0">Yes</a> <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/thumbs/add/blog/10918/0/0">No</a> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=PXddO9jPNuA:YGcQSg6nKLk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=PXddO9jPNuA:YGcQSg6nKLk:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=PXddO9jPNuA:YGcQSg6nKLk:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=PXddO9jPNuA:YGcQSg6nKLk:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=PXddO9jPNuA:YGcQSg6nKLk:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=PXddO9jPNuA:YGcQSg6nKLk:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=PXddO9jPNuA:YGcQSg6nKLk:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=PXddO9jPNuA:YGcQSg6nKLk:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/seomoz/~4/PXddO9jPNuA" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.seomoz.org/blog/lda-is-onpage-optimization-the-seo-secrettext/html2010-09-02T22:10:02+01:00http://www.seomoz.org/blogAaron WheelerFour Creative Link Building Tactics - Whiteboard Fridayhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/seomoz/~3/K8TvsagPaDg/four-creative-link-building-tactics-whiteboard-fridayPosted by <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/users/view/218981">Aaron Wheeler</a> In this week's Whiteboard Friday Rand Fishkin clues you in on four link building tactics that you likely haven't heard about. Given the importance of link building to SEO, this video should prove to be worth its (virtual) weight in gold. (I mean that in the best possible way ;-p) <center><object height="360" width="640" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" id="wistia_174843"> <param value="http://seomoz-cdn.wistia.com/flash/embed_player_v1.1.swf" name="movie" /> <param value="true" name="allowfullscreen" /> <param value="always" name="allowscriptaccess" /> <param value="opaque" name="wmode" /> <param value="videoUrl=http://seomoz-cdn.wistia.com/deliveries/03f8ba29261b82e8cb35f0e4ca815aac8fb05286.bin&stillUrl=http://seomoz-cdn.wistia.com/deliveries/84d0a346a0b96ddee80f29e3c55a927d31548e09.bin&unbufferedSeek=false&controlsVisibleOnLoad=false&autoPlay=false&playButtonVisible=true&embedServiceURL=http://distillery-app.wistia.com/x&accountKey=wistia-production_3161&mediaID=wistia-production_174843&mediaDuration=397.13" name="flashvars" /><embed height="360" width="640" flashvars="videoUrl=http://seomoz-cdn.wistia.com/deliveries/03f8ba29261b82e8cb35f0e4ca815aac8fb05286.bin&stillUrl=http://seomoz-cdn.wistia.com/deliveries/84d0a346a0b96ddee80f29e3c55a927d31548e09.bin&unbufferedSeek=false&controlsVisibleOnLoad=false&autoPlay=false&playButtonVisible=true&embedServiceURL=http://distillery-app.wistia.com/x&accountKey=wistia-production_3161&mediaID=wistia-production_174843&mediaDuration=397.13" wmode="opaque" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" name="wistia_174843" src="http://seomoz-cdn.wistia.com/flash/embed_player_v1.1.swf"></embed></object><script src="http://seomoz-cdn.wistia.com/embeds/v.js" charset="ISO-8859-1"></script><script>if(!navigator.mimeTypes['application/x-shockwave-flash'])Wistia.VideoEmbed('wistia_174843',640,360,{videoUrl:'http://seomoz-cdn.wistia.com/deliveries/03f8ba29261b82e8cb35f0e4ca815aac8fb05286.bin',stillUrl:'http://seomoz-cdn.wistia.com/deliveries/84d0a346a0b96ddee80f29e3c55a927d31548e09.bin',distilleryUrl:'http://distillery-app.wistia.com/x',accountKey:'wistia-production_3161',mediaId:'wistia-production_174843',mediaDuration:397.13})</script></center> <div style="width: 640px; height: 80px;" id="video-meta-container"> <div style="width: 250px; height: 65px; padding: 5px; float: left; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247);" id="video-meta-left"> <div style="width: 240px; padding-top: 20px;"><img height="18" width="42" src="http://static.wistia.com/images/marketing/wistia_video_heatmap_icon.gif" alt="Wistia" /> <a href="http://app.wistia.com/seomoz/174843" target="_blank">View statistics for this video</a></div> </div> <div style="width: 365px; height: 65px; padding: 5px; float: left;" id="video-meta-right">Embed video <div style="width: 360px; height: 44px; padding: 2px; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); color: gray; overflow: hidden;"><object width="640" height="360" id="wistia_174843" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"><param name="movie" value="http://seomoz-cdn.wistia.com/flash/embed_player_v1.1.swf"/><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"/><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"/><param name="wmode" value="opaque"/><param name="flashvars" value="videoUrl=http://seomoz-cdn.wistia.com/deliveries/03f8ba29261b82e8cb35f0e4ca815aac8fb05286.bin&stillUrl=http://seomoz-cdn.wistia.com/deliveries/84d0a346a0b96ddee80f29e3c55a927d31548e09.bin&unbufferedSeek=false&controlsVisibleOnLoad=false&autoPlay=false&playButtonVisible=true&embedServiceURL=http://distillery-app.wistia.com/x&accountKey=wistia-production_3161&mediaID=wistia-production_174843&mediaDuration=397.13"/><embed src="http://seomoz-cdn.wistia.com/flash/embed_player_v1.1.swf" width="640" height="360" name="wistia_174843" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="opaque" flashvars="videoUrl=http://seomoz-cdn.wistia.com/deliveries/03f8ba29261b82e8cb35f0e4ca815aac8fb05286.bin&stillUrl=http://seomoz-cdn.wistia.com/deliveries/84d0a346a0b96ddee80f29e3c55a927d31548e09.bin&unbufferedSeek=false&controlsVisibleOnLoad=false&autoPlay=false&playButtonVisible=true&embedServiceURL=http://distillery-app.wistia.com/x&accountKey=wistia-production_3161&mediaID=wistia-production_174843&mediaDuration=397.13"></embed></object><script src="http://seomoz-cdn.wistia.com/embeds/v.js" charset="ISO-8859-1"></script><script>if(!navigator.mimeTypes['application/x-shockwave-flash'])Wistia.VideoEmbed('wistia_174843',640,360,{videoUrl:'http://seomoz-cdn.wistia.com/deliveries/03f8ba29261b82e8cb35f0e4ca815aac8fb05286.bin',stillUrl:'http://seomoz-cdn.wistia.com/deliveries/84d0a346a0b96ddee80f29e3c55a927d31548e09.bin',distilleryUrl:'http://distillery-app.wistia.com/x',accountKey:'wistia-production_3161',mediaId:'wistia-production_174843',mediaDuration:397.13})</script> <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/">SEOmoz - SEO Software</a></div> </div>  </div> <h2>Video Transcription</h2>   <blockquote> <meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"> <meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"> <meta content="Microsoft Word 14" name="Generator"> <meta content="Microsoft Word 14" name="Originator">  <style type="text/css">  </style> Hey, SEOmoz fans!  Welcome to another edition of Whiteboard Friday.  Today we're talking about link building and specifically four tactics that are relatively creative, not talked about a ton in the SEO sphere, that can help you get some direct links to virtually any kind of site. Let's start with number one up here, giving testimonials.  I know this sounds a little odd.  You're thinking to yourself, "Wait, I'm a marketer.  I should be trying to get testimonials about my product, my service, my company."  But in fact, give and you shall receive. So in this case, if are you are a site owner and you have a business and you say nice things about a product that you use, products that you like, free web apps, tools on the webs, blogs, resources, whatever it might be, or specific products or companies, and you email them and say, "Hey, I just wanted to let you know, I really like your service.  I enjoy using it.  If you'd like to use this as a testimonial, feel free."  You can say some nice words and then have a, "My name is Rand Fishkin and I am the CEO of SEOmoz."  When they publish that, they will take it and put it on their GoodProduct.com website, and you can see that gets embedded right into their site and it will link back over to your site. So, it is a great way to build up a repertoire of contacts, build good relations, and do something nice for the people who are doing something nice for you.  I would definitely not do this disingenuously.  Make sure that you are actually recommending things that you would recommend to a real friend.  It will come back and bite you otherwise.  But if you do this, you can get those great links too. The second one, design galleries.  This is an odd case because you do have to jump through some hoops.  If you can contract some of those exceptional, high quality, CSS and web design folks to build a really great looking site, something that looks nothing like this horrific drawing.  I don't even know why I put so many boxes and lines.  I am sure there was a reason.  You can get featured on sites like CSS REMIX or Drawer or CSS Gallery.  If you do a search for CSS galleries, in fact, you will find literally hundreds in the first few hundred results of places where you can get a live link pointing back from those pages just by submitting your site and having a site that looks great. Now, what I would recommend is that before you go through the design process make sure that you visit a lot of these places and get inspired.  See what makes it.  See what is hot right now.  Those designs have the added benefit of being often very good for users.  Using CSS properly means that you're loading pages, you are keeping code and design separate.  It can often increase your rate of attracting links as well.  Linking and quality of design are a direct relationship.  As the quality of design rises, so too does the likelihood that people of all kinds, not just design galleries but of all kinds, will link to your site.  They'll find you more credible.  They'll want to show you off.  They'll want to share.  This is a great investment both for the direct links you can get and for the future. Number three.  This is sort of an interesting one.  Thanks to sites out there like HARO, which is Help a Reporter Out, and a few others, I think PR Newswire runs one as well, you can be a press source simply by combing through databases or lists of people who say, "Hey, I am a reporter in need of a story about a business that keeps dogs in their office and what the impact of having dogs around is.  Can we interview you, show off your business?"  Those stories when they get written about, they might appear in sources as big as "The New York Times" or as small as your local newspaper, but they appear online as well.  When they do, that link will point back to your site giving you a link from a nice press resource, which is a great place to get a link. Number four, the last one here, turning raw numbers into a data story.  I like this a lot because the idea here is that people produce a lot of interesting data about virtually every industry, but they don't always do great things with that data.  They'll produce interesting numbers or numbers that seem boring on their surface but can be used in interesting ways.  It is up to you to be creative about, hmm, okay, comScore published this, Nielsen published that, Forrester published this data research.  If I combine some of those numbers or if I think about how they play out, I can come up with a great story and maybe some cool graphics too about what that means.  I can take some of the data over time and build a story about what's happening.  I can show that data next to something like Google Trends data or Search Insights data or data from a second or third source.  When I combine those, I have great link and media bait.  The nice thing about producing this is it is not just sort of classic link bait where, "Oh, that's interesting, I want to share that." But it is interesting because when you are the reference resource for the data, everyone else who writes about the story or who wants to share it has to link back to you. A good example of this, check out www.seomoz.org/dp/free-charts and you'll see a bunch of places where we have taken data from great folks like Eightfold Logic used to be Enquisite, comScore, Hitwise, Nielsen, Forrester, and we've combined them into unique and interesting ways to view that data.  We didn't even do much with it, just showed sort of, "Hey, they said that 30% of searches come from Europe and 40% come from Asia, etc., so we're going to build a pie chart of that that looks great and people can embed that."  Now when they do, they link back to SEOmoz and have the source in there.  We'll always say what the original source is too.  But by hosting this stuff and creating it, you get all these great links. All right everyone, I hope we have helped out your link building efforts here today.  I look forward to the discussion in the comments.  We will see you again next week for another edition of Whiteboard Friday.  Take care.</meta> </meta> </meta> </meta> </blockquote><blockquote> <meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"> <meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"> <meta content="Microsoft Word 14" name="Generator"> <meta content="Microsoft Word 14" name="Originator">Video transcription by <a href="http://www.speechpad.com/">SpeechPad.com</a></meta> </meta> </meta> </meta> </blockquote> <hr /> If you have any other advice that you think is worth sharing, please post it in the comments! This post is very much a work in progress. Do you like this post? <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/thumbs/add/blog/10871/1/0">Yes</a> <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/thumbs/add/blog/10871/0/0">No</a> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=K8TvsagPaDg:-V9NYIJxjiU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=K8TvsagPaDg:-V9NYIJxjiU:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=K8TvsagPaDg:-V9NYIJxjiU:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=K8TvsagPaDg:-V9NYIJxjiU:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=K8TvsagPaDg:-V9NYIJxjiU:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=K8TvsagPaDg:-V9NYIJxjiU:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=K8TvsagPaDg:-V9NYIJxjiU:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=K8TvsagPaDg:-V9NYIJxjiU:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/seomoz/~4/K8TvsagPaDg" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.seomoz.org/blog/four-creative-link-building-tactics-whiteboard-fridaytext/html2010-09-02T00:48:13+01:00http://www.seomoz.org/blograndfishA New Day, A New SEOmozhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/seomoz/~3/Mh3b668WMpY/a-new-day-a-new-seomozPosted by <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/users/view/63">randfish</a>It's been a wild few weeks at the mozplex. Today wrapped up the amazing mozinar with our half-day tools training just in time to launch the new version of SEOmoz. Should we slow down this crazy pace? Nah. If you're feeling a sense of deja vu, don't worry; it's perfectly normal. We're the same old moz, but with a new look, faster loading pages and a surprising amount of new functionality. Let's walk through it together, shall we? <h2>Big Improvements to PRO Membership</h2> It's a good day to be PRO; we've just released:• A <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/users/pro">brand new PRO Dashboard</a>, that's designed to be the center of everything you can do with your membership, including access to your web app campaigns, tools and tool reports, webinars, Q+A, discount store, etc. If it's part of PRO, you'll find it in the <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/users/pro">Dashboard</a>.• The <a href="http://pro.seomoz.org">web app</a> has made some big improvements and we're now announcing a full public beta - campaigns should be faster, more accurate and dramatically less buggy. There's also some cool new functionality I'll cover below.• The dramatically <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/tools">upgraded SEO Tools</a> page, which will likely show off plenty of tools you may not have seen/heard about until now.• <a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10565415/SEOmoz-Tools-Training.zip">Slide decks</a> from our PRO Tools Training are now downloadable. We had a highly interactive, terrificly valuable day sharing tips, tricks and applications for the data and resources and wanted to give you a small taste of that experience by <a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10565415/SEOmoz-Tools-Training.zip">making those slides available</a>. If you've been curious about what's in PRO membership, there's a <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/pro">new PRO Tour section</a> that gives you a more complete look at the features and functionality. Also - the <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/cart/purchase_select">last chance to get PRO at $79/month</a> and be locked into the rate before it rises to $99 is now - after Friday, the price change goes into effect. <h2>Zoinks! A New SEOmoz Website</h2> Rub your eyes a bit and have a look around. We've done a considerable amount of work to make pages load faster, let the design highlight the content in a cleaner fashion and added a few fun bits, too. Big changes include:• A new home to <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/learn-seo">Learn SEO</a>. I've recorded an "Intro to SEO" video and we've made all of our learning-focused content available through that page (nearly all of it is entirely FREE!)• A renewed focus on <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/ugc">YOUmoz</a> and <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/blog">the Blog</a> (both of which are featured more prominently on the <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/">homepage</a>). We've re-designed all of these to help make them more useful and usable, as well as focusing on the content itself with a less-intrusive design. As always, we've kept a strong focus on comments and participation and we're planning to do even more with it in the future.• More accessibility to our <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/tools">SEO tools</a>, including a free sneak peek at our <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/labs/lda">LDA Labs tool</a> (more about that in my next post) There's lots more coming soon (a new about section, upgrades to the marketplace, more free information in the Learn SEO section, etc.) so keep an eye out. <h2>The Web App is Now in Public Beta</h2> Our private beta launch to PRO members had more than 2,000 folks create thousands of campaigns. While the feedback has been phenomenal (your very kind tweets really helped keep our engineers pushing through sleepless nights and crates of pizza), we know there were a lot of bugs and missing functionality in the early release. Starting today, the app is far more stable, speedy and powerful. Crawls should come back consistently, rankings should more consistent and accurate and issues/recommendations are rocking. <a href="http://pro.seomoz.org"><img height="666" width="620" alt="Web App Public Beta" src="http://www.seomoz.org/img/upload/web-app-new.gif" /></a> We've also added a brand new feature - one of our most requested - exportable PDF reports for rankings (with crawl diagnostics and on-page reports coming very soon). As Adam Feldstein, our head of Product, discussed today in his roadmap presentation at the tools training, next on the list is additional crawl issues, Google Analytics integration and exciting new functionality for competitive comparisons in the link analysis tab. As always, we welcome feedback - your messages have been instrumental in helping us improve, and while we're feeling good about this wider launch, the web app is likely staying in beta for another few months as we add features and continue to tweak, bug fix and get better. <h2>Still Ironing Out Some Kinks</h2> There's a few known issues with the new site that should be cleaned up in the next 12-24 hours. These include a bit of CSS oddness on the <a href="http://guides.seomoz.org/beginners-guide-to-search-engine-optimization">Beginner's Guide</a> and the <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/keyword-difficulty">Keyword Difficulty tool</a> (though both still function), the thumbs highlighting being a bit softer than intended (for thumbs up/down you've already left), some headline/text font sizes and spacing, etc. Sadly, we've also temporarily broken the long beloved functionality of highlighting "new" comments in a post - that should be back soon. I also noted that we had <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/blog/linkscapes-august-update-better-domain-authority-numbers-new-partners-and-more">some issues with Domain Authority</a> in our last push of the Linkscape update. Amazingly, thanks to the hard work of our engineering team, we're expecting to have new scores up in the next few days (rather than taking a full 2 weeks). We still need to run some tests, but we're hoping to fix many of the odd outlier issues. <h2>We Love Your Feedback</h2> If you see anything you love, hate or think might be an error, we'd love to hear from you. Every page on the site now has a "Feedback" button on the far left-hand side and we read those obsessively! Of course, you can also leave us comments on this post. Thanks so much for joining in the adventure that is SEOmoz. In the weeks and months to come, well.... let's just say you ain't seen nothing yet :-) Do you like this post? <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/thumbs/add/blog/10907/1/0">Yes</a> <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/thumbs/add/blog/10907/0/0">No</a> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=Mh3b668WMpY:HMJtoz4Cmh0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=Mh3b668WMpY:HMJtoz4Cmh0:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=Mh3b668WMpY:HMJtoz4Cmh0:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=Mh3b668WMpY:HMJtoz4Cmh0:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=Mh3b668WMpY:HMJtoz4Cmh0:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=Mh3b668WMpY:HMJtoz4Cmh0:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=Mh3b668WMpY:HMJtoz4Cmh0:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=Mh3b668WMpY:HMJtoz4Cmh0:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/seomoz/~4/Mh3b668WMpY" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.seomoz.org/blog/a-new-day-a-new-seomoztext/html2010-09-01T13:45:15+01:00http://www.seomoz.org/blogDana LookadooDay 1 at the SEOmoz Training Racewayhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/seomoz/~3/NcKLi9TQIoM/day-1-at-the-seomoz-training-racewayPosted by <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/users/view/27093">Dana Lookadoo</a>This post was originally in <a href="/ugc">YOUmoz</a>, and was promoted to the main blog because it provides great value and interest to our community. The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of SEOmoz, Inc.I’m going to speed through the 2nd half of the <a target="_blank" title="Mozinar Day 1, Part 1" href="http://www.seomoz.org/blog/from-clicks-to-conversions-at-the-seomoz-training-raceway">1st day at the SEOmoz Pro Training Race Track</a>. Recall that 9 speakers raced through topics covering clicks to conversions.The following are highlights of the end of the race for Day 1.   Presentation Off Insights distilled also included the business side of pitching SEO. <a title="Will Critchlow at Distilled" target="_blank" href="http://www.distilled.co.uk/company/people/will-critchlow.html">Will Critchlow</a> and <a title="Rand Fishkin Bio" target="_blank" href="http://www.seomoz.org/team/randfish">Rand Fishkin</a> dueled it out for their "Presentation Off" to determine who could give the best advice for “How to Pitch SEO.” This marked the first time they “faced off” in battle on US Soil. Will held the winning title to date. Bottom line, both of them presented valuable insights about pitching and when not to pitch (or bother).   Takeaways from Will Critchlow, The Champion: <ol> <li>Don’t sell to people who have to be convinced of SEO. It’s best to sell to those who know about SEO, those who know they need it. Then, you  never pitch SEO ever again. Will explained why you don’t sell SEO in the pitch: <ul> <li>You pitch SEO before that.</li> <li>Selling the client on SEO is a separate conversation, if necessary at all.</li> </ul></li> <li>Will has been asked to help model the business impacts of SEO changes. such is a different story. <ul> <li>He showed the Mozzers how  to look at the prospective client’s industry and give them some unique data.</li> <li>He shared an Excel file to help you (us) control a lot of assumptions.</li> </ul></li> </ol> <img width="600" height="349" border="0" alt="SEO Traffic Model" src="http://yoyoseo.com/images/seomoz/seo-traffic-model-spreadsheet.gif" /> Download Distilled’s SEO Traffic Model spreadsheet. <a title="Download the SEO Traffic Model Spreadsheet" target="_blank" href="http://dis.tl/dk6N59">http://dis.tl/dk6N59</a> <nice!>  Takeaways from Rand Fishkin, The Challenger: Rand focused on the emotional side and winning minds of the in-house SEO <ol> <li>Get engineers & developers on your side. Explain how SEO will benefit their projects to help them boost speed, grow browse rate (pages/visit), improved accessibility, minimize errors, increase usabiltiy.</li> <li>In pitching SEO, you can then go one step further to help them sell their project(s) with SEO. From there, help sell other projects for marketing, design, sales, etc.</li> </ol> Rand showed graphs and slides on how to show value based off ROI - showing the value of their traffic: <img width="600" height="387" border="0" alt="Traffic Valuation Formula for pitching SEO" src="http://yoyoseo.com/images/seomoz/traffic-valuation-formula.gif" /> <If you're taking notes, you can see how this would fit into a spreasheet...> Rand then explain search growth over time - meaning, search is growing, period! If they are not adding 20% budget to SEO, then they are falling back. “Every day, there are more than a billion searches for information on Google. These people have specific intents. If you’re not adding 20% to your SEO budget this year, you’re falling behind the average." Show prospective clients which competitors are winning for their keywords: <ol> <li>Show competitors in SERPs.</li> <li>Match it with yeyword demand.</li> <li>Show how they are doing, side-by-side.</li> </ol> <img width="600" height="398" border="0" alt="Competitors Winning for Keywords" src="http://yoyoseo.com/images/seomoz/competitors-side-by-side.gif" /> And the winner of the Presentation Off is ... Rand Fishkin, who edged over the finish line just in front of Will Critchlow. OK, let’s catch the replay highlights of the rest of the search marketing race. <a title="Joanna Lord at SEOmoz" target="_blank" href="http://www.seomoz.org/team/joanna">Joanna Lord</a> drove the fastest car, “The End of Analysis Paralysis.” She explained it’s time to get serious with metrics and conversions: 1.     What is your website trying to do? 2.     If one metric could identify that you are succeeding or failing, what would it be? How would you know you are gaining or losing ground? 3.     What is the biggest threat to your success? You should only have 3 or 4 metrics, no more than 5. (Focus) Joanna then sped around Google Analytics advanced filter fun, including: <ul> <li>Social Network Filters – combine</li> <li>Google Image Search - Low hanging fruit if you SEO out of images</li> <li>Cascading Filters – see LunaMetrics.com for tips on <a title="LunaMetrics, customizing advanced filters" target="_blank" href="http://www.lunametrics.com/blog/2007/06/14/filters-for-ga-part-4c-cascading-custom-advanced-filters/">customizing advanced filters</a> – something that’s NOT in Google Analytics documentation.</li> </ul> Joanna was stopped in her tracks when she polled the Mozzers to find out how many were using Multiple Custom Variables - 2 hands raised. MCV is the ability for us to tag visitors for any  number of interactions on our site. It goes beyond the single user-defined variable _setVar() and replaced it with _setCustomVar(). Multiple Custom Variables give us the ability for us to tag visitors for any number of sessions to enable “first touch” attribution rather than Google Analytics default “last touch.” <img width="600" height="245" border="0" alt="Multiple Custom Variables in Google Analytics" src="http://yoyoseo.com/images/seomoz/multiple-custom-variables.gif" /> Resource: <a title="Frst Touch Tracking" target="_blank" href="http://www.distilled.co.uk/blog/seo/first-touch-tracking-in-google-analytics/">How to do First Touch Tracking in Google Analytics</a> Joanna then screeched around the corner to present her Advanced Analytics Checklist: <ol> <li>Filter the data so you are getting the data you want to manipulate</li> <li>Segment the data so you can see the right data in different ways</li> <li>Customize reports so you can compare valuable data sets, find intersections & relationships</li> <li>Take the resulting insights and dive deeper</li> <li>Use those deep dive insights and make them actionable for your company</li> <li>Show the action items (not the data) to your company</li> <li>Last but not least…do the analytics victory dance.</li> </ol> Whew... surely it was time to full-up again after that session, but no... more typing at high speeds: Marshall Simmonds - Site Architecture & Best Practices for Big Site SEO <a title="Marshall Simonds SEO" target="_blank" href="http://www.definess.com/">Marshall Simmonds</a> is a seasoned Enterprise-level SEO and works with the NY Times, previously with About.com. Working on large sites requires triage and prioritization. (Race car drivers overlook a chip in the paint when the carburator blows out.) Any level of SEO can view the following triage tips for their own site to determine where to best spend their time: High Priority Tactics: <ul> <li>Sitemaps</li> <li>Education</li> <li>301s</li> <li>Template SEO – fixing titles, captions, linking</li> <li>Rel=canonical</li> <li>Rewriting urls</li> <li>How much it will make? What's the cost/traffic potential</li> </ul> Low Priority Tactics: <ul> <li>Page load time / site speed – most of time they don’t care, but upper mgt does care. It’s only 1 of 200 signals.</li> <li>URLs</li> <li>Link Flow</li> <li>Video SEO</li> <li>Duplicate content</li> <li>CMS Overhaul</li> <li>W3C compliance</li> </ul> Focus on best practices for the long term. Marshall often recommends you don't budget for an SEO project. Putting a dollar amount to it turns it into a a project with an end point. SEO doesn't have an end point. Marshall proceeded to explain that the NY Times is a duplicate content factory and has some SEO challenges. As a news property, they dramatically see the importance of the following principle: Optimize all assets! <img width="600" height="456" border="0" alt="Optimize all content assets" src="http://yoyoseo.com/images/seomoz/optimize-all-content-assets.jpg" /> Ask: Are there any assets that you are not optimizing? If not, then competition is beating. Key takeaways for all of us in the SEO race: <ul> <li>rel=”canonical” is a band aid and solves the problem.</li> <li>Google is not necessarily crawling organically for video, which puts focus on video XML sitemap.</li> <li>Webmaster Tools reports a lot of errors.</li> <li>Title is the most important element.</li> <li>Analytics suck!!!!!!!! <ul> <li>Omniture – over reports search referrers</li> <li>Webtrends – under reports search referrers (have to add images)</li> <li>Google analytics doesn’t scale – in middle of search referrers.</li> </ul></li> </ul>  Bottom line, add as many analytics packages that you can afford, optimize, track and prioritize. Tom Critchlow Keyword Research & Targeting <a target="_blank" title="Tom Critchlow of Distilled" href="http://www.distilled.co.uk/company/people/tom-critchlow.html ">Tom Critchlow</a> of Distilled explained that you need to group all keywords:   <ul> <li>Head terms – main terms, everything you can put in a calendar and plan for</li><li>Mid-tail – hot trends, cyclical demand, triggered by QDF</li><li>Long-tail – 4+ words, opportunity since 20-25% of the queries Google sees today they have never seen before.</li> <li>QDF = Query Deserves Freshness</li> <li>QDF is riddled with spam, <a href="http://searchengineland.com/report-some-google-hot-topic-searches-return-90-malicious-links-39516">returns 90% malicious links</a>.</li> <li>Tip: Publish Fast – Cite Fast!!</li> </ul>  Keyword harvesting tools: <ul> <li>Google Search Suggest</li> <li>Ninja tip: Geolocation – Google Search Suggest is geo-specific</li> <li>Google Related Searches      </li> <li>Mozenda + API = WIN <ul> <li>Mozenda is a paid tool <a href="http://mozenda.com/">http://mozenda.com/</a> Easy to use paid tool.</li> <li>Input terms and get long tail key phrases that don’t show up in AdWords tool and long-tail, niche.</li> </ul></li> <li>Look at other data sources. Don’t restrict yourself to keyword tools, and use other data sources relative to your niche. <ul> <li>Look at how people tag stories on Delicious</li> </ul></li></ul> The following is a shot of how to use Mozinda to review tags on <a target="_blank" title="Delicious.com" href="http://delicious.com">Delicious.com</a>. (You can look at Delicious tags without using Mozinda.)   <img width="600" height="497" border="0" alt="Using Mozinda to research Delicious tags" src="http://yoyoseo.com/images/seomoz/keyword-research-delicious-mozinda.gif" />  Discount code that applies to full pro plan: seomoz20 (Valid till Sep 15th 2010.) Build an SEO friendly CMS: Below is a wireframe template for an ideal CMS that pulls data in:   <img width="600" height="435" border="0" alt="Tom's SEO-friendly CMS" src="http://yoyoseo.com/images/seomoz/seo-friendly-cms.gif" /> Discussion raced through use of APIs for scraping content from the Web and incorporating on your pages to include additional keywords. The boxes on the right represent ideas for pulling in the following: <ul> <li>Delicious tags – todo, toread (API)</li> <li>Foursquare top checkins (API)</li> <li>Local events calendar (API)</li> <li>Yahoo Answers (API)</li> <li>Wikipedia discussions of your keyword (APIish)</li> <li>No API? – Mozenda ftw!</li> <li>More: <a href="../../../blog/api-and-dataset-cheatsheet-building-quick-dirty-tools">http://www.seomoz.org/blog/api-and-dataset-cheatsheet-building-quick-dirty-tools</a></li> </ul> The Mozzers had lots of questions from the audience about this CMS concept, and Tom’s answer was: "It’s not that hard!" <sigh>  Tom then gave away a <a target="_blank" title="Open Google Doc" href="http://dis.tl/gdocs-cms">proof of concept Google doc</a>  that scrapes Google Suggest and Google Search.   Thank you, Tom! Lindsay Wassell - Constructing Effective SEO Audits <a target="_blank" href="http://keyphraseology.com/">Lindsay Wassell</a> got deep under the hood like no one else has done at a conference to show her approach and outline of SEO Audits, starting with her daily schedule. I especially liked that she set a schedule to focus on one client in one day and allow time for lunch to ponder your findings and approach. Tip: Allow ponder time & 6 weeks or more to deliver an audit. Give it enough time. The following SEO Audit Outline lays out a suggested framework: <img alt="SEO Audit Outline" src="http://yoyoseo.com/images/seomoz/seo-audit-outline.gif" /> She incorporates a Scorecard for rating issues with a 1-5 rating scale: <img alt="SEO Audit Scorecard" src="http://yoyoseo.com/images/seomoz/seo-audit-scorecard.gif" /> Some Scores are site-wide and some scores are finding-specific. She placed importance on showing visuals and also providing an actionable Executive Summary. SEOs realize that a 40-page audit is likely to sit on someone’s desk for weeks or months. Give them takeaways they can begin working on now. Tim Ash – 7 Deadly Sins of Landing Page Optimization The final race of the day focused on after the click – conversions. Discussion included importance of considering what you do with all that SEO & PPC traffic after they arrive at the site. <a target="_blank" href="http://sitetuners.com/">Tim Ash</a> did a poll at the end of the race day to see how many Mozzers were doing Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO). Almost 1/2 of the room raised their hand. Tim starts with insults – You are ignorant and blind. He then asked: How many of you have talked to the end user in the last quarter? Well, only a few admitted to talking to website users ... Tim showed us how to avoid the following 7 Deadly Sins of Landing Page Design: <ol> <li>Unclear call-to-action</li> <li>Too many choices</li> <li>Asking for too much info</li> <li>Too much text</li> <li>Not keeping your promises</li> <li>Visual distractions</li> <li>Lack of trust</li> </ol> We all left the SEOmoz Raceway convinced that our baby is ugly and tips to optimize and beautify our website babies. Do you like this post? <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/thumbs/add/blog/10902/1/0">Yes</a> <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/thumbs/add/blog/10902/0/0">No</a> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=NcKLi9TQIoM:1ndtKCk-n1I:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=NcKLi9TQIoM:1ndtKCk-n1I:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=NcKLi9TQIoM:1ndtKCk-n1I:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=NcKLi9TQIoM:1ndtKCk-n1I:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=NcKLi9TQIoM:1ndtKCk-n1I:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=NcKLi9TQIoM:1ndtKCk-n1I:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=NcKLi9TQIoM:1ndtKCk-n1I:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=NcKLi9TQIoM:1ndtKCk-n1I:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/seomoz/~4/NcKLi9TQIoM" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.seomoz.org/blog/day-1-at-the-seomoz-training-racewaytext/html2010-08-31T12:06:58+01:00http://www.seomoz.org/blogDana LookadooFrom Clicks to Conversions at the SEOmoz Training Racewayhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/seomoz/~3/rXjiaMbuLoc/from-clicks-to-conversions-at-the-seomoz-training-racewayPosted by <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/users/view/27093">Dana Lookadoo</a>This post was originally in <a href="/ugc">YOUmoz</a>, and was promoted to the main blog because it provides great value and interest to our community. The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of SEOmoz, Inc.Day 1 of SEOmoz Pro Training was like being at a race track. The course careened from clicks to conversions and from search results to landing pages. The audience watched 9 speakers drive their search marketing race cars at speeds faster than fingers can type. Given the finger-breaking speeds, it was fortunate all SEO fans were well fueled - beginning with a healthy breakfast buffet, mid-morning energy bars, lunch (more all-you-can-eat) and a scrumptious mid-afternoon pit stop with fresh cookies and treats. After everyone was fed each time, it was off to the races. Todd Freisen was in the sports booth service as emcee, host of ceremonies, referee, judge and time keeper. The event was like a well-oiled machine. Maybe that's why they call Todd, "<a title="Todd Freisen aka Oilman" target="_blank" href="http://www.oilman.ca/">Oilman</a>." <img width="600" height="327" border="0" alt="Will Critchlow, Todd Freisen, Rand Fishkin - SEOmoz Pro" src="http://yoyoseo.com/images/seomoz/will-chritchlow-todd-freisen-rand-fishkin.jpg" /> When I said "yes" to attending the Mozinar on a Press Pass, I didn't realize I was going to be covering a sporting event. GoodNewsCowboy asked me how I was going to recap and condense this "wild ride." I realized there was a lot of horsepower on-stage and that we were at the SEOmoz Training Raceway. <img width="500" height="314" border="0" alt="Mozinar was a wild ride" src="http://yoyoseo.com/images/seomoz/mozinar-wild-ride.gif" /> Mozinar fans experienced exhilaration and gleaned insights as we watched performance race car drivers present their seminar presentations. The following race highlights are condensed from 32 pages of notes. I strongly suggest you buy the Pro Seminar DVD when it's produced so you can see under the hood for yourself. From Clicks to Conversions with Local, Social, Analytics and SEO in Between 1st up: <a target="_blank" title="Rand Fishkin Bio" href="http://www.seomoz.org/team/randfish">Rand Fishkin</a> had pole position and drove a car with a most unusual name, "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad SERP." The results we are seeing in blended search results are even more unusual, starting with changes of the past 2 weeks. For those who attend SEO races regularly and are watching Google, this may be old news. For others, brace yourself. A branded search can have more than 2 results. Rand explained: <ul> <li>You have to be seen as a brand.