Design Musings

Networked Blogs

2011-02-09T22:42:00.002-05:00

Ok, so you created your blog, but now how do you get people to follow it? I recently stumbled upon a cool site where you can view top blogs or blogs by topic and submit your blog to their list. The site is Networked Blogs. But the really great thing about it is that every time you publish a new post, it is sent out to your Facebook or Twitter audience. That's a good way to bring your community in to read about your area of interest.

You can see a thumbnail of each top blog by topic, region or company, such as Apple, Yahoo!, Dell and Verizon. For instance, 22 employees of Apple follow the blog "Lifehacker" with 80,669 followers globally. Wired News has a total of 88,998 followers including 16 Apple employees.

Design Musings has a long way to grow. I'm hoping Networked Blogs will help me get to the 2 digit numbers!

iPad new tool for portfolio shows

2010-12-28T21:40:00.003-05:00

My husband asked me what I wanted for Christmas this year and I gave him the usual list; flannel pajamas, shower gel and a book. But then I revised my list. What I really wanted was an iPad. It's perfect for showing potential clients my website portfolio as it looks on a Mac device. I can access the Internet whether the client has wifi or not and they don't need to find out the password if they do.

But what really sealed the deal was finding out that there is no internet contract, as with phones. Pay as you go. It's small enough to fit in a handbag (sorry fellas), plays music and video, even keeps your photo library handy. Topping it off is the fact I can edit WordPress sites on the iPad, since it's dashboard is online. And I haven't even touched on the subject of the apps available... I'm now on a cloud and in the cloud with my iPad!

Three years is a long life for a website

2010-12-14T14:37:00.001-05:00

More well written and informative article on web site design from Newfangled:

"Websites don't last forever. Without consistent upkeep, sometimes they barely even make it three years! The rapid change of web technology can overtake what was once state-of-the-art and reduce a website to a quaint relic in pretty short order, which is why it's so critical to realistically consider the "shelf life" of your website when you first build it.

But the truth is that predicting how technological change will affect your website is virtually impossible. There is bound to be something—whether it be the way browsers display your website or simply what's in style—that will change in the near future and cause you to rethink choices you may be making right now. And that's ok, as long as you're comfortable with your website being a work in progress.

Meanwhile, for many existing websites, the signs of digital decay are accumulating. Dormancy has been a very common strategy for reducing web-related expenses during the economic downturn, but there really is no such thing as true dormancy. As the web around it continues to grow, an unmaintained website is subject to a similar entropy as an untended home—a crumbling foundation, peeling paint, leaks, and pests.

If that sounds like your website, keep reading. In this article, I've identified ten very good reasons to rebuild it..."

Click title to go to Newfangled. FInd out why you should be rebuilding your website.

20 Slides of 20 Web Sites for 20 seconds each

2010-11-17T15:55:00.004-05:00

Last night I presented my entire web design portfolio to a group of web design and developers in Hudson, Massachusetts. (NEWDA) I wasn't prepared to speak, thinking that these were to be background images while we chatted and networked. But, I was happy to talk about my work because I'm passionate about it.

My career has spanned 30 years of incredible change in the graphic design industry; the web design being a culmination of only the last 10 years. From drawing in India ink for illustrative map panels at Logan International Airport to designing diagrams of the immune system on one of the first Macs and finally to web design on a laptop...

My web work takes me on many journeys. I've worked with lawyers, therapists, artists, museums, playwrights and authors, accountants and caterers to name more than a few!

If you know anyone who wants to update their site or needs a new site, have them give me a ring. I'm always ready for the next journey.

Local Font Company MyFonts Publishes Book

2010-09-28T13:37:00.006-04:00

MyFonts, of Marlborough Massachusetts, just published a book based on font designer interviews from their online newsletter, Creative Characters. Included in the newsletters (published since July 2007) and book are examples of the font types from such popular designers as Laura Worthington, Hannes Von Dohren and Marcus Sterz. Other Interviewees include David Berlow, Jim Parkinson, Cyrus Highsmith, Ray Larabie, Nick Shinn, Rian Hughes, Alejandro Paul, Dino dos Santos, Veronika Burian, Ronna Penner, Gert Wiescher, Hubert Jocham, P22, Underware and Jos Buivenga.

The September issue of the newsletter features Stuart Sandler, who co-directs no less than five foundries: Font Diner, Sideshow, Breaking the Norm, Tart Workshop and Mister Retro. "He is enamored with the lettering and typefaces of the 1920s through the 1960s, a period when letter-making was a very different craft indeed."

