Technology has become a staple of our modern Digital World. From the Smartphone in our pocket to the Tablet that is slipped into the carry on , they keep us connected on the go.
Like all things that can be good, there is of course elements of bad created by Technology when it comes to travel, I thought I would take a moment with this entry to cover some suggestions on how to keep organized and stay within the airline restrictions all at the same time.
Tablet / phone stands.
At home, we become creatures of habit. We all have that speaker dock for our phone or the quality stand for our tablet ( in my case I keep a collection of the Griffin A-Frame iPad stand handy for My tablets as they can be very hand when working on multiple screen design projects)
When traveling however those specific stands might not be the best option. take the A-Frame stand that I mentioned before. it's solid aluminum and weights in at 17.9 oz.
Now consider this option instead. go to your local Dollar Store and check out their stock. If you are lucky enough to be in Canada, the Dollarama chain offers up a very handy folding stand that weighs in at a fraction of the A-Frame's heft and at only a $1.00 each won't break the bank.
The next concern is that issue known as cables and chargers. The best suggestion here again sees us returning to the Dollar Stores, only this time it is to the school supply aisle we go for a soft zippered pencil case. By picking up one of these and purposing it specifically for the task of travel cables, the savvy traveler can have a set of adaptors and charge cables ready to go in your get away bag almost all the time.
The last item to make sure you have available to you is of course a short cord power bar. This is important to protect your devices from a possible electrical serge when charging at your destination, and lets face it the hotel room never has enough wall plugs anyway right?
I hope these few tips make for a far more enjoyable set of travels, and less chances of luggage fees, speaking of which, don't forget the portable luggage scale... happy travels
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3/21/2014
3/10/2014
Can We, As a society live without relying on Apps?
Can We, as a society live without relying on apps?
The title of this blog might actually be slightly misleading, as the question should more be asked if we always need apps to access the world we digitally access.
First let us look at some of the pros apps like Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus have going for them. These pros include, but are not limited to
working as a quick home screen shortcut to the service
launching a user interface that is formatted to the smaller screen size of a Smartphone
allowing the breaking out of specific services without launching the full site
Again, as I said, these are all pros, but there are also cons to stand alone apps for each service that a site like Facebook and Google Plus offers in a complete package when one moves from the Smartphone to the Tablet interface.
First, if you look at the modern Mobile Web Browsers, on Android, iOS and Windows one will notice that they all display these sites in a comparable fashion to how Desktop Browsers display them. An exception being if a Website relies on the dying technology of Adobe Flash.
The second thing one needs to take into account is storage space on a tablet. Most tablets tend to come in storage sizes ranging between 16 and 128 GB of storage. Breaking out the services can produce a collection of Apps that each do one thing. As an example, take a look at Facebook's offering on iOS
Facebook............................. 60.3 MB
Messenger........................... 33.0 MB
Pages Manager................... 42.6 MB
Camera................................18.0 MB
Poke.................................... 9.0 MB
That makes for a total of 5 Apps taking up 162.9 MB or a little over 1/10th of a GB , or about the size of two copies of Angry Birds Star Wars.
So, while Apps do have some advantages to them, the question does always need to be asked. Can I do this without taking up the space that stand alone apps take up?
The title of this blog might actually be slightly misleading, as the question should more be asked if we always need apps to access the world we digitally access.
First let us look at some of the pros apps like Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus have going for them. These pros include, but are not limited to
working as a quick home screen shortcut to the service
launching a user interface that is formatted to the smaller screen size of a Smartphone
allowing the breaking out of specific services without launching the full site
Again, as I said, these are all pros, but there are also cons to stand alone apps for each service that a site like Facebook and Google Plus offers in a complete package when one moves from the Smartphone to the Tablet interface.
First, if you look at the modern Mobile Web Browsers, on Android, iOS and Windows one will notice that they all display these sites in a comparable fashion to how Desktop Browsers display them. An exception being if a Website relies on the dying technology of Adobe Flash.