</li> <li>You have to have lots of links pointing to those pages with the brand name.</li> <li>You need to have a high volume set of people searching for those terms, so off-site advertising and media buys can influence the SERPs.</li> </ul> Changes to Image SEO was next, and guess what? Google has a new image search interface. <ul> <li>Image results don’t always match image SERP's order, i.e. images for the artist "manet."</li> <li>Understand, and be prepared. You will not always get the same position in the blended results, leading to frustration.</li> <li>Image SEO value is reduced by the new overlay.</li> </ul> The image below results from clicking on one of the images for the artist "manet" and clicking on an image <img width="600" height="458" border="0" alt="Image SEO Value Reduced by overlay" src="http://yoyoseo.com/images/seomoz/image-seo-overlay.jpg" /> Tip: Write some JavaScript that breaks the overlay to avoid having the image overlay. Not only does it produce the longest, ugliest URL, but "it’s just an invite to right click and steal this image." Rand covered 10 Tips for Image Rankings. (Since we are in race synopsis mode, we'll speed through this.) One quick takeaway was the minimum image size: Image Pixel Size - If you go smaller than 400x300 pixels your chances to show in image search are dramatically decreased. So you don't have to remember any formulas, basic on-page SEO factors for image SEO include page title and surrounding text. Video SERPs It’s or easier to get into video SERPs than to get into the regular SERPS. There is lower competition than ordinary results (most of the time), so take the opportunity. Follow this inclusion process to enter your video race for top ranking: Step #1: Embed Video Content on Your Pages Step #2: Create Thumbnail Images for Videos Step #3: Build a Video XML Sitemap & Submit Step #4: PROFIT $$$ See <a title="Learn more at Google Webmaster Central for Video" target="_blank" href="http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/topic.py?hl=en&topic=10079">Google Webmaster Tools for Video</a> to learn more. Rand's foot stayed pedal-to-the-metal as he showed how to produce <a title="Rich Snippets info at Google Webmaster Central" target="_blank" href="http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=99170">Rich Snippets in the SERPs</a>. Why is this important? This is where you get most of your clicks. His closing remarks were retweeted with fervor: "If you can stay on top of this, you will have a big win. It demands full-time SEO." 2nd up: <a target="_blank" title="David Mihm Blog" href="http://www.davidmihm.com/">David Mihm</a> was full-speed as he raced through "Ranking in Competitive Local Results." He explained: Straight from Google’s mouth: Local intent is 20% of total search volume (April 2010) And who would imagine that local results could equal 100% of page 1? Try a search for "dentist chicago." (If it's not 100%, it's close.) Google organic results are not, however, the dominate factor for local search. Neither are results from Yahoo! or Bing. Local search is now: <ul> <li>Craigslist</li> <li>Twitter</li> <li>FaceBook</li> <li>Citysearch</li> <li>Google Products</li> <li>Mobile devices</li> <li>Garmin GPS</li> <li>Wikipedia</li> <li>Virtual Augmented Reality</li> </ul> Understand that local requires a different mindset from traditional SEO, because the ecosystems vary: <img width="600" height="359" border="0" alt="Organic Search Ecosystem" src="http://yoyoseo.com/images/seomoz/organic-search-ecosystem.gif" /> <img width="600" height="465" border="0" alt="Local Search Ecosystem" src="http://yoyoseo.com/images/seomoz/local-search-ecosystem.gif" /> <ul> <li>Traditional SEO is about optimizing websites.</li> <li>Local SEO is about optimizing locations.</li> </ul> Takeaway: "It is essential to have a holistic local search marketing strategy." "Even if all your boss cares about is that friggin' 7-pack!" Resources to claim your listings: <ul> <li><a title="Sign up for Google Places" target="_blank" href="http://www.google.com/local/add/analyticsSplashPage">Google Places</a></li> <li><a title="Sign up at Bing Local Listing Center" target="_blank" href="https://ssl.bing.com/listings/ListingCenter.aspx">Bing Local Listing Center</a></li> <li><a title="Sign up for Yahoo! Local Business Center" target="_blank" href="http://listings.local.yahoo.com/csubmit/index.php">Yahoo! Local Business Center</a></li> </ul> "The Big Three" major data providers: <ul> <li><a title="infoUSA" target="_blank" href="http://expressupdateusa.com/ ">infoUSA</a></li> <li><a title="localeze" target="_blank" href="http://localeze.com/manage">Localeze</a></li> <li><a title="Axciom via Universal Business Listing" target="_blank" href="http://UniversalBusinessListing.org ">Acxiom</a></li> </ul> Citations - David recommended a new citation finder tool by Darren Shaw & Garrett French: <a title="Citation Finder Tool" target="_blank" href="http://www.whitespark.ca/tools/local-citation-finder/index.php">Whitespark.ca Citation Finder</a> Find <a title="SEO Resources about Local Search" target="_blank" href="http://getlisted.org/resources">local SEO resources</a> on GetListed.org. 3rd up to race: <a target="_blank" title="Dan Zarella - Social Media Scientist" href="http://danzarrella.com/">Dan Zarrella</a> racing in the "Science of Twitter" car. Dan warned us he talked fast. Pro Seminar attendees listened attentively, but given the subject was Twitter ... many tweeted insights into how one can get clicks and retweets.   Dan's takeaways were in 140. Below are my fave top three: Takeaway: Don’t talk about  yourself so much. Paraphrased: If you want more followers, stop talking about yourself! Takeaway: Try to stay positive. If you want to get bummed out, people can go on the News. Even if talking about the oil spill, stay hopeful. Takeaway: If you want people to click your links, Tweet slower. Don't "go Oprah" on your Twitter account, moderate. Improve your "retweetability" factor by including a combination of the following Top 20 Most Retweetable Words: <img width="577" height="436" border="0" alt="Top 20 Most Retweetable Words" src="http://yoyoseo.com/images/seomoz/top-retweetable-words.gif" /> Timing for retweets: Links posted on the weekend and at the end of the week have a higher click through rate. Tip:  Want to see how well a bit.ly link is doing, CTR? <ol> <li>Put a bit.ly link in the browser.</li> <li>Type a plus sign after it;</li> <li>Hit enter to see how many times it’s been clicked through.</li> <li>Retweeting is an elegant viral mechanism.</li> </ol> Alright ... one more Twitter insight before we close ... He had noted that women follow a lot more people and tend to tweet more. They are more social. (We already knew women talk and socialize more, but now Dan's numbers confirm it.) Dan covered a lot of geeky ground focused on the science and study of social media, use of FourSquare and more.. I have 5+ pages of notes from Dan's presentation alone. But I'm concerned this blog post will get too long to be readable. Check out Dan's set of <a target="_blank" title="Dan Zarella Social Media Tools" href="http://danzarrella.com/tools#">social media tools</a>. 4th up and last race of the morning was the "Presentation Off" between <a target="_blank" title="Will Critchlow at Distilled" href="http://www.distilled.co.uk/company/people/will-critchlow.html">Will Critchlow</a> and Rand Fishkin. I'll expand on that race in a follow-up post. Do you want to guess who won this year? Will went into the race with a 2-year winning streak. Do you like this post? <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/thumbs/add/blog/10896/1/0">Yes</a> <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/thumbs/add/blog/10896/0/0">No</a> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=rXjiaMbuLoc:x_EYTfnTczg:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=rXjiaMbuLoc:x_EYTfnTczg:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=rXjiaMbuLoc:x_EYTfnTczg:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=rXjiaMbuLoc:x_EYTfnTczg:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=rXjiaMbuLoc:x_EYTfnTczg:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=rXjiaMbuLoc:x_EYTfnTczg:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?a=rXjiaMbuLoc:x_EYTfnTczg:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/seomoz?i=rXjiaMbuLoc:x_EYTfnTczg:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/seomoz/~4/rXjiaMbuLoc" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.seomoz.org/blog/from-clicks-to-conversions-at-the-seomoz-training-racewaySmashing Magazine Feed2010-09-09T11:20:44Zhttp://www.smashingmagazine.com/feed/atom/Louis Lazarishttp://www.impressivewebs.com/Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010http://www.smashingmagazine.com/?p=618992010-09-09T11:20:44Z2010-09-09T11:05:48Z<table width="650"><tr><td width="650"><div style="width:650px;"> <img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/static/smashing-magazine-advertisement.gif" alt="" border="0" /><img src="http://imp.constantcontact.com/imp/cmp.jsp?impcc=IMP_<mprid/>&o=http://img.constantcontact.com/lp/images/standard/spacer.gif" alt="" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=56" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=56" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a href="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=35" target="_blank"><img src="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=35" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=64" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=64" border="0" alt="" /></a></div></td></tr></table>At the end of last year, we published a comprehensive list of <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/10/21/web-conferences-roundup-events-from-around-the-globe/">web design and development conferences</a> that might be of interest to Smashing Magazine's diverse readership. Many readers commented and added links to other conferences and events that weren't listed, some of which were added to the post. Using the contents of that list along with some other sources, we've compiled a list of web design and development-related conferences and events that will be taking place in the next six to eight months.<a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/09/upcoming-web-design-and-development-conferences-in-2010/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/brooklyn.gif" width="500" height="307" alt="Brookly Beta Conference" /></a> <iframe class="facebooklike" src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smashingmagazine.com%2F2010%2F09%2F09%2Fupcoming-web-design-and-development-conferences-in-2010%2F&layout=standard&show_faces=false&width=450&action=like&colorscheme=light&height=35" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe>As always, there is no way for us to be able to include every possible event here, but we'll be glad to update the list if you provide a comment to an upcoming event that you feel would be of interest to graphic designers or web developers. While the previous roundup was organized by category, this one lists the events in chronological order starting with the earliest. <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/EIW4f3_4ck6P2tw7iRnEKv8nP5A/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/EIW4f3_4ck6P2tw7iRnEKv8nP5A/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/EIW4f3_4ck6P2tw7iRnEKv8nP5A/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/EIW4f3_4ck6P2tw7iRnEKv8nP5A/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><table width="650"><tr><td width="650"><div style="width:650px;"> <img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/static/smashing-magazine-advertisement.gif" alt="Smashing-magazine-advertisement in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" border="0" /><img src="http://imp.constantcontact.com/imp/cmp.jsp?impcc=IMP_<mprid/>&o=http://img.constantcontact.com/lp/images/standard/spacer.gif" alt="Spacer in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=56" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=56" border="0" alt=" in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" /></a> <a href="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=35" target="_blank"><img src="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=35" border="0" alt=" in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" /></a> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=64" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=64" border="0" alt=" in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" /></a></div></td></tr></table>At the end of last year, we published a comprehensive list of <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/10/21/web-conferences-roundup-events-from-around-the-globe/">web design and development conferences</a> that might be of interest to Smashing Magazine’s diverse readership. Many readers commented and added links to other conferences and events that weren’t listed, some of which were added to the post. Using the contents of that list along with some other sources, we’ve compiled a list of web design and development-related conferences and events that will be taking place in the next six to eight months.As always, there is no way for us to be able to include every possible event here, but we’ll be glad to update the list if you provide a comment to an upcoming event that you feel would be of interest to graphic designers or web developers.While the previous roundup was organized by category, this one lists the events in chronological order starting with the earliest. Jump to an appropriate month using the links below:<ul><li><a href="#sept">September 2010 Events</a></li><li><a href="#oct">October 2010 Events</a></li><li><a href="#nov">November – December 2010 Events</a></li><li><a href="#dec">Early 2011 Events</a></li></ul><h3 id="sept">September 2010 Events</h3><a href="http://www.fitc.ca/events/about/?event=109">FITC Mobile 2010</a> FITC Mobile covers all aspects of mobile content development — with presentations, demonstrations, and panel discussions. Covering iPhone/iPad, Android, Flash 10.1, Windows Mobile, HTML5, Unity, Marketing, Usability, and other relevant topics in the mobile world.When: September 16-18, 2010 Where: Toronto, ON, Canada at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre<a href="http://www.fitc.ca/events/about/?event=109"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/fitcm-2010.jpg" alt="Fitcm-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.aneventapart.com/2010/dc/">An Event Apart D.C.</a> “From the makers of A List Apart, An Event Apart is an intensely educational two-day conference for passionate practitioners of standards-based web design. If you care about code as well as content, usability as well as design, An Event Apart is the conference you’ve been waiting for.”When: September 16-18, 2010 Where: Washington, D.C., USA at the Washington Hilton<a href="http://www.aneventapart.com/2010/dc/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/aea-2010.jpg" alt="Aea-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.londondesignfestival.com/">London Design Festival</a> “The London Design Festival is a nine-day celebration of design in the world’s creative capital. The Festival is a platform for the widest spectrum of design disciplines, brought together as a unique and accessible programme.”When: September 18-26, 2010 Where: London, UK at a number of different venues across the city<a href="http://www.londondesignfestival.com/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/ldf-2010.jpg" alt="Ldf-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://mobile2event.com/">MOBILE 2.0</a> “The MOBILE 2.0 Conference is a two-day event focusing on new Mobile Applications and Services, Mobile Ecosystems, and Disruptive Mobile Innovation presented by the Mobile 2.0 Organizing Committee. For Mobile Developers we have designed an entire day for you to hear about the latest developer tools and monetization techniques.”When: September 20-21, 2010 Where: Silicon Valley, CA, USA at the Grand Hyatt & the Microsoft Silicon Valley Conference Center<a href="http://mobile2event.com/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/m2-2010.jpg" alt="M2-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="145" /></a><a href="http://www.design4mobile.mobi/">Design For Mobile 2010</a> “Design For Mobile (D4M) is a multi-faceted conference aimed at engaging the mobile community in a shared discussion about the future of mobile and ‘the mobile now.’ This is a conference focused on strategy and tactics for user research, product definition, usability testing, interaction and design. D4M is comprised of both preliminary and advanced workshops that flank three full days of speakers and interactive sessions.”When: September 20-24, 2010 Where: Evanston, IL, U.S.A at The Hilton Orrington<a href="http://www.design4mobile.mobi/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/dfm-2010.jpg" alt="Dfm-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://usa10.webdirections.org/">Web Directions USA</a> “CSS3, HTML5, Geolocation, mobile web — we’re seeing an explosion of innovation in design and development unlike at almost any other time in the web’s history. To keep you ahead of the curve, Web Directions USA features leading web practitioners, bringing you the freshest technologies, techniques and know-how.”When: September 21-25, 2010 Where: Atlanta, Georgia, USA at the Loews Atlanta Hotel<a href="http://usa10.webdirections.org/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/wd-2010.jpg" alt="Wd-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.nagw.org/">National Association of Government Webmasters Conference</a> “The NAGW National Conference is the premier conference that focuses on local, state and regional government web professionals. Local, regional, state and federal government web professionals join their peers at the conference for two and a half days of education, training and networking in a relaxed professional environment.”When: September 22-24, 2010 Where: St. Louis, MO, USA at the Millennium Hotel<a href="http://www.nagw.org/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/nagw-2010.jpg" alt="Nagw-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.euroia.org/">European Information Architecture Summit</a> “A summit for anyone concerned with the design of navigation, organization, labeling, and search systems that help people find and manage information more successfully.”When: September 23-25, 2010 Where: Paris, France at Les Salons de l’Aveyron<a href="http://www.euroia.org/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/iavi-2010.jpg" alt="Iavi-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.flashonthebeach.com/">Flash on the Beach</a> “Don’t think that Flash on the Beach is only about Flash. Sure appearing at FOTB in the past we have had the usual suspects — Flash, Flex, AIR, and then some. Open Frameworks, Processing, AJAX, Photoshop, After Effects, Art, Design, Illustration, Animation, Sound and many more. Whether you are a tech-head or a creative, if you are a decision maker or a team manager, if you are in need of a fix of creative inspiration, or want to know the latest how-to’s, Flash on the Beach is where you’ll get it.”When: September 26-29, 2010 Where: Brighton, UK at the Brighton Dome<a href="http://www.flashonthebeach.com/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/fotb-2010.jpg" alt="Fotb-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.blackberrydevcon.com/">BlackBerry® Developer Conference</a> “The BlackBerry® Developer Conference is a premier showcase for what can be done with BlackBerry apps, attended by thousands of the world’s most enthusiastic developers, BlackBerry experts, and Research In Motion® (RIM®) partners. It’s the place to get technical, code-driven information that can be applied to projects; the place where new tools and technologies can be experienced for the first time; the place for getting your questions answered, or finding the inspiration to go further with mobile applications than you ever imagined possible.”When: September 27-30, 2010 Where: San Francisco, CA, USA at the Marriot Marquis<a href="http://www.blackberrydevcon.com/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/bdc-2010.jpg" alt="Bdc-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://eeci2010.com/">The ExpressionEngine and CodeIgniter Conference</a> “At the ExpressionEngine & CodeIgniter Conference you can meet the experts, be inspired and break new boundaries! This event brings you presentations and workshops from your favorite EE & CI speakers. Both beginners and experienced users will benefit from a variety of topics and sessions: discover how your favourite content management system and PHP framework can bend even further!”When: September 29 – October 1, 2010 Where: Leiden, The Netherleands at De Stadsgehoorzaal theatre<a href="http://eeci2010.com/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/eeci-2010.jpg" alt="Eeci-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://phxdw.com/">Forward – Phoenix Design Week 2010</a> “The beauty of Phoenix Design Week is that it enables us to put Phoenix design on a pedestal. Throughout Design Week, there are many ways this is being executed, but one of the coolest ways we manifest this goal is by giving you options to showcase your own creative prowess.”When: September 29 – October 3, 2010 Where: Phoenix, AZ, USA at the Phoenix Convention Center plus other locations<a href="http://phxdw.com/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/pdw-2010.jpg" alt="Pdw-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://ideaconference.org/2010/home">IDEA Conference</a> “IDEA2010 is a design conference tailored for you. This year’s unique mix of traditional presentations with structured activity time assures that you’ll get high-level concepts from big thinkers, and the space to apply them with peers.”When: September 30 – October 2, 2010 Where: Philadelphia, PA, USA at the Independence Seaport Museum<a href="http://ideaconference.org/2010/home"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/idea-2010.jpg" alt="Idea-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><h3 id="oct">October 2010 Events</h3><a href="http://www.abetterworldbydesign.com/">A Better World by Design Conference</a> “A Better World by Design is a three-day internationally acclaimed conference in Providence, RI that connects students, professionals, and individuals from a variety of disciplines in order to build a global community of socially conscious and passionate innovators. Presenters share engaging stories, workshops teach creative skills, and discussions reframe perspectives.”When: October 1-3, 2010 Where: Providence, RI, U.S.A at Brown University & RISD Campuses<a href="http://www.abetterworldbydesign.com/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/abw-2010.jpg" alt="Abw-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://futureofwebapps.com/london-2010/">Future of Web Apps</a> “The Future of Web Apps is a conference for web developers and entrepreneurs. You’ll learn about cutting-edge tech and exciting new ideas.”When: October 4-6, 2010 Where: London, UK at The Brewery<a href="http://futureofwebapps.com/london-2010/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/fowa-2010.jpg" alt="Fowa-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://fronteers.nl/congres/2010">Fronteers</a> “Founded in 2007, Fronteers is the non-profit trade organization of Dutch front-end developers. Its goals include the professionalisation of our trade, (improved) recognition of the front-end discipline, and improving the position of Dutch front-end developers in their company and the web design/development world in general.”When: October 5-8, 2010 Where: Amsterdam at PathÃ© Tuschinski theatre<a href="http://fronteers.nl/congres/2010"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/fronteers-2010.jpg" alt="Fronteers-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.designphiladelphia.org/">DesignPhiladelphia</a> “Through its events and programming, DesignPhiladelphia showcases the role that design has played historically in Philadelphia, and celebrates the city’s contemporary significance as a center for creative advancement. Through the breadth of our events, DesignPhiladelphia unites the creative disciplines – from architecture to interior design, fashion to product design, multi-media to graphic design.”When: October 7-17, 2010 Where: Philadelphia, PA, USA at various locations<a href="http://www.designphiladelphia.org/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/dp-2010.jpg" alt="Dp-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.5dconference.com/5d10/">5D|10 The Future of Immersive Design Conference</a> “5D | The Future of Immersive Design is the visionary, international conference for all designers, practitioners and students working in the fields of narrative media.”When: October 8-9, 2010 Where: Long Beach, CA, USA at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center<a href="http://www.5dconference.com/5d10/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/fid-2010.jpg" alt="Fid-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://phpconference.com/">International PHP Conference</a> “With its mixture of topics the International PHP Conference provides an ideal resource for all professionals and their successful daily routine within the whole PHP spectrum. Insights into current Web 2.0 technologies, Security, Best Practices for tools and components, Enterprise know-how, databases, architectures and more are presented at the International PHP Conference 2009.”When: October 11-13, 2010 Where: Mainz, Germany at the Rheingoldhalle<a href="http://phpconference.com/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/php-2010.jpg" alt="Php-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://south10.webdirections.org/">Web Directions South</a> “Featuring leading web practitioners from across the world, bringing you the freshest technologies, techniques and know-how in web design and development, along with numerous networking and social opportunities. If you work on the web, Web Directions South is the industry event of the year.”When: October 12-16, 2010 Where: Sidney, Australia at the Sydney Convention and Exhi bition Centre<a href="http://south10.webdirections.org/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/wds-2010.jpg" alt="Wds-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.gainconference.aiga.org/">AIGA Gain</a> “The premier biennial event for business and design leaders. Attendees will learn how industry leaders addressed business challenges through design—and how they reinvented their businesses, their strategies and even themselves. We’ll hear business, design and thought leaders share their innovative approaches to generating greater return on investment, fostering emotional connections and providing positive brand experiences for customers.”When: October 14-16, 2010 Where: New York City, NY, USA at The Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers<a href="http://www.gainconference.aiga.org/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/aiga-2010.jpg" alt="Aiga-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.voicesthatmatter.com/iphonefall2010/">Voices That Matter iPhone Developers Conference</a> “You’ll acquire skills for mastering iOS development from leading authors and experts during a weekend of strong educational sessions. Our speakers are eager to share their knowledge, answer your questions and address your application needs. You’ll participate in interactive discussions that provide the perfect environment for an unbiased and effective learning experience. This engaging two-day conference features how-to sessions covering the latest, most intriguing news in application development for the iPhone and iPad.”When: October 16-17, 2010 Where: Philadelphia, PA, USA at The Hub Cira Centre<a href="http://www.voicesthatmatter.com/iphonefall2010/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/vtm-2010.jpg" alt="Vtm-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="144" /></a><a href="http://events.jquery.org/2010/boston/">jQuery Conference</a> “The annual conference of jQuery users and developers. There will be talks on jQuery, jQuery UI, plugins, complex application development, and more — all from the top jQuery developers. Speakers include John Resig, Paul Irish, Karl Swedberg, Doug Neiner, and more.”When: October 16-17, 2010 Where: Boston, MA, U.S.A at the Hilton at Boston Logan Airport<a href="http://events.jquery.org/2010/boston/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/jqc-2010.jpg" alt="Jqc-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://webdesignworld.com/">Web Design World</a> “These are interesting times: a combination of technical innovation, audience growth, and crummy economy. As a web designer, you can’t escape any of the three. But you can learn how to keep up with the innovation, take advantage of the growth, and survive the downturn. That’s where we come in. We take our mantra — provide practical, no-fluff, how-to — very seriously. If you’ve joined us before, you know that. If you haven’t, please check us out.”When: October 18-20, 2010 Where: Las Vegas, NV, USA at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino<a href="http://webdesignworld.com/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/wdw-2010.jpg" alt="Wdw-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.sensible.com/workshops.html">Do-It-Yourself Usability Testing: The Workshop</a> “The workshop will include: A complete explanation of how I recommend doing testing (Hint: very simple, very fast, and very cheap); Two live usability tests on attendees’ sites, so you can see the whole process in detail; A chance to practice conducting a test on your own site; Advice on how to interpret your findings and decide what changes to make; Plenty of time to answer your questions about testing or any other aspect of usability.”When: October 20, 2010 Where: Washington, DC, U.S.A<a href="http://www.sensible.com/workshops.html"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/acs-2010.jpg" alt="Acs-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://front-trends.com/">Front-Trends Conference</a> “This is a gathering for front-end lovers and professionals to discover the current trends and tools to build a professional career out of innovative front-end development.”When: October 21-22, 2010 Where: Warsaw, Poland at the Centrum konferencyjno – kongresowe<a href="http://front-trends.com/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/ftc-2010.jpg" alt="Ftc-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://brooklynbeta.org/">Brooklyn Beta</a> “Brooklyn Beta is a collaboration between Analog and Fictive Kin. Our goal for the conference is to inspire you to ‘make your own stuff.’ We’d love to see what the Web would be like if all you talented web people started using your magical abilities to bring your own ideas to life. To help, we’ve put together a conference aimed at turning inspiration into action with talented folks from every web field attending. We want to get all the people who can turn an idea into reality in one place and see what happens.”When: October 21-22, 2010 Where: Brooklyn, NY, USA at the Invisible Dog<a href="http://brooklynbeta.org/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/bbc-2010.jpg" alt="Bbc-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://expressionenginecamp.com/">ExpressionEngineCamp</a> “ExpressionEngine Camp is a collaborative all-day workshop about ExpressionEngine on October 22nd. Learn best practices or share tips about creating web sites with EE.”When: October 22, 2010 Where: Denver, Colorado, Casselman’s Event Venue<a href="http://expressionenginecamp.com/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/eecamp.gif" alt="Eecamp in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://max.adobe.com/">Adobe MAX 2010</a> “MAX 2010 is an amazing opportunity to learn new skills, explore emerging technologies, and connect with thousands of other industry leaders, Adobe products users, and Adobe teams. The conference offers hundreds of informative sessions and hands-on labs for designers, developers, and decision-makers, and there are countless networking opportunities, from organized events to casual conversations in hallways between sessions.”When: October 23-27, 2010 Where: Los Angeles, CA, USA at the Los Angeles Convention Center & the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE<a href="http://max.adobe.com/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/am-2010.jpg" alt="Am-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.fitc.ca/events/about/?event=117">FITC Unconference @ MAX 2010</a> “FITC brings together thousands of forward-thinking designers, developers, and business decision makers that are shaping the future of our industry. The Unconference is a way for attendees to convene in a casual setting to share ideas as well as host their own discussion groups. This year FITC has once again been chosen as one of the organizations to run one of the Unconference areas.”When: October 25-27, 2010 Where: Los Angeles, CA, USA at the Los Angeles Convention Center<a href="http://www.fitc.ca/events/about/?event=117"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/fitcu-2010.jpg" alt="Fitcu-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.viewconference.it/">View Conference 2010</a> “VIEW Conference is the premiere international event in Italy on Computer Graphics, Interactive Techniques, Digital Cinema, 3D Animation, Gaming and VFX. VIEW 2010 will continue to focus on exploring the increasingly fluid boundary between real and digital worlds. Through lectures, meetings, tributes, exhibits, screenings and demo presentations VIEW will reveal the new digital frontier sweeping from cinema to architecture, from automotive design to advertisement, from medicine to videogames.”When: October 26-29, 2010 Where: Turin, Italy, at the Conference center Torino Incontra<a href="http://www.viewconference.it/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/vc-2010.jpg" alt="Vc-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://webdevconf.com/">Web Developers Conference</a> “The goal of the Web Developers Conference was to get students engaged with the world of the web and what this beautiful industry offers as well as meeting professionals and making important contacts that could lead to placements and even graduate positions.”When: October 27, 2010 Where: Bristol, U.K at the UWE Exhibition & Conference Centre.