Design For The Internet of Things

Technology continues to march on, and the world continues to become more connected. The next great wave of technology is expected to be the “Internet of Things.” What is the Internet of Things, you ask? Basically, it refers to anything connected to the Internet – a list that grows longer by the day. Soon, our appliances, cars, furniture and– who knows – maybe even our pets will join the endless potential of the Internet of Things. The best contemporary example of this phenomenon is wearables, like the Apple Watch. Wearables are a logical next step in technology. After all, why pull a phone out of your pocket to check your email when you can just look at your wrist! More than email though, wearables have the potential to house multiple applications. A restaurant, for instance, could alert guests that their table is ready, or their takeout order is prepared. A washing machine could be started remotely, or a lawnmower could automatically perform its duties with a tap on one’s wrist. Already, wearables like the Fitbit track your activity and monitor your sleep. Undoubtedly, the uses of wearables will continue to evolve.

Wearables pose a new challenge for web designers. While responsive web design will optimize websites for wearables like the Apple watch, designers must make additional considerations when creating designs and user experience for the “small screen,” including:

Device Utilization

An important consideration for design is determining the utilization of the wearable platform. For instance, a business that delivers pizza may have a large portion of its customers interacting with them through the wearable device, whereas a B2B construction company might only require its phone number to be easily accessible through the device. Designers should set priorities based on the portion of expected use of each type of device.

Text-Heavy Simplicity

 Small screens – the Apple watch clocks in at about 1.5” – require very basic, simple and easy to use designs. Text is key, as even those with 20/20 eagle vision will have a difficult time reading text on such a tiny screen. The utilization of large text and readable fonts should be design priorities.

It’s All About U/X

When it comes to designing for wearables, user experience is by far the most important aspect. Creating a good user experience requires a deep understanding of both the intended functionality of the site/device and the preferences of its intended users. Users should be able to easily navigate and inherently understand how a design works. Optimally, there should be zero learning curve.

Have you considered utilizing wearables in your business? If you’d like to discuss, drop us a line!

Website Design in San Diego | Jacob Tyler

Google to Penalize Non-Mobile Friendly Websites in Search

If you’ve been putting off upgrading your existing website to a responsive web design, it’s officially time to reconsider. Starting on April 21, 2015, Google will begin penalizing non-“mobile-friendly”(read, non-responsive websites) by downgrading those websites’ rank on Google searches. In short, this means that non-responsive sites will essentially lose hard-won SEO rankings with the flip of a switch. Imagine standing in line for a ride at Disneyland for two hours, and just as you reach the front, a trap door opens. It’s kind of like that.

Google stated:

“Starting April 21, we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results. Consequently, users will find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are optimized for their devices.”

Like it or not, the Internet is Google’s domain, and we’re all just living in it. Google may be our overlord, but it’s not necessarily a vengeful one. The new search rankings are designed to reflect the undeniable trend of people accessing the Internet via mobile devices – smartphones, tablets, etc. Mobile access has reached a tipping point, quickly outpacing desktop access, and Google’s new search algorithm reflects this reality. The news isn’t a surprise. Web developers and SEO experts have been expecting this development for the last couple of years as mobile devices exploded. We knew it was coming, we just didn’t know exactly when. Now we do. And it’s not bad news – it’s an opportunity. Not just to upgrade your website, but to rethink it altogether.

The rise of mobile hasn’t just changed the devices we use to access the web, it’s changed the way we consume content. Our information consumption tastes have veered from buffet to à la carte. We expect singular information on demand – where’s the closest restaurant, what’s the current temp in Boise, how much do beach cruiser bicycles cost, etc. Of course, not every business deals in singular information. But the best websites are constructed as if they do. Upgrading to a responsive website will not only improve your search rankings, it will give you a chance to rearrange your information architecture. By applying an “inverted pyramid” information flow, you can ensure you most important information – your contact info, your basic services, etc. – turn up first in mobile searches, allowing you to then guide your audience through a linear, user-friendly information discovery.

The digital landscape is shifting once again. But it’s not a hindrance. It’s a chance to get ahead of the curve. Contact Les Kollegian at Jacob Tyler Brand Communications if you want more information about Responsive Design or how we can help convert your current Website.

SEO by Jacob Tyler in San Diego

Attention Retailers: Facebook Product Ads Have Arrived

Remember the days of catalogue shopping? A slew of catalogues would arrive on your doorstep – JC Penny, Eddie Bauer, Sears, etc. – and you’d flip through hundreds of pages to find the items that you wanted or needed. While a 300-page catalogue full of products could be exciting at first – with seemingly endless possibilities to quench your retail thirst – it was often cumbersome. There’s not a person on earth that could possibly want or need every product in the JC Penny catalogue. Product catalogues worked much like Encyclopedias (remember those?) – you had to physically search for products that matched your desires.

