Poor iconography leads quickly to brand reputation, confusion and a number of interface problems. All of these add up to a hinderance in the site’s utility, message and promotion.

On the other hand, great iconography provides simple, quick understanding for visitors on how to use the site. It’s one of the aspects of web design that separates the mediocre from the memorable, and supports the brand right away.

Denis Kortunov demonstrates well the most frequent issues with sound icon design:

http://turbomilk.com/blog/cookbook/criticism/10_mistakes_in_icon_design

[photo by Sonic Julez]

If Television is to continue on in the way it used to be, Television will need to reinvent itself. It should have become more interactive long, long time ago—and I don’t mean voting for American Idol (which certainly does help that enterprise).

Expect non-interruptive ads running concurrently on items like news, more interactivity, and certainly ways to combat the “DVR issue”. At some point, Television will begin and end as a pay-per-view, and view-on-demand. The model of interruptive commercials and waiting until 8:30 to watch it are going away quickly. The market preordains it.

This article from The Wall Street Journal showcases the downturn trend in local television.

[photo by Husky]

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/02/10/10-harsh-truths-about-corporate-websites/

Notable excerpts:

• “Put web teams in a division that recognizes that your website is not a bastard of your brochures, nor a natural outgrowth of your group calendar. Let there be Web divisions.”
• “Managing Your Website Is A Full-Time Job”
• “[provide] continual investment in your website, allowing it to evolve over time. Not only is this less wasteful, it is also better for users”
• “if you build a website for everyone, it will appeal to no one”
• “Social networking is about people engaging with people. Individuals do not want to build relationships with brands and corporations. They want to talk to other people.”
• “Web designers are much more than pixel pushers. They have a wealth of knowledge about the Web and how users interact with it.”
• “Design By Committee Brings Death”
• “CMS Is Not A Silver Bullet”

Well said. And thank you, SM.

[photo by foxypar4]

In the course of meeting with this client’s manager and agent, I was asked about the beginnings of what must be considered in the strategy, and I think they’re worth sharing:

1. Core creative design and branding - This separates the men from the boys. This is the difference between Starbucks and Joe’s Coffee. It starts with core creative concepts that must have consistent messaging and feel. Color palettes, logos, tone, positioning etc. — they all go into that “core” and just like product marketing, much identification, awareness and success branches from that.
2. Stage and Personality - Establishing a stage on which you exude your personality is a chief initial consideration. In the same way that Gandhi needed a press to assemble followers and promote change, nothing can be done without that initial stage. The personality itself must be branded. The stage must follow the brand of your personality. Tone and context need to be handled carefully. Good writers that know their character can do this easily, but much thought goes into it that people don’t see. People follow personality, not just random thoughts and text. The stage may involve a blog, a regular video piece, or a podcast, but it must showcase and develop the personality.
3. Community - Building community around the brand, the stage and personality involves two worlds of development: brand community and network extension. Your participation in your brand’s community must be active and well thought out. It must include reliable, prompt responses on the stage (i.e. answering e-mail promptly, personally and publicly, involving the audience, crediting the ideas, etc.). Also, providing a place for fans to congregate around your brand is essential, even if it’s a simple message board. Outward facing efforts should be integrating the brand into other networks. Extend more acute levels of personality in Twitter, assemble fans on social sites, syndicate content, organize appearances through Meetup, etc. Be active and extend your brand and personality to other networks.
4. Positioning and segmentation - Know your audience and what motivates them. Segment the fan from the follower and then from the casual visitor. Provide “inner circle” membership, benefits and products for those that are closer to the brand (online shops, giveaways, etc.). Speak to each segment in an applicable manner.
5. Analytical strategy - Just like anything else: measure everything. Identify what works and what doesn’t. Cut off what doesn’t and feed what does. Never implement anything without the ability to measure its effectiveness.

This is a basic roadmap—a condensed list of first points to consider when developing a strategy for feasibility and execution. And by all means, it is never a one-size-fits-all proposition. Each personal brand has its own challenges and taboos.

I used a photo of Gary Vaynerchuk (garyvaynerchuk.com) for good reason. You don’t have to be a race car driver or a world-renown philanthropist to engage in this practice. Gary did it himself, and does it right everyday. Whatever your roadmap is to success in the area of personal branding, remember that you must:

• be passionate
• be real
• be ready to work

Best wishes!

[photo by: Zach Inglis]

greenvolcanosoftware.com/flickit.html

It’s only fitting that *someone* provide a home for this. For those that have never been exposed to the experience, look at the swing in its basic form first (I’ve provided a few samples, in case disbelief instinctively convinces you that this was a one-time flaw).

The Basic Charles Barkley Swing

The Basic Charles Barkley Swing (#2)

The Basic Charles Barkley Swing (#3)

The Basic Charles Barkley Swing (in slow motion)

Charles Barkley Almost Kills a Guy

Tiger Woods Impersonating Charles’ Swing

$1000 Long Drive Bet with Kenny Smith

Fixing Charles Barkley’s Golf Swing

Inside The NBA: Charles Barkley’s Crazy Golf Swing Revisited

[photo: Ken Lund]

http://wimp.com/niceskill

[photo: mache]

legocomputer.com

(she *loves* it)

• Pioneer, maker of some of the best Plasma products, announced its exit from the market
• Vizio now exclusively deals in LCD
• LCD-based screens, all-in-all, really gives a better appearance at the time of the sale overall, in terms of perceived quality.

Full article, from popsci.com:

popsci.com/entertainment-amp-gaming/article/2009-02/plasma-going-way-romans

[photo: jdlasica]