<a href="http://webdevconf.com/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/wdc-2010.jpg" alt="Wdc-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="139" /></a><a href="http://www.microsoftpdc.com/">Microsoft PDC10</a> “The PDC isn’t just about content and sessions — it’s an opportunity for you to get hands-on access to the latest technologies, have your questions answered by the people who conceived and built the technologies and plan the features and architecture to support your business goals. If you’re a developer, architect or technology leader involved in making strategic technology decisions for your company or organization, you can’t afford to miss the PDC.”When: October 28-29, 2010 Where: Seattle, WA, USA at the Microsoft Campus<a href="http://www.microsoftpdc.com/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/pdc-2010.jpg" alt="Pdc-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.nngroup.com/events/">Usability Week 2010</a> “Many conferences offer cavernous exhibit halls, brief seminars on second-hand discoveries, and a sense of anonymity that can be truly alienating. Usability Week takes a different approach. In place of scattered, shallow talks, Usability Week offers up to 6 days of deep learning as international experts lead full-day tutorials on topics such as: Fundamental guidelines for Web usability; Applying information architecture (IA) principles; Writing for the Web; Application design; Integrating social features on mainstream websites; The human mind (how your users think).”When: Various dates in October and December. Where: San Francisco, U.S.A; Copenhagen, Denmark; Edinburgh, UK; Las Vegas, USA<a href="http://www.nngroup.com/events/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/uw-2010.jpg" alt="Uw-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="134" /></a><h3 id="nov">November – December 2010 Events</h3><a href="http://www.aneventapart.com/2010/sandiego/">An Event Apart San Diego</a> “From the makers of A List Apart, An Event Apart is an intensely educational two-day conference for passionate practitioners of standards-based web design. If you care about code as well as content, usability as well as design, An Event Apart is the conference you’ve been waiting for.”When: November 1-2, 2010 Where: San Diego, CA, U.S.A at the Westin Gas Lamp Quarter<a href="http://www.aneventapart.com/2010/sandiego/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/aeas-2010.jpg" alt="Aeas-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.how-to-web.net/">How to Web 2010 Conference</a> “Learn to build better web apps and businesses.”When: November 3-4, 2010 Where: Bucharest, Romania at Hotel Intercontinental<a href="http://www.how-to-web.net/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/htw-2010.jpg" alt="Htw-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.fitc.ca/events/about/?event=111">FITC Edmonton 2010</a> “Back for its second year, FITC Edmonton promises to be jam-packed with presentations, demonstrations, and panel discussions. With some of the most interesting and engaging presenters from around the world, FITC Edmonton will be two days and nights that will leave you inspired, energized and awed!”When: November 6-7, 2010 Where: Edmonton, AB, Canada at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology<a href="http://www.fitc.ca/events/about/?event=111"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/fitce-2010.jpg" alt="Fitce-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://eduiconf.org/">edUi Conference</a> “A learning opportunity for web professionals serving institutions of learning. Through a rare speaker lineup, including top innovators and industry peers, we provide inspiration, tools, and techniques to help web professionals serving colleges, universities, museums, libraries, and other institutions of learning address the challenges they share improving the experience of their users online. edUi 2010 offers something for every member of your web team, with sessions on usability, design, programming, rich media, strategy, social media, and more.”When: November 8-9, 2010 Where: Charlottesville, VA, USA at the Omni Hotel<a href="http://eduiconf.org/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/edui-2010.jpg" alt="Edui-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.uie.com/events/uiconf/2010/">User Interface Conference</a> “UI15 is an intense, inspiring 3-day event, masterfully crafted to bring out the best in today’s UX professionals. We’ve assembled an all-star team of design experts to share their latest techniques in interaction design, content strategy, design thinking, and visual communication.”When: November 8-10, 2010 Where: Boston, MA, U.S.A at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel<a href="http://www.uie.com/events/uiconf/2010/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/uie-2010.jpg" alt="Uie-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://buildconf.com/">Build Conference</a> “The hand-crafted web design conference. Build is a small, yet perfectly formed, boutique design conference where interesting, talented web practitioners from all over the world come to share ideas, techniques and inspiration. Some are on stage; some are in the audience. For the second year running, we’ve created the conference we really want to go to. We think you might like it.”When: November 8-12, 2010 Where: Belfast, Ireland at Waterfront Studio<a href="http://buildconf.com/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/bc-2010.jpg" alt="Bc-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.rubyconf.org/">RubyConf 2010</a> “RubyConf is the official International Ruby Conference. Founded in 2001, RubyConf has provided an annual venue for the ever-growing Ruby community to meet face to face to share, collaborate, and socialize.”When: November 11-13, 2010 Where: New Orleans, LA, USA at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside<a href="http://www.rubyconf.org/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/ruby-2010.jpg" alt="Ruby-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://2010.full-frontal.org/">Full Frontal JavaScript Conference</a> “Full Frontal is a conference held in Brighton UK, for the front end developers with JavaScript skills ranging from beginner to advanced. If you’ve dabbled with JavaScript in the past and wanted to learn more about how the language works and what makes it tick, then this conference is for you.”When: November 12, 2010 Where: Brighton, UK at the historic Duke of York’s Picturehouse<a href="http://2010.full-frontal.org/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/ff-2010.jpg" alt="Ff-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://futureofwebdesign.com/new-york-2010/">Future of Web Design</a> “The Future of Web Design is coming back to New York in 2010. The newly revitalised event has evolved into a beautiful three full days of essential web learning. A full day conference followed by 2 solid days of in depth workshops, all taught by the best in the industry.”When: November 15-17, 2010 Where: New York City, NY, USA at New World Stages<a href="http://futureofwebdesign.com/new-york-2010/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/fowd-2010.jpg" alt="Fowd-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/semanticwebsummit/">Semantic Web Summit East</a> “How can you create value that will put you ahead of the competition? The Semantic Web Summit, formerly the Web 3.0 Conference, features innovators across industries examining the potential of the semantic web, and how it can transform the way you do business. This won’t be a day and a half of technical jargon — this event is about improving efficiencies in marketing and information management for a positive bottom line effect.”When: November 16-17, 2010 Where: Boston, MA, USA at the Hynes Convention Center<a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/semanticwebsummit/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/sws-2010.jpg" alt="Sws-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="148" /></a><a href="http://www.designcityshow.com/">Design City Graphic Design Expo</a> “Stay on top of your industry! Visit Design City and see the latest graphic design tools, services, and products from the world’s largest vendors. You’ll see and test software that you’ve been wanting to try, you’ll meet the people that you talk to on the phone every day, and you’ll be wowed by some of the latest technology created for your profession.”When: November 20-22, 2010 Where: Toronto, ON, Canada, at the Direct Energy Centre<a href="http://www.designcityshow.com/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/dc-2010.jpg" alt="Dc-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.therichwebexperience.com/conference/fort_lauderdale/2010/11/home">The Rich Web Experience</a> “RWX 2010 will cover the hot areas of interest in the web space today: HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, Ajax Libraries, Semantic Web, iPhone, Android, Flex, GWT, NodeJS, Security, and more. RWX 2010 will feature 6 parallel tracks with over 15 speakers and 60 plus technical sessions/workshops. At RWX 2010 you will interact with industry experts, project leads, authors, and top developers.”When: November 30 – December 3, 2010 Where: Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA at The Westin Beach Resort<a href="http://www.therichwebexperience.com/conference/fort_lauderdale/2010/11/home"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/rwx-2010.jpg" alt="Rwx-2010 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="149" /></a><h3 id="dec">Early 2011 Events</h3><a href="http://newadventuresconf.com/">New Adventures in Web Design Conference</a> “This event will be sympathetic to existing and new challenges and opportunities faced by front-end web folks in their day-to-day work and beyond. That said, the content will be beneficial to a broad audience, and a number of attendees and guests represent agencies, organisations, and businesses across varied roles. Ultimately, this event is organised by designers, for designers.”When: January 20, 2011 Where: Nottingham, UK at the Albert Hall<a href="http://newadventuresconf.com/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/nawd-2011.jpg" alt="Nawd-2011 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.ixda.org/interaction/">Interaction Eleven</a> “The IxDA Interaction conference is the premiere annual event for interaction designers, with content and activities relevant to practitioners, managers, educators, and students. Now in its fourth year, the Interaction conference has hosted leading speakers from consultancies, agencies, corporations, and universities around the world.”When: February 9-12, 2011 Where: Boulder, Colorado, USA<a href="http://www.ixda.org/interaction/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/ixda-2011.jpg" alt="Ixda-2011 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.iuiconf.org/">International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces</a> “IUI 2011 is the annual meeting of the intelligent interfaces community and serves as the principal international forum for reporting outstanding research and development on intelligent user interfaces.”When: February 13-16, 2011 Where: Palo Alto, CA, USA at the Sheraton Palo Alto with workshops at nearby Stanford University<a href="http://www.iuiconf.org/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/iui-2011.jpg" alt="Iui-2011 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://iasummit.org/napkin/">Information Architecture Summit</a> “The Information Architecture Summit is the premier gathering place for information architects and other user experience professionals. It’s grown from a special interest group’s efforts to define an emerging field, to a rich and expanding community of practice, shaping and informing multiple disciplines. You don’t have to be an information architect or user experience professional to enjoy the Summit. You simply have to love the art and science of structuring information.”When: March 30 – April 3, 2011 Where: Denver, CO, USA<a href="http://iasummit.org/napkin/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/ias-2011.jpg" alt="Ias-2011 in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><a href="http://www.sxsw.com/interactive">SXSW Interactive 2011</a> “SXSW Interactive features five days of presentations from professionals in emerging technology, networking events hosted by industry leaders, and a lineup of special programs showcasing new digital works, video games and innovative ideas the international community has to offer.”When: March 11-15, 2010 Where: Austin, Texas, USA<a href="http://www.sxsw.com/interactive"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/sxsw.gif" alt="Sxsw in Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010" width="500" height="200" /></a><h4>Related Links</h4><ul><li><a href="http://conferenceroundup.com/">Conference Roundup</a> Very useful web application inspired by the original roundup here on Smashing Magazine.</li><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/10/21/web-conferences-roundup-events-from-around-the-globe/">Web Conferences Roundup: Events From Around the Globe</a></li></ul><h4>What conferences will you attend?</h4>What conference are you going to attend? Let us know — Smashing Magazine is often attending various conferences and events, and we would love to meet you in person! <noscript> <a href="http://polldaddy.com/poll/3739022/">Do you often attend conferences?</a><a href="http://polldaddy.com/features-surveys/">online survey</a> </noscript><hr />© Louis Lazaris for <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com">Smashing Magazine</a>, 2010. | <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/09/upcoming-web-design-and-development-conferences-in-2010/">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/09/upcoming-web-design-and-development-conferences-in-2010/#comments">Post a comment</a> | <a title="Bookmark in del.icio.us" href="http://del.icio.us/post?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/09/upcoming-web-design-and-development-conferences-in-2010/&title=Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010">Add to del.icio.us</a> | <a title="Bookmark in Digg" href="http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/09/upcoming-web-design-and-development-conferences-in-2010/">Digg this</a> | <a title="Stumble on StumbleUpon" href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/09/upcoming-web-design-and-development-conferences-in-2010/">Stumble on StumbleUpon!</a> | <a title="Tweet us!" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=@tweetmeme%20@smashingmag%20Reading%20'Upcoming Web Design and Development Conferences in 2010' http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/09/upcoming-web-design-and-development-conferences-in-2010/">Tweet it!</a> | <a title="Bookmark in Reddit" href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/09/upcoming-web-design-and-development-conferences-in-2010/">Submit to Reddit</a> | <a href="http://forum.smashingmagazine.com/">Forum Smashing Magazine</a> Post tags: <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SmashingMagazine/~4/ZaHh6q7aXAg" height="1" width="1"/>1http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/09/upcoming-web-design-and-development-conferences-in-2010/Lisa Valuyskayahttp://www.fitforpaper.comDesigning and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Detailshttp://www.smashingmagazine.com/?p=555622010-09-08T11:55:04Z2010-09-08T11:34:17Z<table width="650"><tr><td width="650"><div style="width:650px;"> <img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/static/smashing-magazine-advertisement.gif" alt="" border="0" /><img src="http://imp.constantcontact.com/imp/cmp.jsp?impcc=IMP_<mprid/>&o=http://img.constantcontact.com/lp/images/standard/spacer.gif" alt="" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=56" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=56" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a href="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=35" target="_blank"><img src="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=35" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=64" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=64" border="0" alt="" /></a></div></td></tr></table>Plenty of creative business card showcases are available out there. Many of these are beautifully done and well thought out, and they serve as inspiration for those who would like their business card to be more than the standard rectangular piece of paper. Yet little explanation accompanies these examples, and figuring out just how to bring your idea to life can be overwhelming, to say the least. This guide is meant to help you decide which technique is right for you, how to correctly prepare the files and what to look for in a printer.<a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/08/creative-business-cards-techniques-and-preparation/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/duplexing-500px-version.jpg" alt="Screenshot" title="duplexing" width="500" height="375" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-61189" /></a> <iframe class="facebooklike" src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smashingmagazine.com%2F2010%2F09%2F08%2Fcreative-business-cards-techniques-and-preparation%2F&layout=standard&show_faces=false&width=450&action=like&colorscheme=light&height=35" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe>I never tire of repeating this to anyone who will listen. Don’t base your business card design on the fact that your printer has a special limited-time offer on round corners or metallic inks. Think in terms of what the design will add to your message. Tempted to use rounded corners just because the cool kids are doing it? Maybe your card would stand out more by not using this technique.You may be interested in the following related posts:<ul><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/05/20/effective-business-card-design-better-than-a-plain-ol-business-card/">Business Card Design: Better Than A Plain Ol' Business Card</a></li><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/08/09/business-card-design-starter-kit-showcase-tutorials-templates/">Business Card Design Starter Kit: Showcase, Tutorials, Templates</a></li></ul> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tuXt7djeKhTc8MympwY_JNctREQ/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tuXt7djeKhTc8MympwY_JNctREQ/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tuXt7djeKhTc8MympwY_JNctREQ/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tuXt7djeKhTc8MympwY_JNctREQ/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><table width="650"><tr><td width="650"><div style="width:650px;"> <img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/static/smashing-magazine-advertisement.gif" alt="Smashing-magazine-advertisement in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" border="0" /><img src="http://imp.constantcontact.com/imp/cmp.jsp?impcc=IMP_<mprid/>&o=http://img.constantcontact.com/lp/images/standard/spacer.gif" alt="Spacer in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=56" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=56" border="0" alt=" in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" /></a> <a href="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=35" target="_blank"><img src="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=35" border="0" alt=" in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" /></a> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=64" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=64" border="0" alt=" in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" /></a></div></td></tr></table>Plenty of creative business card showcases are available out there. Many of these are beautifully done and well thought out, and they serve as inspiration for those who would like their business card to be more than the standard rectangular piece of paper. Yet little explanation accompanies these examples, and figuring out just how to bring your idea to life can be overwhelming, to say the least. This guide is meant to help you decide which technique is right for you, how to correctly prepare the files and what to look for in a printer.[Offtopic: by the way, did you know that there is a Smashing eBook Series? Book #1 is <a href="http://shop.smashingmagazine.com/smashing-ebook-series-1-professional-web-design-intl.html">Professional Web Design</a>, 242 pages for just $9,90.]<h3>General Advice</h3><h4>Content Goes First</h4>I never tire of repeating this to anyone who will listen. Don’t base your business card design on the fact that your printer has a special limited-time offer on round corners or metallic inks.Think in terms of what the design will add to your message. Tempted to use rounded corners just because the cool kids are doing it? Maybe your card would stand out more by not using this technique.Why do you want metallic ink? Do you think your name would really stand out in gold, even though your message is all about technology and recent code developments? You may want to rethink that. Or do you sell hand-crafted jewelry and want a design that reflects your latest silver creation? Then the silver ink might be the perfect solution for you after all.The back of a business card is often ignored, but it can be a great place for extras that make your card even more memorable. Make it relevant to what you do, and make it useful if you can. You could include tips or a quick how-to guide relevant to your product, offer a free consultation, add a reminder for a date when you will offer discounts, or invite loyal customers to collect a stamp every time they purchase from you. Think of something that would make them want to hang onto your business card and consult it often. If you think the back should be reserved for note-taking, why not mark a few dotted lines, titled “Notes,” rather than leave it blank?<h4>Talk to Your Printer</h4>No one knows more about the techniques and materials available—and new ones come out all the time. Generally, printers are more than happy to give you all the industry news and advise you on techniques and materials. (If yours isn’t, you might want to look for a new printer.) If you learn a little about how they operate, they will appreciate it and be even more willing to help.<h4>Size</h4>While this article focuses on custom shapes and sizes, keep in mind standard sizes, too. Card holders are made to fit standard size cards, and I have often heard comments like, “If a business card doesn’t fit in my wallet, I don’t care how beautiful it is, it’s going in the trash.”The standard sizes are 3.5 x 2 inches in the US and Canada, 85 x 55 mm in the European Union and 90 x 55 mm in Australia, New Zealand and Scandinavia. Or you could use a standard credit card as a reference, which about 85 x 54 mm or 3.34 x 2.25 inches.Unless you have some other use for your cards in mind (for example, a bookstore’s card that doubles as a bookmark), you’ll want to stay within those dimensions. Smaller is okay, but anything too big won’t fit in most pockets, so consider going bigger only if you have reason to believe your cards will not be stored in wallets or holders.Do you have the perfect idea but don’t know what to do with it? Maybe you’ve heard about die-cutting, varnishes, metallic inks, letterpressing and special materials but are unsure what they are exactly or which one is for you? Let’s jump into the different techniques!<h3>Die-Cutting</h3>Any card (or any printed material for that matter) that isn’t a standard rectangle or that has holes in it is created by a technique known as die-cutting. A metal template is prepared and is used to cut the paper in the given shape. The easiest way to think about this is to picture a giant hole-puncher, except that the holes are not necessarily round, but rather whatever shape you want them to be.This means that, in addition to the artwork, you will need to provide the printer with a custom shape to “punch out” your cards.The result can be as simple a round hole in the center of your card or as complex as a three-dimensional pop-out.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/optimum.jpg"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/optimum.jpg" alt="Optimum in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="500" height="375" class="size-full wp-image-55619" /></a> This simple and effective design makes use of the round hole on both sides of the card.<a href="http://www.toxel.com/design/2010/06/30/24-creative-die-cut-business-cards/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/bizcards03.jpg" alt="Bizcards03 in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="450" height="332" class="size-full wp-image-59783" /></a> This card takes the shape of the product. Instant recognition!<h4>Preparing the File</h4>I’ll use die-cutting as an example, but most of these guidelines apply to the other finishes as well. The main differences are cited in the respective sections below, and I will provide links to help you read about the techniques in more detail. The guidelines below should give you a good starting point.The best applications to prepare files for any special print finishes are the industry-standard Adobe Illustrator and InDesign. Photoshop is not suitable because it does not have the precision necessary for this kind of project.As with any other print document, set up your file to the printed dimensions (i.e. whatever size you want your card to be, whether rectangular or a non-standard size), at 300 PPI resolution, using CMYK as the color space for all the elements of the artwork.There seems to be a bit of confusion about DPI, PPI, CMYK and RGB. Preparing a file for printing with either Illustrator or InDesign is actually very simple.In Illustrator, when creating a new document, click on the “Advanced” options tab (in some versions this is already visible). This brings up the options for both the resolution and color space. Set the resolution to 300 PPI and the color mode to CMYK.Note that PPI, or pixels per inch, is often confused with DPI, or dots per inch. The latter refers strictly to printer hardware and its capability to reproduce dots on paper. When preparing files for printing, don’t worry too much about the DPI. 300 PPI is the magic number. Remember that and you’ll be golden. If you would like to learn more about DPI and PPI, see the link at the end for an article that explains it in much more depth.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/newdoc.jpg"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/newdoc.jpg" alt="Newdoc in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="550" height="298" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-58981" /></a>InDesign documents are automatically created at 300 PPI. The only thing to make sure of is that the elements you insert in the document (such as photographs) are also at 300 PPI and use CMYK. Check this by selecting your image and bringing up the info window (hit F8).For example, the image below uses the RGB color space; it should be changed to CMYK:<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/info-panel.jpg"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/info-panel.jpg" alt="Info-panel in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="550" height="235" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-58982" /></a>Even though you can use RGB images, it doesn’t mean you should. Yes, both InDesign and Illustrator are perfectly capable of converting the output to CMYK when you export a file as PDF, but if you ever have to submit your source files to someone or use the images for something else, this extra step could save you hassles.And please-double check the resolution. Print out the card to check for pixelation. I know this sounds like a no-brainer, but so many people forget to check the printed result. What you see on the screen is not what you will see in print.Another thing to check is your black text and line art, if you are converting any of them from RGB. They should be 100% K in CMYK color mode to avoid a muddy effect and color halos.When your artwork is ready, create a new layer above the artwork. Call the layer something like “dieline.” You could be even more specific and name it “Dieline – DO NOT PRINT,” which would be especially helpful if you are not able to speak with the printer before submitting the file (say, if you are using a Web order form or your client is the point person for the printer.)Now, create the guidelines for how your card should be cut. Make sure your outline for the die-cut uses a custom spot color, not CMYK; this allows the printer to extract the die-cut template when printing separations. To create a custom color, click on the little arrow in the swatches palette, and click to make a new swatch. In the dialog box that appears, choose any color that will stand out in your artwork, and then select “Spot color” from the drop-down menu next to “Color type.” The color can be anything you want. 100% magenta is quite popular because it usually stands out, but saving it as a spot color is important.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/custom-color.jpg"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/custom-color1.jpg" alt="Custom-color1 in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="500" height="300" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-58983" /></a>Also, remember to set the stroke (if it’s a custom crop shape) and/or fill (if you are cutting out holes) to “Overprint” to avoid knocking out the art below. You can bring up the options for Overprinting in InDesign by going to Window → Attributes, or in Illustrator by pressing F11 to bring up the “Attributes” window.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/overprint.jpg"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/overprint.jpg" alt="Overprint in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="233" height="144" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-59791" /></a>Let’s say your logo is a cloud, and you want the card to be cut in a cloud shape (not a very creative example but easy to explain). Your file in Illustrator would look something like this:<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cloud-card.jpg"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cloud-card.jpg" alt="Cloud-card in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="550" height="258" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-58984" /></a>And your finished card would look like this:<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cloud-card1-mock-up.jpg"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cloud-card1-mock-up.jpg" alt="Cloud-card1-mock-up in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="525" height="374" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-58985" /></a>If you wanted to cut out the cloud shape, it would look like this:<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cloud-card21.jpg"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cloud-card21.jpg" alt="Cloud-card21 in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="550" height="251" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-58987" /></a>And the finished card would look like this:<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cloud-card2-mock-up.jpg"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cloud-card2-mock-up.jpg" alt="Cloud-card2-mock-up in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="525" height="374" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-58988" /></a>Notice how the logo has moved from the artwork layer to the dieline layer and is now also filled with the custom spot color.Make sure your artwork has enough bleed (i.e. it extends well past the edge of the document if the shape is regular or past the die-cut guidelines if custom). Usually 0.125 inch, or about 3 mm, is enough, but I tend to add more to be safe. Both InDesign and Illustrator allow you to add bleed in the “Document setup” options.I won’t go into too much detail here, because bleed is a rather complex subject that deserves its own guide. For those of you interested in learning more, a couple of links are at the end of this article that explain it more thoroughly.On the same note, do not put any important elements (such as logo or text) too close to the edge. Leave a buffer margin (again, about 0.125 inch or 3 mm) around the dieline or document, to avoid the risk of something getting cropped.Usually, either a native file (AI, INDD, EPS) or high-resolution PDF is acceptable as the final file for printing. (Always check with the printer before preparing the final file.) If you prepare a PDF, make sure your custom fifth color is kept as a spot color and is not converted to CMYK. You can check it in the “Ink Manager” window (Export as PDF → Output → Ink Manager):<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ink-manager.jpg"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ink-manager.jpg" alt="Ink-manager in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="500" height="385" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-58989" /></a> You can double-check that it appears in the Ink Manager list in the PDF itself (Acrobat Pro) by clicking Advanced → Print Production → Ink Manager:<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Picture-1.jpg"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Picture-1.jpg" alt="Picture-1 in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="500" height="280" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-55657" /></a><h3>Printing It</h3>Most big print shops have die-cutting equipment. Check first if you are printing locally. The best way to make sure everything goes according to plan is to ask questions, explain your requirements and look over the proofs in person. Small printers outsource die-cut jobs. If you want more control, look for one that does it in-house.If you are unable to print locally (for example, because your client is remote), you have two options. One is to find a printer local to your client. Usually, the client will already have one lined up, but I strongly recommend you get in touch with that printer yourself, rather than just pass the files to the client and let them handle it. Ask questions, send over mock-ups, get a proof sent back to you—do what you can to make certain that the job prints the way it should.Alternatively, you could find an online print shop that offers die-cutting. Again, get in touch with them personally, rather than just submit the file via an online form, and make sure all your questions and concerns are addressed.<h4>Printer Checklist</h4>Need help choosing a print shop and communicating with it? Here are some things to keep in mind.<ul><li>Before you do anything else, get their phone number or email address and get in touch. Tell them about your project, and ask about technical specifications and any other questions you may have. (This is a good time to request a cost estimate as well.) If you have more than one candidate, rinse and repeat.</li><li>Ask to see samples of similar pieces they have printed. Examine them. This could lead to more questions—or inspiration to make your project even better.</li><li>The main criteria I use in choosing a printer is how responsive and knowledgeable they are. You want someone who will actually check your file and contact you if there are any problems or questions; because no matter how great a printing deal you find, if your file has an error, that’s money thrown down the drain.</li><li>To save some money, you can often do this by asking the printer for advice. Would making the file layout slightly smaller allow them to fit more cards on one sheet? Could you adjust the shape so that there is less wasted paper? How about using fewer colors? Your printer should know the options; just ask!</li><li>In my experience, PDF is one of the safest options for prepress. Native Illustrator files work well too, but be sure to check which versions of Illustrator your printer accepts. Always check which versions of any Adobe software your printer uses if submitting native files.</li><li>Ask the printer if they have .joboptions files. These files can be imported into Adobe applications and will give you presets for exporting to PDF or EPS. This is the easiest way to make sure that your final files are exactly the way your printer needs them. If they don’t have these files, both InDesign and Illustrator have presets for saving in PDF. Just make the necessary adjustments; for example, you will have to add the bleed to these presets manually (see the links at the end for step-by-step instructions).</li><li>If you are not able to speak with the printer, add an email message or a file with instructions. Don’t forget to include your contact information so that they can call or email you if they have any questions!</li></ul>You’ve probably noticed that most of these tips emphasize the importance of communicating with your printer. I cannot stress this enough: every project is different, and communication is the key to getting the best result possible.<h4>How Much Will It Cost?</h4>While pricing depends on many factors, there is usually a set-up fee when using a die-cut or other special finishing technique. (Remember the giant hole-puncher mentioned above? They need to make one of those, just for you.)The fee will be the same whether you print 50 or 500,000 cards, so printing larger quantities is much more cost-effective.This may not be the case with certain popular formats (for example, rounded-corners business cards) because the printer would reuse the same template for multiple jobs, hence the special offers.<h3>Special Finishes</h3>I’ve devoted a big portion of this article to die-cutting because the file preparation and printing process described here is similar to many other techniques. But let’s look at some of them.<h4>Spot UV Coating</h4>This special finish is achieved by applying a clear varnish to an area of the card defined by you. The effect is a slightly raised design element, with a glossy, matte or satin finish. The example below shows a glossy finish:<a href="http://www.bestbusinesscard.net/12-stunning-examples-of-silk-business-cards"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/silk-laminated-business-cards-1.jpg" alt="Silk-laminated-business-cards-1 in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="500" height="367" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-55670" /></a>File preparation is done the same way as for die-cutting, but instead of specifying a stroke, you specify a shape or area to apply the varnish to. This is still done by filling it with a spot color and, in this case, setting the fill to overprint.<h4>Letterpressing</h4>Letterpressing is done by inking a raised surface and then pressing it into the paper, giving the design both color and depth. This technique is suitable for vector images and text, using solid Pantone inks. An article linked to at the end of this article provides more technical detail. Here is an example of a business card done with this technique:<a href="http://bestdesignoptions.com/?p=5384"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/letterpress-business-cards-06.jpg" alt="Letterpress-business-cards-06 in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="500" height="329" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-59792" /></a><h4>Embossing</h4>Similar to die-cutting, a die is used to press the paper up, creating a three-dimensional raised effect.<a href="http://www.bestbusinesscard.net/21-embossed-business-cards-with-classy-look-and-feel"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/embossed-business-cards-5.jpg" alt="Embossed-business-cards-5 in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="500" height="333" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-55671" /></a><h4>Foil stamping</h4>With this technique, a layer of thin foil is applied to an area of the card you specify.<a href="http://www.bestbusinesscard.net/15-foil-stamped-business-cards-examples"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/foil-business-cards-15.jpg" alt="Foil-business-cards-15 in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="500" height="349" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-55680" /></a><h4>File Preparation for Special Finishes</h4>File preparation for all of these effects is similar to that of die-cutting: you have to define the area to be coated, embossed or whatever the effect is. But you might need to submit two files: one with the artwork, and another with the area to apply the effect to.Make absolutely certain these two files line up perfectly. The easiest way to do this is to use a file with separate layers: one or more for the artwork, and another for the special finish guidelines (as described for the die-cutting file preparation above). Then, simply save them as separate files by first hiding one layer and then the other.When using photos for a special finish, create a clipping path in Photoshop before placing the photo in Illustrator or InDesign. Then you can use this same clipping path as the mask for your effect either by choosing to export the clipping paths to Illustrator or by right-clicking (PC) or Control-clicking (Mac) on the clipping path in InDesign and converting it to frame. (You might want to check the options first if it isn’t showing by going to Object → Clipping Paths → Options.)For example, you can use different masks with this image:<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/apples.jpg"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/apples.jpg" alt="Apples in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="500" height="324" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-55676" /></a>This mask will apply the effect to the entire photo:<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/apples-path1.jpg"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/apples-path1.jpg" alt="Apples-path1 in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="500" height="324" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-55677" /></a>While this one will apply it only to the foremost apple:<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/apple-path2.jpg"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/apple-path2.jpg" alt="Apple-path2 in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="500" height="324" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-55678" /></a><h4>Special Inks</h4>Additional inks can be used to make your card stand out even more. Metallic, pearlized and fluorescent inks can produce interesting effects. (To better preserve metallic inks, consider putting a varnish on top.) The even more common Pantone colors give a different and more solid effect than their process equivalents because they are opaque.This one is simple: just find a custom color you like by looking at the Pantone swatches, and add it to your document. Prepare your artwork as you normally would, but make absolutely certain that your output does not convert to CMYK if you are preparing a PDF (as described above).Note: the easiest way to prepare photos with a special ink is to convert your image in Photoshop first to grayscale and then to duotone. Choose your ink(s) from the Pantone library, and tweak your settings as necessary. (Working with color channels is a complex way to get more control over the result, but I don’t recommend this to Photoshop beginners, and Photoshop experts probably already know how to do this.)