The days of receiving 5-pound catalogues in the mail are largely gone (though the Yellow Pages continues to mysteriously appear on my doorstep). But catalogues aren’t. Have you ever been to Ikea’s website? It features thousands and thousands of products in hundreds of countries. A virtual catalogue. Ikea is a phenomenal business with an international reputation. But what about smaller retailers? Are consumers willing to wade through hundreds of web pages of products to find what they’re looking for? In today’s climate of endless choices, probably not.

I’ve written before about the importance of brands reaching out directly to engage consumers in the virtual spaces they inhabit. With more than 700 million daily users, Facebook is the world’s most populous virtual space. Facebook is an important channel for retailers to engage audiences. And with Facebook’s latest evolution to its advertising service – “Product Ads” – retailers can now promote individual products from their catalogues to consumers. The service, introduced in mid-February, could be a game changer for brands with extensive product lines.

Facebook’s announcement described the new service: “Product ads offer businesses a number of ways to highlight different products on Facebook. Marketers can upload their product catalog and create campaigns targeting certain products to specific audiences, or let Facebook automatically deliver the most relevant products to people. Products can be shown in single- or multi-product ad units.”

The new service should take a lot of the guesswork and tedium out of how to reach the right audience at the right time for brands. However, brands must continue to raise the bar on creative presentation and engaging content. Does your brand’s creative stand out from the crowd? Contact us using the form to the right – we’d love to help!

Internet Marketing in San Diego | Jacob Tyler

Rebranding NASA

In the following article, Fast Company contributor Susan Karlin details NASA’s rebirth by rebranding. Just a few short years ago; America’s space program seemed in tatters. In 2011, NASA was preparing for the final flight of its Space Shuttle program to little fanfare. Despite 30 years of incredible advancements in space exploration, public interest had waned. Perhaps because the shuttle itself, once a futuristic-looking space vehicle, hadn’t changed its exterior design in 30 years and now looked less modern than every car on the roads of America. Perhaps because the Shuttle missions had become – as far as the general public was concerned – little more than a shipping operation for the International Space Station.

As NASA’s funding dwindled, new competition from the private sector – including companies like Space-X – began to command more attention. After 30 years and five Space Shuttles (two of which, Challenger and Columbia, ended in tragedy) NASA seemed like yesterday’s news. Of course, the folks at NASA weren’t sitting around in an empty warehouse, wondering what to do next. A decades-in-the-making plan to eventually send a manned space flight to Mars was taking shape, and soon, the public would start to take interest in the famed agency once again. But it wasn’t just the mission to Mars or the recent landing of a probe on an asteroid that piqued the public’s interest. NASA conducted a conscious rebranding of itself, utilizing emerging media technology – including a robust social media campaign – to connect people to the adventure of space exploration in a way never seen before.

Astronauts tweet from the International Space Station. NASA scientists sit on panels at San Diego’s own Comic-Con. The agency has even redesigned their mission control room to look more futuristic and “Sci-Fi.” NASA’s rebranding is an amazing success story, and you can read about it in-depth in Karlin’s fantastic article here.

Rebranding by Jacob Tyler

The Delightful Pandering of Honda’s Skeletor Ad

The holidays have come and gone but we thought we’d revisit a campaign that had amazing reach! Everywhere you turn during the holidays, you’re inundated by advertisements for everything from vacuum cleaners to vacation homes. The message is the same: “Product X would make a GREAT holiday gift!” The competition for eyeballs – across digital, social media, TV, radio, print, and more – is intense. To stand out, advertisers not only have to get really creative, but also have to focus on specific market segments in order to get the most bang for the advertising buck.

Honda’s latest campaign is a great example of marketing towards a specific demographic – children of the 1980s. Now 30-something adults, this demographic is a prime target audience for Honda’s vehicles. The ads, featuring popular 80s toys headlined by “Skeletor” – the villain from the He-Man toys and cartoon series –summons the ghost of Christmas past. Transfer advertising is not a new concept, but rarely has it been so hilariously direct. The toys literally tell you to associate your good feelings about the 80’s with 2015 Honda vehicles. Skeletor, speaking from inside a Honda CRV, turns to the camera to say: “Remember the exultation you felt when you got me for the holidays? Feel that again with new CRV during happy Honda days!”

More 80’s toys – including Strawberry Shortcake, G.I. Joe, Jem, Stretch Armstrong and even Gumby – appear in subsequent spots, all espousing the same message: buying a Honda will make you feel like a kid during the holidays. The spots are well executed, well written and truly funny – they also garnered a great response, prompting Honda’s social media team to expand the campaign to Twitter, where “Skeletor” staged a brief coup on Honda’s account. The self-proclaimed “Master of the Universe” proceeded to troll a slew of big brands – including Olive Garden, People Magazine, Charmin and Sephora – as only a 1980’s evil cartoon mastermind could. The #Skeletakeover, as it was dubbed, is a great example of cross-platform advertising in the digital age.

#skeletakover Check out the ad, in all it’s 80’s glory, here.

Advertising in San Diego by Jacob Tyler