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Web Design Trends in 2013 The past few years have seen a tremendous shift in the way developers are building websites. More users have switched onto mobile platforms, along with newer browsers which support HTML5/CSS3 web standards. There are so many unique ideas flowing out of the design community – it seems like new thresholds are being replaced every few months! In this article I would like to go over some of the most recent trends we have seen evolving. Many of these design ideas have been around for a long time. But I would argue that over 2012 and moving into 2013 these unique ideas will flourish.
The Pros and Cons to Direct Messaging Private messaging through social media is nothing new – most social sites have had some sort of messaging system in place since their inception. But, to combat spambots and online lurkers, users were normally restricted to only sending messages to their friends or the people that they followed who followed them back. If you weren't connected with somebody, you couldn't message them.
10 things HBO?s Girls can teach you about design Even if you haven’t seen the show, you’ve almost certainly heard of HBO’s hit Girls, created by and starring Lena Dunham. The show follows four 20-something women living in Brooklyn and all that that entails. Because it’s aired on premium cable, Girls doesn’t pull any punches, and has a lot of adult content. The Best Online Tools for Content Curation A content curation tool lets you pull videos, images, presentations, tweets, blog posts and other web content into a bundle which you can then easily embed and share on the web. Let’s say your team has just launched a new product at some conference and they have asked you to collate all the conversations and buzz happening around that product on various websites, blogs and social sites. You have to act fast because the stuff that gets shared on the real-time web often gets buried almost as quickly.
LinkedIn Marketing Best Practices LinkedIn is the largest and most influential professional network in the world with approximately 225 million users. The social network is great for making new connections, staying in the know about industry news and trends, sharing content, building and maintaining a following, and amplifying brand reach and visibility. LinkedIn has an outstanding visitor-to-lead conversion rate of 2.74%, which is approximately three times higher than the conversion rates of Facebook and Twitter. The most common and detrimental mistake brands make on LinkedIn is creating overly “salesy” marketing.
Account Creation, Standalone Mobile Websites, And Dealing With None-UX Designers Advertisement Editor’s note: Welcome to Smashing Magazine UX Design Q&A. It works like this: you send in questions you have about UX Design, and each month we’ll pick a handful of questions asked by our readers about best practices in designing smart and usable experiences. The 10 Commandments of Social Media Content Marketing In 1997 the first social network was created called sixdegrees.com and was the forerunner of the modern social networks that started to gain traction in 2002. The first of the modern next generation social media networks that followed in 2002, had the the funky name of Friendster, which to my ear sort of sounds like a hybrid cross between a “Friend” and a “Hamster”. As with any good idea it was quickly copied (“ripped off” is another phrase that comes to mind) and MySpace was created and launched in 2003. This social media network dominated for the next 5 years as teenagers became addicted to the interactive and multimedia rich, self publishing web platform that allowed them to share music, content and information with their friends.
Reasons Recruiters Do Not Click Through Your LinkedIn Profile Probably one of the most prevalent reasons why people get a LinkedIn profile is to connect with job opportunities out there. However, even if one has the skills and the experience perfect for a certain job post, they will not get noticed by recruiters if recruiters do not click through the LinkedIn profile of prospects. This infographic from LinkedIn in 30 Minutes details five common mistakes LinkedIn profile owners do that result in recruiters not clicking through to view a profile. “Are you missing out on job opportunities?” the infographic asks, of users of the world’s foremost social network for professionals. LinkedIn is fertile ground for recruiters to get people to fill jobs.
Designing Great Feedback Loops Advertisement The products we build are full of feedback loops, whether we know it or not. People who study human behavior agree that feedback loops play a critical role in what we do. From biofeedback to the quantified self, designers and psychologists alike are discovering the real power that these cyclical interactions play in shaping our day-to-day choices. Designing for behavior change can increase user engagement, create business value and improve lives. Whatever you’re designing, it probably involves feedback.
The Content Marketing Explosion [Infographic] Content marketing isn’t exactly a new marketing technique, but it’s seeing massive growth in 2012, with new and innovative ways to promote brand awareness and build customer retention. From articles and social media to data visualization such as infographics, brands are using these techniques to leverage their marketing efforts and create a wider reach. Big name companies are staying ahead of the game with content marketing, while startups who are specializing in this area, are getting off to a fast start. Duplicate low quality content is replaced by authentic, branded, shareable content in the search engines. Google initiated this change with its recent Panda update, forcing content farms out.
Adding the Right Skills to Your LinkedIn Profile According to LinkedIn, users with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities than those with incomplete profiles. Taking the time to optimize your profile increases your ranking within the LinkedIn system, increasing your odds of being found in search results. Think of your profile as a mirror – you want it to be a robust representation of your expertise and professional capabilities. Having a fully completed profile makes you visible, giving you the opportunity to leverage your network and engage with those who matter most to your professional development and business growth. Equally as important, your profile is the place to distinguish yourself from others competing for the attention of your clients and prospects.
How To Sell Your UX Design Solution To Clients Advertisement How do you convince clients to trust you with their valuable and much-loved product? In my experience, the best way to sell work to clients is to apply user-centered design not only to the work we produce, but also to the clients who commission that work. We have to understand who our clients are, what is important to them and what their goals are. And then we have to deliver work that not only meets the needs of end users, but also satisfies the personalities within the company itself.