<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Picture-2.jpg"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Picture-2.jpg" alt="Picture-2 in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="500" height="339" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-55681" /></a><h4>Duplexing and Triplexing</h4>This technique is about using two or more sheets of paper glued together. The effect achieved is commonly referred to as edge-painting or edge-tipping, because a different-colored sheet of paper that is inserted between the two main ones produces colored edges “inside” the card (triplexing), as seen here:<a href="http://www.beastpieces.com/2010/08/photographer-business-cards-flashy-edge/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/triplexing.jpg" alt="Triplexing in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="550" height="413" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-61187" /></a>Using only two sheets (duplexing) gives a two-color edge—one on the front and one on the back:<a href="http://www.beastpieces.com/2009/08/pacific-luxury-letterpress-business-cards/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/duplexing.jpg" alt="Duplexing in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="550" height="413" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-61189" /></a>It adds a touch of elegance and makes your card thicker than the standard stock. Combining this technique with die-cutting—budget permitting—gives an even more interesting result.<h4>Scented Inks</h4>You won’t find many examples of this technique on the Internet because it doesn’t exactly translate as a photo. Still, it is an interesting way to make your business card jump out.Available scents range <a href="http://www.iicink.com/spec_inter-scent.html">from chocolate to mildew</a>. If that is not enough (and money is no object), you can create a custom scent for an extra fee.<h3>Special Material</h3>This is a vast subject because the options are countless. We will only touch on this topic. To see and feel the different kinds of material available, visit your printer!<h4>Paper and Cardboard</h4>There are so many varieties that I wonder why most people still use the same white or off-white cardboard stock for their business cards. From soft-as-cloth finishes to cold-pressed textured paper, there are enough options for everyone’s needs. The options are rather hard to describe; I recommend you make a trip to the printer (and give yourself an hour or so to ponder the choices)File preparation is no different; except with colored paper stock, keep in mind that the colors will not display the same way in your software. To simulate the effect, use a layer of a similar color below the artwork, and set the artwork layer to multiply; or to about 70% opacity with darker color stocks.<h4>Plastic</h4>Transparent, frosted, stretchy—there are plenty of options for a plastic stock.<a href="http://www.webdesignbooth.com/creative-and-unique-business-card-designs/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/viewzi-business-card.jpg" alt="Viewzi-business-card in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="500" height="375" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-55683" /></a><a href="http://www.joeydevilla.com/2006/11/30/poul-nielsens-stretchy-business-card/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/poul-nielsen-business-card.jpg" alt="Poul-nielsen-business-card in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="451" height="630" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-55684" /></a>Plastic is usually printed with a different process, such as screen printing. Check with your printer to see what colors you can use. Special printing processes usually require that you use Pantone inks. Remember to account for any special effects, such as transparency and stretch. Giving general advice on this one is hard, because each material has its own requirements.<h4>Metal</h4>If your service or product is related to a metal, you might want to consider using metal as a material. You could simulate a credit card or computer. Keep the design minimal for a more striking effect.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/126896700_f6bf4e7b59.jpg"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/126896700_f6bf4e7b59.jpg" alt="126896700 F6bf4e7b59 in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="460" height="302" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-55685" /></a><a href="http://www.tuaw.com/2006/10/03/the-wozs-business-card/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/WOZMetalProof1.jpg" alt="WOZMetalProof1 in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="500" height="341" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-55689" /></a>Again, check with the printer before preparing your artwork to find out what process they use to print on metal and which colors you can safely use.<h4>Other Material</h4>Other options are wood, plexiglass, cloth. You could combine these and use a special finish as well. Hopefully this article has given you some ideas, and you will know how to start researching: by speaking with your printer.<h3>Customizing by Hand</h3>Sometimes, printing a highly customized card is simply not worth it, especially if you need only a small quantity. Does that mean you should dismiss your creative idea and stick with a standard solution? Not necessarily.All you need is some imagination and a lot of patience. An appetite for crafts or having crafty friends or relatives can be a big plus, too.You could print a standard card as the base of your idea and then customize smaller quantities by hand. I recommend doing this with fewer than 500 cards, or you will be overwhelmed. If you have crafty friends or relatives who are willing to help, you could tackle more.Again, keep it relevant to the content. For example, colorful hand-stitching to underline a key phrase or “stitching” your design would be fun for a textile or fashion business:<a href="http://creativebits.org/cool_business_card_designs"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/126896067_3f6dda5b8d.jpg" alt="126896067 3f6dda5b8d in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="460" height="314" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-57879" /></a>Gluing on an element would work for crafts stores. Or you could glue a piece of fabric or something else that characterizes your service:<a href="http://creativebits.org/cool_business_card_designs"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/126894242_09e4aa3da4.jpg" alt="126894242 09e4aa3da4 in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="460" height="344" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-57878" /></a>Incorporating something relevant to what you sell is a great idea, and there are plenty of ways to do this. Here is an excellent example:<a href="http://www.oddee.com/item_96592.aspx"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/a364_c12.jpg" alt="A364 C12 in Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details" width="450" height="380" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-57882" /></a>A paper clip would work for a business supply store or even a business consultant, while a dried or plastic flower would work for a flower or gift shopt. Just about any kind of business can find something relevant to add on.You could even invite the recipient to customize the card themselves; for example, by including cut and fold lines that transform your card into a unique shape. Simple examples are a paper doll for a children’s store or origami for a stationery store. Just make sure it’s relevant and fun, otherwise your recipients are unlikely to go through the trouble of cutting out and folding the card.Hopefully this article offers enough information and inspiration for you to make business cards that are as creative as your imagination allows, and on any budget.<h3>Want To Know More?</h3>Here are a few articles that go into more detail on some of the topics covered:<ul><li><a href="http://www.gomediazine.com/design-articles/technique-theory/living-in-a-die-cut-world/">Living in a Die-Cut World</a> An in-depth article on die-cutting from GoMediaZine.</li><li><a href="http://photo.net/learn/resize/">Display, Printing, DPI and PPI</a> If you are really curious about the differences between DPI and PPI, this article by Photo.Net is for you.</li><li><a href="http://www.trifoxdesigns.com/news/?p=25">Brand Spanking New Colors: Making Custom Spot Colors in Illustrator</a> A step-by-step guide with screenshots.</li><li><a href="http://www.prepressure.com/design/basics/bleed">Page Bleed: What Is It, How Much Is Needed and How to Fix It</a> An easy-to-understand explanation of why bleed is needed and how much you need.</li><li><a href="http://www.bestprintingonline.com/indesign.htm#bleed">Adobe InDesign Tips</a> Tips on setting up bleed and exporting to PDF in InDesign.</li><li><a href="http://www.bestprintingonline.com/illustrator.htm">Illustrator Tips Tips</a> Tips on setting up bleed and exporting to PDF in Illustrator.</li><li><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/2305762/TheStandard1-Prepress">TheStandard: Prepress</a> A very thorough guide from TheStandard on preparing your artwork for printing.</li><li><a href="http://www.prepressure.com/pdf/basics">PDF Basics: The File Format and Its Use in Prepress.</a> Everything you need to know about preparing PDFs for prepress.</li><li><a href="http://www.businessofdesignonline.com/choosing-a-printer/">How to Choose a Printer or Prepress Specialist</a> Excellent tips from the printers themselves, put together by BoDo.</li><li><a href="http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/indesign/articles/ind3kbvarnish.html">New Uses for Old Clipping Paths</a> A detailed explanation from Adobe on using clipping paths as frames in InDesign.</li><li><a href="http://edliveshere.com/content/metallics/4/combining_metallic_inks_with_color">Combining Metallic Inks With Color</a> Useful tips on using metallic inks.</li><li><a href="http://designrfix.com/inspiration/creative-business-cards-uses-of-various-shapes-and-materials">Creative Business Cards: Uses of Various Shapes and Materials</a> A showcase of different techniques and materials.</li></ul><h3>Related Posts</h3>You may be interested in the following related posts:<ul><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/05/20/effective-business-card-design-better-than-a-plain-ol-business-card/">Business Card Design: Better Than A Plain Ol’ Business Card</a></li><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/08/09/business-card-design-starter-kit-showcase-tutorials-templates/">Business Card Design Starter Kit: Showcase, Tutorials, Templates</a></li></ul>(al)<hr />© Lisa for <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com">Smashing Magazine</a>, 2010. | <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/08/creative-business-cards-techniques-and-preparation/">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/08/creative-business-cards-techniques-and-preparation/#comments">Post a comment</a> | <a title="Bookmark in del.icio.us" href="http://del.icio.us/post?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/08/creative-business-cards-techniques-and-preparation/&title=Designing and Producing Creative Business Cards: Techniques and Details">Add to del.icio.us</a> | <a title="Bookmark in Digg" href="http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/08/creative-business-cards-techniques-and-preparation/">Digg this</a> | <a 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href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/tag/print/" rel="tag">print</a> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SmashingMagazine/~4/uDy_itgpsD8" height="1" width="1"/>60http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/08/creative-business-cards-techniques-and-preparation/Sarah & Adrienne Kahnhttp://www.kahnlab.comShowcase of Interesting Navigation Designshttp://www.smashingmagazine.com/?p=600372010-09-09T11:17:23Z2010-09-07T13:12:22Z<table width="650"><tr><td width="650"><div style="width:650px;"> <img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/static/smashing-magazine-advertisement.gif" alt="" border="0" /><img src="http://imp.constantcontact.com/imp/cmp.jsp?impcc=IMP_<mprid/>&o=http://img.constantcontact.com/lp/images/standard/spacer.gif" alt="" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=56" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=56" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a href="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=35" target="_blank"><img src="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=35" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=64" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=64" border="0" alt="" /></a></div></td></tr></table>Everyone is always looking for interesting and effective ways to organize their website and allow users to move about and find things. But there’s a fine line between unexpected and unusable. Three points to consider in any navigation scheme are consistency, user expectations and contextual clues.<a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/07/showcase-of-interesting-navigation-designs/"><img class="size-full wp-image-60050" title="Screenshot" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/beauty1.jpg" alt="Foundation Six Portfolio" width="500" height="393" /></a> <iframe class="facebooklike" src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smashingmagazine.com%2F2010%2F09%2F07%2Fshowcase-of-interesting-navigation-designs%2F&layout=standard&show_faces=false&width=450&action=like&colorscheme=light&height=35" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe>If page is long and provides different levels of navigation, will users be able to find their way through the site and use proper navigation quickly? Forcing visitors to use certain keystrokes to navigate, rather than what they're used to, might be novel, but is that effective if you have to explain instructions prominently on your home page? Here are some examples for your reading pleasure. <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/vldj672losW88JwT_ZD4U_wBzJM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/vldj672losW88JwT_ZD4U_wBzJM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/vldj672losW88JwT_ZD4U_wBzJM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/vldj672losW88JwT_ZD4U_wBzJM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><table width="650"><tr><td width="650"><div style="width:650px;"> <img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/static/smashing-magazine-advertisement.gif" alt="Smashing-magazine-advertisement in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" border="0" /><img src="http://imp.constantcontact.com/imp/cmp.jsp?impcc=IMP_<mprid/>&o=http://img.constantcontact.com/lp/images/standard/spacer.gif" alt="Spacer in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=56" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=56" border="0" alt=" in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" /></a> <a href="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=35" target="_blank"><img src="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=35" border="0" alt=" in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" /></a> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=64" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=64" border="0" alt=" in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" /></a></div></td></tr></table>Everyone is always looking for interesting and effective ways to organize their website and allow users to move about and find things. But there’s a fine line between unexpected and unusable. Three points to consider in any navigation scheme are consistency, user expectations and contextual clues.If page is long and provides different levels of navigation, will users be able to find their way through the site and use proper navigation quickly? Forcing visitors to use certain keystrokes to navigate, rather than what they’re used to, might be novel, but is that effective if you have to explain instructions prominently on your home page? Here are some examples for your reading pleasure.[Offtopic: by the way, did you know that there is a Smashing eBook Series? Book #1 is <a href="http://shop.smashingmagazine.com/smashing-ebook-series-1-professional-web-design-intl.html">Professional Web Design</a>, 242 pages for just $9,90.]<h3>Made by Water</h3><h4>A JavaScript-Powered Vertical Fun</h4>The large bold headings and modern color palette on <a href="http://www.madebywater.com/">Made by Water</a> feel fresh and fun. The grid layout is nice and clear, while the background texture is subtle but interesting. The icons at the top are visually appealing, and the animation makes them fun to click. It’s not immediately apparent what they are for, though. Some text would help to clarify that they are for navigation.<a href="http://www.madebywater.com/"><img class="size-full wp-image-60241" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/running.jpg" alt="Running in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="500" height="359" /></a> Vertical navigation buttons with icons.The other problem with the navigation is the yellow “up” arrow that is displayed in the footer of the page. One would expect it to bring you back to the top of the page, but it leaves you more in the middle. The circle of stripes that follows you down as you scroll doesn’t match the background pattern, but we can’t tell if it’s part of the navigation. At any rate, we clicked it to no effect.Finally, while the text at the top is fun and exciting, finding the “Who am I” section is a bit hard. It’s not immediately clear what the website is about.<h3>Made in Haus</h3><h4>Horizontal Slideshow as Navigation</h4>The large page keeps <a href="http://www.madeinhaus.com">Made in Haus</a> from feeling unoriginal, and the smooth motion is a bit different from many of the sliders we’ve seen. Bumping the accompanying text up into the body of each slide is a good way to keep it above the fold and visible as the user flips through the slides. The sliders on the sub-pages are also effective, being an easy way to skim through a fair amount of content. Also, nice hover-effects under the slideshow look attractive and give an insight into the work of the agency.<a href="http://www.madeinhaus.com"><img class="size-full wp-image-60236" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/haus.jpg" alt="Haus in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="500" height="383" /></a> Bold horizontal navigation.One drawback is that the triangle on the far right of the upper navigation menu is a bit confusing. It appears to link to the home page, as a logo would, but we’re not quite sure why. Also, the arrow on the right side of the slideshow may be a bit too tiny, making it a bit difficult for users to navigate the slideshow. We’ve seen a similar navigation earlier, on <a href="http://weightshift.com/">Weightshift</a> which is a nice example of an alternative implementation of this technique.<h3>Foundation Six</h3><h4>Animated Text Scrolls Down With the User</h4><a href="http://www.foundationsix.com/">Foundation Six</a> features a few big bold screenshots at the center of the page, giving us the impression that they were interactive in some way. The first thing that we did was try to click on the screenshots, but nothing happened (except for the central one which links to the description of the project featured in the center of the page), which was a little frustrating.<a href="http://www.foundationsix.com/"><img class="size-full wp-image-60050" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/beauty1.jpg" alt="Beauty1 in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="500" height="393" /></a> Text moves instead of images.The headings are large and very clear, and the type is handled nicely throughout. The color palette is very soft and clean, and it nicely matches the atmosphere of the site. The call-to-actions buttons are large and easy to find, read and click. The subtle hover effects in the upper navigation enhance the user experience, making it smooth. Additionally, the contact form tracks well and is nicely laid out, while the map is a nice touch. The company scores bonus points for linking to <a href="http://www.bringdownie6.com">Bring Down IE6</a>.On the projects page, the way the explanatory text slides down instead of the images is original. But being so unexpected, it could be a little disorienting, which may or may not be a good thing: is explanatory text really the best place to make a statement with moving parts?<h3>Word Refuge</h3><h4>Textual Content in a Horizontal Slider</h4><a href="http://www.wordrefuge.com/">Word Refuge</a> features an old-fashioned bookish vibe. Because it is a copywriting service, this seems appropriate. The contact form is prominent, easy to find and easy to use. The logo is also nicely done, and the color palette is rich and regal.<a href="http://www.wordrefuge.com/"><img class="size-full wp-image-60240" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/wordrefuge.jpg" alt="Wordrefuge in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="500" height="332" /></a> Various arguments for the company are organized into slides.One small point is that the tag lines in the main navigation are effective under some of the menu items but not under others. Some of them feel redundant, as if they’re there only to balance things out. As a rule, if text doesn’t add any explanation, it shouldn’t be there. That said, the text throughout the website is nicely kerned, and while the page is wordy, the text is easy to skim through and read.<h3>Relogik</h3><h4>Animated Horizontal Slideshow Navigation</h4><a href="http://www.relogik.com">Relogik</a> is another example of minimalism done well. The logo is understated and sophisticated. Most design elements are semi-transparent and appear on hover. The close-up images are bold and make the content the focal point of the page. The code is clean and well-structured and uses a solid grid layout with pulls to keep everything squared up.<a href="http://www.relogik.com"><img class="size-full wp-image-60232" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/relogik.jpg" alt="Relogik in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="500" height="379" /></a> Sliding horizontal navigation.The classic numeric navigation makes it easy to navigate the slideshow. One weakness is that the contact information has a very low contrast against the background. A darker color would help to highlight it. The project detail pages do a good job of showing rather than telling and of displaying each piece in a real-world context.<h3>Drexler</h3><h4>Horizontal Navigation… If the User Follows Instructions</h4>The horizontal navigation on <a href="http://drxlr.com/">Drexler</a> works both with the arrow keys and mouse clicks. On the first glance, it’s not clear how to navigate the site: you need to either read the hint in the upper area of the site (“User your arrows”) or experiment with the design to figure it out. To browse blog posts, users need to click on the illustration of the post or use keyboard arrows. The design itself is visually appealing, but the navigation scheme isn’t straightforward.<a href="http://drxlr.com/"><img class="size-full wp-image-60238" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Drexler1.jpg" alt="Drexler1 in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="500" height="382" /></a> “Use your arrows” to navigate.The retro color palette and big bold fonts make the website colorful and energetic, but they also might be a little overpowering. The “t” for Twitter in the upper right is an interesting break from the usual little bird, but the downside of breaking with convention is that you might lose clarity. We didn’t know what the icon was for until we clicked it, and we probably wouldn’t have clicked it if we were merely visiting the website as a normal user. The contact button is amazing indeed, as it claims. The multi-column contact form is an interesting take on the email form. It seems effective, and it tracks very well. This is a design that needs to be explored to be understood — but maybe it was the intention of the designer in the first place?The logo is simple and clean, but again, it adds a note of confusion. The yellow underline on mouse-over feels unbalanced, because the rest of the logo isn’t highlighted. One other thing to note is that the page changes color to match the project being displayed. This is an unusual take on the portfolio. Usually, projects are displayed uniformly, sometimes to the point of being indistinguishable. This approach makes the projects stand out, in a good way.<h3>Komrade</h3><h4>Vertical Navigation With a Twist</h4>This page allows users to forge their own path through the website. <a href="http://komra.de/">Komrade</a> features original illustrations, a fresh color palette and an original “Choose Your Own Adventure”-style navigation scheme. The navigation has the following cracks in it, though:<ol><li>The light blue text looks like it’s hyperlinked. One of the first things a user sees upon loading the page is the blue “Who’s Komrade” heading. The first thing we did was click it, but nothing happened. This started the user experience off on the wrong foot. With this unusual scrolling navigation, distinguishing the clickable from the unclickable is extremely important.</li><li>The numbered navigation for Komrade’s past work does not stand out enough. The red circles look like yet more flowers, which caused us to pass over them several times before figuring out that they were the navigation. This goes back to the clickable/unclickable issue. Well-placed labels would go a long way here.</li></ol><a href="http://komra.de/"><img class="size-full wp-image-60233" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/komrade1.jpg" alt="Komrade1 in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="500" height="363" /></a> “Choose Your Own Adventure”-style navigation.<h3>All For Design</h3><h4>Scrolling Navigation and “Shelf”-Navigation</h4><a href="http://all-for-design.com/portfolio/">All For Design</a> feels light and airy, with its crisp woodcut headings and subtle effects such as the Twitter icon that flies on hover. The design os single projects pages is especially nice, making clear exactly what was involved in each project. The section “some inspiration” nicely puts books, useful websites and articles on a “shelf” and has subtle shadow- and hover-effects. The only problem is that the <code>title</code>-attribute is displayed on hover together with the screenshot which makes it a bit difficult to focus on one of them.<a href="http://all-for-design.com/portfolio/"><img class="size-full wp-image-60235" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/inspiration.jpg" alt="Inspiration in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="500" height="204" /></a> “Shelf”-navigation.<a href="http://all-for-design.com/portfolio/"><img class="size-full wp-image-60235" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/calendar.jpg" alt="Calendar in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="447" height="341" /></a> Calendar next to the contact form.The calendar next to the contact form is also a great idea: it sets expectations and makes it easy for potential clients to plot a timeline. While the font is scannable, it still feels a bit too wordy overall, although the shadow effects, subtle borders and custom icons keep the eye flowing down the page.<h3>Digital Labs</h3><h4>Horizontal or Vertical Navigation?</h4>With the prominent screenshots on this website, one would think the page would have horizontal navigation; in fact, the page is static. <a href="http://www.digitallabs.tv">Digital Labs</a> uses a wide layout, with a nice textured background. The dark colors make it feel spacious without being too spacey. One issue, though, is that the orange ribbon on the right looks like it should be clickable, but it isn’t. The text-based social media widget, which responds to mouse-over, is an interesting touch. The web design scene is full of social media icons, so a text-based widget stands out.<a href="http://www.digitallabs.tv"><img class="size-full wp-image-60043" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/digital-labs.jpg" alt="Digital-labs in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="500" height="243" /></a> The static screenshots above look like a slideshow.The other issue is that the “Are you ready to get started?” link at the bottom is a <code>mailto:</code> link, rather than a link to a contact form. This is acceptable, but a drop-down form in that space would really kick things up a notch.<h3>Calobee Doodles</h3><h4>Classic Thumbnail and Lightbox Combination</h4><a href="http://www.calobeedoodles.com/portfolio/">Calobee Doodles</a>, an illustration-based portfolio website, has fun details, such as the objects and people falling from the sky. The cloud menu items could be clearer, though. At first, we were not sure what “Custom” stands for (it stands for custom design and illustration work). However, the menu benefits from descriptive tooltips and appear on hover. Still, a different wording, for instance “Work”, would have been clearer.<a href="http://www.calobeedoodles.com/portfolio/"><img class="size-full wp-image-60239" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/calobee.jpg" alt="Calobee in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="500" height="278" /></a> The website uses the classic thumbnail and lightbox navigation.A thumbnail gallery is a common way to display work, but in this case illustration thumbnails are a bit too small<del>, and they are linked to images. A lightbox may work better in this context.</del> The bottom-up-navigation may be useful for some readers, and the footer is truly remarkable. Also, it would be nice to remove dotted lines appearing on click in the navigation menu. A simple <code>outline: none;</code> for links with proper styles for <code>:focus</code> and <code>:active</code> states would suffice.<h3>Build</h3><h4>Classic Top-Level Navigation</h4>While the overall layout of <a href="http://buildconf.com/">Build</a> is clean and modern, the content could stand to be more easily scannable, for two reasons for this. A look at that code suggests that the margins and padding are a bit arbitrary. The padding for the main body conforms to a design pattern, but the major content elements do not. Maybe it would be a good idea to use multiples of a set base number for the margins, padding and borders, so that there is a consistent ratio throughout.<a href="http://buildconf.com/"><img class="size-full wp-image-60242" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/build.jpg" alt="Build in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="500" height="328" /></a> Classic top-level navigation.Secondly, the contrast of the text in the content sections has some problems. The contrast between strong white and strong grey background is very striking, and maybe a bit too strong. The second part of the page looks a bit busy and a bit difficult to scan, probably because the colors of the headings and descriptions are very similar. Maybe if the headings were kept as a serif, the content blocks could be distinguished a bit by making the text lighter and using a sans-serif font. Some textual variation or typographic work might add visual interest as well. Subtle hover effects for links are attractive and fun to click on: nice touch!We liked the listserv sign-up widget in the footer of the page. A sample email in the relevant field, along with more space on the line, could be a helpful, though. Also, an explanation of what exactly users are meant to type here would be great — for instance, a sample e-mail in the input field. Also, the mouse pointer should change after you click on the submit-button, but in this case it doesn’t. We fumbled a bit at first until we looked at the code.<h3>Mail Chimp</h3><h4>Graphics-Heavy Vertical Page With No Navigation Other Than Browser Scroll Bar</h4><a href="http://www.mailchimp.com/v5-2/">Mailchimp’s promo page</a> is a visually appealing website with a lot of interesting vintage graphics. Some real strengths of this website are the many interesting textures and patterns. The color scheme is modern and appealing. There are, however, a few usability problems. First, there is actually no navigation. We’re as big a fan of shedding unnecessary conventions as the next guy, but if we were an existing customer visiting this website, we would have no idea what to do. The “Sign in” link is obscured at the bottom of the page, with few visual cues to reward the user’s patience as they scroll down. Even a few small links at the top would add some structure and provide some cues for navigation, which would make the whole website make more sense.<a href="http://www.mailchimp.com/v5-2/"><img class="size-full wp-image-60055" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/mailchimp.png" alt="Mailchimp in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="500" height="277" /></a> Graphics-heavy vertical website.Secondly, the edgy graphics, while fun and visually interesting, don’t give much sense of what the main point of the page actually is (if you are visiting the site for the first time). The primary message is only delivered in the paragraph towards the middle, and even it is a bit hard to read, with the small white text over the shades of gray. The paragraph would be more effective if it were bigger and had more contrast. The promotional videos are really great and remarkable, though.<h3>Pline Studios</h3><h4>Minimalism in Vertical JavaScript-Based Navigation</h4><a href="http://www.plinestudios.com/">Pline studios</a> is an architecture firm, so it makes sense for it to have a spacious vertical layout with graphic touches that are reminiscent of CADD drawings. The big headings are clean and visually appealing and do a great job of leading the eye around. In an unconventional navigation scheme, making it clear where to click is critical, and this website makes it extremely clear. The navigation is repeated in each section, so the user is never stranded and left to scroll.One problem, though, is the project descriptions; so much focus is on the images and animations that there’s actually very little explanation about the projects themselves.<a href="http://www.plinestudios.com"><img class="size-full wp-image-60230" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/pline.jpg" alt="Pline in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="500" height="343" /></a> Minimal vertical navigation.<h3>Transformology</h3><h4>Persistent Toolbar-Navigation</h4><a href="http://www.transformology.com/">Transformology</a> shows another way to handle navigation on a vertical page. When the user scrolls the page, the navigation menu at the top of the site changes accordingly. The elaborate headings in the text blocks are visually appealing, but almost to the disadvantage of the content that should be showcased. The headings make the content easy to see but more difficult to read. The website has a clean, solid grid layout, but it may not always do an effective job of displaying the content, which sometimes feels overpowering.<a href="http://www.transformology.com/"><img class="size-full wp-image-60046" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/transform.jpg" alt="Transform in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="500" height="349" /></a> Static navigation follows wherever you go.<h3>Burton</h3><h4>Sliding Captions and Tabbed Boxes in a Vertical Layout</h4>The first thing we noticed about <a href="http://www.burton.com/">Burton</a> is the nice visual details, such as the animated eyes on the “Search and Destroy” search box, and the animated GIF on the mouse-over logo. The jigsaw layout is clean, bold and easy to scan. The mouse-over labels are a good way to display details without overwhelming users with text, and the mini-tabbed layouts inside the content blocks keep things clean and minimal. All of the content is available without being visible all at once.<a href="http://www.burton.com/"><img class="size-full wp-image-60047" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/restricted.jpg" alt="Restricted in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="499" height="243" /></a> The scrolling vertical navigation is aided by the jigsaw sections with sliding captions.A problem with the navigation, though, is the up and down arrows on the side of site’s pages. We expected that they would allow us to move up and down the page; instead, they pop out a text-based navigation menu. Not knowing what sections of the page correspond to the labels (for instance, when you visit the page for the first time), this isn’t very useful. Still, overall very nice, original and memorable design.<h3>New Adventures in Web Design</h3><h4>Fun Shapes That Feel Like Navigation</h4>At the first sight, the interactive shapes in the middle of the <a href="http://newadventuresconf.com/">New Adventures</a> page feel a bit like navigation, in that they change as you move through the website, providing cues that the page has changed. New Adventures is an example of a clean and solidly structured design. The rainbow of dynamically transforming shapes is fun and original. Adding more color could make the design a bit stronger; the brown palette is calm and professional, but it probably could have been be more interesting with some accent colors.