The book, available from Amazon, is only $23, but you can access the interviews at the MyFonts online archive. Enjoy!

Newfangled's Message: Simple Design is Good Design

2010-08-03T11:20:00.006-04:00

Excepts from a source I trust. Thank you Chris Butler for another thoughtful essay. To read the full article go to the link above.

"Before you even start designing a page, keep in mind the following four principles. Remember, these are basic, underlying principles. They don't close any aesthetic doors. They provide a stable foundation upon which there is much freedom to design something as unique as it need be. But they will result in a page that is simpler and more effective than much of what we've reviewed today.

Identify Your Audience
Properly identifying your audience is the most critical step to designing an effective website. Chances are, you think your audience is bigger that it actually is. Take time before any prototyping or design is done to create user personas—realistic personality profiles that represent a significant group of your website's users. Without accurate personas, we're much more prone to making guesses or assumptions about who our prospects are, and creating content based upon that mistake.

Focus Your Content on Your Audience
Once you've correctly identified your audience, you can figure out what they need from you. Your content strategy should be informed by your personas, the opportunities you give them to connect with you, and the methods that are most effective for measuring the success of the site.

Include one or two calls to action
One or two at most. If you have more than that crowding the sidebar of a page, it's probably because you haven't thought through who the page is for and what next step makes the most sense for them.

Use Related Content Sparingly
Providing links to related content is a good thing to do. It provides opportunities for a prospect to learn more about what you do based upon the material they're already reading. But make sure that the way that related content is generated results in a few links to pages that are actually related. What you don't want is to direct a captive audience to something which will cause them to lose interest."

Waltham Museum Launches Perugi Design Site

2010-07-27T21:59:00.007-04:00

The Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation in Waltham, MA launched it's new site this week designed and developed by Perugi Design. The Word Press site enables the staff at CRMI to edit and add its own photographs and text. The many photographs on the site were culled from the museum's extensive library of historical pictures depicting the manufacturing industry in Waltham from the 1800's. Other contemporary pictures were taken by Sam Ogden and other photographers. A flash banner on the home page represents the innovation of yesterday as models for the innovators of today.

Summer is the right time!

2010-07-19T12:59:00.003-04:00

Many of my clients scramble to get their websites updated in the Fall, when business starts heating up. But that means, web designers are starting new web sites as well as making the many small changes for various clients. I encourage all current clients to spend time this summer and send in the changes, so that you will have your site updated now. To make it more worth your while, Perugi Design will discount 10% off the hourly rate! Summer is the right time!!

How badly does your business need a Web site? - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News

2010-05-18T10:25:00.003-04:00

How badly does your business need a Web site? - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News

Posted using ShareThis
According to Discover Small Business Watch, 47 percent of consumers surveyed say they are more likely to use a small business that has a Web site.

Despite the fact that so many customers put stock in a Web site, many small businesses don’t have one with a Discover Small Business Watch survey of small business owners indicating that only 45 percent had a company Web site.

The Better Business Bureau recommends that these business owners ask themselves four questions to help decide whether building a Web site should become a top priority.

WordPress Rocks!

2010-04-27T18:19:00.004-04:00

My last few design sites have been WordPress sites that the client can edit and maintain from any computer using a user name and password. Check out The Boston Ability Center and ReTele Communications to see the versatility and functionality of WordPress.

Some of the benefits of using WordPress as a Content Managed System.
• Easily maintained by anyone with basic computer skills.
• WordPress is open source and is free.
• Since it is so widely used, there is an enormous community of developers working on improving the software and creating extras to expand the functionality.
• Easily managed menu system.
• Blogging! Since WordPress is blogging software, blogging is built right into the site. Blogging is becoming more and more of a central component of all marketing strategies. In addition, the ‘blogging structure’ is perfect other types of information that have to be consistently updated, such as portfolios, newsletter, news, press releases and white papers.
• Plugins. Every day more and more plugins are being added. From photo galleries, to map systems, to news feeds, WordPress probably has what you’re looking for. Take a look at the plugins that are available: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins

Boston Ability Center opens in Wellesley Hills

2010-04-03T10:33:00.003-04:00

Perugi Design helped launch The Boston Ability Center by providing a WordPress website and recommending a photographer to the client. BAC is a state of the art pediatric wellness center that is dedicated to helping kids reach their highest level of function in every area of development. The center offers physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy in a setting that is full of fun and adventure. A variety of wellness classes are also offered: each one designed by specialists to help kids become confident and motivated in their path toward healthy, happy lives.

