Executionists - We Get Web Done

I’m still waiting for my Dick Tracy video watch.

Supposedly the new optical Googling glasses will be adept at facial recognition as well other typical virtuoso Google tricks. It will provide a nearly instant data stream on the person you’re viewing, the building in the distance, a work of art, or a product label.

New technologies and display systems require interface designers (like us) to rethink the way users will interact with their existing apps and what new apps may be possible. Web designers quickly found out that a standard website wouldn’t display optimally on a mobile device and adjusted accordingly. Interestingly enough, the trend toward bigger text and bigger navigation buttons is now cross-pollinating from mobile back to the web. Now we will wrestle with that same issue on these new devices.

Like other mobile devices, Google Goggles will probably not be the primary interface through which work is done. Just as current mobile phones are not the primary business interface for most of us. So the question is, what level of UI will be optimal for these displays? Will the mobile augmented reality standard easily translate to the goggles or will there be other enhancements particular to this delivery method?

Our prediction? Head-up displays are on the horizon. Be prepared for a zillion “accessories”  - lens cleaners, custom cases, charging stations, etc. Look for a burst of augmented reality games and applications. Look for changes in behavior, changes in fashion, new buzzwords, new laws passed, you know the drill. Our design team will stay current with the state of the industry but I’d still like my Dick Tracy video watch.

We just love this little sketch by Jansen Granflor of the Executionists team.

More like a partner, less like a vendor

Seasons Greetings! This year we really wanted to thank our clients for being so valuable in 2010. For that reason, we didn’t want to burden our clients with another fattening holiday confection. So in the spirit of giving, we are donating $1000 to the Technology Center at El Marino Language  School in Culver City on behalf of our top clients.

“With your donation, we can move forward on the purchase of some software that will provide our kindergarten and first graders access to some wonderful and beneficial programs. Your donation will positively impact the students of our school and give technology support to our teachers. Thank you for thinking of our school.”

- Ana Maria Kowalski, Technology Center Aide, El Marino Language School

About El Marino Language School:

The El Marino Language School in Culver City is committed to the principle that all students can become bilingual and biliterate during their elementary school years, while participating in a balanced educational program. The school offers Japanese and Spanish immersion programs that foster and support creativity, inquiry, individuality, mutual respect, and an appreciation of different cultures. For more information visit, http://elmarino.ccusd.org/.

Thank you to the following clients who made this all possible:

Pennymac – Opertaion USA – California Costumes- Sullivan Curtis Monroe – The Frugal Diva – Utopia Residences – Voomerang – The Carlyle Group  Griffin Holdings – MSpot – Screen Actors Guild – Fourth Wall – Guidance – ImageBeam – Reseller Marketing Services – Emperor’s College                 Stanton Associates – Cool Titles

by Jessie Jo Blalock

Nearly 1 in every 5 Americans access the web daily and by 2012, 1 in 2 mobile subscribers will own a smartphone. Due to such a rapid growth of smartphone sales and mobile browsing, it is imperative that web designers and developers educate themselves with the best practices of strategic mobile web design. With new technologies comes a new set of challenges, in which case, remember what your mamma taught you:

Less is more

… Especially when it comes to mobile web design! Mobile design should be regarded as scaled down versions of their parent site. And since smartphone screens vary in size and shape, mobile website design must remain clean and simple.  If so inclined, you can always leave the option to visit the standard site through a simple link.

Actions speak louder than words

Literally. There is such little room for content on a mobile web page and mobile users are typically on the go, wherein mobile web designers must prioritize their content with actions (IE a login page, product search, store locator, etc.). Remember: person’s goal for browsing the web from a mobile device is vastly different than a desktop or laptop.

Cleanliness is next to godliness

Clean and semantic markup will guarantee that the browser is capable of accurately displaying the web page and provide the mobile users with a more pleasant experience with little to no errors or difficulties.

Better safe than sorry

An ample amount of white space is essential in mobile web design. Though the objective of most companies’ websites is to engage users and present them with as much information as possible about their products and services, too much content will appear chaotic on a smartphone.  Afford plenty of white space in your site design to ensure your site will be displayed properly on any mobile device.

Waste not, Want not

With mobile Internet connection speeds generally being slower than desktop Internet connection speeds and a variety of screen sizes, implementing images and pictures does more harm than good. Excessive use of images will produce an unfriendly user experience; mobile users want functionality over design aesthetics.

Executionists, Inc. offer mobile solutions for websites, click for a free consultation.

See Our Work

By Justin James

Like most consultants, you’ve probably gotten stuck on a doomed project at one time or another. But if you know what to watch out for, you can avoid getting mired in a project mess.