<a href="http://newadventuresconf.com/"><img class="size-full wp-image-60058" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/newAdventures.jpg" alt="NewAdventures in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="500" height="294" /></a> The shapes move all over the place!The typography overall is effective, and the line heights and margins make the information very clear and concise. An interesting touch of the design would be to highlight the speaker’s photo when a user hovers over his or her name in the list of speakers. Also, when trying to return to the front page, we clicked on the text logo in the left upper corner (“New Adventures in Web Design”), but it isn’t clickable which is a bit confusing. We had to use the small “Home”-link in the upper left corner instead.<h3>Christopher Kaufman</h3><h4>Wide Horizontal Slider With a Difference</h4>On <a href="http://christopherkaufman.com/">Christopher Kaufman’s page</a>, the sub-content panels slide up as the slider moves left to right. The layout is clean and organized, the background is colorful and unique, and the slideshow adds plenty of eye candy. The logo is minimal but detailed, and the top-level navigation is clear and effective. One drawback is that the background image is a pretty big file; as it loads, it creates a flashing effect that can be disorienting. One could argue that the height of the slideshow is optimized for larger screens; but scrolling through the slideshow content, some users can see that the content below has changed, yet have to scroll down to read all of it. This isn’t necessarily a big issue, but the slideshow panels could be a bit shorter.<a href="http://christopherkaufman.com/"><img class="size-full wp-image-60060" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/christopherKaufman.jpg" alt="ChristopherKaufman in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="500" height="306" /></a> The wide horizontal navigation forces users with small screens to scroll.<h3>Chapolito</h3><h4>Another Example of Tabbed Navigation</h4><a href="http://chapolito.com/">Chapolito</a> is really a unique website. The footer animation catches the eye right away, and the abstract shapes in the top-level navigation are original, as is the way the logo is integrated in the navigation, which keeps the brand as a focal point. We do have a suggestion for the sub-navigation in the portfolio section, though. The circles-as-progress indicator probably works best for slideshows of about five pieces of content or fewer. With such an extensive showcase, the user might get lost and not be able to find a particular project again. If numbers were in the circles, that would help.<a href="http://chapolito.com/"><img class="size-full wp-image-60062" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/chapolito.jpg" alt="Chapolito in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="500" height="244" /></a> Interesting top navigation.<h3>Flywheel Design</h3><h4>Sliders and Graphic Tiles That Flip on Mouse-Over</h4><a href="http://flywheeldesign.com/">Flywheel Design</a> gives a good overview of its work right on the home page. The hover-over navigation is fun and gives users an incentive to mouse around and explore. The background is simple without being boring, making this a good example of minimal design. One problem for us was the slider navigation on project sub-pages: almost too minimal, because it took us a while to figure out it was there. Making it a little bigger or adding a splash of color might help.<a href="http://flywheeldesign.com/"><img class="size-full wp-image-60066" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/flywheel.jpg" alt="Flywheel in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="500" height="366" /></a> Flip-tile style navigation.<h3>Wishbone Design</h3><h4>Flash-Based Animated Navigation</h4><a href="http://www.wishbonedesign.com/">Wishbone Design</a> is created for kids and parents, so it makes sense for it to be fun and full of Flash animations. The navigation is entertaining but a little hard to use. Having the sub-elements open on hover seems to be the root of the problem; changing it to a click might give users a greater sense of control. Hover navigation should be as speedy as possible. The main slideshow is eye-catching, but you really have to dig to figure out that this is actually a company manufacturing bicycles (among other things). An explanatory blurb or even some slides would help new visitors. Another problem: if you’re going to have audio, please give users a way to turn it off! Overall, the site is truly remarkable, with attention to details. Nice work, this is what Flash is supposed to be used for!<a href="http://www.wishbonedesign.com/"><img class="size-full wp-image-60067" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/wishbone.jpg" alt="Wishbone in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="500" height="296" /></a> Flash-based navigation.<h3>Basmatitree</h3><h4>Flash-Based Animation That Could Be Navigation</h4>We can’t lie: on first arriving on <a href="http://www.basmatitree.net/60mq/">60 mq missione casa</a>, we were really hoping that the spoons were the navigation. We were sad to find out they aren’t. That said, this is a pretty fun layout for a food blog. The typography could benefit from some more variation, though. Also, the posts would be easier to scan if some texture or color variation were added to the columns.<a href="http://www.basmatitree.net/60mq/"><img class="size-full wp-image-60069" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/basmatitree.jpg" alt="Basmatitree in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="500" height="241" /></a> Flash-animated spoons are fun!<h3>Minus Five</h3><h4>An Entirely Horizontal Sliding Website</h4>Horizontal navigation can be problematic. In this case, though, <a href="http://www.minus-five.com/">Minus Five </a>is larger than life and colorful. The hover-over “Forth” and “Back” controls are large and easy to see, making it abundantly clear where you can click and what you are supposed to do, and avoiding one of the common drawbacks of unconventional navigation.<a href="http://www.minus-five.com/"><img class="size-full wp-image-60071" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/minusfive.jpg" alt="Minusfive in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="500" height="259" /></a> Entirely horizontal navigation.For a portfolio, one thing that could confuse users is that the featured websites are not linked to anything. Using images embedded in a Mac frame to convey that they are websites is a good idea, but they make it a little hard to see the details in the designs. Another questionable design choice is positioning the portfolio pieces to the right of the background image. This makes it feel as though the background is the focus, instead of the portfolio pieces themselves. Also, the page is difficult to browse if you don’t have a proper wide screen display, because you see only small chunks of the site at once.<h3>Retinart</h3><h4>Completely Text-Based Navigation</h4><a href="http://retinart.net/">Retinart</a> is a lovely example of a typography-focused website. The nice, even gutters and margins are relaxing on the eyes. One thing that’s a little unexpected is that the “Feedback” tab on the left side doesn’t pop out from the side (as most users would expect), but rather opens a modal window.<a href="http://retinart.net/"><img class="size-full wp-image-60072" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/reintart.jpg" alt="Reintart in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="500" height="380" /></a> The beautiful typography goes well with imaginative language.Notice the careful attention to language. In conjunction with beautiful type, a designer can really take it to the next level by using beautiful language to emphasize the quailty of the site.<h3>Collision Labs</h3><h4>Classic Tabbed Navigation</h4><a href="http://collisionlabs.com/">Collision Labs</a> is energetic. We immediately wanted to take this design firm’s advice and fasten our seat belts! The large header block is exciting without being overpowering. The portfolio sub-pages are clear and do a good job of both telling and showing what the projects were about. The typography, though, is a little uniform. One thing that confused us was the Twitter icon in the footer navigation: the bird flips upside down on hover. We couldn’t really see the reason for this, so it felt vaguely unsettling. Overall, though, an effective website, and a good example of judicious and not excessive icon usage.<a href="http://collisionlabs.com/"><img class="size-full wp-image-60073" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/collision.jpg" alt="Collision in Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs" width="500" height="335" /></a> Bold color and traditional navigation.<h3>Summary</h3>In sum, navigation is as much about communicating instructions for finding content as it is about being fun and interesting. There are some points to take away. For instance, if something is clickable, make sure it looks clickable. If it’s not clickable, make sure to communicate that, too. Also, be fun without being confusing. And show, don’t tell. If you have to tell users what to do, then the navigation has failed. After all, the crucial attribute of any truly exceptional website is both aesthetics and the usability of its navigation.<h4>Related Posts</h4><ul><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/01/04/showcase-of-modern-navigation-design-trends/">Showcase of Modern Navigation Design Trends</a></li><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/04/19/showcase-of-beautiful-vertical-navigation-designs/">Showcase of Beautiful Vertical Navigation Designs</a></li><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/01/11/the-case-against-vertical-navigation/">The Case Against Vertical Navigation</a></li><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/02/26/navigation-menus-trends-and-examples/">Navigation: Menus, Trends and Examples</a></li><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/04/06/showcase-of-well-designed-tabbed-navigation/">Showcase of Well-Designed Tabbed Navigation</a></li></ul><h3>Would you like to see more similar showcases on SM?</h3>Let us know what you think in the comments to this post! And please like this article below if you find it useful and would love to see more similar posts on Smashing Magazine in the future. Thanks.<hr />© Sarah & Adrienne Kahn for <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com">Smashing Magazine</a>, 2010. | <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/07/showcase-of-interesting-navigation-designs/">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/07/showcase-of-interesting-navigation-designs/#comments">Post a comment</a> | <a title="Bookmark in del.icio.us" href="http://del.icio.us/post?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/07/showcase-of-interesting-navigation-designs/&title=Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs">Add to del.icio.us</a> | <a title="Bookmark in Digg" href="http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/07/showcase-of-interesting-navigation-designs/">Digg this</a> | <a title="Stumble on StumbleUpon" href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/07/showcase-of-interesting-navigation-designs/">Stumble on StumbleUpon!</a> | <a title="Tweet us!" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=@tweetmeme%20@smashingmag%20Reading%20'Showcase of Interesting Navigation Designs' http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/07/showcase-of-interesting-navigation-designs/">Tweet it!</a> | <a title="Bookmark in Reddit" href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/07/showcase-of-interesting-navigation-designs/">Submit to Reddit</a> | <a href="http://forum.smashingmagazine.com/">Forum Smashing Magazine</a> Post tags: <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/tag/navigation/" rel="tag">navigation</a>, <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/tag/showcases/" rel="tag">showcases</a> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SmashingMagazine/~4/viVg5_1xHMI" height="1" width="1"/>57http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/07/showcase-of-interesting-navigation-designs/Smashing Editorialhttp://www.smashingmagazine.comKeynotopia Wireframing Set: Free Wireframing Templates for Apple Keynotehttp://www.smashingmagazine.com/?p=616802010-09-06T23:04:10Z2010-09-06T23:01:01Z<table width="650"><tr><td width="650"><div style="width:650px;"> <img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/static/smashing-magazine-advertisement.gif" alt="" border="0" /><img src="http://imp.constantcontact.com/imp/cmp.jsp?impcc=IMP_<mprid/>&o=http://img.constantcontact.com/lp/images/standard/spacer.gif" alt="" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=56" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=56" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a href="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=35" target="_blank"><img src="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=35" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=64" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=64" border="0" alt="" /></a></div></td></tr></table>Lately, Apple Keynote has been gaining popularity among designers as a wireframing and prototyping tool. Features like multiple slide masters, styles, grouping, animation and hyperlinks make it ideal for crafting interactive prototypes and UI narratives. Today's freebie, Keynotopia, is a free set of interface elements for Keynote that makes it possible for anyone to create these prototypes in minutes. All elements are hand-crafted in Apple Keynote, and organized in nested groups for easier manipulation and customization. The templates can be used in Keynote 09 and 08 and are designed by <a href="http://www.keynotopia.com">Amir Khella</a>.<a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/06/keynotopia-wireframing-set-free-wireframing-templates-for-apple-keynote/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/keynote-release.jpg" width="450" height="450" alt="Wireframe templates for Apple Keynote" /></a> <iframe class="facebooklike" src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smashingmagazine.com%2F2010%2F09%2F06%2Fkeynotopia-wireframing-set-free-wireframing-templates-for-apple-keynote%2F&layout=standard&show_faces=false&width=450&action=like&colorscheme=light&height=35" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe>Start with a blank presentation, and create a new slide for each application screen. Then copy/paste elements from the wireframe templates into your slides, and edit their labels, sizes and colors. To save time, group elements together, and use master slides to share common interface and navigation components across multiple screens. Finally, add hyperlinks to enable user interaction, and use slide transitions to create cool interface animations. <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7SNmGUUvIkIxX24J-p19em6gyVo/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7SNmGUUvIkIxX24J-p19em6gyVo/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7SNmGUUvIkIxX24J-p19em6gyVo/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7SNmGUUvIkIxX24J-p19em6gyVo/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><table width="650"><tr><td width="650"><div style="width:650px;"> <img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/static/smashing-magazine-advertisement.gif" alt="Smashing-magazine-advertisement in Keynotopia Wireframing Set: Free Wireframing Templates for Apple Keynote" border="0" /><img src="http://imp.constantcontact.com/imp/cmp.jsp?impcc=IMP_<mprid/>&o=http://img.constantcontact.com/lp/images/standard/spacer.gif" alt="Spacer in Keynotopia Wireframing Set: Free Wireframing Templates for Apple Keynote" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=56" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=56" border="0" alt=" in Keynotopia Wireframing Set: Free Wireframing Templates for Apple Keynote" /></a> <a href="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=35" target="_blank"><img src="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=35" border="0" alt=" in Keynotopia Wireframing Set: Free Wireframing Templates for Apple Keynote" /></a> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=64" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=64" border="0" alt=" in Keynotopia Wireframing Set: Free Wireframing Templates for Apple Keynote" /></a></div></td></tr></table>Lately, Apple Keynote has been gaining popularity among designers as a wireframing and prototyping tool. Features like multiple slide masters, styles, grouping, animation and hyperlinks make it ideal for crafting interactive prototypes and UI narratives. Today’s freebie, Keynotopia, is a free set of interface elements for Keynote that makes it possible for anyone to create these prototypes in minutes. All elements are hand-crafted in Apple Keynote, and organized in nested groups for easier manipulation and customization. The templates can be used in Keynote 09 and 08 and are designed by <a href="http://www.keynotopia.com">Amir Khella</a>.Start with a blank presentation, and create a new slide for each application screen. Then copy/paste elements from the wireframe templates into your slides, and edit their labels, sizes and colors. To save time, group elements together, and use master slides to share common interface and navigation components across multiple screens. Finally, add hyperlinks to enable user interaction, and use slide transitions to create cool interface animations.Voila! You now have an interactive prototype that you can test with users, share with team members, and present to stakeholders.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Wireframe-Library-V1.1.zip"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/keynote-release.jpg" width="450" height="450" alt="Keynote-release in Keynotopia Wireframing Set: Free Wireframing Templates for Apple Keynote" /></a><h4>Download the set for free!</h4>You can use the set for all of your projects for free and without any restrictions. You can freely use it for both your private and commercial projects, including software, online services, templates and themes. The set may not be resold, sublicensed or rented. Please link to this article if you want to spread the word.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Wireframe-Library-V1.1.zip"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/004.jpg" width="550" height="413" alt="004 in Keynotopia Wireframing Set: Free Wireframing Templates for Apple Keynote" /></a><ul><li><a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Wireframe-Library-V1.1.zip">download the set</a> (.zip, 6 Mb)</li><li><a href="http://keynotopia.com/guides/">step-by-step tutorial and guide</a></li><li><a href="http://keynotopia.com/wireframe-templates/">release on developer’s page</a></li></ul>[Offtopic: by the way, did you know that there is a Smashing eBook Series? Book #2 is <a href="https://shop.smashingmagazine.com/smashingbook-dispatcher.php?d=smashing-ebook-successful-freelancing">Successful Freelancing for Web Designers</a>, 260 pages for just $9,90.]<h3>Screenshots</h3><a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/001.png"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/001.jpg" width="550" height="413" alt="001 in Keynotopia Wireframing Set: Free Wireframing Templates for Apple Keynote" /></a> Containers and Dialogs. <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/001.png">Large view</a>.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/002.png"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/002.jpg" width="550" height="413" alt="002 in Keynotopia Wireframing Set: Free Wireframing Templates for Apple Keynote" /></a> Controls. <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/002.png">Large view</a>.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/003.png"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/003.jpg" width="550" height="413" alt="003 in Keynotopia Wireframing Set: Free Wireframing Templates for Apple Keynote" /></a> Navigation. <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/003.png">Large view</a>.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/005.png"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/005.jpg" width="550" height="413" alt="005 in Keynotopia Wireframing Set: Free Wireframing Templates for Apple Keynote" /></a> Galleries. <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/005.png">Large view</a>.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/006.png"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/006.jpg" width="550" height="413" alt="006 in Keynotopia Wireframing Set: Free Wireframing Templates for Apple Keynote" /></a> Social Web. <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/006.png">Large view</a>.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/007.png"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/007.jpg" width="550" height="413" alt="007 in Keynotopia Wireframing Set: Free Wireframing Templates for Apple Keynote" /></a> Browser window. <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/007.png">Large view</a>.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/008.png"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/008.jpg" width="550" height="413" alt="008 in Keynotopia Wireframing Set: Free Wireframing Templates for Apple Keynote" /></a> Application window. <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/008.png">Large view</a>.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/009.png"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/009.jpg" width="550" height="413" alt="009 in Keynotopia Wireframing Set: Free Wireframing Templates for Apple Keynote" /></a> Lightbox. <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/009.png">Large view</a>.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/010.png"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/010.jpg" width="550" height="413" alt="010 in Keynotopia Wireframing Set: Free Wireframing Templates for Apple Keynote" /></a> Badges and icons. <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/010.png">Large view</a>.<h3>Motivation behind the design</h3>Here are some insights from the designer of the set:“The first time I’ve used Apple Keynote for prototyping, I was helping a friend create a product pitch for his startup idea. He didn’t have design or development skills, and I wanted to show him how he can quickly put together a click-thru demo in less than an hour, using his favorite presentation tool. He was impressed by the outcome, and I was equally impressed by Keynote’s simplicity and efficiency. I never went back to my prototyping tool since.Keynotopia was created so that anyone with an idea can quickly test its potential, without having to spend time and money on design and development resources. It’s a simple proof that having the right mindset for prototyping is more important than buying expensive tools.I also wanted to find a way to avoid writing UI specs. Using Keynotopia templates, I created prototypes that I annotated and shared with development teams, and the response was phenomenal! Time was no longer spent reading, staring at screenshots and imagining interactions; developers and testers were actually having fun playing with the prototypes and providing feedback. Design was finally catching up with the lean and agile development process.I am constantly updating the <a href="http://www.keynotopia.com">website</a> with guides, tips, and new prototyping templates.— AmirThank you very much, Amir! We appreciate your efforts.<h3>Related Posts</h3>You may be interested in the following related releases:<ul><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/04/15/the-ultimate-free-web-designer-s-icon-set-750-icons-incl-psd-sources/">The Ultimate Free Web Designer’s Icon Set (750 icons, incl. PSD sources)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/02/15/free-medical-icons-set-60-icons/">Free Medical Icons Set (60 Icons)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/12/24/yummy-a-free-tasty-icon-set/">Yummy! Free Food and Cakes Icon Set (20 Icons)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/06/18/freebie-release-quartz-icon-set/">Quartz Icon Set (90 clean sharp icons)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/07/14/gcons-free-all-purpose-icons-for-designers-and-developers-100-icons-psd/">gCons: Free All-Purpose Icons for Designers and Developers (100 icons + PSD)</a></li></ul><hr />© Smashing Editorial for <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com">Smashing Magazine</a>, 2010. | <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/06/keynotopia-wireframing-set-free-wireframing-templates-for-apple-keynote/">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/06/keynotopia-wireframing-set-free-wireframing-templates-for-apple-keynote/#comments">Post a comment</a> | <a title="Bookmark in del.icio.us" href="http://del.icio.us/post?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/06/keynotopia-wireframing-set-free-wireframing-templates-for-apple-keynote/&title=Keynotopia Wireframing Set: Free Wireframing Templates for Apple Keynote">Add to del.icio.us</a> | <a title="Bookmark in Digg" href="http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/06/keynotopia-wireframing-set-free-wireframing-templates-for-apple-keynote/">Digg this</a> | <a title="Stumble on StumbleUpon" href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/06/keynotopia-wireframing-set-free-wireframing-templates-for-apple-keynote/">Stumble on StumbleUpon!</a> | <a title="Tweet us!" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=@tweetmeme%20@smashingmag%20Reading%20'Keynotopia Wireframing Set: Free Wireframing Templates for Apple Keynote' http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/06/keynotopia-wireframing-set-free-wireframing-templates-for-apple-keynote/">Tweet it!</a> | <a title="Bookmark in Reddit" href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/06/keynotopia-wireframing-set-free-wireframing-templates-for-apple-keynote/">Submit to Reddit</a> | <a href="http://forum.smashingmagazine.com/">Forum Smashing Magazine</a> Post tags: <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/tag/downloads/" rel="tag">downloads</a>, <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/tag/freebies/" rel="tag">Freebies</a>, <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/tag/templates/" rel="tag">templates</a>, <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/tag/wireframing/" rel="tag">wireframing</a> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SmashingMagazine/~4/nTa1aTdda5M" height="1" width="1"/>27http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/06/keynotopia-wireframing-set-free-wireframing-templates-for-apple-keynote/Paul Boaghttp://www.boagworld.comFight The System: Battling Bureaucracyhttp://www.smashingmagazine.com/?p=568062010-09-06T13:03:06Z2010-09-06T08:13:40Z<table width="650"><tr><td width="650"><div style="width:650px;"> <img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/static/smashing-magazine-advertisement.gif" alt="" border="0" /><img src="http://imp.constantcontact.com/imp/cmp.jsp?impcc=IMP_<mprid/>&o=http://img.constantcontact.com/lp/images/standard/spacer.gif" alt="" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=56" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=56" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a href="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=35" target="_blank"><img src="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=35" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=64" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=64" border="0" alt="" /></a></div></td></tr></table>If you work as part of an in-house Web team, you have my sympathy. If that in-house team is within a large organization, then doubly so. Being part of an in-house Web team sucks. Trust me, I know. I worked at IBM for three years and now spend most of my days working alongside battle-weary internal teams.<a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/06/fight-the-system-battling-bureaucracy/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/SM1-20100805-170827.jpg" width="500" height="432" alt="Web designer trying to hang himself" /></a> <iframe class="facebooklike" src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smashingmagazine.com%2F2010%2F09%2F06%2Ffight-the-system-battling-bureaucracy%2F&layout=standard&show_faces=false&width=450&action=like&colorscheme=light&height=35" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe>It's hardly surprising that most in-house teams are worn down and depressed. They face almost insurmountable challenges. Too often, a website becomes a battleground for pre-existing departmental conflicts. Political power plays can manifest themselves in fights over home page real estate or conflicts over website ownership. After all, is the website an IT function or a marketing tool?</li> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/t0iWZVUlJWurjY6MR7Io-umk-YE/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/t0iWZVUlJWurjY6MR7Io-umk-YE/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/t0iWZVUlJWurjY6MR7Io-umk-YE/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/t0iWZVUlJWurjY6MR7Io-umk-YE/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><table width="650"><tr><td width="650"><div style="width:650px;"> <img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/static/smashing-magazine-advertisement.gif" alt="Smashing-magazine-advertisement in Fight The System: Battling Bureaucracy" border="0" /><img src="http://imp.constantcontact.com/imp/cmp.jsp?impcc=IMP_<mprid/>&o=http://img.constantcontact.com/lp/images/standard/spacer.gif" alt="Spacer in Fight The System: Battling Bureaucracy" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=56" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=56" border="0" alt=" in Fight The System: Battling Bureaucracy" /></a> <a href="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=35" target="_blank"><img src="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=35" border="0" alt=" in Fight The System: Battling Bureaucracy" /></a> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=64" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=64" border="0" alt=" in Fight The System: Battling Bureaucracy" /></a></div></td></tr></table>If you work as part of an in-house Web team, you have my sympathy. If that in-house team is within a large organization, then doubly so. Being part of an in-house Web team sucks. Trust me, I know. I worked at IBM for three years and now spend most of my days working alongside battle-weary internal teams.<img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/SM1-20100805-170827.jpg" width="500" height="432" alt="SM1-20100805-170827 in Fight The System: Battling Bureaucracy" /> Web designer trying to hang himself.It’s hardly surprising that most in-house teams are worn down and depressed. They face almost insurmountable challenges:<ul><li>Departmental feuds Too often, a website becomes a battleground for pre-existing departmental conflicts. Political power plays can manifest themselves in fights over home page real estate or conflicts over website ownership. After all, is the website an IT function or a marketing tool?</li><li>Uninformed decision-makers Rarely does an internal Web team have the authority to make final decisions on a website. Instead decision-making happens higher up in the organization. Unfortunately, although these individuals have more authority, they do not have greater knowledge of the Web. Decision-making is often based more on personal opinion than the needs of users or business objectives.</li><li>Committees Committees are the curse of larger organizations. The bigger the organization, the more the number of people who want their say, and that leads to committees. Unfortunately, committees inevitably lead to compromise and design-on-the-fly. Both are the kiss of death to any Web project.</li><li>An inward perspective Becoming institutionalized is very easy in a large organization. Eventually you speak an internal language and think in terms of organizational structure. This proves problematic when communicating to end users. Not only do most large organizations have their own internal perspective of the world, some individuals even think departmentally, further aggravating departmental conflict.</li><li>Endless scope creep When an in-house Web team is constantly available, calling on their help is easy. This is both a benefit and a curse. The truth is that many Web teams are taken for granted, and websites that should never exist are built and launched because there are no constraints. Worse still, good projects can be drowned as “internal clients” keep demanding additional functionality that the Web team cannot block.</li><li>Problem people The bigger the organization, the higher the chance they will hire a jerk. If you work for a large organization, I can pretty much guarantee you have someone in mind as you read this. These people can really hinder the work of the Web team and prevent a website from reaching its full potential.</li><li>Glacially slow progress With endless red tape and painful committees, getting stuff done in a large institution can be nearly impossible. It is not unusual for projects to grind to a halt entirely because they become dependant on other systems or projects yet to be implemented. I have even seen something as simple as the roll-out of a content management system take years to implement.</li></ul>With the odds stacked so high against them, I am surprised in-house Web teams get anything done at all. Their success depends as much on their ability to navigate politics and bureaucracy as it does on their skills as designers and developers.But do not despair. I can tell you from the over-subscription to workshops I have run on the subject that you are not alone. This is a universal problem and one that can be overcome, as I will outline in this post.Our Web design agency specializes in complex projects. During my time there, I have developed certain techniques that will hopefully help others keep their Web projects moving.Let’s look at four areas in particular:<ul><li>Improving how your team is perceived within your organization,</li><li>Overcoming politics and problem people,</li><li>Ensuring that a project gets approval from the powers that be,</li><li>Delivering work within scope and on time.</li></ul>Let’s begin by addressing how Web teams are perceived.[By the way, did you know we have a free <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/the-smashing-newsletter/">Email Newsletter</a>? Subscribe now and get fresh short tips and tricks in your inbox!]<h3>Improving How Your Team Is Perceived</h3>In too many organizations, the Web team is considered the lowest of the low. It looks like something straight out of <a href="http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-it-crowd">The IT Crowd</a>.This is all the more bizarre considering that websites themselves are perceived as being important. Somehow there is a disconnect between those who produce websites and the websites themselves.This poor attitude toward Web teams boils down to two beliefs:<ul><li>The Web team is a road block that needs to be detoured. Many large organizations find themselves frustrated by their internal Web teams, seeing them as people who constantly block their more “imaginative” ideas and set restrictions on what they can and cannot do online.</li><li>Web team members are implementers, not experts. Management perceives Web team members as “techies,” there to implement the ideas of others. They are in no way perceived as experts who are capable of advising on strategy.</li></ul>Fortunately, much can be done to overcome these beliefs. For a start, improve your communication skills.<img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/SM2-20100805-170945.jpg" width="500" height="399" alt="SM2-20100805-170945 in Fight The System: Battling Bureaucracy" /> A disturbingly cheerful Web designer.<h4>Communicate Better</h4>Most internal Web teams are terrible at selling themselves. If they were a Web agency, they would be out of business in a few weeks. Perhaps that is their reason for working in-house. But despite what you may think, most internal Web teams could desperately do with communicating and selling better.To overcome the negative impressions people have of your team, you need to actively promote yourself and the work you do.Here are just a few ideas to try:<ul><li>Hold launch events. When was the last time you celebrated the launch of a new feature or the redesign of your website? Holding a launch party is a great way to shout about your successes, and it’s fun, too. Email colleagues, telling them how excited you are about the completion of your latest project, and invite them to celebrate with you. Everyone loves free food, and it’s a great chance to show off your work.</li><li>Publish a monthly newsletter. How will anybody know about the great work you do if you don’t tell them? One way to do this is through a monthly newsletter that features work you have been doing and cool stuff happening online. This is a great way to both increase your profile and educate people on the power of the Web.</li><li>Report successes to management. Management needs to be regularly informed on traffic levels, dwell time and conversion rates. If you don’t have any calls to action to track conversion, get some. If you have no way to measure success, then the team is simply a drain on resources. Demonstrate that you generate income, rather than just spend it.</li><li>Offer training courses and workshops. Part of your role as in-house Web team should be to educate those in the organization about the Web. I’m talking not just about technical training on using the CMS, but rather more general training about the Web and how it can benefit your business. Sessions like this not only educate internal stakeholders, but also increase your credibility and establish you as the expert.</li><li>Hold regular meetings with website stakeholders. Set up regular meetings with those who most often use the website. Talk to people such as the head of marketing, sales and IT. Meet with front-line staff who answer customer support queries or those who work with suppliers. These meetings build relationships across the organization and demonstrate that the Web team is always looking for ways to help the business.</li></ul>By improving communication within your organization, you significantly improve the perceived value of your team.