ReTele Communications Site Launched

2010-04-03T09:51:00.004-04:00

ReTele Communications, Inc. just launched their new WordPress website this month. Perugi Design has been working with ReTele to provide custom design and functionality for their site, including a Splash page that features individual telecom products, Flash header and individual pass protected client order forms.

ReTele, located in Needham, Massachusetts, provides comprehensive line of telecom systems and peripherals. ReTele has a hand-picked staff of experts ready to help you. Live 24/7 coverage, extensive inventory, emergency service, and technical advice.

Dianne Dumanoski Author

2009-08-24T15:55:00.010-04:00

Dianne Dumanoski, author and environmental journalist, has published her new book "The End of the Long Summer". It looks beyond the specific symptoms of planetary distress— climate change, the destruction of the ozone layer, the world wide loss of species, the growing threats to the oceans, pervasive chemical contamination of food webs everywhere on Earth— to ask the larger question: what fundamentally ails us? The End of the Long Summer" received a starred review in Booklist. Dianne hired Deb Perugi to produce the website announcing the book.

PAI new web site design

2009-07-24T00:40:00.005-04:00

This Spring, PAI published its new site, designed by Deb Perugi. Since 1973, PAI has been finding innovative solutions to problems in health economics for its clients in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, diagnostics, and medical-device industries.

Keane Advisor

2009-02-25T18:58:00.007-05:00

This month, William Keane is off and running with his new business and website to match. Keane CPA LLC is a greater Boston certified public accounting firm located in Needham, Massachusetts. Keane CPA LLC was founded by William J. Keane III, CPA, who launched the firm with over 12 years of experience in taxation and accounting including 7 years in a management and entrepreneurial role for two of New England's premier CPA firms. Perugi Design worked with Bill to bring his vision of a professional website design to fruition.

Mighty Macrobiotic Girl!

2009-01-07T17:28:00.008-05:00

Laura Johnson (aka "Mighty Macrobiotic Girl") welcomes you to her new web site that launches the fun-filled NewTV show about the plant-based, planet saving Macrobiotic Diet!

Inspired by her loss of weight on the diet and using her imagination as an actress and writer, Laura is creating a show that encourages healthy eating and is fun for the whole family!

Filming at NewTV starts in January 2009 and a crew call is listed on her new web site, mightymacrobiotics.com, designed by Perugi Design and Laura, who uses her own illustration for the opening page. The bright pink comic book style site is a real departure for Perugi, who says, "I am so glad that Comic Sans is a cross-browser font!"

Margaret Szerlip Launches Newton-Realtor.com

2008-12-05T10:57:00.008-05:00

Margaret Szerlip of Coldwell Banker hired Perugi Design for a new web site. Margaret teams up with Cynthia Cronin on all listings to better serve her clients. She is the author of several monthly realty blogs, "Szerlip & Cronin Real Estate Update" and "Update on West Newton Hill." Her blogs are regularly shown on Boston.com's new town page http://www.boston.com/yourtown/newton/.
[Since this posting, Margaret's domain has changed. Please stay tuned for the new url.]

NNCC 2009 Membership Directory

2008-12-03T14:25:00.014-05:00

Perugi Design's cover illustration for Newton Needham Chamber of Commerce's 2009 Membership Directory just rolled off the press. It was presented by NNCC's president Thomas O'Rourke at the Achievement Breakfast on November 25, receiving positive feedback from members present.

A combination graphic and photo illustration, it features the Charles River incorporated with multiple photographs of both towns by David Fox. Echo Bridge crosses the river in the distance. Deb worked with Director of Membership Development, Joe Halpern, using existing photographs from the Chamber's library.

Printing Green

2008-06-03T12:26:00.014-04:00

I recently attended a sustainable paper seminar hosted by Kirkwood Printing of Wilmington, Massachusetts. The event was held at Westin Hotel in Waltham and offered coffee, bagels and pastries, a big draw for me! Many paper companies set up their booths with paper samples and handouts. My favorite memento was a ready to plant spruce seedling. Companies represented were Monadnock, M-real, Cascades, NewPage, National Envelope, Finch, Mohawk, Crane & Co., the Italian company, Cordenons, Neenah and Sappi among others.

What I learned from Tammy Coe, associate of Sustainable Forestry/Smartwood, is that there is a third party certification process that printers and paper manufacturers go through to obtain the sustainable paper seal of approval. Many of these companies have strived to obtain this seal after a three year certification process. Kirkwood Printing is one of them. This assures customers that the wood and paper products they are purchasing come from forests managed to conserve biodiversity and support local communities.

