But I Don’t Like Blue!

So much of the time when planning design projects, I hear an unfortunate trend come out that I need to speak about today. That trend is the “I like/don’t like” syndrome. This typically occurs with us when we are working with our customers to plan and design their web sites. We will be planning out stock photo choices, for example, and someone from the company will say “but I don’t like that photo” or “I don’t like pictures of kittens” or whatever it may be. Never mind that the photo is perfectly appropriate for the context and will evoke the desired response in the viewer. All that person can think of in the meeting is “I like/don’t like XYZ”.

Here’s an important concept that everyone needs to think about: your customers don’t care what you like. They care about how your company makes them feel and what your company can do for them. Whether you like the color blue or not, sometimes blue is the right choice. At SpinWeb, we are constantly mindful of making choices based on our experiences with site viewers and how they will react to certain imagery. Countless studies and books illustrate common rules of engagement for branding and image and none of them center around what you (the site owner or director of XYZ) like or dislike. To connect with your customers, you need to understand what they are looking for and how your brand will make them feel.

So keep this in mind when you are planning out your next design project. Step out of your box of what you like or dislike. Instead, think in terms of what is effective when connecting with your customers.

Get Naked and Rule the World

I enjoyed the recent Wired article titled “The See-Through CEO“. The story relates the experiences of businesses that are adopting a philosophy of transparency and open information. How does your business handle information flow? Does this concept sound smart or does it send chills up your spine?

Great Web Sites and Good-enough Web Sites

The following entries from Seth Godin made me smile today:

How to create a great web site
How to create a good enough web site

I think they speak for themselves and ring true, in my experience. My favorite: fire the committee!

Searching for God in the Brain

Is God a real person or entity or simply a chemical reaction in the brain? A recent article in Scientific American called Searching for God in the Brain discusses some interesting observations on this topic. Studies done on various people who are at certain stages of spirituality (including nuns) allows us to observe brain activity that appears to be related to religious experiences. Does this disprove the existence of God or strengthen your testimony? Are these centers of brain activity simply physical-world receptors to equivalent activity on the spiritual plane?

Flying Clear

Flying Clear

Fly Clear ImageSo I finally received my Clear card this week. I haven’t had the opportunity to try it out yet but I like the idea. The general concept is, you hand over a bunch of biometric information and consent to a detailed background check, and then you get to bypass the main security lines and jump straight to the front. In the Indianapolis airport this is not a huge deal since it’s rarely overcrowded but in other airports where the lines can snake around the entire airport, this sounds very cool.

I know, I’m giving up some privacy but privacy is an illusion today, in my opinion, anyway so why not take advantage of a way to save time? I’ll post updates after I try it out.

Messiah Lutheran Church Site Launched

We (at SpinWeb) just launched the new web site and logo for Messiah Lutheran Church at Eagle Creek. Visit the site and learn more about Messiah Lutheran.

Sharks and Sidewalk Chalk

Sharks and Sidewalk Chalk

During the AMTA National Convention in Cincinnati last week, I was able to get out the see a little bit of the city. Some of the things I really enjoyed were the Newport Aquarium and the Cincinnati Streetscapes. The Aquarium was “1 Million Gallons of Fun” according to the signs and it was indeed impressive. My favorite was the shark exhibit. Sharks are neat.

The streetscapes were also interesting. Every year, art students from Xavier get together and recreate famous works of art using chalk on the sidewalks. It was pretty amazing.

See my Flikr feed for the photos.