<h4>Create Value</h4>There can be little doubt that internal Web teams are undervalued. As an external consultant, if I say exactly the same thing to management as the Web team, management will listen to me and ignore its own people. This is largely because as an external consultant, the cost of my advice is more evident. They listen to me because they are paying me in a very visible way.Of course, they are paying as much (if not more) for their internal Web team. But that cost is not as evident and so is not valued as highly. The way to increase the value of your team is to make that cost more visible.People are less likely to ignore your advice or waste your time if they are obviously paying for your advice or time. The way to establish this kind of value is to cross-charge for your work between departments. Have an internal charge-out rate based on salary, infrastructure, training, etc., and then price any new work coming into the department based on that rate.This not only makes your value obvious, it also makes “internal clients” think twice before asking you to build some ill-conceived project just because you’re “free.” Nothing will change perception more than making them pay for your time.<img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/SM3-20100805-171146.jpg" width="500" height="400" alt="SM3-20100805-171146 in Fight The System: Battling Bureaucracy" /> Man holding a briefcase of money saying nothing is free, not even your internal Web team.Of course, you might not be in a position to cross-charge. But that doesn’t mean you can’t go through the process of setting rates and costing projects. When you receive a request for work, respond with a breakdown of tasks, how long it will take and how much it will cost the company based on your charge-out rate.While not as compelling as charging for work, it still drives home the point that your time is valuable. It might also make them think twice before suggesting a project, especially if they know that pricing will be included in your report to management.Finally, keep track of the time you actually spend on projects. This will help with scope creep (see below) and show management how efficient you are.Of course, cross-charging can be perceived as another blocking tactic, reinforcing people’s negative opinion of your team. Therefore, balance this with a positive and helpful approach…<h4>Be Positive</h4>No offence, but most of the in-house Web professionals I meet are a miserable lot. Okay, that was probably offensive. Still, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. With so much negativity aimed at Web teams, some of it is bound to rub off on them. It is up to you to keep the website on course, and that involves telling people “No” or putting constraints on what they can do. The problem is that this damages relationships and eventually forces people to bypass you, often by outsourcing to agencies such as mine!However, you don’t need to say no to people or even constrain them with rules. Take my situation, for example. When clients pay me, I don’t have the luxury of saying no. I have to be Mr. Positive, or they’ll just find someone else.The next time someone asks you to implement a stupid idea on the website, try to be positive. Praise positive aspects of the idea (if there are any), and encourage the “client” to explain their thinking behind the rest. Often you will find something workable in the idea.Even when the idea has no redeeming feature, there is still no need for you to say no. Instead, explain the probable consequences of the idea to the client, and guide them to the point that they reject it themselves. The problem with “No” is that it is a dead end. It leads only to confrontation. By focusing on the positive and educating the client on the consequences of their suggestion, you create an open and honest conversation.The process of educating the client on the potential pitfalls of their suggestion also demonstrates your expertise…<h4>Become the Expert</h4>The ultimate aim of improving your reputation is to establish yourself as an expert. If people see you in that way, then they will listen to your opinions and follow your advice. But if your reputation is already damaged, coming to be seen as the expert is hard.One way to be perceived as an expert is by association. This comes in two forms: referring to another expert or having an expert refer to you.Referring to an expert is easy. If you have no credibility in the eyes of internal stakeholders, borrow the credibility of others. For example, the next time a client asks you to put all content above the fold, don’t just tut and say that it’s a stupid idea. Instead, refer to a study on the subject, such as one of the several by Jacob Nielsen. This lends weight to your argument and demonstrates that you are well read on the subject.The second approach is to get an expert to back you up. Essentially, this is the very reason why I am hired by many Web teams. I am brought in to reinforce the arguments they have been making all along. Because I am perceived as an expert and support what the Web team says, I add creditability to the team and increase their expertise in the eyes of management. It’s ridiculous, but it works.<img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/SM5-20100805-171317.jpg" width="500" height="391" alt="SM5-20100805-171317 in Fight The System: Battling Bureaucracy" /> Web designer suggesting a better way of working.Finally, don’t try too hard. A true expert demonstrates their knowledge but is not afraid to admit their limitations. They are confident enough to challenge wrong thinking, but not arrogant or aggressive. I speak with too many in-house Web developers who come across as sneering and condescending because they believe they are above everyone else.While improving your reputation will go a long way to pushing your projects forward, it is not the only hurdle to overcome. No matter how respected you are, there will always be those with agendas that interfere with the smooth running of your website…<h3>Overcoming Politics And Problem People</h3>Politics are unavoidable in large organizations, and yet most of us consider ourselves above them. We claim not to play politics, and we moan about those who we perceive do. But in reality, we all do it. We all have an agenda and want our point of view to be taken seriously. To believe otherwise is naive.Ultimately, having a holier-than-thou attitude to internal politics is damaging. If you refuse to deal with those who play politics and avoid pushing your own agenda, you will only damage the website.To get things done in a large organization, don’t shy away from playing the political game. As the saying goes, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.While we’re citing aphorisms, another one is, keep your friends close…<h4>… But Your Enemies Closer</h4>One of the biggest mistakes people make with problem people is avoiding them. A far better strategy is to keep them close. The problem with avoiding your “enemies” is that you are entrenching their position. If they know you are hostile towards them (and trust me, they’ll know), then they’ll become even more hostile towards you. Eventually, the arms race of hostility will get out of control.A better approach is to keep talking. Meet with them regularly. Ask them what they want from the website? Look for ways to build bridges. Listen to what they say.Some individuals only want their voice to be heard. As long as you listen and make them feel important, they’ll go away happy. Also, let them win whenever possible. It may dent your pride, but that is a small price to pay for winning the war.<img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/SM6-20100805-171603.jpg" width="500" height="482" alt="SM6-20100805-171603 in Fight The System: Battling Bureaucracy" /> A client refuses to sign off a design.On the topic of war…<h4>Avoid Confrontation</h4>When I suggest that you meet with problem people regularly, I’m not setting the scene for a monthly showdown. In fact, avoid confrontation whenever possible, especially when other people are around. No one wants to lose face in front of their peers, which is why people become entrenched in their views in group settings.Instead, use the tactics I spoke of in relation to being positive. Use the question “Why” as a way to encourage people to think through their position. Encourage positive contributions with praise, and explain their consequences in the gentlest language possible.Finally, when you are criticized in a group setting (such as a committee meeting or group email), take a long deep breath before deciding whether to respond.In my experience, there is little point in becoming defensive or, worse, retaliating. Most of the time I don’t say anything at all. It’s amazing how often someone else will leap to your defence if given the chance. Better that they say how great you are than saying so yourself!Of course, it should never come to that, especially if you learn to empathize with problem people…<h4>Learn to Empathize</h4>As Web professionals, we pride ourselves on our ability to empathize. We go to great lengths to get into the heads of our users and understand what they want to achieve and how to motivate them. We have become experts at nudging users towards the goals we want them to complete.Interesting, then, that we totally fail to demonstrate this ability with our colleagues. Instead, we often dismiss them as stupid or “not getting it.” This kind of narrow-minded attitude causes many of the problems we encounter. Take the time to really understand your colleagues. What makes them tick? What problems do they face in their jobs that the Web could solve? What pet subjects could we use to nudge them in the right direction?If we tried to empathize with our colleagues and understand their psychology, we would find internal politics much less painful.<img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/SM7-20100805-171700.jpg" width="500" height="296" alt="SM7-20100805-171700 in Fight The System: Battling Bureaucracy" /> A Web designer talking to a client about his problems.<h3>Stay tuned for the second part</h3>The second part of this article will be published soon here, at Smashing Magazine. Please stay tuned for our updates: <a href="http://rss1.smashingmagazine.com/feed/">subscribe to our RSS-feed</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/smashingmag">follow us on Twitter</a>.You can also check <a href="http://boagworld.com/talks/fight-the-system">Paul’s workshop</a> that he ran on the topic of this article.<h3>Related articles</h3>You may be interested in the following related posts:<ul><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/07/28/passing-the-holy-milestone-how-to-meet-deadlines/">Passing The Holy Milestone: How To Meet Deadlines</a></li><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/07/08/renegotiating-the-contract-and-other-tales-of-horror/">Renegotiating The Contract (And Other Tales Of Horror)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/04/23/educating-your-client-on-web-development-successfully/">How To Successfully Educate Your Clients On Web Development</a></li><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/04/09/dealing-with-clients-who-refuse-to-pay/">Dealing With Clients Who Refuse To Pay</a></li></ul><hr />© Paul Boag for <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com">Smashing Magazine</a>, 2010. | <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/06/fight-the-system-battling-bureaucracy/">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/06/fight-the-system-battling-bureaucracy/#comments">Post a comment</a> | <a title="Bookmark in del.icio.us" href="http://del.icio.us/post?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/06/fight-the-system-battling-bureaucracy/&title=Fight The System: Battling Bureaucracy">Add to del.icio.us</a> | <a title="Bookmark in Digg" href="http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/06/fight-the-system-battling-bureaucracy/">Digg this</a> | <a title="Stumble on StumbleUpon" href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/06/fight-the-system-battling-bureaucracy/">Stumble on StumbleUpon!</a> | <a title="Tweet us!" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=@tweetmeme%20@smashingmag%20Reading%20'Fight The System: Battling Bureaucracy' http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/06/fight-the-system-battling-bureaucracy/">Tweet it!</a> | <a title="Bookmark in Reddit" href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/06/fight-the-system-battling-bureaucracy/">Submit to Reddit</a> | <a href="http://forum.smashingmagazine.com/">Forum Smashing Magazine</a> Post tags: <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SmashingMagazine/~4/uW1Qa3FVmDk" height="1" width="1"/>48http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/06/fight-the-system-battling-bureaucracy/Alexander Dawsonhttp://www.hitechy.com/Web Design Checkmate: Using Chess For Success in Web Designhttp://www.smashingmagazine.com/?p=538902010-09-03T10:20:06Z2010-09-03T09:49:39Z<table width="650"><tr><td width="650"><div style="width:650px;"> <img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/static/smashing-magazine-advertisement.gif" alt="" border="0" /><img src="http://imp.constantcontact.com/imp/cmp.jsp?impcc=IMP_<mprid/>&o=http://img.constantcontact.com/lp/images/standard/spacer.gif" alt="" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=56" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=56" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a href="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=35" target="_blank"><img src="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=35" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=64" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=64" border="0" alt="" /></a></div></td></tr></table>The business of building websites is one of constant change, adaptation and strategy. The way designers and developers build websites is often informed by the methods of others and their own trial and error. In light of this, we can draw a number of parallels — some philosophical, to a certain extent — between Web professionals and one of the oldest and most popular board games of all time (counting traditional and digital games). This game is chess.<a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/03/checkmate-chess-for-success/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/chessboard.jpg" width="500" height="399" alt="Screenshot" /></a> <iframe class="facebooklike" src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smashingmagazine.com%2F2010%2F09%2F03%2Fcheckmate-chess-for-success%2F&layout=standard&show_faces=false&width=450&action=like&colorscheme=light&height=35" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe>In this article, we’ll explore the relationship between the game of chess and the Web industry. We’ll learn fundamental lessons from the pawn, rook, knight, bishop, queen and king, and we’ll highlight the factors — both offline and online — that determine best practices. The game is beloved by many professionals, so it seems fitting to apply its great strategy and elegance to the digital age; certain practices might help you lead a more successful working life. <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fZEsqD1TJyzIBJe7rGynNmpWYfk/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fZEsqD1TJyzIBJe7rGynNmpWYfk/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fZEsqD1TJyzIBJe7rGynNmpWYfk/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fZEsqD1TJyzIBJe7rGynNmpWYfk/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><table width="650"><tr><td width="650"><div style="width:650px;"> <img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/static/smashing-magazine-advertisement.gif" alt="Smashing-magazine-advertisement in Web Design Checkmate: Using Chess For Success in Web Design" border="0" /><img src="http://imp.constantcontact.com/imp/cmp.jsp?impcc=IMP_<mprid/>&o=http://img.constantcontact.com/lp/images/standard/spacer.gif" alt="Spacer in Web Design Checkmate: Using Chess For Success in Web Design" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=56" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=56" border="0" alt=" in Web Design Checkmate: Using Chess For Success in Web Design" /></a> <a href="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=35" target="_blank"><img src="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=35" border="0" alt=" in Web Design Checkmate: Using Chess For Success in Web Design" /></a> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=64" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=64" border="0" alt=" in Web Design Checkmate: Using Chess For Success in Web Design" /></a></div></td></tr></table>The business of building websites is one of constant change, adaptation and strategy. The way designers and developers build websites is often informed by the methods of others and their own trial and error. In light of this, we can draw a number of parallels — some philosophical, to a certain extent — between Web professionals and one of the oldest and most popular board games of all time (counting traditional and digital games). This game is chess.<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mukumbura/3891827047/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/chessboard.jpg" width="500" height="399" alt="Chessboard in Web Design Checkmate: Using Chess For Success in Web Design" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mukumbura/3891827047/">Image credit</a>In this article, we’ll explore the relationship between the game of chess and the Web industry. We’ll learn fundamental lessons from the pawn, rook, knight, bishop, queen and king, and we’ll highlight the factors — both offline and online — that determine best practices. The game is beloved by many professionals, so it seems fitting to apply its great strategy and elegance to the digital age; certain practices might help you lead a more successful working life.[Offtopic: by the way, did you know that there is a Smashing eBook Series? Book #1 is <a href="http://shop.smashingmagazine.com/smashing-ebook-series-1-professional-web-design-intl.html">Professional Web Design</a>, 242 pages for just $9,90.]<h3>Pawns</h3>Of all the pieces on a chessboard, the most abundant and least strategically useful are the pawns. Acting as soldiers on the front line, these men of honor advance across the board in an attempt to reach the end of the opponent’s side and transform into a more useful piece (i.e. another queen). While this doesn’t happen often, pawns nevertheless play a fundamental role in shielding higher-ranking pieces from attack, and these simple pieces are also used at the outset to gain positions of advantage.<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-53891" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/SM-01.jpg" alt="SM-01 in Web Design Checkmate: Using Chess For Success in Web Design" width="500" height="250" /><h4>Always Move Forward</h4>Pawns can only move forward. They can get a quick start; players have the option of moving the pawns up to two spaces on their first move and subsequently moving them one space at a time. When you work on projects in a business environment, the principle of moving forward without back-tracking is an inspirational perspective. If you cease to constantly drive your ideas forward, they can become stagnant; progress is critical to a website’s development.Here are some tips you can use to adopt this mindset:<ul><li>Don’t get stuck using deprecated practices when structuring website code.</li><li>Examine your community to determine needed features for future upgrades.</li><li>Change a website’s interface only if it would benefit the user experience.</li></ul><h4>Be Willing to Sacrifice</h4>The ideal of giving something up in exchange for a greater good is realized by pawns, which, though limited in function, are plentiful and can protect others. In design, shielding the end user from issues that can damage the usability of the website is a worthwhile sacrifice. Having to let go of something that took time and energy is always unfortunate, but knowing when to say goodbye could mean the difference between success and failure.Here are some tips for internalizing this attitude:<ul><li>Ensure that your Web layouts are flexible enough to meet the needs of various devices.</li><li>Weigh the benefits of features against their pitfalls before eliminating them.</li><li>Content is more valuable than design; never dilute its quality for eye candy.</li></ul><h4>Aim for Change</h4>The pawn’s greatest moment is arriving at the opponent’s side of the board. Striving for betterment and aiming for your goals are behavioral ideals firmly upheld by professionals. This requires dedication and careful planning. When undertaking a creative project, it’s important to think beyond the current ask and consider the long-term project.Here are some tips to get into this mode:<ul><li>The website-building process is never complete; ensure that you maintain a steady flow of updates.</li><li>Think of ways to enhance the website to better cater to your visitors’ changing needs.</li><li>It never hurts to have a business plan when scoping out a Web-based project.</li></ul><h3>Rooks</h3>Rooks (or castles, as some people call them) are fortresses of strength that move across the board either horizontally or vertically. Their nature is similar to that of bishops in that they move in a straight line (although bishops move diagonally). Progress can be hindered by barriers, and interaction with other pieces is sometimes required, but the rook’s overall benefit is stamina and longevity.When working on Web projects, we often put a great deal of thought into things like conventions and patterns and their theory and implementation. The nature of semantics and following recognized pathways in order to structure a document properly is reminiscent of the way that chess pieces such as the rook have a particular function and invariably carry out unique tasks. Only with logical thought can we hope to change the ultimate goals of an event and avoid obstruction.<img class="size-full wp-image-53892 alignnone" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/SM-02.jpg" alt="SM-02 in Web Design Checkmate: Using Chess For Success in Web Design" width="500" height="250" /><h4>Structure With Purpose</h4>A rook represents strength and structure. The castle of stone might be restricted in its interactions on the chessboard, but its value is in its character. Websites need to be constructed well in order to survive the trials of everyday use. Considering how such needs should be met will ensure a sturdy and durable display of data. Take great care when structuring your work to reduce “illegal moves” and syntax.Here are some tips for strengthening your outlook and code:<ul><li>Always validate your code; it will reduce the number of bugs.</li><li>Use the right element for the job to improve your code’s semantic value.</li><li>Keep code minimal to reduce file size and loading time.</li></ul><h4>Assist Those in Need</h4>Like the other pieces on a chessboard, the rook is always on hand to help out by attacking or defending. Working with others to accomplish a task is only part of their job. In a Web environment, the same is true: if you take the time to assist those who use your website or service, not only will you increase your value, but you will gain the gratitude of the visitors, whom your website requires in order to keep running.Here are some tips that might be of assistance:<ul><li>Providing ways for people to contact you is important to maintaining trust.</li><li>Negative feedback can still be constructive; don’t dismiss it as “bashing.”</li><li>Provide social interaction aids to help visitors feel involved in your community.</li></ul><h4>Take Precautions</h4>Sometimes things don’t go as planned, in which case you’ll want to hold the strongest position possible. Rooks, like all other critical pieces, are only tools to protect other pieces in play, but caution is fundamental to remaining in a position of power. Thinking of how future scenarios might challenge your strategy can help future-proof your work from obvious flaws. You don’t want visitors to encounter obstacles that make them miss out on the benefits of your website!Below are some tips for fortifying your website:<ul><li>Turn off scripts and styles to test whether your website is still usable.</li><li>Test your websites on mobile devices, a market that is proliferating.</li></ul><h3>Knights</h3>Knights are unique in their movement, going forward two spaces and then taking a single side-step. This means they can weave past other pieces and take up positions of singular advantage. Strategically, knights are most often used to pin hard-to-reach pieces in place through a clever attack. While this unique movement has its advantages, the knight does not replace the other pieces, which have their own strategic benefits.Our uniqueness, whether as it is applies to our creative process, our products or our ability to solve common problems, is something we as professionals take for granted. We are able to incorporate creative flourishes when we forge applications, flourishes that can be tracked through the code (such as conditional comments, which give stylistic flavor to Internet Explorer). Like a white knight saving our sanity, our uniqueness helps us side-step issues that could otherwise become complicated.<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-53893" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/SM-03.jpg" alt="SM-03 in Web Design Checkmate: Using Chess For Success in Web Design" width="500" height="250" /><h4>Be Brave in Adversity</h4>Mythology has taught us the familiar attributes of the knight: bravery, strength and honor. Thoughtful reflection on the Web-building process teaches us to be courteous to others and brave, while sticking to our guns when faced with the prospect of compromising in order to gain market share.Here are some tips to make yourself more knight-like:<ul><li>Never take criticism personally; negative feedback is often the most useful kind.</li><li>Don’t resign in the face of competition; the only failure in life is to quit trying.</li><li>Try to rally support for your project; there’s strength in numbers.</li></ul><h4>Have a Selling Point</h4>The knight is the only chess piece that move in two directions in one turn; even the queen can’t do this! This attribute teaches us the value of having a selling point. Selling points give visitors a reason to choose one product or service over others that perform the same function.Here are some tips on finding your selling point:<ul><li>Draw from other people’s work, but never steal anything outright.</li><li>Improving on existing services is a kind of innovation in its own right.</li><li>Be focused in what you offer; reinventing too much increases complexity.</li></ul><h4>Avoid Barriers to Access</h4>The knight is the only piece that can pass over others in its movement. This ability to navigate past barriers is somewhat reminiscent of standard recommendations for accessibility, which ask us to remove barriers to access on our websites. The goal is to allow freedom of movement and access to content.Below are some tips on removing barriers:<ul><li>Consider the types of people who are not as able as you are online.</li><li>Testing your work on an audience is better than going solo.</li><li>Make sure your website works in different browsers to avoid serious breakages.</li></ul><h3>Bishops</h3>The bishop is a piece that moves diagonally across the chessboard. The bishop scans the board for its next move, minding pieces that block its path, in the same way that a visitor scans content until a barrier prevent their progress. A bishop cannot step off the tile color to which it was initially assigned, ensuring a kind of vendor lock-in.As Web professionals, we tend to get caught up in arguments about whether frameworks are useful, given their disadvantages (and even with graceful degradation, for example). The benefits of frameworks for certain situations occasionally outweigh their downsides (like trapping users in the environment), so make the most of what you have; dismissing less powerful options is not always the best way to go — in fact it could increase the amount of work required.<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-53894" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/SM-04.jpg" alt="SM-04 in Web Design Checkmate: Using Chess For Success in Web Design" width="500" height="250" /><h4>Have Faith in Your Work</h4>The bishop, of course, is religious in nature, an agent in the battle between two sides. Faith in a religious sense is not needed to practice Web design, but as a quality of character it does play a part in one’s identity. Faith affects motivation and makes you believe in the project you’re spending so much time and effort on. If you have no faith in your craft, the job is doomed from the outset.Here are some tips for building faith in your work:<ul><li>Create a list of benefits to focus on your website’s potential.</li><li>Set realistic, structured goals to achieve success.</li><li>Encourage visitors to recommend your work to people they know.</li></ul><h4>Know Your Limits</h4>It may seem frustrating that each bishop is trapped on its own color, limited in impact. But if you make the most of it, bishops can still be useful. Know your own strengths and limitations, so that you don’t attempt the impossible or unachievable — if you do, the result will surely be flawed.Here are some tips on knowing your limits:<ul><li>Get external support or advice when you hit a wall.</li><li>If something can’t be achieved the way you hoped, look for alternatives.</li><li>Reduce your weaknesses by learning new skills regularly.</li></ul><h4>Stick to Your Guns</h4>While being able only to move diagonally may seem like a disadvantage, this can prove useful on occasion. Having sheer determination to carry out a job in a certain way is admirable. We humans are sometimes stubborn, and we stick to our guns when possible. This can cause us to make mistakes… or motivate us to persevere.Here are some tips on being determined:<ul><li>Reflect on a project’s overall goals whenever possible in order to reassess a plan’s feasibility.</li><li>Mistakes happen, and no one is perfect, but that’s no reason to stop trying.</li></ul><h3>The Queen</h3>The queen is the second-most important piece on the chessboard. She can move horizontally, vertically and diagonally across any distance, and her power spans the entire board. She is the king’s most agile bodyguard, and losing her can be devastating. You have to use your power responsibly, both on the chessboard and in your profession; misusing your tools could cause you to lose visitors to the competition.Sometimes we find ourselves swatting a fly off a nuclear warhead. Knowing exactly what to use, when to use it and how to use it appropriately is what ultimately distinguishes professionals from amateurs. In addition, taking advantage of the powerful tools at our disposal can speed up progress and eliminate the complexities that come with attempting the impossible with simple tools.<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-53895" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/SM-05.jpg" alt="SM-05 in Web Design Checkmate: Using Chess For Success in Web Design" width="500" height="250" /><h4>Realize Your Potential</h4>A potent force, the queen moves freely about the chessboard, with few restrictions. The queen is a powerful piece and reminds us to exert the greatest effort to reach our potential. Rather than staying in our comfort zone, we must always learn new skills and achieve more than what is expected of us.Here are some tips to stretch your skills:<ul><li>Everyone has the capacity to learn; keep your skill set up to date.</li><li>Push yourself to become a better professional and to exceed your own expectations.</li><li>Try not to let any of your skills go to waste when creating something.</li></ul><h4>Cover All Bases</h4>In our work, we try to minimize error by viewing every situation from multiple angles — this is important. In chess, players use the queen in much the same way, exploiting her power yet shielding her from harm. In the creative process, your only real limitation is being blind to critical elements, which is why getting some perspective from outside testers and users never hurts.Here are some tips to cover your bases:<ul><li>The more time you spend planning a project, the better the results usually will be.</li><li>Information architecture is your friend; make use of wireframes and mock-ups.</li><li>Spend time testing your website intensively for critical flaws.</li></ul><h4>Strategy and Learning</h4>You have two knights, two rooks, two bishops and many pawns, but only one queen. Her value lies in her singularity; each move of the queen requires strategy and consideration of consequences. We become better players — and professionals — through trial and error, constant learning and foresight. Being cautious in the game teaches us to be wise in business.Here are some tips to help you strategize:<ul><li>Read blogs, books, tutorials, magazines and anything else that can help guide you.</li><li>Analyze your target audience to get ideas on what your website might need in future.</li><li>Researching the competition gives you a sense of what potential visitors need.</li></ul><h3>The King</h3>No piece is as important as the king; it is the one piece that must evade capture. The king moves only one space at a time, in any direction, and whenever it is in immediate danger, either a piece must be moved to block the attack or the king must be moved to avoid it. The king has no equal and cannot be restored by a pawn — sacrifice, and so prevention is imperative.Web professionals have to protect what is important, too. We deal with payment details, databases, passwords and other sensitive information. If we lose any of that through carelessness or a lack of preventative measures, we end up losing something greater: the customer. Establishing trust takes time, but it can be lost as quickly as a surprise checkmate!<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-53896" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/SM-06.jpg" alt="SM-06 in Web Design Checkmate: Using Chess For Success in Web Design" width="500" height="250" /><h4>Avoid Traps</h4>Protecting the king is the primary concern of every chess player. Gaining advantage to prevent loss is important. While Web professionals usually have no reason to evade capture (unless they’re doing something wrong), the benefit of avoiding common traps (the equivalent of “foolsmate” in chess) becomes apparent when testing the cross-browser functionality of a website.Here are some tips on avoiding traps:<ul><li>Try to reduce the intrusiveness and obtrusiveness of your website to enhance the visitor’s experience.</li><li>Actively seek out errors in your work to improve your service.</li><li>Internet Explorer is a pain. Watch out for its rendering faults.</li></ul><h4>Value and Importance</h4>A common tactic in chess is to weigh the value of the pieces against the benefits they represent. The king is critical because the game is lost without it. Comparing value has an important role in the Web industry, too, especially when losing mission-critical features would undermine the entire process. Comparing value also helps when prioritizing maintenance work or scheduling upgrades.Here are some ways to tip the scale:<ul><li>Accurately pinpoint the value of your service.</li><li>Upgrades are avoidable, but reduce downtime as much as possible.</li><li>Price your service fairly; prices that are either too high or too low create problems.</li></ul><h4>Know When to Resign</h4>Sometimes we get so excited — or stressed, as the case may be — about complex or next-to-impossible projects that we forget the option of saying “no.” We never like to resign or throw down our sword; we feel as though we have failed because we couldn’t meet the client’s needs. But firing bad clients and knowing when to scrap weak ideas is a part of being a professional. You can’t win every fight.Here are some tips on recognizing when to throw in the towel:<ul><li>Trust your instincts when deciding whether to undertake a project.</li><li>Salvage something from anything you work on.</li><li>Learn how to deal with “clients from hell.”</li></ul><h3>Chessboard</h3>Chess players focus on the pieces in play and on capturing the king, but they must also understand the chessboard as a battleground on which this drama plays out. This relates to the website-creation process (and to a lesser extent, the Web industry): lessons are to be learned from the chessboard itself.<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dlkinney/357134468/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/chess-board.jpg" width="500" height="377" alt="Chess-board in Web Design Checkmate: Using Chess For Success in Web Design" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dlkinney/357134468/">Image credit</a><h4>Light and Dark</h4>Like a chessboard, the Web industry is full of light and dark, good and bad. We weigh benefits and pitfalls when performing our roles. A chess game tells a story; likewise, the fruits of our labor and our highlights and disappointments all appear online.<h4>Think Ahead</h4>One of chess’ biggest lessons is to think ahead, instead of in the moment. Being able to predict how your opponent will move helps you gain advantage. This is also true of the website-building process. Unjustified decision-making leads to problems, whereas well-planned strategies that entice people to visit and use your service lead to faster results and greater rewards.<h4>Weigh Your Options</h4>In chess, there are literally millions of ways a game can play out, and with every move the number of potential outcomes decreases. Knowing your options and which route affords the best opportunity for success is a critical skill. Website creators have many different methods of production and implementation as well, but missing the mark with scalability or usability can diminish a website’s user-friendliness and jeopardize its success.<h4>Make Your Move</h4>Decision-making can be tricky; in chess, a wrong move can cause you to lose a piece, a good position, an advantage or even the game. The same could be said of building a website. Preparing for different projects, services and eventualities is one thing, but having the courage, skill and understanding to carry them out successfully takes practice. After examining your options, make your move: put all your careful planning into action.<h3>Checkmate!