The second thing one needs to take into account is storage space on a tablet. Most tablets tend to come in storage sizes ranging between 16 and 128 GB of storage. Breaking out the services can produce a collection of Apps that each do one thing. As an example, take a look at Facebook's offering on iOS
Facebook............................. 60.3 MB
Messenger........................... 33.0 MB
Pages Manager................... 42.6 MB
Camera................................18.0 MB
Poke.................................... 9.0 MB
That makes for a total of 5 Apps taking up 162.9 MB or a little over 1/10th of a GB , or about the size of two copies of Angry Birds Star Wars.
So, while Apps do have some advantages to them, the question does always need to be asked. Can I do this without taking up the space that stand alone apps take up?
3/06/2014
Of feedback and Digital Personality, or "Think of Your Website as a personality"
I am a fan of Professional Wrestling. the way that someone can take a concept and turn it into a entire personality which draws entire crowds of people into your world. A world where your audience is in the palm of your hand.
Over the years I have been witness to situations where the role a performer takes on just does not connect with the target audience. So, what does Professional Wrestling do in a situation like that? The answer is simple, they adapt and evolve.
Now I can hear many of the readers saying to yourselves
"What the heck place does Professional Wrestling have in discussion on a Web Designer's blog?"
A valid question, if ever there was on, and the answer is quite simple
If your audience is not connecting with your product, you have lost the battle when it comes to getting onto the radar. A lesson I have realized first hand
Last spring, when I first launched Inertial Zen Designs,. I created a Website, and while it held all the information the customer
would need. Validated as HTML 5 and CSS 3 standard compliant, and yes even tested on mobile a major problem existed.
THE SITE LACKED A CAPTIVATING PERSONALITY!!
When asked their opinion of the website, the responses would include comments like
"it's easy to navigate"
or
"I can find what I'm looking for fast"
Both comments are things a content creator wants to hear. It was the unheard comments that shouted out more useful feedback. Users did not feel invited to stay on the site, they were not invested in getting to know what Inertial Zen Designs is all about.
So what was the solution to this problem? Extreme Makeover: Website Edition of course. colors softened to make the site more inviting. My logo got changed from resting on a black background to a Zen like background image that features a Bonsai Tree and a dragon figurine. The image of an Android tablet desktop replaced with an image of a owner and their cat using a tablet. Information shifted to a streamlined feel, and reworked to create an easier to read experience .
In short inertialzendesigns.com got a facelift equal to WWE turning Husky Harris into Bray Wyatt.
Never consider your website as a "one and done" project. consider it lime you would a public representation of your company. The user feedback will evolve itto work smarter for you.
Over the years I have been witness to situations where the role a performer takes on just does not connect with the target audience. So, what does Professional Wrestling do in a situation like that? The answer is simple, they adapt and evolve.
Now I can hear many of the readers saying to yourselves
"What the heck place does Professional Wrestling have in discussion on a Web Designer's blog?"
A valid question, if ever there was on, and the answer is quite simple
If your audience is not connecting with your product, you have lost the battle when it comes to getting onto the radar. A lesson I have realized first hand
Last spring, when I first launched Inertial Zen Designs,. I created a Website, and while it held all the information the customer
would need. Validated as HTML 5 and CSS 3 standard compliant, and yes even tested on mobile a major problem existed.
THE SITE LACKED A CAPTIVATING PERSONALITY!!
When asked their opinion of the website, the responses would include comments like
"it's easy to navigate"
or
"I can find what I'm looking for fast"
Both comments are things a content creator wants to hear. It was the unheard comments that shouted out more useful feedback. Users did not feel invited to stay on the site, they were not invested in getting to know what Inertial Zen Designs is all about.
So what was the solution to this problem? Extreme Makeover: Website Edition of course. colors softened to make the site more inviting. My logo got changed from resting on a black background to a Zen like background image that features a Bonsai Tree and a dragon figurine. The image of an Android tablet desktop replaced with an image of a owner and their cat using a tablet. Information shifted to a streamlined feel, and reworked to create an easier to read experience .
In short inertialzendesigns.com got a facelift equal to WWE turning Husky Harris into Bray Wyatt.
Never consider your website as a "one and done" project. consider it lime you would a public representation of your company. The user feedback will evolve itto work smarter for you.
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