Here at BKMedia Group, web design is a big part of what we do. We strive to make the best sites for all of our clients whether they want to sell products, promote events, or just inform people. We've always got our ear to the ground for what's new in the online world, but our clients work in other fields and oftentimes things change too fast for them keep up.
Recently, a couple facts caught my eye and got me thinking about just how we operate. They not only have an effect on how we go about designing a site, they also effect our clients and just how they treat their content.
Our in-house graphic designer, Eric Palmer, achieved viral sharing notoriety this week with a design series he developed around his passion for 8-bit art. After showcasing the series on online design portfolio site Behance, Eric achieved the spike in traffic after viewers known as online handles @XombieDIRGE and designer @PaulGalbraith, shared the 8-bit movie poster themed project with friends on their blog, Twitter, and Facebook profiles. The shares were enough to increase Eric's Behance profile viewership to the 1,000+ range within an hour and led him to launch an online store. The spike in viewing activity spurred conversation about how others can leverage the power of viral online fame, and tap into business gains inspired and influenced by this brand of expansive online sharing.
We recently sat down with longtime client Kirsten Pellicer of Ace Longmont, and covered some basic information around the benefits of mobile ready site design. As a result, we thought it relevant to cover a bit about the basic importance behind mobile site capabilities, and how becoming familiar with this web development early, could give you the much needed market boost you've been looking for. Mobile development is a subject many of us have heard about or participate in as cell phone or tablet users, but much is debated in regard to its true impact on the business sector. Yet, statistics show that a mobile business revolution is afoot, and this new design platform is replacing desktop and laptop use at an alarming rate. It is therefore important to begin the process of integrating this new side of consumer behavior by optimizing your site to fit demand, or risk losing out on a large percentage of your market share to those familiar with its added functionality.
We like to keep a stocked fridge here at BKMedia Group. Food, beer, pop. (Yes, I said pop... I'm from Michigan) Two of the staples in our little fridge are Dr. Pepper and Coca-Cola.
As a designer my tastes are constantly changing. I pull inspiration from things that I see on a daily basis, so the way I lay out your piece on Monday might not be the same as it would have been a week ealier. Change is good; it keeps things fresh. Apparently, some of Coca-Cola's loyal customer base don't think so.
Do you know the difference between a NY Strip and a Ribeye steak? How about a Delmonico and a Filet Mignon?
I'm not gonna lie, I didn't either. But we got a lesson in meat today when one of our clients John Smedley of Smedley's All Natural Meats stopped by.
I can tell you what they all have in common: They're all delicious.
It's always said that "imitation is the most sincere form of flattery," which is how you can tell that Jim really does like Dwight. But when it comes to design, you have to be careful just how closely you imitate... And taking someone else's work, claiming it as your own, and then selling it is a far cry either imitation or flattery.
QR (quick response) codes are catching on all over. With the amount of people using smart phones these days, they provide a simple, fast way to direct people to your website, or any site.
Here at BK, we use them on our business cards, allowing people to instantly check us out, as opposed to waiting until they're at home sitting infront of their computer. In today's culture of instant gratification and endless digital distractions, making an impression quickly can save you from getting buried under everything else. But one Seattle company is used to getting buried, and they're putting QR codes to use in an interesting way.