</h3>So many useful lessons can be learned from chess. If you haven’t played it before, visualizing what we’ve gone over might be hard, but the fundamental principles of the game — how the pieces interact and the role of strategy in the big picture — should not be ignored. The game actively promotes logical thinking and strategy — both useful skills.More lessons could certainly be drawn from the game, but hopefully this article will serve as a source of inspiration, especially if you feel your goals are out of reach. We often learn the most from making mistakes, losing a battle and then returning to win the war. Nowhere is this been truer than in chess, where a mixture of practice, skill and occasional luck is required to become the grandmaster.So many aspects of the Web industry (such as syntax, design and ideals) change constantly, but the fundamental principles of learning, growing and trying your best often mean the difference between failure and success. Try to incorporate lessons from the chessboard into your own work; while having all the pieces doesn’t guarantee victory, having the basic skills will give you the confidence and awareness that you need to succeed.(al)<hr />© Alexander Dawson for <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com">Smashing Magazine</a>, 2010. | <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/03/checkmate-chess-for-success/">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/03/checkmate-chess-for-success/#comments">Post a comment</a> | <a title="Bookmark in del.icio.us" href="http://del.icio.us/post?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/03/checkmate-chess-for-success/&title=Web Design Checkmate: Using Chess For Success in Web Design">Add to del.icio.us</a> | <a title="Bookmark in Digg" href="http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/03/checkmate-chess-for-success/">Digg this</a> | <a title="Stumble on StumbleUpon" href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/03/checkmate-chess-for-success/">Stumble on StumbleUpon!</a> | <a title="Tweet us!" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=@tweetmeme%20@smashingmag%20Reading%20'Web Design Checkmate: Using Chess For Success in Web Design' http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/03/checkmate-chess-for-success/">Tweet it!</a> | <a title="Bookmark in Reddit" href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/03/checkmate-chess-for-success/">Submit to Reddit</a> | <a href="http://forum.smashingmagazine.com/">Forum Smashing Magazine</a> Post tags: <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SmashingMagazine/~4/yZnR19L4P7I" height="1" width="1"/>38http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/03/checkmate-chess-for-success/Sam Wilsonhttp://storypixel.comShowcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websiteshttp://www.smashingmagazine.com/?p=604372010-09-02T17:49:47Z2010-09-02T13:54:23Z<table width="650"><tr><td width="650"><div style="width:650px;"> <img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/static/smashing-magazine-advertisement.gif" alt="" border="0" /><img src="http://imp.constantcontact.com/imp/cmp.jsp?impcc=IMP_<mprid/>&o=http://img.constantcontact.com/lp/images/standard/spacer.gif" alt="" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=56" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=56" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a href="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=35" target="_blank"><img src="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=35" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=64" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=64" border="0" alt="" /></a></div></td></tr></table>They say the first bite is taken with the eye. If so, these appetizing restaurant websites succeed in whetting our appetites, inviting us to a savoury next bite. In these designs, color scheme and introductory copy show vastly different aspects of the restaurant experience. Moody warm tones create atmosphere, vibrant greens underscore freshness, and earthy colors communicate a relaxed, friendly attitude.<a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/02/showcase-of-appetizing-restaurant-websites/"><img class="alignnone size-full" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/geo2.jpg" alt="Showcase of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" width="500" height="363" /></a> <iframe class="facebooklike" src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smashingmagazine.com%2F2010%2F09%2F02%2Fshowcase-of-appetizing-restaurant-websites%2F&layout=standard&show_faces=false&width=450&action=like&colorscheme=light&height=35" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe>Because customers are increasingly using mobile browsers to make decisions on the spot, restaurant websites are doing a better job of communicating core information quickly. Similarly, full Flash websites with no mobile alternatives are seeing some decline. Especially interesting is how these businesses are improving their online menus by replacing PDF-only downloads with Web-optimized alternatives that are more readable and easier to navigate. <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/nh9Eo9hshOzSWb3Z1XHcxp61UJQ/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/nh9Eo9hshOzSWb3Z1XHcxp61UJQ/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/nh9Eo9hshOzSWb3Z1XHcxp61UJQ/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/nh9Eo9hshOzSWb3Z1XHcxp61UJQ/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><table width="650"><tr><td width="650"><div style="width:650px;"> <img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/static/smashing-magazine-advertisement.gif" alt="Smashing-magazine-advertisement in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" border="0" /><img src="http://imp.constantcontact.com/imp/cmp.jsp?impcc=IMP_<mprid/>&o=http://img.constantcontact.com/lp/images/standard/spacer.gif" alt="Spacer in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=56" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=56" border="0" alt=" in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" /></a> <a href="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=35" target="_blank"><img src="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=35" border="0" alt=" in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" /></a> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=64" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=64" border="0" alt=" in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" /></a></div></td></tr></table>They say the first bite is taken with the eye. If so, these appetizing restaurant websites succeed in whetting our appetites, inviting us to a savoury next bite. In these designs, color scheme and introductory copy show vastly different aspects of the restaurant experience. Moody warm tones create atmosphere, vibrant greens underscore freshness, and earthy colors communicate a relaxed, friendly attitude.Because customers are increasingly using mobile browsers to make decisions on the spot, restaurant websites are doing a better job of communicating core information quickly. Similarly, full Flash websites with no mobile alternatives are seeing some decline. Especially interesting is how these businesses are improving their online menus by replacing PDF-only downloads with Web-optimized alternatives that are more readable and easier to navigate.[By the way, did you know we have a free <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/the-smashing-newsletter/">Email Newsletter</a>? Subscribe now and get fresh short tips and tricks in your inbox!]<h3>Showcase Of Restaurant Designs</h3><a href="http://g2geogeske.com/">Geogeske</a> This design has printerly qualities, with its eye-catching oranges and whites and oversized headings. Everything works together to establish a relaxed yet smart urban atmosphere. The JavaScript effects (sectional fades and spring-loaded logo introduction) are used sparingly and effectively. Simple navigation and short copy make scanning easy while putting the focus on the strong menu-worthy photography. However, the site could certainly use a larger font size.<a href="http://g2geogeske.com/"><img class="alignnone size-full" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/geogeske.jpg" alt="Geogeske in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" width="550" height="342" /></a><a href="http://www.jamrestaurant.com/">Jam Restaurant</a> Upscale modernist and classical elements are used consistently on this website and in the menu and restaurant interior. The vibrant typographic header looks stunning while enhancing usability by prominently displaying a phone number and hours. Another nice touch is how the body scrolls beneath the stationary translucent header.<a href="http://www.jamrestaurant.com/"><img class="alignnone size-full" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/jam.jpg" alt="Jam in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" width="550" height="342" /></a><a href="http://www.benitos-hat.com/">Benito’s Hat</a> Named after a celebrated Mexican president, this restaurant communicates authenticity and freshness with a green cilantro backdrop and clear devotion to its culinary roots. At times, the backdrops on the interior pages eat the foreground text; a little contrast and spacing would help in spots. Overall, an offbeat feel that works.<a href="http://www.benitos-hat.com/"><img class="alignnone size-full" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/benitoshat.jpg" alt="Benitoshat in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" width="550" height="342" /></a><a href="http://www.pizzerianapolicentrale.ro/">Pizzeria Napolicentrale</a> This website uses horizontal navigation to guide the user through photos of mood-setting rustic Italian elements. The beige picnic pattern adds just enough visual interest without competing with the copy. But in some sections, the taller content makes horizontal scrolling a bit floaty.<a href="http://www.pizzerianapolicentrale.ro/"><img class="alignnone size-full" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/napolicentrale.jpg" alt="Napolicentrale in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" width="550" height="342" /></a><a href="http://www.barleysgville.com/">Barley’s</a> A cozy design rich in grainy colors and sturdy serifs. Small touches—like the roll-overs, and lighting effects such as in the logo hover state—give a handcrafted feel. Do not miss the nice, readable menu and beer list that feature stylishly simple beer ratings.<a href="http://www.barleysgville.com/"><img class="alignnone size-full" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/barleys.jpg" alt="Barleys in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" width="550" height="342" /></a><a href="http://www.state-chicago.com/">State</a> With nocturnal tones and pictures of people having a good time, the State uses a hip design to say that it’s a cool sociable night spot. Perhaps intentionally, there seems to be little focus on food; for example, the menu section feels skimped (disjointed navigation and flimsy type for the buttons). More photos of the restaurant and food might enhance the personality of this website. Also, the home page seems a tad cluttered. In general, a little more depth in the sub-pages would round out what is a good-looking piece.<a href="http://www.state-chicago.com/"><img class="alignnone size-full" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/thestate.jpg" alt="Thestate in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" width="550" height="342" /></a><a href="http://www.farinellabakery.com/">Farinella Bakery</a> Fun and disarmingly honest, Farinella Bakery takes the cake in blending personality and usability. The bold header and fun footer become bookends for the spot-on copy and photos. Notice the slight head bob when you click on the navigation and the magnification when you roll over menu items; a tasty browsing experience. What makes this a winner is that the integrity and consistency of the design can be found in the smallest elements.<a href="http://www.farinellabakery.com/"><img class="alignnone size-full" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/farinella.jpg" alt="Farinella in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" width="550" height="342" /></a><a href="http://sonorestaurant.com.au/">Sono</a> Authentic Japanese design elements and atmospheric audio effects work well to create mystique on this Flash website. A few usability concerns pop out: for example, the flaky JavaScript for the “Back” button and the small text that is in a cramped box with a small scroll bar.<a href="http://sonorestaurant.com.au/"><img class="alignnone size-full" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/sono.jpg" alt="Sono in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" width="550" height="342" /></a><a href="http://www.thelittlecakeparlour.co.uk/">The Little Cake Parlour</a> This more conventional website shines with gorgeous photography that almost seems edible. The design has a strong focus on typography, with various elements embedded in the elegant pink multi-column layout. Some design elements probably shouldn’t be images and would work better as simple plain text, though. Also, because all visual elements have a similar pink tone, they may be a bit difficult to recognize at first glance — for instance, the pink PayPal-button in the footer of the site.<a href="http://www.thelittlecakeparlour.co.uk/"><img class="alignnone size-full" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/littlecakeparlour.jpg" alt="Littlecakeparlour in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" width="550" height="342" /></a><a href="http://www.pizzaluce.com/">Pizza Luce</a> With playful tattoo-like scribbles and quirky photography, Pizza Luce makes clear its immutable place in Minneapolis’ food culture. Check out the oddly captivating home page illustration. For all of these strengths, the community section feels slapped together and in need of a bit of refinement.<a href="http://www.pizzaluce.com/"><img class="alignnone size-full" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/pizzaluce.jpg" alt="Pizzaluce in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" width="550" height="342" /></a><a href="http://www.lavistanz.co.nz">La Vista</a> The clever use of the Flash overlay here adds intimacy and life to the crisp photography. The menu is noteworthy: simple to browse and very clean.<a href="http://www.lavistanz.co.nz"><img class="alignnone size-full" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/lavista.jpg" alt="Lavista in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" width="550" height="342" /></a><a href="http://georgianwinesociety.co.uk/">Georgian Wine Society</a> The backdrop feels like a matte painting that draws us into the headspace. With that, we are receptive to the interesting narrative about Georgia’s role in wine-making. The e-commerce system is well integrated; a more generous margin between elements would augment the shopping experience.<a href="http://georgianwinesociety.co.uk/"><img class="alignnone size-full" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/georgiawine.jpg" alt="Georgiawine in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" width="550" height="342" /></a><a href="http://www.cateredbykate.co.uk/">Catered by Kate</a> This website’s “About” page is one of the top in this showcase. It opens with Kate smiling warmly, giving the page a welcoming human touch. Next, it summarizes (in only two sentences) three very compelling reasons why you would use Kate for your catered event. Just one distracting but easy-to-fix minus: a call-out to an empty Flickr page that is supposed to hold more images.<a href="http://www.cateredbykate.co.uk/"><img class="alignnone size-full" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/bykate.jpg" alt="Bykate in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" width="550" height="342" /></a><a href="http://canjubany.com/">Can Jubany</a> This clean layout on deep chocolate brown feels elegant even while containing a surprisingly large amount of content. The home page sets the right tone with the large yet quick-loading video that tells a story. Two more unique touches are the simple sliding navigation and the tantalizing, well-written recipe section.<a href="http://canjubany.com/"><img class="alignnone size-full" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/canjubany.jpg" alt="Canjubany in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" width="550" height="342" /></a><a href="http://www.caravanonexmouth.co.uk/">Caravan</a> This simple and savvy composition uses negative space to focus on the coffee while adding depth with subtle textures. If the placeholder is this solid, then our expectations are high for the full website!<a href="http://www.caravanonexmouth.co.uk/"><img class="alignnone size-full" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/caravan.jpg" alt="Caravan in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" width="550" height="342" /></a><a href="http://www.chipotle.com/">Chipotle</a> Humor, earthy tones and engaging (and notably non-Flash) animations make for an experience that is engaging and relaxed yet expertly crafted. Consistent with its corporate message of “Food with integrity,” Chipotle focuses much of the website on its brand rather than the burritos. Be sure to tug the rope in the footer for some hidden and delightful interactivity.<a href="http://www.chipotle.com/"><img class="alignnone size-full" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/chipotle.jpg" alt="Chipotle in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" width="550" height="342" /></a><a href="http://www.le28thiers.fr/">Le 28 Thiers</a> Here are tangerine and rose hues mingled with crisp photographic elements and textures. The simple wooden table distinguishes the layout and grounds the content visually. Subtle gradients in the typography, quality photography and the curved navigation inject elegance and dimension.<a href="http://www.le28thiers.fr/"><img class="alignnone size-full" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/lethiers.jpg" alt="Lethiers in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" width="550" height="342" /></a><a href="http://brooklynfare.com/">Brooklyn Fare</a> This playful design achieves a unique charm through imagery that consists of real employees, bookish serifs and a stylish seafoam background. Especially nice is the consistent layout, with its cheerful copy and gritty photography, which avoids appearing repetitive.<a href="http://brooklynfare.com/"><img class="alignnone size-full" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/brooklynfare.jpg" alt="Brooklynfare in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" width="550" height="342" /></a><a href="http://www.canelacafe.com/">Canela</a> Canela (Portuguese for “cinnamon”) employs a conventional layout, energetic reds and generous imagery to give a sense of flavor and sophistication. The three-column PDF-only menu makes browsing on a mobile device more challenging.<a href="http://www.canelacafe.com/"><img class="alignnone size-full" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/canela.jpg" alt="Canela in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" width="550" height="342" /></a><h3>Last Click</h3><a href="http://www.brewshop.co.nz/">Brew Shop</a> The Brew Shop is not really a restaurant website, but it is still worth mentioning. The site establishes personality at first sight with a hilarious photo and beery good humor. It backs the funny with substance, such as a very usable e-commerce system, effective copy and scannable icon-enhanced navigation. Especially nice are the swaths of red as call-outs and the subtly scrambled type.<a href="http://www.brewshop.co.nz/"><img class="alignnone size-full" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/brewshop.jpg" alt="Brewshop in Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites" width="550" height="342" /></a><h3>Related Posts</h3>You may be interested in the following related posts:<ul><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/08/25/corporate-website-design-creative-and-beautiful-solutions/">Corporate Website Design: Creative and Beautiful Solutions</a></li><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/07/15/showcase-sweet-chocolate-websites/">Showcase of Sweet Chocolate Websites</a></li><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/08/10/showcase-of-delicious-coffee-websites/">Showcase Of Delicious Coffee Websites</a></li></ul><h3>Would you like to see more similar posts on SM?</h3> <noscript> <a href="http://polldaddy.com/poll/3708012/">Would you like to see more similar showcases on Smashing Magazine?</a><a href="http://polldaddy.com/features-surveys/">customer surveys</a> </noscript>(al)<hr />© Sam Wilson for <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com">Smashing Magazine</a>, 2010. | <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/02/showcase-of-appetizing-restaurant-websites/">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/02/showcase-of-appetizing-restaurant-websites/#comments">Post a comment</a> | <a title="Bookmark in del.icio.us" href="http://del.icio.us/post?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/02/showcase-of-appetizing-restaurant-websites/&title=Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites">Add to del.icio.us</a> | <a title="Bookmark in Digg" href="http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/02/showcase-of-appetizing-restaurant-websites/">Digg this</a> | <a title="Stumble on StumbleUpon" href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/02/showcase-of-appetizing-restaurant-websites/">Stumble on StumbleUpon!</a> | <a title="Tweet us!" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=@tweetmeme%20@smashingmag%20Reading%20'Showcase Of Appetizing Restaurant Websites' http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/02/showcase-of-appetizing-restaurant-websites/">Tweet it!</a> | <a title="Bookmark in Reddit" href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/02/showcase-of-appetizing-restaurant-websites/">Submit to Reddit</a> | <a href="http://forum.smashingmagazine.com/">Forum Smashing Magazine</a> Post tags: <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/tag/showcases/" rel="tag">showcases</a> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SmashingMagazine/~4/SA9miBuik6o" height="1" width="1"/>76http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/02/showcase-of-appetizing-restaurant-websites/Vitaly Friedmanhttp://www.smashingmagazine.comiCandies Icon Set: 60 Free Icons For Your User Interfaces and Appshttp://www.smashingmagazine.com/?p=611462010-09-06T13:08:51Z2010-09-01T23:08:48Z<table width="650"><tr><td width="650"><div style="width:650px;"> <img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/static/smashing-magazine-advertisement.gif" alt="" border="0" /><img src="http://imp.constantcontact.com/imp/cmp.jsp?impcc=IMP_<mprid/>&o=http://img.constantcontact.com/lp/images/standard/spacer.gif" alt="" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=56" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=56" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a href="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=35" target="_blank"><img src="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=35" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=64" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=64" border="0" alt="" /></a></div></td></tr></table>Today we are glad to release iCandies Icon Set, a set with 60 high quality icons in 64×64px, 48×48px and 32×32px, available in .EPS, .AI and .PNG. The set is designed by the talented folks from <a href="http://www.iconeden.com">IconEden</a> on a sole purpose of giving your projects a sleek and geeky style or provide crisp, attractive icons for your modern and fashionable-looking interfaces. All the icons in this pack — 60 icons in total — are designed in Round Rectangle shape.<a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/01/icandies-icon-set-60-free-icons-your-user-interfaces-and-apps/"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/icandies-450px.jpg" width="450" height="450" alt="iCandies Icon Set" /></a> <iframe class="facebooklike" src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smashingmagazine.com%2F2010%2F09%2F01%2Ficandies-icon-set-60-free-icons-your-user-interfaces-and-apps%2F&layout=standard&show_faces=false&width=450&action=like&colorscheme=light&height=35" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe>You can use the set for all of your projects for free and without any restrictions. You can freely use it for both your private and commercial projects, including software, online services, templates and themes. The set may not be resold, sublicensed or rented. Please link to this article if you want to spread the word. <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/qwZcRzfpR9ffnFl-BjSBYdAWnbw/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/qwZcRzfpR9ffnFl-BjSBYdAWnbw/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/qwZcRzfpR9ffnFl-BjSBYdAWnbw/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/qwZcRzfpR9ffnFl-BjSBYdAWnbw/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><table width="650"><tr><td width="650"><div style="width:650px;"> <img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/static/smashing-magazine-advertisement.gif" alt="Smashing-magazine-advertisement in iCandies Icon Set: 60 Free Icons For Your User Interfaces and Apps" border="0" /><img src="http://imp.constantcontact.com/imp/cmp.jsp?impcc=IMP_<mprid/>&o=http://img.constantcontact.com/lp/images/standard/spacer.gif" alt="Spacer in iCandies Icon Set: 60 Free Icons For Your User Interfaces and Apps" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=56" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=56" border="0" alt=" in iCandies Icon Set: 60 Free Icons For Your User Interfaces and Apps" /></a> <a href="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=35" target="_blank"><img src="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=35" border="0" alt=" in iCandies Icon Set: 60 Free Icons For Your User Interfaces and Apps" /></a> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=64" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=64" border="0" alt=" in iCandies Icon Set: 60 Free Icons For Your User Interfaces and Apps" /></a></div></td></tr></table>Today we are glad to release iCandies Icon Set, a set with 60 high quality icons in 64×64px, 48×48px and 32×32px, available in .EPS, .AI and .PNG. The set is designed by the talented folks from <a href="http://www.iconeden.com">IconEden</a> on a sole purpose of giving your projects a sleek and geeky style or provide crisp, attractive icons for your modern and fashionable-looking interfaces. All the icons in this pack — 60 icons in total — are designed in Round Rectangle shape.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/iCandies-sm-large.jpg"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/icandies-450px.jpg" width="450" height="450" alt="Icandies-450px in iCandies Icon Set: 60 Free Icons For Your User Interfaces and Apps" /></a><h4>Download the icon set for free!</h4>You can use the set for all of your projects for free and without any restrictions. You can freely use it for both your private and commercial projects, including software, online services, templates and themes. The set may not be resold, sublicensed or rented. Please link to this article if you want to spread the word.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/iCandies-sm-large.jpg"><img src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/iCandies-sm-large.jpg" alt="ICandies-sm-large in iCandies Icon Set: 60 Free Icons For Your User Interfaces and Apps" width="500" height="1600" /></a><ul><li><a href="http://iconeden.com/icon/icandies.html">large preview</a></li><li><a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/iCandies-icon-set.zip">download the set</a> (.zip, 5.1 Mb)</li></ul><h4>A word from the designers</h4>As always, here are some words from the designers of the set:Dear Smashing Magazine readers, IconEden’s 2nd birthday is coming! And we’re as excited about it as you’re. To celebrate our two years of rocking the icon design world, IconEden collaborated with Smashing Magazine to craft a small set of 60 wonderful icons called “iCandies”! And it’s all yours. Similar to previous collections, iCandies comes in vector and pixel formats and can be immediately be built into your projects at no cost. You can use the icons for any commercial and personal projects. Thank you very much, guys! We appreciate your efforts.[Offtopic: by the way, did you know that there is a Smashing eBook Series? Book #1 is <a href="http://shop.smashingmagazine.com/smashing-ebook-series-1-professional-web-design-intl.html">Professional Web Design</a>, 242 pages for just $9,90.]<h3>Related Posts</h3>You may be interested in the following related releases:<ul><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/04/15/the-ultimate-free-web-designer-s-icon-set-750-icons-incl-psd-sources/">The Ultimate Free Web Designer’s Icon Set (750 icons, incl. PSD sources)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/02/15/free-medical-icons-set-60-icons/">Free Medical Icons Set (60 Icons)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/12/24/yummy-a-free-tasty-icon-set/">Yummy! Free Food and Cakes Icon Set (20 Icons)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/06/18/freebie-release-quartz-icon-set/">Quartz Icon Set (90 clean sharp icons)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/07/14/gcons-free-all-purpose-icons-for-designers-and-developers-100-icons-psd/">gCons: Free All-Purpose Icons for Designers and Developers (100 icons + PSD)</a></li></ul><hr />© Vitaly Friedman for <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com">Smashing Magazine</a>, 2010. | <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/01/icandies-icon-set-60-free-icons-your-user-interfaces-and-apps/">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/01/icandies-icon-set-60-free-icons-your-user-interfaces-and-apps/#comments">Post a comment</a> | <a title="Bookmark in del.icio.us" href="http://del.icio.us/post?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/01/icandies-icon-set-60-free-icons-your-user-interfaces-and-apps/&title=iCandies Icon Set: 60 Free Icons For Your User Interfaces and Apps">Add to del.icio.us</a> | <a title="Bookmark in Digg" href="http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/01/icandies-icon-set-60-free-icons-your-user-interfaces-and-apps/">Digg this</a> | <a title="Stumble on StumbleUpon" href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/01/icandies-icon-set-60-free-icons-your-user-interfaces-and-apps/">Stumble on StumbleUpon!</a> | <a title="Tweet us!" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=@tweetmeme%20@smashingmag%20Reading%20'iCandies Icon Set: 60 Free Icons For Your User Interfaces and Apps' http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/01/icandies-icon-set-60-free-icons-your-user-interfaces-and-apps/">Tweet it!</a> | <a title="Bookmark in Reddit" href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/01/icandies-icon-set-60-free-icons-your-user-interfaces-and-apps/">Submit to Reddit</a> | <a href="http://forum.smashingmagazine.com/">Forum Smashing Magazine</a> Post tags: <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/tag/freebies/" rel="tag">Freebies</a>, <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/tag/icons/" rel="tag">Icons</a> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SmashingMagazine/~4/hz4A7oJrg2s" height="1" width="1"/>28http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/01/icandies-icon-set-60-free-icons-your-user-interfaces-and-apps/Mushon Zer-Avivhttp://mushon.comThe Case For Open-Source Design: Can Design By Committee Work?http://www.smashingmagazine.com/?p=595912010-09-03T14:59:31Z2010-09-01T13:08:43Z<table width="650"><tr><td width="650"><div style="width:650px;"> <img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/static/smashing-magazine-advertisement.gif" alt="" border="0" /><img src="http://imp.constantcontact.com/imp/cmp.jsp?impcc=IMP_<mprid/>&o=http://img.constantcontact.com/lp/images/standard/spacer.gif" alt="" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=56" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=56" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a href="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=35" target="_blank"><img src="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=35" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=64" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=64" border="0" alt="" /></a></div></td></tr></table>In celebrating the merits of free software and the excitement over this radical networked production method, an important truth is left unspoken. Networked collaboration shines in the low levels of network protocols, server software and memory allocation, but user interface has consistently been a point of failure. How come the networked collaboration that transformed code production and encyclopedia-writing fails to translate to graphic and interface design?<a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/01/the-case-for-open-source-design-can-design-by-committee-work/"><img class="size-full wp-image-59600 aligncenter" title="The Communication Cycle" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/osd_comcycle_500.png" alt="Screenshot" width="500" height="196" /></a> <iframe class="facebooklike" src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smashingmagazine.com%2F2010%2F09%2F01%2Fthe-case-for-open-source-design-can-design-by-committee-work%2F&layout=standard&show_faces=false&width=450&action=like&colorscheme=light&height=35" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe>The following is an investigation into the difficulties of extending the open-source collaboration model from coding to its next logical step: interface design. While we'll dive deep into the practical difference between these two professional fields, the article might also serve as a note of caution to think before rushing to declare the rise of "open-source architecture," "open-source university," "open-source democracy" and so on. <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tMuo2vUlWdmxx-4Aulo1-Y-qc2o/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tMuo2vUlWdmxx-4Aulo1-Y-qc2o/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tMuo2vUlWdmxx-4Aulo1-Y-qc2o/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tMuo2vUlWdmxx-4Aulo1-Y-qc2o/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><table width="650"><tr><td width="650"><div style="width:650px;"> <img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/static/smashing-magazine-advertisement.gif" alt="Smashing-magazine-advertisement in The Case For Open-Source Design: Can Design By Committee Work?" border="0" /><img src="http://imp.constantcontact.com/imp/cmp.jsp?impcc=IMP_<mprid/>&o=http://img.constantcontact.com/lp/images/standard/spacer.gif" alt="Spacer in The Case For Open-Source Design: Can Design By Committee Work?" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=56" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=56" border="0" alt=" in The Case For Open-Source Design: Can Design By Committee Work?" /></a> <a href="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=35" target="_blank"><img src="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=35" border="0" alt=" in The Case For Open-Source Design: Can Design By Committee Work?" /></a> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=64" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=64" border="0" alt=" in The Case For Open-Source Design: Can Design By Committee Work?" /></a></div></td></tr></table>In celebrating the merits of free software and the excitement over this radical networked production method, an important truth is left unspoken. Networked collaboration shines in the low levels of network protocols, server software and memory allocation, but user interface has consistently been a point of failure. How come the networked collaboration that transformed code production and encyclopedia-writing fails to translate to graphic and interface design?The following is an investigation into the difficulties of extending the open-source collaboration model from coding to its next logical step: interface design. While we’ll dive deep into the practical difference between these two professional fields, the article might also serve as a note of caution to think before rushing to declare the rise of “open-source architecture,” “open-source university,” “open-source democracy” and so on.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/osd_collab_500.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-59599 aligncenter" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/osd_collab_500.png" alt="Osd Collab 500 in The Case For Open-Source Design: Can Design By Committee Work?" width="500" height="375" /></a>[Offtopic: by the way, did you know that there is a Smashing eBook Series? Book #1 is <a href="http://shop.smashingmagazine.com/smashing-ebook-series-1-professional-web-design-intl.html">Professional Web Design</a>, 242 pages for just $9,90.]<h3>The Challenges</h3><h4>Scratching an Itch</h4>By going open-source, coders are fulfilling a need to change software, to make it their own. They might have different motivations, but if you’re already modifying something for yourself, answering the “Why share?” question is really easy with “Why not?” By the time the code executes correctly, the immediate users of the software—that is, the coders themselves—are already familiar with the software and can operate it even without a delicately crafted user interface.Therefore, the motivation to take an extra step and invest in a usable interface that would extend the user base beyond the original geek-pool is not obvious. The interface already works for me, so what itch am I scratching by working hard to make it usable for others who can’t help me code it?For the designers themselves, what is their incentive to make the design process more collaborative? Will others make my design better? Will they be able to communicate my ideas better than I can?Beyond that, open-source interface design suffers from a chicken-and-egg problem: most designers don’t use open-source tools, and so it doesn’t occur to them that they could make the software better. As a result, open-source software suffers from an inferior interface that makes designers shy away from it and stick to their proprietary tools. The cycle repeats…<h4>Granularity</h4>Both software and wikis are made of granular building blocks, namely characters. This makes every typo an invitation to collaborate. My first Wikipedia edit was a typo correction, my second was adding a reference link, my third was writing a whole paragraph, and that led me to more substantial contributions, like adding a whole new article and so on.Each granular step gets you closer to the next granular step. This ladder of participation makes each successive step easier. It also allows you to compare changes easily, giving you transparency, accountability, moderation and an open license to try and possibly fail, knowing you can always revert to the previous version.You don’t get that with design, because the changes are not granular and are not as easily traceable. The first step is steep, and a ladder is nowhere to be found.