Over time, I have been involved in some of the worst projects ever as a freelancer, consultant, or some other “non-employee” relationship. When you are a direct hire to a company, you do not have the freedom to pick and choose what you work on. But as an outside person being paid to work specifically on one project, you do have the choice. I have been burned so many times it isn’t funny, but I have learned a lot from my mistakes. Here are 10 of the biggest red flags I’ve encountered. I am sure you have more to share in the discussion thread.

1: No clear spec or goals

All too often, I’ve been approached to work on a project, but the person trying to arrange the deal can’t tell me what they really need done. It’s not that they are under some strange code of silence. They really have no clue what they want. They have a general idea of what the finished product should look like and a really good understanding of its differentiating factors or killer features, but outside of that they have not thought it through. This is one of the most common and most significant danger signs! How many hours’ worth of work do you want to throw away on a regular basis because the client realized after you built it that what they asked for wasn’t what they needed? At the very least, these kinds of projects should be contracted only at a per-hour rate.

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The Executionists Crew (in matching T’s) was pleased to attend the LA’s Largest Mixer at the Shrine Auditorium on Thursday, July 23rd!  We joined Los Angeles County Chamber members and business organizations for the ultimate business networking event.  Richard (CEO and Creative Director), Temy (Project Manager and Marketing Director),  Jeanelle (Project Manager) and Erin (Art Director) attended the event.  We networked with hundreds of LA business owners, answering their questions about web design and online marketing services.  Below are our photos from the event.

Enjoy!

1) Organic Traffic: With their Universal Search protocol, Google has started showing press releases in organic search results. If your press release is well-optimized, it can rank for two to three days in Google organic results. The press release can also get traffic from Google News and other news aggregator websites.

2) Link Building: You can use your important keywords as anchor text and link them to relevant pages on your website. When the press release is distributed these links will be picked up by distribution partners. Links from many of these sites will not be counted, but some of them will.  No matter how big or small your business, link building within your website is a great way to get aggressive on the web.

3) Reputation Management: If someone has criticized your company, one sure way to get the criticism off the first page of Google Blog Search or Google search results is to issue multiple press releases. Of course, if you want to do a professional job, then you need to get external links to your press releases and bookmark and tag these releases.

4) Bloggers and Web 2.0 Audience: Many bloggers subscribe to online press release distribution services like PRWeb. If your press release interests them, they might blog about it and give a link to your press release or your website. If you consistently reach out to this audience, you can get significant links, traffic and sales from them.

5) Traffic from Traditional Media: If your press release interests journalists, they will follow up with you and write a story about your business.This will most certainly lead to a short term boost in your website traffic and sales.

By: Milind Mody

Article Source

1. They insist on copying Apple’s interface and ignore your alternate (more appropriate) design options.

2. They want their site search to be “simple – like Google’s” and within their budget of $500.

3. They think their “tiny edits” should only “take a few minutes”.

4. They think you can “slap together a social networking site” in a week.

5. They think you can control how fast their new site will be indexed by the search engines.

6. They think they can get to the top of Google by paying an SEO company $69.95 a month

7. They think that calling you every 5 minutes will get their project done quicker.

8. They think you have a development team ready and waiting for their “rush” project.

9. They think you can figure out their server and application setup without giving you the access or an IT person who gives a damn.

10. They dismiss the value of a project planning phase as a “waste of time and money”.

11. They want their website to work in ALL browsers, even Opera and IE 6.

12. They think if they “build it” people will flock to it even without a business plan or marketing strategy.

13. They think the world will implode if their logo is 1 pixel too far to the right.

14. They think they can write their own compelling site content even though they have no background in copy writing.

15. They are comparing your development services to their cousin Melvin who built a MySpace page for his band.

16. They want you to just “you know, come up with some copy” that sells their product even though you’re the designer.

17. They want everything on the page to “pop” more.

18. They want the buttons to have that “gel look,” even if the rest of the site has a different feel.

19. They want you to find that perfect photo for their site from stock photography.

20. Their only direction is, “They’ll know it when they see it.”

*Note: These examples do represent actual clients (although we will deny it if they confront us).  Feel free to comment with examples of your own “The Client is Always Right When…” experiences.

GREAT JOB to Executionists Team!! Graphic Design USA just awarded Executionists 3 Corporate Logo Design Awards for clients Greater West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, Drum Channel and Operation USA.

Check out our Design Portfolio for other customized logos!

Call us at 310.754.3807 for your on how we can help you with your logo design or website.

In-house staff and outside contractors enjoyed delicious food and margaritas at the annual holiday party. This year we partied at The Border Grill in Santa Monica

Our President Richard Parr and his lovely wife

Phil (Technical Director) and Angie

To the right: Kevin (Developer) and Erin (Senior Designer)

Erin (Senior Designer) and Temy (Senior Project Manager)

Phil and Angie again

Harry (Developer) and his girlfriend