For more information go to the Rainforest Alliance website.

Flash Templates

2008-02-25T16:20:00.008-05:00

On a recent trip to Virginia, I was talking to a young man who proudly showed me his video company's web site. It was a spiffy site made by a very high-in-demand web designer he knew. "Tom" said this designer often used Flash templates in creating web sites. I'm not sure Tom knew it, but I'm fairly certain his site was made from a template as well. As long as Tom was happy with his site, there was no reason for me to point it out. When I got back to my office I looked up "flash templates" on Google. There were quite a few companies offering these templates, most of them offshore, from India or Singapore. I finally settled on a company recommended by Adobe: Oh My Flash. (ohmyflash.com), which prices Flash components inexpensively at around $30-$35 each.

Since then, I've used Flash navigation components for several websites. If you know a bit of Flash, but not up to creating it from scratch, then this is a good way to go. You can provide some spiffiness at good value for your clients. Other template sites I've bookmarked for future reference are: Flash Components, Template Tuning, Templates 247 and Templates Factory.

Design With the latest Colors

2007-06-01T15:28:00.003-04:00

Type "color" on Google and you will find color wheels, web color palettes, color theory and even a link to the International Color Consortium, which promotes vendor-neutral, cross-platform color management systems for computers. It's getting complicated.

How many of us remember learning the color wheel in art class? Well, it is still a valuable tool for graphic designers, interior designers, architects and other visual professionals. When sitting in font of a blank canvas (by this I mean my computer screen), I often pick a starting color based on client research. The next color I pick is going to be its complement. Why? Because it looks good!

Even if you aren't a visual artist, you probably go to the paint store and draw on the color wheel information you learned in art class so long ago. It is as valuable as the algebra you still use to calculate size variables.

Now here is an organization that I would love to join, but can't yet afford. The Color Marketing Group. CMG's "mission is to create color forecast information for professionals who design and market color." They state loudly that "color sells and the right colors sell better." At annual design workshops, members track trends and their influences on design and color. The site says these "influences run the gamut from social issues to politics, the environment, the economy and cultural diversity. It is an understanding of the influences that provides the most useful information, and it is the input of so many color designers, that gives each forecast its tremendous validity."

So, what are the colors for next year? CMG has determined that next year's key color's are coming down to earth based on concern for the environment. Look for softer, more botanical greens on "everything form Cadillacs to Kleenex boxes", says Jaime Stevens, executive director of CMG. Also, blues; the color of sky, water and natural neutrals; medium to dark browns and beiges that reflect the colors of rock, stone and soil. It's accented with rich, ethnic hues; deep, rich reds and warm oranges.

Do I pay attention to what's hip in 2007? Yes, I do. I'm in the process of painting my bedroom dark coffee brown and complementing that with sky blue curtains. Not to mention, keeping it in the front of my mind when I stare at that blank screen.

PS: Just returned from the Adobe Conference on CS3 in Boston. Sebastian, one of the presenters, told us about a cool Adobe site for color, http://kuler.adobe.com. Create a new color theme using a color wheel or download them from the community. Add them to CS2 or 3's Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign. Try it out!

Website as Marketing Tool

2007-01-01T16:13:00.001-05:00

More than anything else, business owner's want to use their website as a marketing tool to draw in potential customers. I have to tell them that there is no magic bullet. Hundreds of new sites go online every day, and the competition for the keywords you identify is getting more difficult, if not practically impossible.

But, there is a way to optimize your site to give you a better chance. It's all about content. It can't be stressed enough that compelling content will draw traffic to your site. The more relative key words in your copy, and titles, the more the spiders will come crawling to it. For an interesting short video "The Secret of Search" on this subject, go to this page at Newfangled.com. For more in-depth information on this topic, go to a report from the search engine marketing conference in New York City (March, 2005), "Why Quality Content is Key For Search Engines."

You will need to consider what content you want to publish before building or renovating your company's web site. Perhaps you want to provide information on your company similar to a printed brochure. The advantage of the web is its flexibility and quick turn-around time. So, update your content and provide changing material so that visitors will return to see the newest related product or report. This is a good way to build a customer relationship.

Finally, No web strategy is complete without a marketing plan that defines the intended audience and outlines a way to draw them to your new site. Site marketing plans can include promotion through broadcast media or direct mail. Don't forget to include your url address on all print materials you distribute, including business cards, letterhead and e-mail signatures.