<h4>Encoding/Decoding</h4><a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/osd_comcycle_500.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-59600 aligncenter" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/osd_comcycle_500.png" alt="Osd Comcycle 500 in The Case For Open-Source Design: Can Design By Committee Work?" width="500" height="196" /></a>In his 1980 article “Encoding/Decoding,” cultural theorist Stuart Hall defines communication in terms of code. To describe it briefly, let’s imagine a spoken conversation between Alice and Bob. Alice encodes her framework of knowledge into the communicable medium of speech. Assuming Bob can hear the sounds and understand the spoken language, he then decodes the sounds into a framework of knowledge.Both encoding and decoding are creative processes. Ideas are transformed into messages that are then transformed into ideas again. The code that Alice uses for encoding is different than the one Bob uses for decoding. Alice could never telepathically upload ideas into Bob’s brain. (We can all agree that that is a good thing.)Let’s entertain Hall’s ideas of encoding and decoding in software. Alice is an open-source hacker, and Bob is collaborating with her as a designer. Alice is writing software code; she knows when it executes and when it doesn’t because the program communicates that through error messages. When she is happy with the result, she uploads the code to an online repository.Bob then downloads the code to his computer, and because it has executed on Alice’s computer, it also executes on his. When Alice and Bob collaborate through a programming language, they are literally using the same code for encoding and decoding.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/osd_codecollab_500.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-59598 aligncenter" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/osd_codecollab_500.png" alt="Osd Codecollab 500 in The Case For Open-Source Design: Can Design By Committee Work?" width="500" height="375" /></a>Alice always chooses one of her three favorite programming languages. Being a designer, to communicate a message visually Bob starts by defining a visual language—graphics, color, layout, animation, interaction… If Alice or any other developer had to reinvent a new programming language on every single project we would not be speaking about FLOSS now.Bob needs to define a graphic language, a standard for the collaboration. Doing that is already a major part, possibly the most important part of the creative work. Whoever works with Bob will need to accept and follow these standards, relinquish control and conform to Bob’s predefined graphic language. These artificial constraints are harder to learn and conform to than the constraints of a programming language. While constraints and standards in technology are the mother of creativity, in design they can often feel artificial and oppressive.Beyond that, within a collaboration, when Bob tries to argue for the merits of his design, unlike in the case of Alice’s code he cannot prove that it executes flawlessly, or that it is faster or more resource efficient. The metrics are not as clear.It is important to remember, in collaboration on code Alice and Bob have a third collaborator, one that cannot be reasoned with – the computer. This collaborator will simply not execute anything that doesn’t fit its way of work. On the other hand, as long as it is syntactically correct and satisfies the inflexible collaborator even “ugly code” executes and muddles through. And so, the different voices expressed in code are flattened into a single coherent executed application.For better or worse, we lack this inflexible collaborator in design. It doesn’t care about our communicative message and it doesn’t level the playing field for communicative collaboration. And so, the different voices in design simply spell inconsistent multiplicity that dilutes the communicative message.One might turn to Wikipedia as a testament to successful non-code-based collaboration, but Wikipedia enforces very strict and rational guidelines. There is no room for poetry or subjectivity within its pages.<h3>Is It Simply Impossible?</h3>Not necessarily. If we step out of the technical construct of the open-source methodology, we can identify quite a few networked collaborations that are transforming and often improving on the design process.Viewing free culture and the free sharing of media as evidence of collaboration is tempting, but the availability of work to be remixed and re-appropriated does not necessarily imply collaboration. Sharing is essential to collaboration but is not enough.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/osd_wordpress_500.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-59603 aligncenter" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/osd_wordpress_500.png" alt="Osd Wordpress 500 in The Case For Open-Source Design: Can Design By Committee Work?" width="500" height="375" /></a>WordPress, the leading free blogging software, is an interesting example. Looking to redesign the WordPress administration interface, Automattic, the company leading the WordPress community, hired <a href="http://happycog.com/create/wordpress/">HappyCog</a>, a prominent Web design firm. And in March 2008, WordPress 2.5 launched with a much improved interface. Through a traditional design process, HappyCog developed a strong direction for the admin interface. Eight months later, Automattic released another major revision to the design that relied on HappyCog’s initial foundation but that extended it far beyond.One of the interesting methodologies that Automattic used to get the WordPress community involved in the design process was <a href="http://wordpress.org/development/2008/10/calling-all-wordpress-loving-icon-designers/">a call for icon designers</a> to provide a new icon set for the interface. Within two weeks, the six leading icon sets were up for voting by the community.But rather than just casting a blanket “Like” or “Dislike” vote, community members were invited to provide a detailed assessment of consistency, metaphor coherence and so on. Some icon designers in the running even acknowledged the superiority of other contributions and voted against their own sets. The icon set that was ultimately chosen, though, was a collaborative effort, because some of the icons changed based on inspiration from the other sets.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/osd_grid-systems_5001.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-59604 aligncenter" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/osd_grid-systems_5001.jpg" alt="Osd Grid-systems 5001 in The Case For Open-Source Design: Can Design By Committee Work?" width="500" height="375" /></a>Another example is the evolution of grid systems for Web design. Half a century after the rise of Swiss-style graphic design, some design bloggers suggested that some of its principles might apply to Web design. Those suggestions evolved into best practices, and from there into <a href="http://blueprintcss.org/">Blueprint CSS</a>, an actual style sheet framework. The framework became popular and inspired other frameworks, such as 960.gs.Similar processes happen in interaction design. One example is the pop-up window evolving into the elegant lightbox or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modal_window">modal window</a> modules, and then changing and being modified again and again in open-source code libraries.Other design-oriented experiments in free software, such as the <a href="http://shiftspace.org/">ShiftSpace</a> platform, challenge the Web interface power structure. ShiftSpace allows users to interact with a website on their own terms by renegotiating the interface and proposing different interactions on top of the page. Projects like ShiftSpace aim to expand the limited participatory paradigm of the Web beyond user-generated content to include user-generated interfaces.<h3>Make It Happen!</h3>There are ways to make open-source design work without falling into the traps often characterized as “design by committee.” We are already seeing designers scratching their own itch and contributing creative work to the commons.Lecturing designers (or users) and demanding that they use bad tools for ideological reasons is counter-productive. Designers often use free tools (or use proprietary tools in unauthorized ways) only because they are free as in free beer. So, to win over new users, free software should be pitched on the full range of its merits rather than on ethics alone. While the ethics of “free as in free speech” are convincing to those who can “speak” code, the openness of the source to those who lack the skill to modify the code is a weaker selling point.Free software tools have won on their broad merits many times, and not only on low-level system and network fronts. Wikis and blogging software (which are interaction and communication tools) that have been invented by the free software community have maintained a lead over proprietary competitors. Networking and collaboration are the bread and butter of free software, and the community should leverage these advantages.Just as Wikipedia extends the free-software collaboration model by leveraging the granularity of characters, so can design. When possible, using code for design collaboration is preferable. Beyond that, collaborators should adopt distributed version control systems for both code and image files. Rather than trying to compete with proprietary software by creating open clones, the Free Software community can leverage its experience as an advantage and focus on new collaborative paradigms for version control and collaboration.Finally, There are ways for us to better analyze the encoding and decoding of the communicated message. We can formalize processes of collaborative encoding. We can start by conducting networked design research using existing research tools; in this way, we might come up with design decisions collaboratively. We can define modular and extensible languages that embody design decisions but still allow for flexibility and special cases (like Cascading Style Sheets). We should also learn how to document our design decisions so that they serve other collaborators. Designers have been doing this for many years in more traditional and hierarchical design contexts when they have compiled documents such as branding books or design guides.For the decoding part, we should realize that many design patterns are rational or standardized and can leverage common ground without compromising the creative output. For example, <a href="#looks-like-it-should-link-to-something">underlined text</a> on the Web almost always implies a hyperlink. We could choose to indicate a link otherwise, but if we try to use this underline styling, say, for emphasis, we can expect users will try to click on it.User experience research, technical aspects of design, best practices in typography, icon use, interaction paradigm—these are all aspects of design that can be researched and assessed according to measurable parameters. Thorough research of these can provide a basis for consensus for shared expectations of how a message will be interpreted. A lot of this work is already taking place on design blogs, which have published a lot of research on the subject over the past few years.Finally, the substantial parts of design that still cannot be easily quantified or assessed on shared rational ground should be managed through trust and leadership. A resilient community of practice must be able to develop design leadership whose work and guidance is respected and appreciated even without the convenient meter of coding meritocracy.<h4>Scaling Subjectivity</h4>It comes down to the deep paradox at the heart of design (whether for interface, architecture, product, etc.). We are trying to create a subjective experience that scales—a single personal scenario that can be multiplied repeatedly to fit a wide array of changing needs by a vast majority of users. The thing is, subjectivity cannot be scaled—that’s what makes it subjective—therefore, the attempts to create a one-size-fits-all solution are bound to fail, along with the attempts to customize the solution to each individual user in each individual use case.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/osd_mice_500.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-59602 aligncenter" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/osd_mice_500.png" alt="Osd Mice 500 in The Case For Open-Source Design: Can Design By Committee Work?" width="500" height="337" /></a><a href="http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2009/11/07/open-source-design-and-the-openofficemouse/">Chris Messina</a> gives a great example for this paradox by comparing Apple’s Magic Mouse to the OpenOffice mouse. While Apple’s solution is a slick, clean one-button device, the OOMouse has “18 programmable mouse buttons with double-click functionality; analog Xbox 360-style joystick with optional 4-, 8- and 16-key command modes; 63 on-mouse application profiles with hardware, software and autoswitching capability…” and more. While the Magic Mouse embodies Apple’s commitment to design leadership at the price of user choice, the OOMouse embodies the free software community’s preference for openness and customization over unified leadership.Successful open-source projects have always benefited from a mix of the two approaches, a combination of openness and leadership. Finding a similarly nuanced approach in other fields is required if we ever hope to extend the open-source model beyond code. We cannot sprinkle the pixie dust of open source on everything and expect wonders. The same goes for design. Hopefully, though, we can make some progress by demystifying the process and by collaborating wisely when it makes sense and coming up with new ways when it doesn’t.“Can Design By Committee Work?” by <a rel="cc:attributionURL" href="http://collaborative-futures.org">Collaborative Futures</a> is licensed under the <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License</a>. Based on a work at <a rel="dc:source" href="http://www.booki.cc/collaborativefutures/">www.booki.cc</a>. This essay is also featured in the Collaborative Futures book, written collaboratively, published for free and released under the CC-BY-SA license.(al)<hr />© Mushon Zer-Aviv for <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com">Smashing Magazine</a>, 2010. | <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/01/the-case-for-open-source-design-can-design-by-committee-work/">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/01/the-case-for-open-source-design-can-design-by-committee-work/#comments">Post a comment</a> | <a title="Bookmark in del.icio.us" href="http://del.icio.us/post?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/01/the-case-for-open-source-design-can-design-by-committee-work/&title=The Case For Open-Source Design: Can Design By Committee Work?">Add to del.icio.us</a> | <a title="Bookmark in Digg" href="http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/01/the-case-for-open-source-design-can-design-by-committee-work/">Digg this</a> | <a title="Stumble on StumbleUpon" href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/01/the-case-for-open-source-design-can-design-by-committee-work/">Stumble on StumbleUpon!</a> | <a title="Tweet us!" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=@tweetmeme%20@smashingmag%20Reading%20'The Case For Open-Source Design: Can Design By Committee Work?' http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/01/the-case-for-open-source-design-can-design-by-committee-work/">Tweet it!</a> | <a title="Bookmark in Reddit" href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/01/the-case-for-open-source-design-can-design-by-committee-work/">Submit to Reddit</a> | <a href="http://forum.smashingmagazine.com/">Forum Smashing Magazine</a> Post tags: <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SmashingMagazine/~4/shiAJfWTJ1c" height="1" width="1"/>43http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/01/the-case-for-open-source-design-can-design-by-committee-work/Smashing Editorialhttp://www.smashingmagazine.comDesktop Wallpaper Calendar: September 2010http://www.smashingmagazine.com/?p=605612010-09-01T17:37:05Z2010-08-31T11:04:18Z<table width="650"><tr><td width="650"><div style="width:650px;"> <img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/static/smashing-magazine-advertisement.gif" alt="" border="0" /><img src="http://imp.constantcontact.com/imp/cmp.jsp?impcc=IMP_<mprid/>&o=http://img.constantcontact.com/lp/images/standard/spacer.gif" alt="" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=56" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=56" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a href="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=35" target="_blank"><img src="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=35" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=64" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=64" border="0" alt="" /></a></div></td></tr></table>Desktop wallpapers can serve as an excellent source of inspiration. However, if you use some specific wallpaper for a long period of time, it becomes harder to draw inspiration out of it. That’s why we have decided to supply you with smashing wallpapers over 12 months. And to make them a little bit more distinctive from the usual crowd, we’ve decided to embed calendars for the upcoming month. So if you need to look up some date, isn’t it better to show off a nice wallpaper with a nice calendar instead of launching some default time application?<a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/08/31/desktop-wallpaper-calendar-september-2010/"><img width="500" height="312" alt="Smashing Wallpaper — September 10" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/tension9.jpg" /></a> <iframe class="facebooklike" src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smashingmagazine.com%2F2010%2F08%2F31%2Fdesktop-wallpaper-calendar-september-2010%2F&layout=standard&show_faces=false&width=450&action=like&colorscheme=light&height=35" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe>This post features 75 free desktop wallpapers, created by designers across the globe. Both versions with a calendar and without a calendar can be downloaded for free.Please notice:<ul><li>all images can be clicked and lead to the preview of the wallpaper;</li><li>you can <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/03/19/desktop-wallpaper-calendar-join-in/">feature your work in our magazine</a> by taking part in our desktop wallpaper calendar series. We are regularly looking for creative designers and artists to be featured on Smashing Magazine. Are you one of them?</li></ul>So what wallpapers have we received for September 2010? <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/RinA_8nJxP4G7GiJtGQB6f4_52U/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/RinA_8nJxP4G7GiJtGQB6f4_52U/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/RinA_8nJxP4G7GiJtGQB6f4_52U/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/RinA_8nJxP4G7GiJtGQB6f4_52U/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><table width="650"><tr><td width="650"><div style="width:650px;"> <img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/static/smashing-magazine-advertisement.gif" alt="Smashing-magazine-advertisement in Desktop Wallpaper Calendar: September 2010" border="0" /><img src="http://imp.constantcontact.com/imp/cmp.jsp?impcc=IMP_<mprid/>&o=http://img.constantcontact.com/lp/images/standard/spacer.gif" alt="Spacer in Desktop Wallpaper Calendar: September 2010" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=56" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=56" border="0" alt=" in Desktop Wallpaper Calendar: September 2010" /></a> <a href="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=35" target="_blank"><img src="http://auslieferung.commindo-media-ressourcen.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=35" border="0" alt=" in Desktop Wallpaper Calendar: September 2010" /></a> <a href="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=64" target="_blank"><img src="http://creatives.commindo-media.de/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=64" border="0" alt=" in Desktop Wallpaper Calendar: September 2010" /></a></div></td></tr></table>Desktop wallpapers can serve as an excellent source of inspiration. However, if you use some specific wallpaper for a long period of time, it becomes harder to draw inspiration out of it. That’s why we have decided to supply you with smashing wallpapers over 12 months. And to make them a little bit more distinctive from the usual crowd, we’ve decided to embed calendars for the upcoming month. So if you need to look up some date, isn’t it better to show off a nice wallpaper with a nice calendar instead of launching some default time application?This post features 75 free desktop wallpapers, created by designers across the globe. Both versions with a calendar and without a calendar can be downloaded for free.Please notice:<ul><li>all images can be clicked and lead to the preview of the wallpaper;</li><li>you can <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/03/19/desktop-wallpaper-calendar-join-in/">feature your work in our magazine</a> by taking part in our desktop wallpaper calendar series. We are regularly looking for creative designers and artists to be featured on Smashing Magazine. Are you one of them?</li><li>You may be interested in the <a href="http://www.windows7hacker.com/index.php/2010/09/download-smashing-magazine-desktop-wallpaper-calendar-september-2010-windows-7-theme/">Windows 7 Theme: Desktop Wallpapers September 2010</a>, too.</li></ul>So what wallpapers have we received for September 2010?[Offtopic: by the way, did you know that there is a Smashing eBook Series? Book #1 is <a href="http://shop.smashingmagazine.com/smashing-ebook-series-1-professional-web-design-intl.html">Professional Web Design</a>, 242 pages for just $9,90.]<h3>Tension9</h3>"I made a 9 on the fence with nails and woolen to express the tension. It has come to the ninth month of 2010. Still working hardly and stressfully? Take it easy!" Designed by <a href="http://ssuhua.daportfolio.com/">Ssu-Hua Chen</a> from Australia.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/full/tension9.jpg"><img width="500" height="312" alt="Tension9 in Desktop Wallpaper Calendar: September 2010" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/tension9.jpg" /></a><ul><li><a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/full/tension9.jpg">preview</a></li><li>with calendar: <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-tension9-calendar-1024x768.jpg">1024×768</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-tension9-calendar-1280x1024.jpg">1280×1024</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-tension9-calendar-1440x900.jpg">1440×900</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-tension9-calendar-1680x1050.jpg">1680×1050</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-tension9-calendar-1920x1200.jpg">1920×1200</a></li><li>without calendar: <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-tension9-nocal-1024x768.jpg">1024×768</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-tension9-nocal-1280x1024.jpg">1280×1024</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-tension9-nocal-1440x900.jpg">1440×900</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-tension9-nocal-1680x1050.jpg">1680×1050</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-tension9-nocal-1920x1200.jpg">1920×1200</a></li></ul><h3>Autumn Skyview</h3>"Laying on field watching the sky above, leaves are falling, autumn is coming." Designed by <a href="http://mogdesign.eu">Jaro Mlkvy</a> from Slovakia.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/full/autumn-skyview.jpg"><img width="500" height="312" alt="Autumn-skyview in Desktop Wallpaper Calendar: September 2010" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/autumn-skyview.jpg" /></a><ul><li><a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/full/autumn-skyview.jpg">preview</a></li><li>with calendar: <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-skyview-calendar-1024x768.jpg">1024×768</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-skyview-calendar-1280x800.jpg">1280×800</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-skyview-calendar-1680x1050.jpg">1680×1050</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-skyview-calendar-1920x1200.jpg">1920×1200</a></li><li>without calendar: <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-skyview-nocal-1024x768.jpg">1024×768</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-skyview-nocal-1280x800.jpg">1280×800</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-skyview-nocal-1680x1050.jpg">1680×1050</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-skyview-nocal-1920x1200.jpg">1920×1200</a></li></ul><h3>Symbian World</h3>"Scene from Symbian World." Designed by <a href="http://www.symbian.org">Anna Alfut</a> from UK.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/full/symbian-world.jpg"><img width="500" height="312" alt="Symbian-world in Desktop Wallpaper Calendar: September 2010" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/symbian-world.jpg" /></a><ul><li><a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/full/symbian-world.jpg">preview</a></li><li>with calendar: <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-symbian-world-calendar-800x600.jpg">800×600</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-symbian-world-calendar-1024x768.jpg">1024×768</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-symbian-world-calendar-1280x800.jpg">1280×800</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-symbian-world-calendar-1280x1024.jpg">1280×1024</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-symbian-world-calendar-1440x900.jpg">1440×900</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-symbian-world-calendar-1680x1050.jpg">1680×1050</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-symbian-world-calendar-1920x1080.jpg">1920×1080</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-symbian-world-calendar-1920x1200.jpg">1920×1200</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-symbian-world-calendar-2048x1152.jpg">2048×1152</a></li><li>without calendar: <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-symbian-world-nocal-800x600.jpg">800×600</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-symbian-world-nocal-1024x768.jpg">1024×768</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-symbian-world-nocal-1280x800.jpg">1280×800</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-symbian-world-nocal-1280x1024.jpg">1280×1024</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-symbian-world-nocal-1440x900.jpg">1440×900</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-symbian-world-nocal-1680x1050.jpg">1680×1050</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-symbian-world-nocal-1920x1080.jpg">1920×1080</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-symbian-world-nocal-1920x1200.jpg">1920×1200</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-symbian-world-nocal-2048x1152.jpg">2048×1152</a></li></ul><h3>Melancholic Painting</h3>"September always makes me melancholic, not sure why." Designed by <a href="http://free-web-design.co.cc/">Alex Roman</a> from Romania.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/full/melancholic-painting.jpg"><img width="500" height="312" alt="Melancholic-painting in Desktop Wallpaper Calendar: September 2010" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/melancholic-painting.jpg" /></a><ul><li><a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/full/melancholic-painting.jpg">preview</a></li><li>with calendar: <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-melancholic-painting-calendar-1024x640.jpg">1024×640</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-melancholic-painting-calendar-1280x800.jpg">1280×800</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-melancholic-painting-calendar-1440x900.jpg">1440×900</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-melancholic-painting-calendar-1680x1050.jpg">1680×1050</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-melancholic-painting-calendar-1920x1200.jpg">1920×1200</a></li><li>without calendar: <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-melancholic-painting-nocal-1024x640.jpg">1024×640</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-melancholic-painting-nocal-1280x800.jpg">1280×800</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-melancholic-painting-nocal-1440x900.jpg">1440×900</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-melancholic-painting-nocal-1680x1050.jpg">1680×1050</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-melancholic-painting-nocal-1920x1200.jpg">1920×1200</a></li></ul><h3>Autumn Paper</h3>"Autumn is the season that’s most calming to me. Perfect weather, an array of colors, and a great source of inspiration to designers." Designed by <a href="http://www.bogdanlazar.com">Bogdan Lazar</a> from Romania.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/full/autumn-paper.jpg"><img width="500" height="312" alt="Autumn-paper in Desktop Wallpaper Calendar: September 2010" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/autumn-paper.jpg" /></a><ul><li><a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/full/autumn-paper.jpg">preview</a></li><li>with calendar: <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-paper-calendar-320x480.jpg">320×480</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-paper-calendar-1024x768.jpg">1024×768</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-paper-calendar-1280x800.jpg">1280×800</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-paper-calendar-1280x1024.jpg">1280×1024</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-paper-calendar-1440x900.jpg">1440×900</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-paper-calendar-1680x1050.jpg">1680×1050</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-paper-calendar-1920x1080.jpg">1920×1080</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-paper-calendar-1920x1200.jpg">1920×1200</a></li><li>without calendar: <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-paper-nocal-320x480.jpg">320×480</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-paper-nocal-1024x768.jpg">1024×768</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-paper-nocal-1280x800.jpg">1280×800</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-paper-nocal-1280x1024.jpg">1280×1024</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-paper-nocal-1440x900.jpg">1440×900</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-paper-nocal-1680x1050.jpg">1680×1050</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-paper-nocal-1920x1080.jpg">1920×1080</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-autumn-paper-nocal-1920x1200.jpg">1920×1200</a></li></ul><h3>Blue Fall</h3>"A fun and intricate Illustration for the month of September inspired by Canadian scenery and the colors of fall" Designed by <a href="http://avidmusedesign.com">Avid Muse Design</a> from Canada.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/full/blue-fall.jpg"><img width="500" height="312" alt="Blue-fall in Desktop Wallpaper Calendar: September 2010" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/blue-fall.jpg" /></a><ul><li><a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/full/blue-fall.jpg">preview</a></li><li>with calendar: <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-blue-fall-calendar-800x600.jpg">800×600</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-blue-fall-calendar-1024x768.jpg">1024×768</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-blue-fall-calendar-1152x864.jpg">1152×864</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-blue-fall-calendar-1280x800.jpg">1280×800</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-blue-fall-calendar-1280x1024.jpg">1280×1024</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-blue-fall-calendar-1440x900.jpg">1440×900</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-blue-fall-calendar-1680x1050.jpg">1680×1050</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-blue-fall-calendar-1920x1200.jpg">1920×1200</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-blue-fall-calendar-2560x1600.jpg">2560×1600</a></li><li>without calendar: <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-blue-fall-nocal-800x600.jpg">800×600</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-blue-fall-nocal-1024x768.jpg">1024×768</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-blue-fall-nocal-1152x864.jpg">1152×864</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-blue-fall-nocal-1280x800.jpg">1280×800</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-blue-fall-nocal-1280x1024.jpg">1280×1024</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-blue-fall-nocal-1440x900.jpg">1440×900</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-blue-fall-nocal-1680x1050.jpg">1680×1050</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-blue-fall-nocal-1920x1200.jpg">1920×1200</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-blue-fall-nocal-2560x1600.jpg">2560×1600</a></li></ul><h3>Gold autumn</h3>"When the leaves begin to change it means that autumn comes and schoolyear begins." Designed by <a href="http://www.cheloveche.ru">cheloveche.ru</a> from Russia.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/full/gold-autumn.jpg"><img width="500" height="312" alt="Gold-autumn in Desktop Wallpaper Calendar: September 2010" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/gold-autumn.jpg" /></a><ul><li><a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/full/gold-autumn.jpg">preview</a></li><li>with calendar: <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-gold-autumn-calendar-1024x768.jpg">1024×768</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-gold-autumn-calendar-1280x800.jpg">1280×800</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-gold-autumn-calendar-1280x1024.jpg">1280×1024</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-gold-autumn-calendar-1440x900.jpg">1440×900</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-gold-autumn-calendar-1680x1050.jpg">1680×1050</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-gold-autumn-calendar-1920x1200.jpg">1920×1200</a></li><li>without calendar: <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-gold-autumn-nocal-1024x768.jpg">1024×768</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-gold-autumn-nocal-1280x800.jpg">1280×800</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-gold-autumn-nocal-1280x1024.jpg">1280×1024</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-gold-autumn-nocal-1440x900.jpg">1440×900</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-gold-autumn-nocal-1680x1050.jpg">1680×1050</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-gold-autumn-nocal-1920x1200.jpg">1920×1200</a></li></ul><h3>My Daisy</h3>"Do not under estimated the beauty of a little daisy." Designed by <a href="http://www.crazypeopleworld.com">Esther Lau</a> from USA.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/full/my-daisy.jpg"><img width="500" height="312" alt="My-daisy in Desktop Wallpaper Calendar: September 2010" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/my-daisy.jpg" /></a><ul><li><a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/full/my-daisy.jpg">preview</a></li><li>with calendar: <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-my-daisy-calendar-320x480.jpg">320×480</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-my-daisy-calendar-1024x768.jpg">1024×768</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-my-daisy-calendar-1280x800.jpg">1280×800</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-my-daisy-calendar-1280x1024.jpg">1280×1024</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-my-daisy-calendar-1440x900.jpg">1440×900</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-my-daisy-calendar-1680x1050.jpg">1680×1050</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-my-daisy-calendar-1920x1200.jpg">1920×1200</a></li><li>without calendar: <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-my-daisy-nocal-320x480.jpg">320×480</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-my-daisy-nocal-1024x768.jpg">1024×768</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-my-daisy-nocal-1280x800.jpg">1280×800</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-my-daisy-nocal-1280x1024.jpg">1280×1024</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-my-daisy-nocal-1440x900.jpg">1440×900</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-my-daisy-nocal-1680x1050.jpg">1680×1050</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-my-daisy-nocal-1920x1200.jpg">1920×1200</a></li></ul><h3>Colourful Relaxation</h3>"A design based on a photograph by <a href="http://facebook.com/oliviabellphotography">Olivia Bell</a> – I ended up altering it a fair bit, but I just loved the <a href="http://www.oliviabellphotography.com/portraits/k14-2/">original</a> so I wanted to base a design on it. I hope you like it!" Designed by <a href="http://www.thesashabell.deviantart.com">Sasha Bell</a> from England, UK.<a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/full/colourful-relaxation.jpg"><img width="500" height="312" alt="Colourful-relaxation in Desktop Wallpaper Calendar: September 2010" src="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/colourful-relaxation.jpg" /></a><ul><li><a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/images/wallpaper-calendar-september-10/full/colourful-relaxation.jpg">preview</a></li><li>with calendar: <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-colourful-relaxation-calendar-1024x640.jpg">1024×640</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-colourful-relaxation-calendar-1280x800.jpg">1280×800</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-colourful-relaxation-calendar-1440x900.jpg">1440×900</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-colourful-relaxation-calendar-1680x1050.jpg">1680×1050</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-colourful-relaxation-calendar-1920x1200.jpg">1920×1200</a></li><li>without calendar: <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-colourful-relaxation-nocal-1024x640.jpg">1024×640</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-colourful-relaxation-nocal-1280x800.jpg">1280×800</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-colourful-relaxation-nocal-1440x900.jpg">1440×900</a>, <a href="http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/uploader/wallpapers/september10/september-10-colourful-relaxation-nocal-1680x1050.jpg">1680&times